AN: Here's the newest chapter. I appreciate all the great feedback I've gotten for this story.
Impel Down
Not too far away, Magellan is running to the stairway to Level 3.
"Warden Magellan! Blackbeard has appeared at the gate to Level 3!"
"What?!" Magellan questioned in shock. "But I thought Shiryu was supposed to deal with Blackbeard! Don't tell me he was defeated!"
Suddenly, the Mini-Transponder Snail in a guard's hand rang.
"This is the monitoring room!"
"What is it?"
In the monitoring room, it looked like the whole place had been trashed. The screens are busted, and some of the guards have either been knocked unconscious…or killed.
"We've got trouble, sir!" said one of the guards. "The Video Receiving Transponder Snail has been destroyed! We've lost all our video feeds, and all communications with Marine Headquarters and other Government facilities have been severed! We're cute off- GAH!"
"Hey! What's going on?! What's happening, over there?! Who did that?! Hello?! HELLO?!"
Behind the dead guard stood Shiryu, his blade bloody, and a grin upon his face.
"Don't be a tattletale," said Shiryu. "You'll get Magellan on my ass, again."
Back at Level 4, Magellan and the jailers are still running to the stairs to Level 3.
"Communications have been-"
"Send someone to confirm what's happening there!" Magellan ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
"This is bad," Magellan thought aloud. "If Blackbeard has reached this Hell, then he must've crashed through the gate on Level 2! Nothing is going our way! How could two intruders spark all this mayhem and chaos?!"
Meanwhile, Sadie is dangling above the floor by a rope, her body arched to the point where her back might snap.
"Mmmm~, Warden!" she cried. "Help me!"
"Sadie!" Magellan said.
"That damned Ivankov, mmmm~, did this to me!" Sadie yelled. "This is insulting! Life isn't worth living if I'M not the inflicting the pain!"
"Get her down," Magellan ordered the guards.
"Yes, sir!"
At that moment, Magellan noticed the Blackbeard Pirates approaching.
"ZEHAHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard laughed. "So, you're Magellan."
"And you must be Teach, better known as 'Blackbeard'," said Magellan.
"That's right!" Blackbeard answered.
"HYDRA!"
To the Blackbeard Pirates' surprise, one of the heads from Magellan's Hydra attack chomped down on the crew. Soon, the crew is drenched in the poison.
"Ah…AAAAAAAAHH!" Blackbeard screamed in agony. "IT BUUUUUURRNS!"
"I've neither the time nor the inclination to ask you why you're here," said Magellan.
"AAAAAAAAAAAH! What the hell is this stuff?! Poison?! AGH!"
Magellan looked down and spotted Hannyabal on the floor, still unconscious.
"Hannyabal," said Magellan. "You did well holding them back for so long."
"Vice-Warden Hannyabal!" cried one of the guards as some of them ran to his aid.
"Look at all this blood!"
"Quick! He needs medical attention! STAT!"
"I'll take it from here, Hannyabal," said Magellan as he stalked off toward the stairway to Level 3. "Until then, try not to die…because you are the only one…fit to succeed me!"
Now, if Hannyabal was conscious, he'd be overwhelmed shock and joy, but since he was currently knocked out, that wasn't the case.
Space
High in the Earth 's orbit, a swirling blue vortex opened up. Out of the vortex came an enormous alien battleship that soon circled the parallel world in a smooth matter. The commander of the ship, Lord Vilgax, conqueror of galaxies, stands at the bridge or command center of the entire vessel. Assortments of computer consoles, buttons, and sensors are positioned all in the front and left and right sides of the room. A team of ten reddish orange colored bio drones are manning the monitors and keeping the ships functions running.
A walkway splits the room in half and ends at the front end of the bridge, which is an incredibly strong see through wall. The room itself is dark and dimly lit with crimson light thanks to the lighting at the edges of the walkway and the computer terminals. The so called, "most dangerous being in the universe" stands tall at the end of the walkway, overlooking the bright blue orb below.
The black, red trimmed mask covering his mouth hid an anxious, disgusted scowl. Nevertheless, even though his mouth is covered, his emotions can still be perceived through his cold, evil red eyes. Vilgax had lost all reminisce of remorse, morality, or anything good long ago. What is left now is a brutal, malicious beast with a hunger to kill and conquer.
He has already conquered many galaxies in his lifetime, but that still just isn't enough for him. The dark lord now has his sights set on this alternate Earth. By conquering or maybe even destroying this primitive, backwater world, it will put Vilgax in prime position to vanquish and subjugate the rest of the multiverse as he saw fit.
The ruler of over fifty million worlds stands alone with his hands behind his back. Black and red armor plating adorns his legs, torso, and chest. Only his head and arms are exposed. Nonetheless, it makes little difference considering the cybernetic enhancements have strengthened his body close to invulnerability.
His skin color was a mixture of greenish white and normal green in some places. Black cylinder like bolts protrudes from his arms and wrists. With one mental command, the bolts start pumping some form of boost steroids into his body; adding to his already immense strength and agility.
A golden gauntlet like device with a yellow gem on top (the Shield of Ziegel) titivates on his left wrist. While a powerful sword in a black sheathe hangs from his back. These relics were gained from the a couple heroes who lived on one of the world's Vilgax and his armada have already enslaved decades ago. The green lord had to admit though that the final battle with those individuals was a hard fought one; however Vilgax still came up on top in the end.
The dark lord's mind wanders off to the Omnitrix and its wielder. To say Vilgax isn't repulsed that the most legendary piece of technology is on the wrist of a human would be an obvious lie. Still, after witnessing Tennyson's ingenuity with the Omnitrix over the years he had fought him, the powerful warlord inwardly divulged his impressions.
Nevertheless, Vilgax still sees the Omnitrix as his and that man is an obstacle in his plans for universal conquest. Vilgax decided that Tennyson must die after the Omnitrix is extracted from his wrist. After all, he has been a pain in his side for over the past twenty years.
Suddenly, the sliding doors to the bridge entrance opened. Psyphon and a probe drone that had the appearance of a black/red, four spiked hovering ball, entered the command center. Vilgax's second-in-command walked steadily down the dimly lit walkway with the ebony sphere floating next to him. They stopped about ten feet behind Vilgax.
Pysphon got on one knee in respect. "Master."
