"D. Jiang Lin! Luffy! You've grown so much! With such a powerful ally by your side, I… I… I can finally rest easy!"
Tears poured from Ace like a rushing spring. The one he had always worried about most was his younger brother Luffy. Now, seeing Jiang Lin, such a strong and capable ally, standing beside Luffy, Ace felt that even if he were to leave this world, he could do so with peace of mind.
"Ace! I came to save you! Luffy is waiting for you below! You cannot give up on yourself!"
Jiang Lin knew what Ace was thinking. Pointing toward the elevator, he shouted at Ace with all his heart:
"Stay alive! Only by staying alive can you make Luffy… and your own dreams, come true!"
Jiang Lin had so many words he wanted to say to Ace, yet he forced them down, keeping them in his heart. In front of him stood another formidable enemy—Aokiji.
"Boom!"
Jiang Lin casually tossed Magellan, fully encased in stone skin, aside. The dull impact made the atmosphere even more tense and eerie.
"Hah! Hah! Hah!"
Free from Jiang Lin's petrifying hold, Magellan gasped for air as his body slowly returned to normal. While he wasn't afraid of Jiang Lin's petrification ability, he was terrified of Jiang Lin himself.
Such a young man, yet so strong. Such a charismatic man. If he ever entered the Grand Line, what kind of terrifying whirlwind would he create?
Even just imagining it made Magellan's scalp tingle.
"Director Magellan, you take Ace to the ship. I'll handle things here."
Aokiji's cold gaze met Jiang Lin's. His hands radiated icy air, and his expression was serious.
"Today, no one will leave!"
Facing Aokiji, Jiang Lin extended his right hand and struck the wall behind him. Piercing cold radiated from his palm, freezing the entire room in an instant.
Heavy blocks of ice rapidly formed behind Jiang Lin, sealing off the previously open gates of Impel Down.
"What's going on? Why are the gates frozen?"
The ship docked outside Impel Down, contacted the prison through a Den Den Mushi upon seeing the exit blocked by ice.
"The current situation is unclear. However, before the surveillance, Den Den Mushi was frozen, and we saw the newly famous pirate, D, with a bounty of 601 million Berries, dash up the elevator shaft to the top floor. After restraining Director Magellan, he froze the entire room."
Once the Den Den Mushi connection succeeded, every Marine soldier outside shivered; their limbs felt icy cold.
"Ace was intercepted?"
This thought made all the waiting Marines lose composure. Cannons were immediately aimed at the prison exit under the orders of the admirals.
"Open fire immediately once the target is confirmed!"
Vice Admiral Onigumo stood on the deck, giving the order gravely.
While the Marines prepared outside, on the top floor of Impel Down, Jiang Lin and Aokiji exchanged a glance and charged to the right. Their target: Ace.
The key target of this battle was not Magellan or the ship outside, but Fire Fist Ace, whose abilities were suppressed by Seastone.
"Ice Fruit (Poison-Poison Fruit, Sweet-Sweet Fruit, Light-Light Fruit enhancement) fully loaded. Duration: ten minutes. Cooldown: thirty seconds."
The system announcement signaled that the fight had officially begun.
Jiang Lin planted one hand on the ground, and an ice wall shot forth. Yellow light and purple liquid coated its surface, spreading like luminous ice and corroding everything in its path like a poisonous ice serpent.
The ice wall, radiating an eerie glow, struck in front of Aokiji the moment he stepped forward.
Its speed was monstrously fast—beyond the speed of sound.
"Haki!"
Even Aokiji, a formidable opponent, did not dare touch the ice wall directly. He coated his hands with Armament Haki and struck the ice wall with a powerful punch.
"Boom!"
The violent shaking and the sound of cracking ice reverberated across the entire top floor.
"Ace! Let's go!"
While Aokiji was blocked by the ice wall, Jiang Lin reached Ace first, lifting him from his half-kneeling position and preparing to dash outside.
But at that moment, Magellan, who had been watching coldly, made his move.
"Poison Cloud!"
Pale purple mist spread from Magellan's body, quickly filling the room.
"Ah… ah… ah!"
Affected by the toxic cloud, Ace immediately collapsed into a half-kneeling position, writhing in pain.
"Magellan! You truly deserve to die!"
Jiang Lin's anger surged as he turned toward the door. At the ice-covered exit of Impel Down, Magellan stood resolutely, continuously emitting thick poison that filled the room.
"D! You can't take him away! He's already poisoned. Even if you take him, he won't survive!"
Magellan's words made Jiang Lin slowly release his grip on Ace. He realized Magellan had outsmarted him and that he wasn't lying.
"You truly deserve to die!"
Jiang Lin's gaze radiated a cold fury. Ice shot from his body toward Magellan at the door.
Upon contact, the intense cold instantly froze Magellan's body. As the ice spread upward, even the unknown entity above him was completely frozen toward the exit of Impel Down.
"Kid! You can't take him! Hand him over to us and he'll live!"
Aokiji coldly observed Jiang Lin. He understood the severity of Magellan's poison. If Jiang Lin insisted on taking Ace, death awaited Ace no matter what.
"Ace!"
Jiang Lin looked down at Ace, writhing in pain. His heart was torn. He was one step away from carrying Ace out. Just a few meters more, and they could escape Impel Down.
Yet if he did, Ace's fate would likely be death by poison.
Without an antidote, even leaving Impel Down wouldn't guarantee Ace's survival.
"Can I take Ace back? That won't work either!"
Jiang Lin considered taking Ace back to Level 6, where Ivankov was. Handing Ace over to Ivankov could solve the poison problem.
But leaving aside Aokiji's current blockade, the time lost returning to Level 6 still left Ace's survival uncertain.
"How about it? Have you made up your mind? He can't wait for you forever!"
Aokiji spoke again. He wasn't in a hurry to attack; as long as Jiang Lin cared for Ace's life, he would eventually hand him over voluntarily.
"I… I…"
Jiang Lin's lips trembled. He couldn't speak for a long moment.
"I'll go with you, Jiang Lin. Tell my brother—Luffy—never… ever come to Marineford!"
Ace stubbornly stood. His body was ravaged by poison, but his eyes remained clear as ever. His loud, determined shout made tears stream down Jiang Lin's face.