"What? Your father is Dragon, and Dragon's father is the Marine hero Garp? What a strange family."
Emporio Ivankov finally accepted the truth. The boy standing before him was the son of his closest ally and superior. Then another thought struck him. If that was the case, what about Ace?
Ivankov's expression shifted.
"Luffy, I will help you rescue Ace. Everyone, we are going to cause a massive uproar in Impel Down. Inazuma, I leave the rest to you."
"Leave it to ."
The man called Inazuma stepped forward. His hairstyle resembled a club from a deck of cards, orange on the left and white on the right, perfectly matching his outfit. A jagged scar ran from his forehead down to his right eye.
He was the Deputy Commander of the Revolutionary Army's Grand Line division, Ivankov's trusted right-hand man, and a user of the Snip-Snip Fruit. As a Newkama, he stood proudly among the Okama.
Ivankov had entered Impel Down specifically to rescue him.
Even in this heavily guarded prison, Inazuma moved with ease. His ability, though different from the Push-Push Fruit, was just as effective in its own way.
The Okama army sprang into action.
A group of burly n dressed in flamboyant clothing and fishnet stockings advanced directly to the entrance of Level 6. The massive reinforced gate stood in their way, but under Inazuma's power, it was effortlessly cut apart and reshaped into delicate strips, like lace fluttering in the air.
Level 6, the most feared floor, was opened once again.
The prisoners inside erupted into chaos.
"Ivankov, the Okama King? How are you here?"
"I don't care who you are, just get out of here!"
The shouts echoed through the dark chamber, but Luffy and the others ignored them completely. Their focus remained fixed on one goal.
"Ace, where are you?"
"Ace, answer !"
The na stirred soone within the shadows.
"…Are you Ace's brother, Luffy?"
Luffy turned imdiately. "Yeah, that's . Do you know Ace? Where is he?"
The speaker stepped forward. It was Jinbe, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
His expression darkened.
Jinbe and Ace had forged a bond through battle. The Whitebeard Pirates had long protected Fish-Man Island, and for that, Jinbe held deep respect for Whitebeard.
Two years ago, when Ace entered the New World to challenge Whitebeard, Jinbe had tried to stop him. Their clash lasted four days and four nights, ending in a draw as both collapsed from exhaustion. From that mont on, mutual respect grew between them.
Now, fate had placed them side by side once more, imprisoned in Level 6.
Jinbe spoke quietly.
"Ace has already been taken away. You are too late."
Silence fell.
Luffy's body went limp as if all strength had left him. He dropped to his knees, staring blankly ahead.
"Ace… taken away…"
His voice trembled, but determination soon returned.
"I have to save him. Right… Aether told to use that paper when I reached Level 6."
Having been saved twice by Aether, Luffy trusted him without hesitation. He quickly reached into his clothes and pulled out the talisman that had been carefully sewn inside.
He tapped it repeatedly.
The talisman began to glow, rising slowly into the air.
"Amazing, it's floating!"
Everyone around him stared in astonishnt.
"Luffy, what did you just do?" Ivankov asked.
"I don't know, Aether told to do it."
The light intensified. The talisman burned away, transforming into a mass of energy that gradually took shape.
Monts later, a figure fully materialized.
Bare-chested and dressed only in simple clothing, Aether stood calmly within Level 6 of Impel Down.
The sudden appearance of a man caused the prisoners to erupt into murmurs. The Okama, however, looked at him with unusual interest.
Aether opened his eyes and took in the scene. Luffy stood before him, filled with anticipation, while a group of flamboyantly dressed n surrounded him with strange expressions.
Ivankov approached without hesitation, placing his hands on Aether's shoulders and arms, examining him with clear admiration.
"What a strong boy. Are you interested in becoming a Newkama?"
The surrounding Okama grew excited at the suggestion.
Aether's eyelid twitched slightly.
He had absolutely no intention of becoming one of them.
For a brief mont, an unpleasant image crossed his mind, sothing about being surrounded by overly enthusiastic Okama for years. The thought alone was enough to make him dismiss it instantly.
Luffy, on the other hand, rushed forward and grabbed Aether's arm.
"Aether, Ace has been taken away. I'm going to Marineford to rescue him. Do you think I can do it?"
Aether looked at him calmly.
"Then go to Marineford and rescue him. Even if I tried to stop you, you would still go."
Luffy laughed and scratched his head.
"Yeah, that sounds about right."
There was no hesitation in his eyes. Even if it ant death, he would go.
Aether said nothing more.
Instead, he focused.
The dim environnt limited his vision, so he activated Observation Haki, extending his perception across Level 6.
Even so, he could only cover about half the area.
Level 6 was not larger than the upper floors, but its structure was far more reinforced. The number of prisoners was small, fewer than a hundred in total.
Yet every single one of them was a monster.
Each prisoner possessed strength at least comparable to a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral. Among them were individuals rivaling the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Within his range, Aether detected around thirty presences.
Two of them stood out imdiately.
Douglas Bullet.
Patrick Redfield.
The forr, known as the Demon Heir, had once been a mber of Roger's crew. His potential was terrifying, and even in his early years, he had already reached a level comparable to an Admiral.
The latter, known as the Red Count, was a solitary legend from the sa era. His strength rivaled the greatest figures of the sea, including Gol D. Roger and Whitebeard.
He had once clashed with Sengoku and erged victorious, though heavily injured.
However, ti had not been kind to him. After his strength declined, he was betrayed and captured, ultimately being imprisoned in Level 6 for decades.
As Aether sensed Douglas Bullet's presence, a trace of regret flickered in his eyes.
He understood better than most just how terrifying that man's potential truly was.
Had Bullet been allowed to train freely for ten years, he might have reached the pinnacle of the world.
Instead, twenty years had been lost within these walls.
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