The warlord still looks out the window, not even looking at his servants.
"Pysphon, you better have some form of good news." Vilgax hissed in a deep, raspy voice.
"Well…I…um… the probe drones have detected something that I believe you should know about." The white and black marked alien explained.
He turned his head to focus his gaze on the duo.
"Which is?" Vilgax demanded.
The probe drone projected a hologram of the Earth. A familiar green hourglass symbol was steadily on the move. Another hologram appeared above the Earth. This time it was the image of Tennyson's battle with Blackbeard in what appeared to be a prison. This indeed caught Vilgax's attention.
"What is this?"
"This my liege, what Tennyson has been up to. While the probe drones have been monitoring every spec of the Earth for Ben Tennyson, it has also been collecting data on this world and its inhabitants." Psyphon explained. "It wasn't until a few minutes ago that its sensors bypassed through this prison and allowing us to track the Omnitrix's signal."
"Do you have identification of the humans that Tennyson has allied himself with?"
"Judging by the abilities they have displayed, we have determined that this is the work of a…Devil Fruit. The ones that Maltruant had informed us of," Psyphon answered.
At that moment, Vilgax's red eyes widen a bit from slight shock. "Devil Fruit? Intriguing. What exactly are the capabilities of these fruits?"
"Well, my lord, it appears that they have the ability to bestow a permanent power on whoever eats one."
The probe drone beamed another hologram of a slide displaying images of various fruits that a had a strange swirl-like pattern on them and a slide of information. Vilgax stepped closer to read the fast moving data. His eyes widen a bit for every second that he read through information.
"So, those humans Tennyson was with. They possess these Devil Fruits that grant them extraordinary abilities."
Vilgax let out a frustrated and angry growl as he listened to the human called Blackbeard's speech that made Pysphon and several drones take a step back.
"Those filthy humans would dare set out to conquer this world? A world that I have already planned to add to my empire! This will not be tolerated!" The powerful warlord bellowed.
Every occupant in the bridge had their attention focused on their master. The ugly, green warlord reverted his eyes towards his techno-organic servants by the computer terminals.
"Drones, increase our cloaking field to the maximum setting and set our course for this backwater prison." He ordered.
They immediately turned their attention back towards the terminals and began to type frankly. Then, the sixty foot tall killer being turned returned his eyes towards Psyphon.
"Psyphon…ready a team from my alliance and an army of drones." Vilgax spoke before he walked pass his subordinates.
"As you wish my lord, but may I ask what you plan on doing." Psyphon asked as the p discontinued his previous holograms and replaced them with a holo-keyboard in front of Psyphon.
Vilgax stopped before he reached the door. He was thinking of the Omnitrix, his plans to use it, and to raze this Earth to the ground and conquer the multiverse . He realized that if he was going to accomplish these tasks then this Blackbeard and his crew must be dealt with immediately; for they are indeed an obstacle in his way.
"I'm eliminating the competition, Psyphon." The dark lord hissed before he exited the bridge.
The orange, red, and black warship descended from Earth's orbit and into the upper atmosphere. The alien battleship declined it's altitude until it reached the stratosphere. At that point, Vilgax's vessel leveled out as set its course for the Calm Belt, the location of the underwater prison.
Level 4
Just as Luffy managed to pry himself away from Blackbeard and his crew, he was annoyed to find that their escape route was obstructed again. Blocking their way to Level 3 was an reawakened Minotaur, who was roaring fiercely at the escaped prisoners. The Minotaur was bandaged in several areas, but it appeared to be fully back in fighting shape.
Both the prisoners and the people of the Newkama Land stood completely still, not sure how to handle the Demon Beast.
Seeing Blackbeard and hearing what he did to his brother put Luffy in a really foul mood, to put it mildly, and the rubberman was in no mood to screw around with the giant cow. Without any fear or hesitation, Luffy walked right up to the Minotaur.
Even Ben felt a pang of pity for the beast. It picked a bad time to mess with Luffy.
The creature attempted to smash Luffy with its club, but Luffy's rubber body absorbed the blow. Luffy went into his Gear Second and hit the Demon Guard with a Jet Pistol to the gut. The creature was sent soaring across the staircase and slammed into a nearby wall, embedding its body into it. Needless to say, the fight was over.
"Ace!" Luffy screamed when he completed his punch.
With the path completely cleared, the group of escapees charge up the stairs. They were halfway up when they heard a loud roar behind them.
"STRAWHAT!" Magellan bellowed in rage. His loud voice shook the stairway.
"Who's that? Is that Magellan's voice!?" someone exclaimed in terror.
"He's at the bottom of the stairs! If he catches us, we're finished!" someone else yelled.
The announcement of Magellan's presence sucked the air out of everyone, including Jimbei and Crocodile. Even Ben and Luffy looked worried as he glanced down the stairs.
"How is Magellan behind us?" Ben asked. "I thought that creep Blackbeard would keep him busy. I doubt that the Warden would simply let them pass that easily."
"Could Magellan have taken out the Blackbeard Pirates?" Crocodile asked.
"I doubt that's the case," Jimbei replied, "Teach has proven to be a rather tenacious adversary. He did defeat Ace after all despite being one of Whitebeard's top men."
"Magellan does have a very potent ability," Ben pointed out. "He could have disabled the crew with one of those giant Hydras. I mean, Luffy was left crippled in pain just by touching that guy's poison."
"Let's hope you're right, Ben-kun," replied Jimbei.
The group finally reached Level 3, but Magellan was right at their backs as several Hydras' heads chased after them. The Hydras 'ate' several prisoners, reducing the group numbers.
"Straw-chan, don't look back!" Bon Clay yelled. "Keep running!"
Luffy didn't have to be told twice as he kept running at his top speed. After what happened last time, he wanted nothing to do with the warden.
Iva stopped and pointed towards the staircase that lead to Level 2. "Get moving!"
All the prisoners and Newkama Land people ran past Iva in almost a blind panic. Luffy barely spared Iva a second glance as he ran up the flight of stairs.
Strangely, Magellan had stopped following them along with his Hydras. There was also a loud crash that followed after they reached the second level, but no one bothered to turn around to see what had happened.
Unlike the Level 4, the security was light. There were next to no guards in the area and all was quiet, although the floors were damaged, as though some kind of riot had happened. There was also residue of poison clinging to the floors and walls. Magellan had definitely been up here.
