I was thinking of splitting this chapter in half and making it two but then decided against it. Also let's all just assume Blackbeard and Luffy have never met.

Disclaimer: Oda owns One Piece.

xXx

Saviour

Chapter 11.


Why was it so dark? Why was it so hot? She felt her skin becoming even sweatier than before, tingling at the heat that was seeping into it, it felt like she was still in that godforsaken desert but worse somehow, she couldn't see or hear anything, was she dead? Is this what death was like? Hot and relentless? She felt pain, so much pain... was being dead supposed to be painful?

She could vaguely hear a voice, one voice, two voices, three voices, four voices, why were there so many voices? Why were they screaming... she heard one, in particular, screaming her name, it sounded terrified and worried.. why did it sound so worried? Why was her chest hurting so much hearing it become clearer and louder? The burning uncomfortableness was intensifying, getting hotter and hotter, she needed to get out of here, she needed to reach that voice. So she pushed and pushed, getting closer to the voice through the void darkness.

She gasped suddenly, her eyes flinging open, she coughed hysterically, eyes burning and skin sticking together.

"AM! YOU'RE AWAKE!"

She looked to the voice and saw Luffy, it was Luffy! "Luffy! Are you okay?! Whe- ARE WE FALLING!?" she shouted finally realising her surroundings as they were seemingly falling through a bountiful amount of steam, so that's why she was sweating and burning up.

"YEAH! IT WORKED BUT NOW ALL FIVE OF US ARE FALLING!" Luffy yelled back, tears in his eyes.

Amethyst looked around and saw the others their falling with them, Buggy, Zoro and Mr.3, Buggy and Mr.3 were screaming curse words at her and Luffy and all of them were crying as well. She looked down trying to figure out where they were.

"How'd I end up in this situation?!" Buggy shouted, tears falling - rising from his eyes.

"I don't want to go to Level Four!" Mr.3 cried out.

"This is bad! We're headed straight for the Cauldron of Blood!" Zoro panicked in a very un-Zoro-like manner... wait what?

"WAIT! WHAT THE FUCK IS MOSS HEAD DOING HERE?!" Amethyst shouted in confusion as she remembered three hands on her shoulders, four voices and now a random appearance from Zoro.

"We're Falling!" Luffy shouted and Amethyst snapped out of her stupor, looking down to see what looked like the 'Cauldron of Blood' that Zoro was crying about. She felt blood dripping from her face but ignored it, eyes turning crimson and she made a quick hand gesture before they ultimately met their death. And suddenly they were all floating, Amethyst had taken a hold of Buggy, much to his annoyance.

They all looked down to see they were floating over a huge stone bridge pathway that was built over a huge Cauldron of what looked like boiling blood, the stone itself looked like it was glowing red slightly from how hot it was. There were chains hanging from the roof, reminiscent of the ones that were in Thriller Bark.

Amethyst felt her vision becoming spotty and carefully put them down on the stone pathway only for all of them to start jumping around, the air and ground were ridiculously hot.

"HOT HOT HOT! THE DAMN FLOOR IS HOT!" Buggy yelled, hopping around.

"The air's so hot," Mr.3 cried out, "It feels like my lungs are on fire!"

"Hurry! we have to hurry and get out of here! Which way do we go?!" Luffy panted, bouncing around much like the other two. Amethyst, however, was not paying attention to those three as she saw Zoro suddenly turn into a different person and start twirling and dancing around happily. "BON CLAY!" Luffy shouted suddenly and the two weirdos started to conversate. Amethyst was exasperated, how is it that they kept running into people that Luffy knew? Luffy seemed to have a good reaction to this one, so she didn't question it too much, especially hearing Bon Clay scream something about friendship, she knew he wasn't a bad guy like the other two morons.

Bon Clay started to dance again as Luffy went back to freaking out. "You guys are hopeless, the fire isn't hot at all!" he shouted, laughing happily.

He started to dance a bit slower, sweat starting to drip off of his face. "Not that I don't understand how you feel though," Bon Clay added, moving around them and Amethyst could see him starting to sweat even more. "This place is a little hotter than Level 3, don't you think?" he asked as his smile began to fade and his shoes started to burn because of the hot floor. "It IS kinda hot... I do feel like I'm being roasted here." He stopped suddenly, his entire face turning a shade of red that would rival the boiling blood and he started to scream "HOT!" making the other three idiots shout at him.

