In the chaos of Impel Down, plans were destined to fall apart. Yamato had come with a clear objective, but the moment she learned that Ace's younger brother, Luffy, was also storming the prison, she knew their original strategy was obsolete. The element of surprise was gone. By now, Marineford would have been alerted to the massive riot unfolding within the great prison's walls. The plan to quietly slip in and out during the confusion of a larger conflict was no longer an option.
Thinking fast, Yamato devised a new strategy. She would act as the main distraction, fighting her way out and drawing the bulk of the enemy's attention. Meanwhile, she would trust Emporio Ivankov with the most critical task: rescuing Ace.
"Take Bonney and the others to the sixth level," Yamato had instructed. "Free Ace and Jinbe while I keep the Warden busy!"
Ivankov, though hesitant to split their forces, couldn't refuse, not with Bonney's determined glare fixed on him. And so, the charge began.
Led by the flamboyant Revolutionary Army Commander, the army of Okamas and prisoners from Level 5 stormed the final level. They descended from the Extreme Cold Hell of Level 5 into the timeless darkness of Level 6, the Infinite Hell. The ordinary jailers and the colossal beast guards stood no chance against such a force.
"Hee-haw!"
Ivankov's signature cry echoed through the stone corridors, followed by a series of massive explosions from his Death Wink.
"Hee-haw!"
With each blast, another line of guards was sent flying. The group carved a path directly toward the cells holding the most infamous criminals in the world. They wasted no time. Bonney, her expression a mask of grim determination, rushed to the cell holding Ace and Jinbe. There was no time for introductions or explanations.
"Aging Shock!" she yelled, slamming her hands against the thick iron bars.
In an instant, the effect of her Devil Fruit took hold. The solid metal corroded at an impossible rate, turning from polished steel to rusted scrap in seconds before crumbling into a pile of reddish-brown dust. Bonney stepped through the opening and faced the two prisoners, who stared back at her with wide, disbelieving eyes.
She turned and shouted over her shoulder, "Perona!"
"I got it! Damn it, we're all going to be screwed for this," Perona grumbled as she floated into the cell, holding a large ring of keys. She tossed them to Bonney with a huff.
Bonney snatched the keys from the air and quickly unlocked the Seastone shackles binding Ace and Jinbe. As the cuffs fell away, the two men felt their strength surge back into their bodies. Ace staggered to his feet, flexing his hands as he looked at the strange group of rescuers.
"Who… who are you people?" he finally managed to ask, his voice hoarse.
"I'm Jewelry Bonney, the Vice-Captain of Yamato-nii's pirate crew," she said impatiently. "We don't have time for a long chat, Fire Fist Ace. We need to get out of here now. Marineford has definitely gotten word of the breakout, so we have to hijack a warship and escape before their reinforcements arrive."
Ace opened his mouth to ask another question, but Jinbe placed a steady hand on his shoulder.
"Ace-san, she is right. We must not waste time," the fish-man said, his voice firm and resolute.
"Right," Ace agreed, a new fire of hope igniting within him. Flames began to lick at his shoulders as he prepared for the fight ahead.
Just then, a dry, raspy voice echoed from a nearby cell.
"Well, well. Knight of the Sea Jinbe. Fire Fist Ace. How about we make a deal?"
Everyone turned to see the former Warlord, Crocodile, leaning against the bars of his cell with a smug grin. Ace and Jinbe's expressions immediately hardened into frowns. They knew exactly what kind of deal Crocodile wanted, and they had no intention of accepting it. The man had publicly threatened to take Whitebeard's head on multiple occasions, and his treacherous nature made him far too dangerous to set free.
But before they could refuse, Crocodile continued, his voice dripping with condescending amusement.
"Don't be so quick to say no. You have an impressive group here, I'll admit. But don't forget how long you've been causing a ruckus. Marineford already knows. It's only a matter of time before an Admiral shows up. Kizaru could already be on his way. With your current strength, can you really handle Magellan and an Admiral? Guhahaha… I don't think so."
