Level 6: Infinite Hell
The sudden, chilling laughter cut through the tense silence of Infinite Hell, drawing every eye toward the shadows of a particular cell. Hancock and Vice Admiral Momonga exchanged confused glances, but the Impel Down staff froze. Hannyabal and the other jailers went pale, their faces etched with a fear that went beyond the usual dangers of their job. They knew that voice.
Only Warden Magellan remained composed, though his gaze hardened as he stared into the darkness. "Don't even think about it, Shiliew," he said, his voice a low growl. "You're a death row inmate. You're never getting out of this prison. Let's go."
Magellan turned, ready to lead the group away, but the voice from the cell stopped him cold.
"Are you sure about that, Magellan? You wouldn't want 'Fire Fist' Ace to be rescued, now would you?"
The words hit the group like a physical blow. The atmosphere, already thick with tension, became electric. Hancock's heart pounded in her chest; she was certain he had somehow overheard her whispered message to Ace. Inside their cell, Jinbe and Ace began to struggle violently against their chains, their eyes wide with alarm.
The other prisoners in Level 6 erupted into a cacophony of panicked whispers.
"A miscalculation! I completely forgot that bastard was still down here!"
"Who is that guy?"
"That's Shiliew of the Rain," another prisoner hissed. "He used to be the Head Jailer, just as feared as Magellan. They locked him up in here for slaughtering prisoners for his own amusement."
"Shut your mouth!" a third inmate snarled. "If you say one more word, we'll kill you the second we get out of here!"
Magellan's eyes narrowed. He could feel control of the situation slipping through his fingers. He scanned the panicked faces of the other prisoners before turning his attention back to the shadowed cell. "What's this all about, Shiliew?" he demanded, his voice dangerously calm. "What are you talking about, rescuing Fire Fist?"
Clatter. The sound of a single footstep echoed from the cell, and a figure stepped into the dim light. A man with a cruel, cunning smile emerged from the darkness. It was Shiliew. "You want to know, Magellan?" he taunted. "Then let me out. I'll tell you everything."
Ace and Jinbe's expressions soured. They now understood exactly who they were dealing with, and the situation had just become infinitely more complicated. Jinbe, unable to contain his rage, let out a furious roar. "You despicable scoundrel!"
Shiliew simply chuckled, completely unfazed by the insult. "Despicable? Come now, Knight of the Sea, don't get it twisted. I'm not some common pirate. My allegiance has always been with the World Government." He turned his mocking gaze back to Magellan. "So, what's it going to be? If Ace gets rescued, the legend of Impel Down's impenetrable walls will be shattered for the second time since Shiki escaped. Have you thought about what that means for your career?"
Magellan was now certain that a major incident was unfolding right under his nose. But he would never fully trust Shiliew. The man was a manipulative snake who reveled in chaos. Still, he had no choice but to engage.
He slowly walked toward the cell, his face a grim mask. "You are a prisoner sentenced to death. I don't have the authority to release you," he stated flatly. "But… if you tell me what you know, I will report it directly to the World Government. If your information proves to be true, perhaps they will grant you a special pardon. You might just get your freedom after all."
A predatory glint flashed in Shiliew's eyes. "Is that so? Then we have a deal, Warden. You wouldn't hide my contribution just to keep me locked away in here, would you?"
Magellan snorted. "We were colleagues for years, Shiliew. You know I'm not that kind of man."
"In that case," Shiliew said with a triumphant grin, "I have no problem." He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper that carried through the now-silent prison. "Kaido's daughter has secretly infiltrated Impel Down. And her goal… is to rescue Fire Fist Ace."
Marineford Headquarters
Buru Buru Buru… Buru Buru Buru…
The frantic ringing of a Den Den Mushi shattered the tense quiet of the Marine intelligence room. Moments later, a messenger burst out of the room, clutching the receiver and sprinting down the corridor toward the Fleet Admiral's office.
"This is bad! It's an emergency!" he shouted, his voice filled with pure panic.
Marines in the hallway stopped and stared, their own anxieties flaring.
"What's happening?"
"Did Whitebeard's fleet make a move?"
"No way, not already!"
The commotion outside caught the attention of the high-ranking officers in Sengoku's office. The Fleet Admiral's face was already a thundercloud of irritation. "What is all that noise?" he growled. "What's the meaning of this frantic behavior?"
Just then, the panicked messenger stumbled through the door, nearly tripping over his own feet. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" he gasped. "News from Impel Down! Kaido's daughter… She's infiltrated the prison! She's there to rescue Fire Fist Ace!"
"What did you say?!"
The news struck the room like a thunderclap. Every officer, from Garp to the three Admirals, stared in wide-eyed disbelief. Sengoku snatched the Den Den Mushi from the messenger's trembling hand. "This is Sengoku!" he barked into the receiver. "Magellan, report! What in the world is going on?!"
Magellan's voice came through, strained and urgent. "Fleet Admiral! The situation is… complicated. Two days ago, a group claiming to be from CP9 arrived and went down to Level 5. Because of their authority, we didn't question them too closely. But I just confirmed with the World Government… they never sent any agents."
Sengoku's face grew darker with every word. "Are you telling me Kaido's daughter disguised herself as a CP agent? Are you serious, Magellan?"
"I can't be one hundred percent certain," Magellan admitted, "but it's the only security breach we've had since Ace was brought here. And more importantly… we just did a sweep of Level 5. All the prisoners… they're gone."
"Gone?!" Sengoku's voice rose to a roar. "What do you mean, 'gone'?!"
"It means exactly what it sounds like, sir. I know it's unbelievable, but every single prisoner from the Freezing Hell has vanished. We can't find them anywhere. It's like they just disappeared into thin air."
The veins on Sengoku's forehead bulged. "Magellan! Are you joking with me? An entire level of prisoners doesn't just 'vanish'! And how are you so sure this is Kaido's daughter?!"
"Jinbe confirmed it," Magellan explained quickly. "According to other prisoners, a ghost appeared in Level 6 and spoke directly to Ace and Jinbe. When we questioned him, Jinbe admitted it was her."
That was all the confirmation Sengoku needed. He exploded. "How did she even get in?! What is your staff doing down there, Magellan?!" The Fleet Admiral paced the room, his fury palpable. A security failure of this magnitude, at this critical moment, was unacceptable.
Magellan, knowing he was at fault, took the verbal lashing without complaint. "Fleet Admiral, please, there's good news," he said, trying to regain control of the conversation. "Ace hasn't been rescued. He's still here, right in front of me. My recommendation is to dispatch an Admiral immediately to transport him to Marineford. We'll handle Kaido's daughter and any other intruders here."
Sengoku didn't hesitate. He spun around and pointed a finger at the lanky Admiral lounging in his chair. "Borsalino! Go now! You are to bring Fire Fist Ace back here, no matter what!"
Admiral Kizaru slowly stood up, a lazy smile on his face. "Ooh, no problem at all~," he drawled. In the next instant, his body dissolved into a blinding flash of golden light and shot out of the room, disappearing from sight.
Sengoku let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. But as the initial shock wore off, his mind replayed Magellan's report, catching a detail he'd missed in his anger. He brought the receiver back to his mouth. "Wait a minute, Magellan. Did you just say 'Straw Hat'?"
On the other end of the line, Magellan's face was grim as he stared at a surveillance monitor, where a certain rubbery figure was causing chaos on Level 1.
"Yes, Fleet Admiral… We just discovered Straw Hat Luffy's presence in the prison."
------------------------
For Advance chapters visit : patreon.com/Mythic_Muse