Amethyst was trying to hold in the pain from her... everywhere, she could barely feel the burning of her legs, as she sat exhausted on the burning stone, as the pain from her head was distracting her as well as the situation they were in. "I'm surrounded by morons," she gasped out.

Luffy suddenly started looking around, his nose twitching slightly as he sniffed the air then a big grin appeared on his face, without any warning he grabbed Amethyst by the waist and lifted her, sprinting off in one direction.

"Luffy slow down, what's happening?" Amethyst asked as she was less than gracefully being carried by the teen.

She heard Bon Clay shout behind her about the kitchen being in this direction and running close behind him, and she rolled her eyes, of course, it is. She would've protested but seeing as Luffy was using up a bit of energy and so was she most definitely, food might be a good energy boost. "Hot hot hot hot hot!" Luffy cried out before suddenly his expression turned dreamy "Smells nice... Hot hot! Smells nice..."

Amethyst suppressed the urge to laugh and hit him all at the same time. She saw a bunch of guards in front of them and instead left it for Luffy to deal with as she readjusted herself, now wrapping her body around his so that she was latching onto his back, arms around his neck.

She watched as he grinned maniacally and silently felt sorry for the guards, knowing nothing good was coming their way.

"GUM GUM... FIREWORKS!" Luffy cried and exploded his limbs out, he looked like an exploding firework, knocking them straight off the bridge. "Nice one Lu!" Amethyst complimented the grinning teen who then landed on the floor.

But she spoke too soon as something fell from the ceiling just as he did so, blocking their once clear pathway and Luffy narrowly avoiding it. It was a gloopy, purple substance that as it came into contact with the stone floor, started to hiss and melt.

"What the hell is that?! Jelly?" Luffy shouted as he bounced around again. Suddenly more drops fell and hit the ground, hissing as they made an impact and only then they realised that the purple substance was actually burning the floor.

Amethyst got off Luffy, shoes starting to burn and looked up eyes squinting trying to make out a clear image of what she was seeing and eyes then widening in shock as she saw a large man dropping from the ceiling and landing in front of Luffy with a resounding crash that sent smoke flying up and Bon Clay screamed in panic at the sight of the person, she then realised the absent presence of the other two they came with and made a mental note to pay them back.

"You've been running about too freely for far too long," The large man said, voice booming and echoing across the area. The smoke that was obscuring his face now clearing, revealing mercilessly angry eyes and a darkness in his face, he looked as if he were about to kill them all then and there. Amethyst's eyes travelled to the substance dripping from his body and sizzling as it made contact with the floor and then it clicked, he was...

"Who're you?" Luffy questioned boldly, looking confused and annoyed at the disturbance of the person.

"M-Magellan!" Bon Clay choked out as he stared at 'Magellan', panicking.

"This is the end for you, Persistent Vermin!" Magellan hissed.

Amethyst stood up straight now, ignoring the shooting pain going through her body and glared defiantly at the large man with Luffy beside her who looked just as unfazed but he did glance worriedly at Amethyst who looked as if she may faint at any given moment, she was in a lot of pain but she was also not going to give the man the satisfaction of seeing her looking weak.

Her attention was caught when she heard the guards that remained who were behind them start shouting words of warning and danger, getting to their feet and gasping in horror as they saw the man standing before all of them.

"We'd almost gotten to the place where that nice smell was coming from! What the hell?!" Luffy said annoyed and frustrated as he looked up at Magellan who had blocked his once cleared path "We're in a hurry! So move out of our way!" he shouted defiantly.

Amethyst knew angering the man wasn't smart, but she knew even if they didn't he was going to do with them what he wanted, so she didn't care as much.

"You heard him, move the fuck away. You're getting your poison everywhere Warden. What an unfortunate devil fruit to have considering the cleanup," Amethyst hissed mockingly, a smirk on her face. She was hoping that Luffy had caught the message of the Wardens devil fruit power and would have his guard up, but knowing Luffy she wasn't sure.

"You're both high-spirited I see. But rest assured... soon there will be no need to tire yourselves out anymore" Magellan said slowly, his mild interest quickly fading the longer he looked at the two criminals and listened to them talk down to him.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Luffy shouted and Amethyst knew he hadn't caught on, cursing under her breath.

"STRAW HAT! YOU CAN'T FIGHT HIM!" Bon Clay cried out from behind them. Luffy and Amethyst looked back at Bon Clay and saw him pointing at the warden shakily, fear all over his face. "That's Magellan he's the Warden of Impel Down and he has the power of the Poison-Poison Devil Fruit! You both should run away!" he warned frantically.