Still, no one bothered to question the silence or the lack of security. After all they had been through, everyone was just grateful for the small mercy.
Luffy was well into Level 2 before the beasts of the floor attempted to eat him. Some of the prisoners weren't as lucky as they were attacked and consumed by the monsters on the floor.
The prisoners screamed for help as they were eaten alive, but no one stopped to assist them. At this point, everyone was in survival mode and those who fell behind were left for dead. Even Ben with his normally heroic heart barely spared a second look to the prisoners who fell to the beasts of Hell.
"That's weird, the poison guy was right behind us a second ago," Luffy said as he glanced behind him.
"Iva and Inazuma stopped him at the stairway!" Bon Clay yelled as he fought the beasts who were attempting to maul him.
Ben and Luffy stopped running as the full impact of Bon Clay's words hit them. "Then, they're fighting the poison guy now!? Let's go back!"
"Stop kidding around!" Bon Clay yelled harshly as he cut Luffy off. "If they're fighting, then that makes it all the more important for us to move forward! Let's believe in the power of the Miracle Worker!"
Ben scowled, not liking the idea of leaving his friends behind. Especially those who saved their lives. However, Ben forced himself to move forward.
There had definitely been a riot, given the damage in the area, but that had to have been hours ago. The poison that was left behind was fairly recent and she found it unlikely that Magellan executed everyone on the floor.
"Battleships and prison ships are stationed all around the prison!" Jimbei yelled to Luffy. He was now running next to the rubberman. "If we can hijack one of them, we should be able to reach Marineford before Ace is executed!"
"Right!" Luffy yelled. He turned his eyes forward and seemed to be staring into the distance. "Wait for me, Ace!"
"Hm, I doubt it would be that easy," Ben said.
The remainder of the run through Level 2 was uneventful and the group reached Level 1.
Once the group reached the main floor of Level 1, Luffy's group was met by some unexpected people. Namely, Buggy and Mr. 3 were there, along with dozens of other prisoners. There had to be least one hundred people.
"How did they get all the way back to Level 1?" Ben asked in surprise.
Although, he couldn't help being impressed. It took two Warlords and members of the Revolutionary Army along with dozens of prisoners for them just to get this far. Then again, Ben and Luffy did have the might of all of Hell down their backs.
Buggy, Mr. 3, and the other prisoners were not the only ones in the hall. The Demon Guards, all four of them, were back but they were easily dealt with by Ben who had transformed into Four Arms, Luffy and Jimbei.
"Sheesh, what does it take to keep these things down?" Four Arms asked as he looked over the unconscious Demon Guards. "How did they even get up here so freaking fast? I swear Luffy laid that Minotaur's butt not even ten minutes ago."
"They're like cockroaches," Jimbei muttered.
"What a relief! So, you guys are alright!" Luffy yelled happily when he noticed Buggy and Mr. 3.
The two former enemies were very surprised that Luffy was concerned about them, especially after they had abandoned him twice. They were also quite surprised that Luffy was even still alive. They apparently knew about Luffy being fatally poisoned.
"Hydra!" a voice screamed as three Hydras' heads suddenly shot out of the stairway. Slowly walking up the long stairway was none other than Magellan. He appeared to be hurt from his battle with Iva, but there was nothing too serious.
The prisoners and the people of Newkama Land ran in terror from the warden.
"Now that I am done with the pervert boss, my new priority is to take care of the two of you!" Magellan exclaimed as poison oozed from his body. He had his glare fixed right on Ben and Luffy.
"Magellan!" Mr. 3 screamed in a high-pitched voice. It looked like he was about to wet himself in fear.
"No!" Bon Clay shouted in disbelief. "Iva and Inazuma...!?"
Luffy shook in fury at the loss of his companions. "Dammit!" he screamed as he ran towards Magellan.
Bon Clay quickly interrupted him. "You can't, Straw-chan! We got no choice but to run from Magellan!"
"Let go of me, Bon Clay!" Luffy yelled. "I'm going to kick his ass!" He attempted push his way past Bon Clay.
"You almost died because of him, remember!?" Bon Clay yelled in frustration.
"But I'm still alive, aren't I!?" Luffy challenged.
This caused Ben to slap his forehead.
"Completely missing the point, Luffy," Ben groaned under his breath.
"Miracles are called that because they won't happen twice, you know!" Bon Clay screamed.
"You three, hurry up to the next floor!" Jimbei ordered as he ran towards the feuding men. He appeared panicked for some reason. The crew knew that something very wrong had happened.
Luffy still wasn't listening as he glared at the approaching warden.
"Luffy-kun, Ben-kun!" Jimbei yelled, finally getting Luffy's attention. "We must hurry to the main entrance! The situation has gotten worse. We have been too focused on Magellan!"
Ben tilted his head. What did he mean that the situation has gotten worse?
Several of the Newkama Land people shot at Magellan, but the warden's poison was so potent that it dissolved their bullets before they could even touch his body.
"Come on, let's hurry and get going, Straw-chan!" Bon Clay yelled desperately at his friend. "They won't be able to stop him like that!"
"Hurry, Luffy-kun!" Jimbei yelled.
Luffy finally got the message and ran from Magellan. A Hydra, however, was right behind him and was ready to engulf him. Before it could hit, Mr. 3 shielded Luffy with a wall of wax. Amazingly, the wall held, stopping the poison in its tracks.
"Three!" Luffy yelled in surprise.
"He stopped Magellan's Hydra!" some prisoners cheered.
"Wax beats poison, who knew?" Ben humored.
"That optimism of yours makes me want to puke," Mr. 3 said as he gritted his teeth. "The second I put my guard down, I started to think of you as a friend! Sheesh, I hate being indebted to others!"
Most of Luffy's group were surprised by Mr. 3's words about friendship. It was the last thing they expected from him.
"I see. Wax, huh?" Magellan asked. He sounded more than a little annoyed by the distraction.
"That is right," Mr. 3 said, getting back his cocky manner. "I am a candleman. Your poison will never be able to pass through my hard-as-steel wax wall!"
"So, even rubbish like him is useful," Crocodile mused. "You never know how suitable some powers can be."
"Now hurry up and go!" Mr. 3 yelled. "I give up quickly, you know!"