His words sent a chill through the group. Ace, however, refused to be intimidated. "Hey, Crocodile! Are you underestimating us?"
Crocodile simply smirked. Jinbe, however, wore a deep frown. He had been the one captured by Kizaru and knew firsthand the terrifying power of a Marine Admiral. Releasing a monster like Crocodile was a massive risk, one he wasn't sure they could control.
Just then, Ivankov, having finished dealing with the remaining guards, strode forward with a dramatic flourish.
"Bonney-girl, release Crocodile-boy," he declared. "He's right. We need his combat power right now. Whatever happens next, having another fighter of his caliber gives us a better chance of escape. And don't you worry about him. I have a little something on Crocodile-boy."
Ivankov's confidence was enough to convince the others. Bonney shrugged and walked toward Crocodile's cell, though she still looked skeptical.
"Is this guy really that useful?" she muttered, glancing at the former Warlord. "He got beaten by Ace's brother, didn't he?"
Inside the cell, Crocodile's face turned darker than the shadows of Level 6, but he remained silent.
Regardless of anyone's doubts, he was released. As the roars of outrage and jealousy from the other prisoners echoed around them, the final breakout force assembled. At its head was Fire Fist Ace, Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. At his sides were two former Warlords of the Sea: the Knight of the Sea, Jinbe, and the desert king, Crocodile. Backing them up were Revolutionary Commander Emporio Ivankov and Supernova Jewelry Bonney. Behind them stood the entire Okama Kingdom and the formidable army of pirates from Level 5.
Their combined power was immense, giving every prisoner the courage to believe that escape was truly possible. They didn't need stealth anymore. Led by their powerful new commanders, the army of escapees tore through the prison like an unstoppable force, blasting their way from Level 6 all the way back up to Level 4.
When they kicked open the door to the Blazing Hell, they were met with the sight of a colossal battle. Magellan, his body now glowing a terrifying, blood-red color, was clashing with Yamato, who fought fiercely in her hybrid human-beast form.
Seeing the wave of freed prisoners appear, especially the sight of a free and fighting-fit Ace, Magellan's face contorted with fury. He knew, in that instant, that the situation had spiraled completely out of his control. This was a catastrophe far more severe than when the Golden Lion Shiki escaped decades ago.
Could he stop them? No. He couldn't even defeat the woman in front of him.
Magellan was undeniably strong, possessing power that could rival an Admiral. But this fight was a terrible matchup for him. Unlike Akainu, whose magma powers had completely overwhelmed Yamato's ice, Magellan's Venom-Venom Fruit was being systematically neutralized. The vast majority of his attacks were liquid-based, and Yamato's ice froze every drop of poison he threw at her, rendering it harmless. Combined with her incredible mastery of Haki, including the rare Conqueror's Haki coating, Magellan couldn't land a single decisive blow. Worse, the side effects of his own Devil Fruit were draining his stamina, while Yamato, a Mythical Zoan user, seemed to have limitless energy.
When Yamato saw Bonney emerge with Ivankov, Ace, and Jinbe, her fierce expression broke into a wide, joyous grin.
"Ace! Big Brother Jinbe!" she cried out.
"Yamato!" Ace yelled back, his own face lighting up.
For a brief moment, they greeted each other like old friends finally reunited after a long time. But the urgency of their situation quickly returned.
"Ace, Jinbe, Ivan, you have to go now!" Yamato shouted, parrying another toxic blast from Magellan. "Leave this guy to me!"
Ace leaped to her side, his entire body wreathed in flames. "No, Yamato! We'll fight him together!"
Yamato shook her head, her expression desperate. "There's no time! He's already ordered the Marine warships to pull back from the island to trap us here! Besides, Ace… your brother, Luffy-kun… he was poisoned by this guy. He's in critical condition! His friends are taking him up to find an antidote right now…"
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