"So, he's a poison man," Luffy inquired, interested as he turned back around to face the poison-sweating man.

Magellan looked darkly down at the two in front of him, smirking. "Straw Hat Luffy, the famous rookie who I hear has caused trouble wherever he has gone and Devil Eyes Amethyst, The mysterious escapee and member of the Whitebeard pirates, I have not heard much about you or your strength but I know both of you have opposed the authority of the Navy and the World Government and as Warden of Impel Down you have disgraced me by being able to break into this legendary and impenetrable prison," his smirk now dropping into a sneer.

"I know what you've come here for. You want to free your brother, Commander of Whitebeard Pirates Second Division, Portgas.D Ace!" he continued cockily as if the information would faze them somehow.

Amethyst looked at him blandly despite the anxiety and physical pain churning inside of her "Wow, good for you, you know of some information. But, do you actually think that I'll let you harm Luffy? I mean he's my little brother too," she scoffed, not afraid of informing him.

Magellan looked at her with a new peak of curiosity but not at all threatened by her words "So, you're also siblings." he questioned, "Now that I look at you, those freckles do look familiar, though the face wasn't so... calm" he said mockingly making both people growl angrily at the audacity.

"It will be impossible for you to reach him, much less escape." Magellan declared. "Enough of this now. After capturing you both, I will torture you both and find out exactly how you two managed to break in," Magellan declared darkly.

Luffy sneered at that, narrowing his eyes at Magellan. "I'll die before telling you that!"

Magellan smirk widened horribly as if the thought amused him. No doubt that it did. "Funny, they all seem to say that before being tortured but you two will not be experiencing even something as pleasant as torturing"

Bon clay started shouting warnings at both Amethyst and Luffy but neither budged, they both had a mutual goal and bigger things to worry about and they weren't going to let some Government scum try and stop them.

"I'll win! We both will!" Luffy declared.

But Bon Clay wasn't budging either "Let's go back to where we were and instead we'll go the opposite way! Forget about the food and we'll run to level 5 together!" Bon Clay shouted, desperately trying to convince them.

"Won't work, Level 5 is being heavily guarded and everywhere else you may think to escape has been sealed, you have nowhere to run!" Magellan informed.

Bon clay screamed in dismay "NO WAY!" and started to back away, they were trapped in here with him.

Magellan's body suddenly was covered in the purple poison as if he had been dumped in a bucket of jelly. The poison leaked from his body in hefty clumps and suddenly three dragon-like heads rose from his body, dripping death and surrounded them.

"Is that poison?!" Luffy shouted in shock.

A dripping head struck at Luffy, he jumped out of the way, dodging it easily, causing Bon Clay to jump away also, Amethyst, however, was too weak to move as fast. She cursed, eyes turning stark white and made a hand gesture, the head halting in midair as it came close to hitting her. She felt the already dripping blood now trickling down in a faster pace, from her burned legs, wounded stomach and face, she felt the warmth running down and heard it sizzling into nothing as it hit the hot stone that was now burning her feet.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Luffy reeling back to attack "LUFFY DON'T!" she shouted, feeling relief and shock fill her as she watched Bon Clay stop his attack from making contact with the poison by taking the hit himself.

Bon Clay jumped up from where he fell down in pain and tackled Luffy to the floor, now rolling away from Magellan.

Magellan glanced at Amethyst curiously and frustrated as she somehow held the hydra head in midair but he quickly looked away and sent the other two heads flying towards the two on the floor. Amethyst cursed, biting her lip and drawing blood, white eyes licking with red as she forced herself to change them, blood now seeping from her body at an alarming speed, vision spotty and head pounding as she made another hand gesture and the two hydra heads hit an invisible wall that was in front of the pair, they kept relentlessly smashing against the invisible wall and Amethyst was over exerting herself, trying to hold the two abilities.

"BONCLAY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Luffy shouted furiously.

"If you get soaked in it or even touch it, you will be a goner!" Bon Clay shouted back, poking and shaking Luffy as he did so, trying to get the information through his rubber brain before he did something even more reckless.

"How am I supposed to fight him if I can't even touch him, then!?" Luffy demanded.

"That's what I'm saying! You can't fight him!" Bon Clay shouted as anger and fear were present in his eyes and voice.

"No way!" Luffy shouted in disbelief "Can't I do anything here?!"