"Three!" Luffy exclaimed happily.
"How irritating," Magellan said as he sent a Hydra's head around the wax wall, but Mr. 3 blocked him by creating another wall.
"This is no time to hesitate! I cannot hold him back for long!" Mr. 3 yelled.
"Right, then we'll get going!" Buggy yelled as he raised his arm. "Let's go, men!"
The other prisoners cheered as they followed Buggy toward the main gate.
"Were you always this good?" Luffy asked.
"Yeah, as long as I am not on a hot floor! Now all of you hurry up and get out!" Mr. 3 yelled. "I want to escape too, you know!"
"Luffy-kun, we must hurry as well," Jimbei said.
"Oh yeah, you said you were going to steal a ship," Luffy said.
"I did," Jimbei replied.
"Then you and others should go on ahead," Ben said. "We'll be stopping Magellan in the meanwhile. I mean, it's hard to steal a ship while he's chasing us."
Jimbei thought about Ben's statement for a moment. "Yes, that is true."
Luffy began to smile. "I've got an idea."
"Does it stand a chance?" Jimbei asked. He did not exactly sound convinced.
"Yeah, leave it to me," Luffy assured.
"I understand. Just do not do anything reckless," Jimbei warned as he ran to join the others.
Luffy cracked his knuckles. "Right, Ben and Three. Let's fight together!"
"No, that is wrong! I have no intentions of fighting!" Mr. 3 screamed. "My only intention was to guard us the best I could and run!"
"Brother Three, we're staying behind to help!" several prisoners yelled as they ran towards the duo with large cannons that they got from somewhere.
"I am telling you, I am not that motivated!" Mr. 3 screamed in near panic.
Luffy grabbed Mr. 3 by his shoulder. "I got a favor to ask."
"Listen to what I am saying!" Mr. 3 screamed, but it was all in vain.
"I want you to make a suit of armor for me like the one you made in Little Garden," Luffy said. "Can you do that?"
"It...should not be too hard," Mr. 3 said in thought. He calmed down, knowing that he wouldn't be fighting directly.
"Right, I'm counting on you," Luffy said as he stepped in front of Mr. 3.
"Very well!" Mr. 3 exclaimed as he began to fashion Luffy a wax suit of armor that covered his legs and arms.
When it was complete, Luffy's hands were completely covered in wax, which was shaped like boxing gloves, and the wax on his legs was shaped like a mecha's. Luffy looked like a wax cyborg.
Ben had a blank stare. This wasn't exactly what he had in mind.
"Right, if I used this..." Luffy stopped mid-sentence as he looked at himself. His eyes lit up and his mouth dropped. "This…is just too cool! IT'S PERFECT!"
Even the prisoners cheered at Luffy's awesomeness.
"Pay attention to what's in front of you!" Mr. 3 shouted in impatiently.
Magellan was obviously irritated by the entire scene.
"The tears...won't stop..." Luffy sniffled as he cried in joy. He attempted vainly to wipe his eyes. "Thank you for making me look so awesome!"
"Is this seriously the time Luffy?!" Ben shouted.
"Like I care! Hurry up and fight him!" Mr. 3 screamed.
"Strawhat, if nothing else, I must praise your tenacity," Magellan said.
"What happened to Iva and Crab-chan!?" Luffy demanded, finally getting his head back in the game.
"Oh, you mean Ivankov?" Magellan asked in a neutral voice. "I executed him, of course."
Luffy growled at the warden while Ben's fists clenched as he transformed into to Heatblast.
"Do not worry, I will send the two of you to see him shortly," Magellan said as he created more Hydras. He sent one of the Hydras towards the duo, but Mr. 3 shielded them with a wax wall.
"No matter how many times you try, it will not work!" Mr. 3 yelled in defiance.
Heatblast unleashed a wave of flame that reduced two of the Hydras into a puddle, much to Magellan's displeasure.
Luffy jumped over the wall and charged Magellan. The poison user sent wave after wave of Hydras at Luffy, but the boy captain managed to avoid each one with little difficulty.
"Gum Gum Champion Rifle!" Luffy screamed as he hit Magellan with his wax-enhanced punches.
Magellan doubled over from the punch and was sent trembling back. The warden glared daggers at Luffy.
"Alright, I can touch him now!" Luffy cheered as he pumped his arms in triumph.
"Glad to know that armor wasn't for show," Heatblast said.
"We've got the cannons ready here!" one of the prisoners yelled.
"The candle wall will shield us!" another prisoner shouted.
Behind Luffy, the prisoners were lined up and their cannons were shielded with Mr. 3's wax wall. They were all more than eager to payback the warden for years of torture and terror.
In a matter of seconds, Magellan was bombarded with dozens of cannonballs on top of Luffy attacking him. The warden was on the defense as he attempted to strive off the merciless assault.
Magellan started to use his Hydras to eat the cannonballs before they reached him while he personally battled Luffy and Heatblast.
Luffy used his enhanced Gatling Gun to punch through one of Magellan's Hydras and attack the warden directly with Heatblast throwing numerous fireballs that knocked the warden back. Magellan took dozen of hits but remained standing. Luffy's last punch was able knock the wind out of him, however.
"How's that?" Luffy asked with a huge grin.
Magellan was on his knees and he glared hatefully at both Luffy and Heatblast. The man's anger was so intense that everyone present could practically feel it. Still, he kept an overall calm composure. He knew he still had the upper hand.
"Alright, he's almost finished!" someone yelled with sadistic glee.
"Take this, you bastard!" a prisoner screamed as they fired on Magellan again, attempting to finish him off.
Magellan was once again pummeled with dozens of cannonballs as the prisoners mercilessly shot at him. He soon became obscured by smoke, blocking everyone's view of him.
The cannon fire went on for several more minutes and it only ceased once the prisoners had run out of ammo. It was impossible to see Magellan's form since everything was covered in smoke.
"Is he down?" a prisoner asked.
Heatblast snorted. "He wouldn't be the warden if he went down just from that."
"Let us put an end to this pointless stalling," Magellan said as he stood up. His silhouette could be seen through the smoke. He really looked like a risen demon. "I have already ordered all the battleships to leave Impel Down. The battleship you were planning on stealing is already gone!"
