"Ahh, I do wish to raise you, and Luffy had become great Marine officers like I wanted you to..." said Garp. "To think that you would both do the very opposite and become terrible rogues...!"

Ace just sat there in silence; chained to the wall with sea stone chains.


Flashback

Luffy stood behind Garp, who was busy rebuilding the wall that he broke through.
"I have a Dad?" Luffy asked. "Who is he?"
"Your father's name," Garp began, his pinky shoved up his nostril, "is Monkey D. Dragon! The Revolutionary Leader!"

Flashback end


"It doesn't matter whether... we know it or not... the fact remains that both Luffy and I..." said Ace. "...have the blood of a global-scale criminal flowing through our veins...how could we possibly become Marines...? However I too the name "Portgas" from my mother, whom I owe a great debt..."

Garp just sat there in silence.

"...I don't care one jot for that half of my blood that came from my useless father...I don't have any memories or any debt to him whatsoever..."

"...Well, I suppose that makes sense" Garp began, "...that guy being how he is..."

"And that's why...Gramps..."


Flashback

A 17-year-old Ace sat on the ground on his knees, exhausted and his shirt nearly in shreds. Towering over him stood the Whitebeard and his men.
"This is no place for you to die, boy..." said Whitebeard. He reached a hand out to Ace. "Take my name upon your back... and rage across the seas to your heart's content...! Become my son, Ace!"
Ace gasped in surprise, but Whitebeard just gave him a toothy smile.

Flashback end


"I have only one father..." Ace said. "And that father is Whitebeard...!" he gave Garp a grin.

Garp just sat before Ace before heaving another sigh.


"Vice Admiral Momonga, sir! I see a pirate ship!"
"Whose is it?"
The Marine soldier zoomed in with his binoculars and saw the pirate ship's flag. It looked like a Jolly Roger with a big red nose.
"That insignia…I think I've seen it before from somewhere. I'll go look into it!"
"Don't bother," said Momonga. "If you can't seem to remember who the ship belongs to, then they must not be that infamous. Leave them be! We've no time to waste on this trip!"
"Yes, sir!"

On a familiar looking pirate ship, it was revealed that it belonged to none other than the Buggy Pirates, and right now, a Sea King had just appeared beside the ship.
"Yikes!" Cabaji yelped. "Look at the size of that Sea King!"
"If he sees us," Mohji began, "then he can swallow the whole ship in one bite!"
Luckily for them, the Sea King just dove back into the smooth surface of the water; the Calm Belt, where it belonged.
"Phew," sighed a relieved Cabaji. "That was a close one. Well, we came all this way, but it doesn't look like there's anything we can do! What do you suggest, Sister Alvida?"
Behind the group of clown-like pirates, Alvida walked up to them, her iron mace in her hand.
"Why are you asking me?" Alvida questioned. "It was you fools who wanted to come here AND who spent a fortune on that Eternal Pose."
"It was all to plan a rescue mission for Captain Buggy!" Mohji exclaimed. "He's held up in Impel Down, you know!"
The pirates then began to cry, showing the sadness they bore at the thought of losing their beloved captain.
Alvida merely smirked and said, "Look around. We're about to enter the dreaded Calm Belt, where the Sea Kings roam and breed. Do you honestly think that we can sail this ship through there?" She turned back to the crew. "There is only one safe course, and that is exclusive only to the Marines. They're not gonna open up the Gate of Justice for a crew of pirates."
"You mean we can't even get there?" Mohji asked in disbelief. "If we don't do something, Captain Buggy will be executed!"
"Along with our friend, Ace!" Cabaji added.
GRRROOOOOARR! Richie growled sadly.
"Oh, and listen to poor ol' Richie!" Mohji said. "He's sad just thinking about what'll happen to the captain!"
In reality, Richie was too busy thinking about his stomach to worry about Buggy. Right now, he was thinking about a nice hot bowl of steamed rice.
"Impel Down is the maximum prison," said Alvida, "and it's nearly impossible for one to infiltrate into or escape from. It's best if you just give up on that fool. Buggy the Clown's luck has finally run out."
The Buggy Pirates fell to their hands and knees.
"No! It can't be!" cried Mohji. "Captain Buggy will not die like this!"
"That's right!" agreed Cabaji. "Until he finds the treasure island of Captain John, we will stay by his side, forever!"
GRRRAAAAAARR! Richie growled, again.
"What a compassionate lion you are, Richie!" Mohji praised through his tears.
Once again, Richie's mind was still on food. This time, he was thinking about a beautiful fresh leg of meat.
"Oh, Richie~!" the Buggy Pirates cried as they all gave the sad (and hungry) lion a group hug.
"Well, have fun," Alvida said. "I'll be taking the Big Top, and you lot can have a dinghy."
The Buggy Pirates gasped in shock.
"You can't!" Mohji said. "This is Captain Buggy's ship!"
"True," said Alvida as she pointed her mace at the pirates, "but Buggy isn't here, now is he?"
"Well, no, but-"
SMASH! Alvida drove the end of her mace into the deck.
"Listen here," she said. "I am not walking up to Death's doorstep, and I am not letting you incompetent louts to waste this ship. You can go ahead and chase after Buggy to your hearts' content. However, I think you'll most likely die before you can even SEE Impel Down."
Mohji, Cabaji, and Richie glanced at each other in worry. As much as they hated to admit it, Alvida was right. If the Buggy Pirates just continued on their way, there was a high chance that they'd be eaten by a Sea King before they could reach Impel Down.
Plus…they were just a bunch of chickens.
"Captain Buggy!" Mohji cried. "Thank you for all you've done for us!"
"We'll never forget you!" Cabaji added.
RRAAAAAWWR! Richie roared in sadness (but mostly hunger).
"Have a peaceful execution! Farewell!"
"We'll see you again, in the next life!"
RAAAAAAAWWWRR! Richie roared again, this time thinking about some fried fish.
"Ah, Rich! I feel your pain!"
GRAAAAAAOORR!