"LUFFY! YOU BOTH NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE! I CAN'T HOLD THEM BACK MUCH LONGER!" Amethyst shouted out desperately to them.

Luffy's head shot up and his whole being was shocked, he saw Amethyst, her face was covered in blood, it was dripping relentlessly and hitting the floor, creating a puddle beneath her and he then noticed the two hydra heads attacking an invisible wall above him and Bon Clay. She was hurting herself.

"I told you it's useless," Magellan said darkly as more poison seeped from his body. "Don't you understand?" And then just like that, two more Hydra heads rose from his body.

"AM!" Luffy shouted hopelessly as he looked at her struggling. She smiled a little at him. "GO! NOW! I'LL BE FINE! HOW CAN I DIE AND LEAVE A WEAKLING LIKE YOU BEHIND?!" she shouted jokingly, voice strained with pain.

Luffy remembered those words, they were Ace's words, he was going to leave another sibling behind and not know if they were okay. Amethyst saw him hesitating and made the other two hydra heads halt as they were about to attack them as well. She felt blood vessels in her eyes pop and bit her lip again, harder so that she wouldn't cry out in pain. She looked at Bon Clay with pleading eyes hoping he would get the message.

Bon Clay watched the ordeal, tears in his eyes as he did so, he caught the look from Amethyst and gasped but nodded in understanding, he grabbed Luffy by the wrist and pulled him with all his strength, forcing him to run away beside him.

Magellan turned his attention to the girl and glared darkly. "Your devil fruit ability is strong, but you are on your last legs"

She saw the look in his eyes and felt panic finally rise in her, she made another hand gesture, bigger than the last and flung Magellan a few metres away, taking his Hydra heads with him and she clicked her fingers, becoming invisible and forced her burning legs to run in the direction that Luffy and Bon Clay were running in.

As she got closer to them she could hear Luffy chanting in worry and anger and also about being hungry and she smiled despite the pain. She looked back and was appalled to see Magellan attacking his own men, claiming that they were in the way. Disgusting.

She looked forward again and caught up to the two, now running beside Luffy, she hit him in the head, causing him to look around frantically, trying to find the source of the sudden strike. She dropped her ability and was grinning at him "Nice to see someone still has an appetite"

Luffy looked at her shocked and then grinned "AM! YOU MADE IT!" he shouted happily. Bon Clay looked happy and relieved as well. "You're quite powerful, I must say," he said impressed.

"Yeah, a fat difference that made, we're still running and I'm basically bathing in my own blood trying to pretend I'm not in excruciating pain," Amethyst said.

Bon Clay seemed to contemplate something as they ran and suddenly jerked to the side, a Hydra that was after them crashing into the floor and sending a wave of white smoke that shadowed their view. Amethyst and Luffy stopped and looked around trying to figure out what he was doing. When the smoke cleared they saw Luffy... a second Luffy. Bon Clay had transformed into Luffy, dancing around like a ballerina shouting out different attacks that were supposed to imitate Luffy's. Bon Clay the went over to the two and whispered "You two should make an escape now, while I distract him"

"Hey, Bon, you forgot the clothes," Luffy said. Amethyst grabbed a hold of the Bon-Luffy and the actual Luffy and started to run again as the Hydra was following close behind. "That was a stupid plan," she said.

Bon Clay now running as himself. "You have a better idea?!"

Suddenly Luffy drifted from them and ran up to the rail, stretching and grabbing onto a rafter hanging over the cauldron, he cried in pain as it burned his hands on contact but Luffy got over it and turned to the Hydra that was following him "TRY AND GET ME HYDRA!" he shouted, then swinging downwards and sweeping upwards, causing one of the Hydra heads to follow and be destroyed in the fire below.

Amethyst had to let out a breath of relief as she watched, she blinked and suddenly there was a blue bubble being formed in Magellan's mouth and he reared his head back then flinging it forward, sending the bubble straight for Luffy. "LUFFY! DODGE!" she shouted and he did just in time as it exploded but her relief was short-lived as a huge white cloud formed beneath him clouding their vision of him. It cleared up in time for them to see him cry out in pain.

"AH! What the hell?! My eyes itch like crazy! and I can't stop sneezing, I can't fight like this!"

Amethyst watched as the Hydra halted in front of him and she got a bad feeling. "Bon Clay, let me get on your back!"