"So that's your plan. It would almost be perfect if Jimbei wasn't our side," Heatblast said with a smirk.
"Yeah, that old fishman guy went to steal one of the battleships!" Luffy yelled, "They'll find a way to do it!"
"Jimbei, huh? Then it is all the more important that I finish this quickly!" Magellan exclaimed. He knocked the dust away from him, revealing his full form. He barely looked hurt despite all the ruthless attacks he had taken.
Without a word, the poison that covered Magellan's body started to turn a reddish purple and the warden seemed to glow in the dim light of the prison.
"Huh, what he's doing?" a prisoner asked worriedly.
Heatblast glanced at the floor and noticed that steam was rising from it.
"Gum Gum Champion Stomp!" Luffy yelled as he kicked Magellan in the chest.
The steel-hardened wax melted upon impact with the poison. The poison also began to spread up the wax like a virus as Luffy kicked himself away from the warden.
"It is no good!" Mr. 3 shouted. "My wax will not work against him anymore!" He quickly pulled the remaining wax armor off of Luffy before he was affected by the poison.
"That was close!" Luffy exclaimed.
Heatblast launched a wave of flame at Magellan, but the flames were extinguished before they even made contact.
"Okay that's not good," the Pyronite stated.
The poison was spreading across the floor, making steam rise like it was lava. Everything around the group started to melt.
"Venom Demon!" Magellan yelled as he appeared to transform into an actual demon made of poison. The poison even had a face of a skull to enhance the effect.
"Oh crap, it's a real demon!" The prisoners yelled as they all looked up at the poison monstrosity. Magellan now towered over everyone. The poison was so high that it almost reached the ceiling.
"It's like something from the pits of the underworld!" another one screamed.
Heatblast if he had any, gritted his teeth. Even he didn't expect this. "He wasn't kidding when he said that he wanted to end this quickly."
Luffy was left speechless and wide mouthed as he stared at the Venom Demon in terror.
All the prisoners were left screaming in horror as Hell's judgment loomed over them. The warden was no longer interested in just disabling them. He was going to melt them until they were nothing but a puddle.
The demon moved and everyone ran for their lives. Those who didn't run fast enough were melted by the poison. There was no coming back from that. Even just getting some of the poison on their body meant death. Those prisoners who lashed out and touched another person out of desperation only condemned that person to the same, slow death.
Luffy carried Mr. 3 since the wax user was the least physically-abled of almost all the remaining prisoners. There was no telling how many prisoners fell as Luffy dashed for the main gate while Heatblast flew right beside him. The duo did everything they could to ignore the screams of panic and help for those who fell.
"It does not matter if it is wax or stone!" Mr. 3 yelled in panic as he witnessed the chaos around him. "The poison keeps spreading like an infection!"
"Dammit, now the wax armor is completely useless!" Luffy screamed.
"For a sludge of poison, that thing moves pretty fast," Heatblast said as Magellan kept pace with the fleeing prisoners.
Everyone ran for what felt like forever as the Venom Demon continued to chase them through the halls. They could hear the cheers from the other prisoners ahead, showing that they were close to the exit. It wouldn't matter, however, if Jimbei didn't steal a ship in time.
"Hey, are you guys there!?" Luffy screamed when the voices became loud enough.
"That's Straw-chan's voice!" a voice yelled happily. It was Bon Clay.
Luffy rounded the corner and saw Bon Clay and the others prisoners waiting for them at the gate. "We have to run!"
The Venom Demon came crashing through the wall just as Luffy yelled that, scaring the living shit out of the other prisoners who saw it.
"We got a battleship yet!?" Luffy screamed.
"Straw-chan, Ben-chan, we're still waiting for a ship to get on!" Bon Clay answered.
"What!?" Luffy yelled.
More prisoners fell by Magellan's hand and Luffy's troops dropped to only a handful.
Just when they were close to the exit, the floor began to shake. Within moments, Iva came erupting out of the floor with his big head. It was obvious by his swirling eyes and gasping mouth that he was knocked out from slamming his head through the ceiling. In his arms was an unconscious Inazuma covered in poison.
"Strawhat, it's Jimbei!" one of the prisoners yelled as they threw a baby transponder snail at him.
Luffy easily caught it and looked at the snail.
"Luffy-kun, so you made it?" Jimbei asked.
"I'm here, but he's still chasing us though!" Luffy yelled breathlessly. "We're going to hit a dead end at the exit!"
"Forgive me. We stole a ship, but we are too far away from you," Jimbei said. "But do not stop moving! Jump straight into the sea! Get everyone to throw themselves into the ocean! You can leave the rest to me!"
In a flash of green light, Big Chill appeared.
"Do what he says!" Luffy yelled at the prisoners as he stopped running.
"What!?" Mr. 3 shouted in disbelief.
"Three, come help me one last time!" Luffy yelled as he turned to face Magellan, who was quickly approaching them.
"Are you insane!?" Mr. 3 yelled as he flailed his arms. "If we leap into the ocean, we are done for sure! He works for the government! He is not worthy of our trust!"
"Coming from you, a criminal himself?" Big Chill asked as Mr. 3 glared.
"He's Ace's friend," Luffy said in a matter-of-fact voice. "I trust him!"
Mr. 3 stared at Luffy, dumbfounded, as the Venom Demon grew closer.
"To the sea? If you think you can get away, then just try to get away!" Magellan dared. "The moment you touch the water, you will be in the sea king's nest!"
"Be careful! Do not let even a drop of the poison touch you!" Mr. 3 warned.
"I've got a plan," Big Chill said as he slapped the Omnitrix dial on his chest again; this time, four spikes popped out as another green light enveloped Ben's body. The only noticeable change to Big Chill was that his body color changed to an assortment of red, orange, and yellow to give him a fiery appearance.
"ULTIMATE BIG CHILL!" Ben shouted.
The hyper-evolved Necrofriggian inhaled deeply before exhaling a powerful torrent of fire at his opponent. Magellan, who looked unworried, held out his hand which the Venom Demon mimicked and prepared to extinguished the flames. However, the warden's confidence immediately vanished when the flames engulfed the surrounding area, transforming it into ice.
"What?! ICE?!" Was all Magellan managed to say before his body and the Venom Demon were both completely trapped in a thick chunk of ice, his expression literally frozen in disbelief.