"This is Vice Admiral Momonga, Marine Code G100660. We are about to sail into the current, so please open the Gate!"
The Marine ship that Luffy and Hancock are approaching the Tub Current, which is exclusively used only by World Government officials, such as Marines. It connects three of the government's central facilities…
One of which is Impel Down, the Maximum Underwater Prison.
There, one would find devices that would be used for torture, such as whips, pools of water that are used for drowning, shackles, a noose, and other devices.
One could hear the sounds of tormented screams and cries of "PLEASE, JUST KILL ME!"
A pair of prisoners had gotten into a scuffle in one of the cells, but they were soon silenced by a monstrous figure that carried an iron mace. They were thrown into another cell, where something even more terrifying awaited them…and were never seen again.
Small spiders could be seen crawling among piles of decomposing skeletons that lay in a crimson forest of needles and knives.
A boiling vat of crimson liquid was placed over a huge sea of flames.
The growls and roars of hungry beasts with saliva cascading from their jaws could be heard amongst the symphony of screams.
One might say…that this place was a real Living Hell.
It has been four-and-a-half days since Luffy and Hancock left Amazon Lily, the Island of Maidens, and they were now arriving at their destination.
The Marine battleship came before the humungous Gate of Justice.
"Vice Admiral Momonga! We are now arriving at Impel Down!"
"Hurry and open the Gate!"
"Aye-aye, sir!"
The Gate opened, thus allowing the Marine ship entrance.
Luffy looked out through the window, small beads of sweat forming on his face.
"So this is the world's greatest prison, huh?" Luffy questioned.
The battleship sailed through the Gate, and once inside, Luffy and Blizzard saw that there were, even more, battleships surrounding a huge building in the middle of the ocean.
"We were delayed due to headwinds, Vice Admiral Momonga, sir!"
Momonga looked down at his wristwatch.
"Oh, my," he said. "We must hurry, then! Get Hancock, now!"
"Yes, sir!"
Four Marines came to Hancock's door.
"Lady Hancock! We've arrived!"
"I'll be right out."
Luffy still looked outside, he was surprised to see so many battleships; the most that he had ever seen.
"What the hell...?" He questioned. "This place has more battleships than a Buster Call! And Ace...is in a place like this...?"
"Since it's the maximum prison," Hancock began, "it's necessary."
"He's probably being held up underwater," Hancock said as she pulled on her cape. "Now come. Get under my cape."


The Marine battleship soon anchored in the harbor that led to the main entrance of Impel Down. Momonga, Hancock (who had Luffy hidden inside her cloak), and Salome had disembarked, and they were soon greeted by the many Marine soldiers that were there.
"Welcome, Vice Admiral Momonga!"
"OOOOOH~! L-look at her!"
"It's the Pirate Empress! She looks like a goddess!"
"Her beauty is positively breathtaking!"
"How man volts is her beauty? 10,000? 100,000? 1,000,000?"
"What's that obnoxious sound?" Hancock questioned. "It offends my ears. Can't I turn these fools to stone?"
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't," Momonga advised. "The Marines do not need further humiliation."
"Psst…!" Luffy whispered. "Are we inside yet?"
"Not yet, Luffy," Hancock whispered. "Please, be patient."
"Your one condition to coming here," started Momonga, "was that you wished to see Portgas D. Ace, am I right? As I had said before, even though you're one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Pirates are not generally allowed anywhere near this prison. So, once inside, you will have to be put on a full-body search and wear Sea Prism Stone handcuffs. We can't allow you to do anything that might help initiate an escape."
Hancock put her hands on her chest.
"Luffy," she whispered. "They're going to search me."
"Just keep going," Luffy whispered. "I'll think of something."
"If you say so," Hancock whispered.


Inside the prison, a mysterious figure was speaking into a Transponder Snail.
"What? Buggy, the Clown, has escaped from his cell? And he's eaten a Devil Fruit?"
Tap! Tap! One of the staff of the prison, a woman, came knocking at the open door.
"Vice Warden!" she said. "Vice Admiral Momonga and Lady Hancock of the Seven Warlords of the Sea have arrived!"
"I'll be right there!"
Outside, the swooning staff had opened the gates for Momonga and Hancock.
"Here we go, Luffy" Hancock whispered as she, Salome, and Momonga entered Impel Down.


Meanwhile Chance and Tramp were in a dingy on their way toward Impel Down.
"Do we have to do this?" Tramp asked Chance.
"Yeah no one has every broken out of this place it's perfect." Chance said. " For too long they have ignored my warnings this will be the day everything changes."


A Marine held out a notice and looked at in question before laughing. "Haha." He threw the note away." Yeah right like anyone will be dumb enough to break in."