Bon Clay didn't question and nodded. She got on his back and her eyes turned red, she made a hand gesture and made Bon Clay float with her on top of him, she flew them all the way to Luffy and jumped off of Bon Clay, then sending him back to where they were, he didn't need to be put in danger, it wasn't his fight.

She grabbed Luffy by the hand and ran for it, trying to get away from the Warden who had now started to try and strike them with his horns that were now placed on his hands, melting the stone as it came in contact with the poison attack. They were leaning against a wall, trying to steady their breathing, Luffy slid down the wall, tears running down his eyes because of the gas.

"We... have to save... Ace" he said, gasping for air.

"I know Lu, we will, I know we will," Amethyst reassured but she felt her own eyes watering, gas had gotten to her as she struggled to get away.

Magellan looked down at them from his position and glared darkly. "In the end," Magellan said, pulling his arm out of the melted wall, "All three of you siblings," he jumped down so that he was now cornering them both "Will suffer the same fate!"

She grabbed Luffy and put him on her back, "Just hang on Lu," she said and he wrapped his arms around her neck. "We're saving Ace and no one is stopping us," she hissed.

Magellan glared and went after her as she ran. He was delivering blow after deadly blow and all she could do was dodge it or use some of her ability to fling the attack away momentarily, she was nearly touched many times but would ultimately dodge out of the way, by a hairs-length, Luffy also helping by using his legs to fling them elsewhere when she wasn't able to. Another attack came towards her and she forced the oncoming arm down with her ability to avoid it... but this caused the stone beneath her feet to crack and break apart and with a resounding crash, the whole structure started to fall apart, the bricks falling down towards the fire, along with Amethyst and Luffy.

She flicked her wrist and the piece of structure she was standing on flung her towards one of the lower walkways where they rolled across it, Luffy falling off her back and tumbling a bit away and her, skidding across the hot stone, skinning and burning her knees, shins and forearms, she fell face first now lying there, facing Luffy.

They were both panting, they were exhausted. Magellan jumped over to where they were. Luffy was now on his knees trying to find his second wind.

"Still not giving up?" Magellan asked, stalking closer to Luffy. Luffy was trying force himself up onto his feet, holding onto the ground so he wouldn't fall, he looked up at Magellan and snarled "We'll break Ace free and get out of here!"

Amethyst watched as he stood in a horse stance and her eyes widened in realisation as he pumped blood through his legs, now turning a pink colour, steam coming off of him. She tried to get up but her body wasn't co-operating. She shouted at him to stop but he ignored her.

"There's no way I'm going to die or let either of them die before we get to him! I won't let Ace be executed!" Luffy stated determinedly.

Magellan looked slightly taken-back by what was being presented in front of him. "What's with the steam?" he demanded.

Luffy stood up straight as he said "If I'm doomed to lose because you're poisonous and I can't touch you" he stared down at his hands for a moment, before he glared up at Magellan and declared, "Then I'd rather touch you and GIVE UP MY ARMS TO BEAT YOU!"

"LUFFY DON'T!" Amethyst screamed, trying so hard to just move her arms, but nothing moved, not even a budge.

Magellan held up a fist, dripping with poison and simply said, "If you don't want your arms, then I'll grant your wish and take them!"

Amethyst watched in horror as Luffy reared his arms backwards and screamed and attack, voice clouded with fear and desperation and threw his arms forward, landing a double fisted hit to his stomach. Magellan reeled over in pain, vomiting poison and blood but Luffy... Luffy's hands were coated in so much poison, his face contorted in pain and panting hard. He fell to his knees and screamed in pain, he fell on his face and started to writhe in agony as the poison ate away at his hands. Amethyst trying her hardest to get up but just... couldn't. Tears rolled down her face as she was forced to watch him hurt himself. "Luffy... please," she whispered, voice cracking.

Luffy pushed himself up as Magellan got onto his own feet, Magellan breathing hard and glaring down at Luffy. "To think that you could bring me to my knees? A wild animal is a frightening thing, indeed, when cornered. No matter... the poison covering your arms will be more than enough to kill you,"

Amethyst growled and got the attention of the Warden who smirked at her then focused his attention back to Luffy.

Poison kept dripping from Luffy's hands as Magellan continued on, "You're suffering now, aren't you? How shameful."

Luffy was panting, breathing had become harder, it had become a task in itself. But he wasn't going to let him win, the words that were thrown at him lit a fire in him and he staggered back to his feet. Screaming in outrage and hitting Magellan in the stomach again with another attack but only serving to further anger the poison-man, his body started to inflate slightly and then he started to spit out poisonous liquid bubbles from his mouth. Luffy jumped all over the place, dodging them one after the other as they kept raining down.