The eyes of every prisoner bulged open in shock and disbelief.
"Now Luffy!"
"Right!" Luffy put his thumb in his mouth and bit down hard. "Gear Third!"
Luffy pushed the air into his right leg, making it grow to the size of a giant. "Gum Gum Giant Stomp!" he yelled as he kicked the frozen statue of Magellan, the poison's effect having now been neutralized, pushing him back.
The warden went sliding across the room and slammed into a nearby wall, breaking the now frozen Venom Demon into pieces. He was buried in the rubble, buying Luffy, Ben, and the others some much-needed time.
With the attack finished, Luffy released the air from his body and allowed himself to shrink. While this was happening, Magellan was already starting to recover.
Luffy ran toward the still unconscious Iva and screamed desperately for him to wake up in his high, squeaky voice. It took several seconds, but Iva eventually woke up.
"Hmmm, what?" Iva muttered, still dazed and confused.
"We have to hurry!" Luffy screamed.
"Who are you? Strawhat-boy's son?" Iva asked, completely out of it. He was also left confused by Luffy's shrunken state.
"Use that move of yours!" Luffy screamed as he jumped up and down. "The Wink!"
"Okay then," Iva muttered, still not quite sure what was happening around him. He prepared to wink just as everyone yelled for him not to do it.
"Your plan is pointless!" A now recovered Magellan yelled as he advanced on the group. "If you enter the sea without a ship, there is no hope for you!"
"I'll take drowning or being eaten by a sea monster over being melted by poison, thank you," Ultimate Big Chill said as he exited the prison entrance.
Luffy finally returned to normal size. "Everyone, grab onto his face!"
"His face!?" everyone yelled in confusion.
"I will not let you escape!" Magellan yelled, getting closer.
Everyone quickly grabbed onto Iva's hair and anything else they could hang on to.
"Hell Wink!" Iva screamed as he did a huge wink that shot the entire group out through the front gate and into the open sea. They could see Magellan's Venom Demon trying to grab them just as they flew away.
"Well, that's one way to escape," Ultimate Big Chill said as he flew overhead.
Before they hit the water they were saved by a school of whale-sharks. They littered the entire sea.
"Whale-sharks!?" Ultimate Big Chill exclaimed in shock. "I never seen this many in one place."
The shark-whales bounced the group safely onto the battleship that had Jimbei and the others had stolen. As soon as they hit the deck, the prisoners of Impel Down began to celebrate their escape from the unbreakable prison. Ultimate Big Chill had landed on the deck on the ship before reverting back to normal.
The day was perfect. The sun was up and the morning light bathed the ship in its warm glow. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. Although there was no wind, given that this was the Calm Belt, the prisoners still enjoyed taken in the fresh air for the first time in years.
Luffy himself was even more active as he allowed the breeze of the sea to comfort him. It truly felt like they had escaped from Hell.
Even Ben allowed himself a sigh of relief at having escaped this horrible prison.
"We do not have time to celebrate yet!" Jimbei yelled as he attempted to get everyone's heads out of the clouds as he steered the ship. "We have to hurry and get out of here!"
Luffy and others were too overjoyed at their renewed freedom to listen to him. After spending hours and for many, years, in the darkness of Impel Down, seeing the sun and having fresh air blowing in their faces was heaven.
"Thank you, whale-shark!" Luffy yelled as he waved goodbye to the whales as the other prisoners did the same.
"We're free!" the prisoners screamed to the sky as they danced around the ship.
Buggy got on top of the deck and started to get the prisoners he released to praise him as a god and they were all too happy to oblige, calling him the great captain Buggy among other things.
At the pier of Impel Down, Magellan stared on in disbelief.
"I didn't think those fools could be stupid enough to do it," said Magellan before he brought up a Mini Transponder Snail. "Marines! Bring me a ship! I'll go after them and finish them all off! They don't realize, but those pirates are cornered, now!"
"Yes, sir!"
On one of the battleships…
"Rear-Admiral!" said one of the soldiers. "We've repaired the cannons that were knocked out of commission by Jimbei!"
"All right," said the Rear-Admiral.
The pleasant atmosphere on the ship was shattered when the remaining marine ships shot at them. Most of the cannonballs missed thanks to Jimbei's expert steering, but some of the some still managed to hit the deck, sending several of the prisoners flying.
"Everyone ranked vice-admiral and above has already been called to Marineford, but a battleship is a battleship. They are still tough, no matter who is onboard!" Jimbei yelled as he avoided more cannon fire.
In a few minutes, the Gates of Justice were within their sights. The giant gates were closed to them and it was then that the prisoners finally realized that they were still trapped.
"This is bad! These gates will never open for us!" Mr. 3 screamed in panic.
"Oh no, we made it this far and now we've hit a dead end!" Luffy yelled.
"So close and yet we end up tripping a the finish line," Ben gritted his teeth.
Jimbei remained perfectly calm despite Buggy yelling in his face and pulling on his kimono. While all this was happening, the other battleships were still shooting at them.
Luffy calmed himself, taking to heart Jimbei's serene state, and took charge of the situation. "First off, we have to protect the ship! Don't let them sink it!" he ordered the prisoners.
The prisoners yelled compliance and went to work on protecting the battleship.
"Are you just going to sit there and take their attacks?" Crocodile asked in annoyance. "This is a battleship too, remember? Are you not going to shoot back, you worthless fools!?"
"That was going to be my suggestion!" Buggy yelled.
"Sure it was," Ben said dryly.
"Let's shoot them back, men!" Buggy yelled to his group of prisoners as the cannons were fired.
For the next several minutes, the former prisoners defended against cannonballs and kept the battleship from being badly damaged in the relentless assault.
Some cannonballs still got through since only a few people could actually do something like Luffy, Ben, Crocodile, and Mr. 1, along with Jimbei's steering. Iva and Inazuma were too badly hurt and poisoned to help in the defense of the ship.
The prisoners were quickly becoming disheartened. They escaped from Hell only to be sent into a watery grave.
"The prisoners know that they're cornered," said another Rear-Admiral. "Why are they are still heading for the Gates of Justice? There's only one way they can open it, and that's from the control panel in Impel Down!"
"Fire!" shouted another Rear-Admiral. "We have to sink that ship! …Huh?!"