Luffy was breathing in the fumes, though, he hadn't physically come into contact with any of them and reeled his arm back just in time as Magellan directed a Hydra towards him and he succeeded in destroying it with his attack but poison splattering all over his body now. He managed to jump away from Magellan but stumbled.

A purple haze started to surround Luffy and Amethyst, coming from Magellan, Luffy jumped around, inflating into a balloon trying to do the same thing he did in Amazon Lily and blow the poisonous gas away, he did it successfully and fell back to the ground, but this time he wasn't able to get back up.

Amethyst felt herself getting angrier and angrier and her breathing became course and difficult to do, her body starting to shake, of its own volition. But she wasn't going to let that bastard kill him or her, she wasn't going to accept this. She pushed herself and finally felt her leg twitch.

Magellan had recalled the poison gas back, by breathing out once again. "I keep telling you it's hopeless!"

Luffy gasped out, struggling to breathe, his whole body shaking as he tried to get up, tried to get away.

"No matter how hard you struggle, there's no escape," Magellan told him "Your eye sight must be blurry, your hands must be totally useless by now," Magellan said mockingly, proud of what he's done.

Luffy couldn't hold himself up anymore and fell to the ground, face-first and laying on the stone floor, limp. Amethyst felt dread claw in her stomach as Magellan walked closer to him, stopping right in front of him and giving him a look of disgust before turning his head towards her now stalking towards her. But as he started, Luffy was already pushing himself back up, looking ready to fight again.

Magellan turned back around to the boy and sneered "You don't know when to quit, do you really want to save your brother that badly?"

Luffy started to bash his head against the stone floor, desperately trying to get his eye sight back, trying to clear his vision but then he managed to push himself up and charged at the Warden, eyes wild and dangerous. He aimed another attack at Magellan but missed completely, Magellan grabbing his stretched out arm, swinging it over his head, slamming him into the stone floor.

Magellan had lost all patience as he watched the boy get back up and started shouting at the boy, calling him a fool.

"Hey moron," Magellan whipped around at the voice and saw Amethyst standing there, the sight of her was horrifying as she was severely injured and bleeding "You forget about me?" she sneered and her eyes turned red, flicking her wrist and the Warden went flying into the air, she lurched forward vomiting blood, tears springing in her eyes.

She used the small amount of time to look at Luffy who was in a ready stance to attack, he looked disoriented, like he couldn't see her. She took a step forward and fell instantly. "Luffy! You have to run!" she shouted desperately. But it was too late, Magellan had come crashing back down, landing on his feet and looking enraged.

Magellan called forth the Hydra and prepared them to strike. Luffy seemed to have lost all common sense and leapt straight into the Hydra's mouth, Amethyst let out a guttural cry and clicked her fingers.

She appeared right next to Luffy as he desperately screamed.

"GIVE ACE... BAAAAAAAAAACCCKKK!"

And then they were swallowed.

They both dropped to the ground, limp and unseeing, mouths wide open and eyes wide open, they were both completely drenched in the poison, the excess puddling around them. They looked like they wanted to scream but couldn't, they felt pain, such excruciating pain, such paralyzing pain.

"This is your punishment," Magellan stated, voice cold. "After exposure to this much poison, no antidote will save you... You will suffer for 24 hours and then descend to the REAL hell."

"A...Am... A..Ace..." Luffy choked out, the poison oozing off of his body and dripping into his wide open mouth. Amethyst faring the same. She gasped before she was met with nothing but darkness.


It was dark, everything was so dark and painful, she couldn't fathom how it was so impossibly cold, she felt freezing, she remembered what had happened but couldn't believe it. She refused to believe she or Luffy were going to die, no matter how cold it was, no matter how agonisingly painful her whole body felt and no matter dark it was. She didn't want to die, after all this time she wanted to live, she wanted to save Ace and now she had to save herself and Luffy. She felt someone shaking her but she couldn't force her eyes open. She heard a voice shouting and she felt herself being moved but never budging and never moving, no matter how she swam through the darkness, nothing happened.

She felt like hours had gone by but she didn't know, maybe that was just a feeling.

She felt things shift and suddenly she was warmer, not too cold, not too hot, it was unsettling, she heard voices so many voices and then she was awake, gasping for air, pain radiated through her body and she looked around frantically, holding in the screams of agonising pain she wanted to let out, she felt her hands cuffed, the cold of it nipping at her wrists.

Was she dreaming? She didn't recognise this room, it was dark but it wasn't at all like a cell. She could blurrily see no one here but she could hear voices and yells, she was waiting for a familiar voice but nothing came. And then she came to a stop and heard the sound of screams, it echoed and bounced off the walls. She tried to roll on her side and tried to clear her vision, tried to block out the screams but everything was so cloudy and she fell into darkness again.


Ace was looking worse than ever before, he was close to losing his mind, Jimbei was looking anxiously at him, fearing that something was happening, something dangerous was happening inside Ace's mind.

"Ace, I don't know if what that woman said was true, but wouldn't it be better to assume she was lying?" Jimbei said suddenly, trying to ease the boy.

This, however, had the opposite effect and Ace was struggling against the chains, expression severe as he looked at the Fishman. "You think she came all the way down here just to lie to me!?" he yelled out.

The guards that were standing there looked at him, readying their weapons if he started to lash out in violence. Ace calmed down then, realising what he was doing as he vented his anger out at the wrong person. His face was still twisted with worry. "Sorry... Jimbei," he said, screwing his eyes up. "But that's just the kind of brother he is! He's always doing stupid things like that. Ever since we were kids, he's done things that made me worry about him! That idiot!" he said, face full of a mix of different emotions.

Then there was rage... he was filled with so much rage. He let out a scream of fury as he struggled against the shackles keeping him away from his brother. "Let me out!" Ace began banging his head on the wall, blood dripping from the wound he was causing himself. "Let me out of here! Let me go!"

Jimbei started shouting at Ace to stop but he wasn't listening, he was going nuts, the guards there had called a Minotaurus to deal with him. Ace glared darkly up at the cow creature as he was struck with a club, blood splattering. He finally hung limply from the chains, blood dripping down his neck and face. His desire to get out and find Luffy was so strong that he was losing his mind, his common sense was slipping.

"Make it easy for yourself, your execution is in another ten hours!" one of the guards shouted at him. Ace glared up at him defiantly, he knew that he could take them if only these chains weren't holding him back. And as the club came swinging down again he whispered, "Luffy..."


Pain.

So much pain.

Her body felt like it was boiling from the inside out.

A light.

She reached for the light but it was so far.

And then her finger dipped in it.

Her eyes flung open and she gasped for air. Frantically looking around as her eyes burned, Where was she? She felt her hands were still cuffed and she tried to use her ability and teleport out of there but was immediately met with nausea, she was surprised she could still move let alone struggle with how she over-exerted herself.

"You're awake finally"

Her head snapped to the voice and saw a rather large-headed cross dressing man.

"My name is Ivankov," He said. Amethyst looked around and realised she was strapped to a table, why was she strapped to a table? She started struggling against it, her eyes narrowing into slits, red licking the corners of them but then fading as blood started to drip from her face, pain shooting through her entire body.

"Now now, no need for that, I merely want to help you as I did Straw-Hat-boy," Ivankov said, trying to simmer down the glaring girl.

Amethyst jerked when she heard the name, she knew that he was talking about Luffy and her eyes narrowed even further, what had he done to him? "Where is he?" she demanded.

"He's going through his treatment to fight the poison," he said there was an underlying tone of grimness in his voice. Amethyst struggled again, she was feeling unnerved, what was with that expression? And then she heard it. Her senses intensifying. He was screaming, there was so much screaming, how had she not noticed before but she did, she vaguely remembered waking up and hearing screaming, it was him. "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO HIM?!" she roared.

"Now, let me explain to you before you rile yourself up even more. I have the abilities of a Devil Fruit that allow me to manipulate and control hormones that can affect one's body. Straw-Hat-boy is going through my treatment now. I have injected some of my special hormones into him. By injecting these hormones I have released his body's immune system to the highest potential," he said all very professionally, despite his unique way of speaking.

Amethyst relaxed as she took in the words and the presence of the person, she now recognised who they were, Ivankov of the Revolutionary Army. "So... he will be okay?" she choked out, throat raw with physical and emotional pain.

"Well, that all depends on Straw-hat-boy," he said, voice now grim again, "You see, the hormones only unleash the potential of the immune system, the chance of survival is mostly based on Straw-hat-boys own will to live," Ivankov replied voice full of sadness and pity.