"W-what's going on?!"
"The Gates of Justice! They're…opening?!"
The gates began to open for the stolen battleship!
"But how?!" another Rear-Admiral questioned.
"What the hell's going on?!"
"Why's the gate opening?!"
On the stolen battleship, the escapees are also shocked and confused.
"What's happening?!" Mr. 3 questioned. "Is this some kind of trap?!"
The prisoners then cheered as the way to their salvation opened and the light from the sun hit their eyes.
Back at Impel Down's pier, a battleship came to pick Magellan up so he could follow Luffy's band of rioters.
"Warden Magellan! Please, hurry!"
Magellan was going to board to the ship, but then he stops and gasps in shock.
"No, wait!" he said. "No…this is impossible! Why are the Gates of Justice opening?!"
Inside Impel Down's 1st floor control room…
"Are you absolutely certain you want the gate to open…Warden?!" asked a jailer.
"Of course," answered "Magellan". "Are you questioning me?"
"N-no, sir! Of course not!" said the jailer. "I'd never doubt you!"
"Good," said "Magellan". "Now, once that ship goes through the Gates of Justice, close it right away so no one follows! Is that understood?"
"Y-yes, sir!" said the jailer.
Back outside, the Marines are still firing at the escaping pirates.
"DON'T LET THOSE PIRATES GET AWAY! OPEN FIRE!"
"What's going on, here?! Why would Magellan order this?! It doesn't make any sense!"
"I don't understand why he would do something so foolish! What does he have to say for himself?!"
"I don't think that the Warden is behind this! He was at the main entrance, not too long ago!"
Back inside Impel Down…
Someone came charging into the control room.
"Control room!" Magellan shouted, forcing the other Magellan and the rest of the jailers to look up. "What do you think you're doing?! Who the hell ordered you to open the Gates of Justice?!" He then noticed his double. "Huh?"
"What?!" the jailer questioned in surprise. "W-Warden?!"
"Oh, dear…" the other Magellan whispered.
"Alright, I don't know why, but the Gates are opening!" Luffy cheered.
"Hey wait," Ben looked around, "Where's Bon Clay?"
Jimbei appeared strangely grim during the celebration.
"Jimbei, what's wrong!?" Luffy asked with a huge smile on his face, noticing that the fishman didn't seem too happy.
Jimbei glanced at Luffy from the corner of his eye before answering. "Luffy-kun, do you know why the doors to the Gates of Justice opened for us?"
Luffy blinked. "Why do you ask?"
Jimbei sighed. Ben could feel the weight of bad news. "Luffy-kun, the controls for the Gates of Justice are within the walls of Impel Down. In order for us to open the gate, one of us had to stay behind."
The Omnitrix wielder felt a sense of dread build in his stomach. He didn't want to hear what was coming.
Luffy's eyes widened as he took in the news. "Who...who stood behind?"
"Who is missing on this ship?" Jimbei asked instead, turning his eyes away from Luffy.
Luffy said nothing as he thought about the question. His eyes widened again as the answer came to him. He looked around the ship desperately, praying that he was wrong. "Bon Clay!"
Jimbei nodded somberly, still not looking at Luffy.
"Is that really true? Bon Clay?" Luffy asked in disbelief. He was shaking badly and appeared ready to collapse.
The Gates of Justice started to close just as the battleship passed through the gate.
"He was just with us at the exit!" Luffy yelled at Jimbei, not believing that Bon Clay would sacrifice himself like this again for him. "Are you saying that Bon Clay stayed behind in Impel Down on his own!?"
Jimbei said nothing. His silence said everything.
"Even though we made it this far! Even though we were almost free!" Luffy screamed, becoming angrier.
Jimbei still said nothing.
Luffy grabbed Jimbei by his kimono and shook the fishman. "The only reason we've managed to meet Iva and the others and escape from there was because Bon Clay was with us and you're telling me we should just go without him!?"
Ben had to agree with Luffy there. Without Bon Clay, Luffy would have died within the wall of Impel Down and Jimbei would have remained locked away at Level 6, unable to help anyone.
"There is no time to waste," Jimbei said coldly. There was, however, a tone of regret in his voice.
"Are you going to abandon him!?" Luffy shouted as his rage built.
Jimbei harshly picked Luffy up by his vest and looked the boy captain straight in his eyes. "We have already abandoned countless allies who fell along the way! Do you intend to return there and fight Magellan again!? Then there would be more sacrifices! We would waste more time, too! If someone had not stayed behind, the gates would have never opened for us!" He dropped Luffy onto the deck, letting the rubberman take in his words.
"Luffy," Ben said as he put his hand on Luffy's shoulder, "It pains me to admit it, but Jimbei's right. Bon Clay's sacrifice would be in vain if we did go back."
Luffy sat on the deck, feeling completely numb. He didn't want to believe Jimbei. Every part of him was screaming for him to go back and save his friend. He knew what fate awaited Bon Clay. He would be lucky if he were given death.
At the same time, he knew both Ben and Jimbei were right. If they go back, more people would be killed. He would also lose his chance to save Ace, whose execution was only hours away. As much as he wanted to go back for Bon Clay, his brother came first.
After Jimbei had calmed down, he gave Luffy a baby transponder snail. "It is still connected. This snail has a very short range. As soon as the Gates close, we will lose contact with him."
Luffy looked at the snail for a moment before he tearfully took it into his hands. It took him a second before he could find his voice.
Back in Impel Down…
"You impostor…" Magellan hissed.
It is revealed that it is Bon Clay in disguise!
"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" he laughed as he struck his signature ballet pose. "That's right! It's me!"
"He was an impostor the whole time?!" the staff questioned.
"I'm so glad that I managed to put your face and body in my memory once I had the chance!"
Flashback
"What in the HELL happened here?!" Magellan questioned Hannyabal, who was actually Bon Clay in disguise. Bon Clay managed to touch Magellan's face with his left hand, even though he was being choked.
Flashback end
"How dare you…" Magellan began, but then…
"BON!"
A voice came onto the Mini Transponder Snail in Bon Clay's hand, making everyone freeze.
'Straw-chan…!' Bon Clay thought.
"Hey, can you hear me, Bon Clay!? Why are you doing this again!? Just like that last time!?"
There was no answer.
"Weren't we supposed to escape together!? You just keep saving me over and over again!" Luffy continued to yell as his voice started to break from emotions.
As the memory returned to the present, the other prisoners on the ship, including Buggy, Mr. 3, and Iva, heard what had happened and gathered around Luffy. They were all teary eyed.
"If you're there, then answer me, Bon Clay!" Luffy pleaded.
Sill, there was no answer.
Some of the prisoners were also beginning to cry openly.
"Bon Clay!" Luffy screamed desperately into the snail.
"Answer us, Brother Bon!" a prisoner screamed with Luffy.
"Why won't you answer!?" someone asked in tears.
Nothing, it was complete silence.
"Bon Clay!" Luffy screamed again. He was breathing hard as grief threatened to crush him.
"Mr. 2!" Mr. 3 shouted in tears for his comrade.
Even Buggy was crying. "Mr. 2, you're...I'm so sorry for everything!"
"Bon-boy!" Iva yelled.
The gates started to close and they passed the safe point.
"Bon Clay!" Luffy screamed desperately along with the others on the ship.
Still, Bon Clay wouldn't answer.
"Bon Clay...the gates are closing... We're...going," Luffy stuttered as he attempted not to cry. He gently put the baby transponder snail on the deck and stared at it for a moment. He then lifted his head, looking straight into the sky. "THANK YOU!"
"Brother Bon, thank you!" the prisoners also yelled as they sobbed openly for their friend.
"STRAW-CHAN!" Bon Clay suddenly screamed from the other end, startling everyone.
"Bon Clay!" Luffy screamed desperately as he grabbed the baby transponder snail. He hung on to the last link to his friend.
"Straw-chan...you have to save your brother no matter what!" Bon Clay yelled as the baby transponder burst into tears.
This finally sent Luffy into tears.
"I'm sure...you can...save your brother!" Bon Clay screamed with absolute faith as the transmission cut off.
"Bon Clay!" Luffy cried.
The Gates of Justice closed and with it the transmission from Bon Clay. There was only static and the snail fell back to sleep.
"BON CLAY!" Luffy and the other prisoners shouted, although they all knew it was pointless.
Crocodile and Mr. 1 hung back while looking as stoic as ever. It was hard to tell what they were thinking. They didn't appear upset by Bon Clay's sacrifice, but they remained respectfully silent. They gave everyone on the ship their moment to grieve.
Ben closed his eyes as he hung his head in mournful sorrow.
Jimbei kept his back turned the entire time. Although everyone could not see his face, they could tell by the subtle shaking of his shoulders that he was crying.
Luffy ran to the end of the ship and stared at the Gate of Justice. He stared at the giant gates like he was trying to will himself to see through them and learn the fate of his dear friend. After everything Bon Clay has done for him, he couldn't repay any of it. He couldn't even give Bon Clay back his freedom.
"If he hadn't been here, we all would be at the bottom of the ocean by now!" someone screamed, echoing everyone's thoughts.
Luffy could only stare at the Gates of Justice before he burst into more tears. His body wracked with sorrow as he moaned for his friend. Bon Clay was alone. He had left his friend alone in Hell.
More sobs shuddered through Luffy as he slumped against the railing. He had his life, his freedom, and a second chance to save his brother. They were all free from Hell, but for Luffy, the price had been far too high.
"Any last words?" asked Magellan as his hand turned to poison.
"Satisfaction…" a smirking Bon Clay said as he poised himself to fight.
May we meet again…as soon as possible.
Impel Down. On this day…241 prisoners succeeded in escaping from the world's greatest underwater prison. This will be the worst disgrace in its history, but the incident is far from over. Only four hours remained…until the public execution of Portgas D. Ace.
Inside Impel Down's Level 4...
"You lot live your lives to dangerously. If I hadn't shown up with the antidote, you'd all be long dead. Underestimating Magellan like that will get you killed!"
It is revealed that the Blackbeard Pirate crew has survived Magellan's poisons, thanks to the arrival of Shiryu.
"Yeah, but we're still alive!" shouted Burgess as he laughed.
"Destiny brought you here," Auger mused.
"Ho-ho-ho," Lafitte chortled. "But I did think that I was going to die for a minute, there."
"It's seem that luck…*cough*...is still on our side," Doc Q coughed.
"Luck may decide who lives or who dies," said Blackbeard, who had taken off his sweaty shirt, "but whoever gets scared first loses! ZEHAHAHAHA! Let's live for the moment!" He pointed to Shiryu. "Hey, Shiryu! Thanks for saving our asses, back there! I welcome you. Looks like you'll make a great edition to our crew! ZEHAHAHAHAHA!"
"It's obvious what the future holds for me, here," said Shiryu. "I've been waiting to meet someone like you!"
Blackbeard grinned at his newest crew member.
"I beg to differ," a deep, raspy, and terrifying voice emanated from the long hallway.
Blackbeard turned his attention down the corridor where the voice came from. He saw a large silhouette figure with two menacing red eyes standing down the end of the bridge. His eyes noted the unknown being's towering and amazingly buff structure.
Blackbeard's eyes widened in surprise when he realized that this being was over forty feet taller than him. Hell, he was even taller than Pops. Loud metal footsteps echoed down the passageway as he began making his way towards the Blackbeard pirates. The former Whitebeard pirate couldn't see much detail of the apparent stranger due to the lack of lighting.
As he got closer, all of a sudden, Blackbeard's facial features displayed true, utter horror. He hadn't felt such fear in a long time.
Blackbeard observed that this being had a head similar in shape and design to an earth octopus, only his eyes were a cold, malicious red. His chest, torso, and legs were attired in a black and red armor. Onyx cylinders protrude from the alien's massive arms. His left arm adorned a golden gauntlet while a deadly looking sword is sheathed on his back. Blackbeard could feel the hate and malevolent nature coursing from this unknown creature.
"W-who are you?" Blackbeard questioned as he did his best to hide his fear.
"Your demise." Vilgax the Conqueror replied as his eyes glowed a crimson red.
AN: That's all for this chapter. It's the Blackbeard Pirates against the almighty Vilgax and his army. Whoever wins, the world is doomed anyway. Next chapter, we're finally getting into the Marineford arc. Things are going to be quite different from what happened in the canon series. But no spoilers. You'll see what happens. Thank you and have a good day.