Amethyst, however, relaxed and sighed in relief. "That's great, thank you for helping him," she said calmly.

Ivankov was startled and somewhat angry "Did you not hear what I said?!" he exclaimed. His voice was full of surprise and a tinge of disappointment.

Amethyst cracked a small smile, confusing the cross-dresser even further. "Trust me, if I know anything about Luffy, it's that he has the will and the determination of a monster and we haven't reached our goal yet. There's no way on this earth or in hell that he won't make it through, that I give you my word," she responded, full of trust and confidence.

Ivankov stared at the girl, shocked beyond words, the trust and vindication in her voice and her eyes were enough to make one have even a sliver of hope, even in a situation as dire and leaving little to no room for success, as this one. Amethyst then grinned "I'd be more surprised if he didn't make it"

Ivankov seemed to snap out of it "Well, as for you, I must be given permission to do the same treatment but I must warn you there's a price... ten years of your life!"

Amethyst froze. "Are you telling me... THAT MORON GAVE AWAY TEN YEARS OF HIS LIFE?!" she shouted in rage. She felt her chest clench painfully and forced herself to calm down, she knew if there was no other choice that, that was the reason for it all. That was the reasoning for all of it, it must've been because it was the last option. "Sorry... and to answer your question... No, you don't have my permission"

"It's either the treatment or death," Ivankov explained trying to convince the girl of the consequences.

Amethyst shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You've been talking to me for the past few minutes, does it seem like I'm on the brink of death?"

Ivankov stared at the girl longer, analysing her body, her attitude, her voice and realised that she was right. The girl seemed fine, her wounds had healed dramatically and she was still obviously weak and in pain, in all honesty Amethyst was surprised herself, she would usually feel a lot worse than this. But she seemed fine, a huge contrast to that of the screaming boy in the other room. "But it's not possible, you went through the same as Straw-hat-boy if not even more so than him, we watched you both succumb to the same fate, so how?" she questioned in disbelief.

Amethyst felt her eye twitch in irritation but then calm down "I'm going to ignore the fact that you just admitted to watching us and not doing anything about it," she sneered, "But I'm different, I have an extent of toleration to poisons and I heal on my own faster than the normal human body, unfortunately not that fast for my liking but I'll be fine. I just need to clean all this shit off and eat something so I would appreciate being unlocked"

Ivankov felt his interest in the girl peak, he was already initially interested as he watched her run through Impel Down but seeing her in person only reinforced that interest. "Very well," he said finally and unlocked the cuffs, letting the girl fall to her feet.

Amethyst faltered and fell on all fours then glared at the ground, she pushed herself off the ground and stood up, forcing her legs to cooperate. She watched Ivankov open the door to the room she was in and followed her out slowly as she was led to a bathroom, sighing as she imagined just cleaning herself up. "Thank you," she said as Ivankov started to leave. He turned and grinned. "I wouldn't have helped had I not thought you worthy of it," he replied before leaving.

Amethyst got cleaned and put on some fresh clothes that they thankfully had. 'I guess it's a good thing that they're cross-dressers' she thought as she walked out of the bathroom, looking around for a little bit, she could tell that they were still in the prison, but where? She heard of Ivankov being imprisoned but this didn't seem ordinary, not that he was ordinary.

She snapped out of her interest and went back to looking for Luffy, she needed to see him, she couldn't hear his screams anymore and she didn't know if that was a bad thing or a good thing.

She walked towards the chatter of people and saw Bon Clay standing there in front of a door that she assumed Luffy must be in, he was surrounded by a few cross-dresser's and Ivankov standing out like a really big sore thumb. She walked towards them and sat down a bit behind the crowd, so she could wait and also rest her aching body.

"What's happening?" she questioned. No one looked at her or gave her a glance, she then noticed the looks on their faces, full of worry, anxiety and anticipation.

The silence stretched on.

Then suddenly a dark pool of liquid slipped underneath the door, It was dark like a pool of tar with just a tint of red, Amethyst tensed up. No matter how much she knew and trusted Luffy would make it, that was not something that evoked hope. She heard people start to freak out a bit and could already see some faces signing his death certificate and she growled. "Don't go killing him off like that," she sneered. They finally turned their attention to her, some having shock, fear and even anger.

BANG!

The door shook so hard that it seemed like the hinges would come flying out.

Amethyst smiled and gave the bystanders a look of 'I-told-you-so'. "Seems like Luffy is up... I must warn you, he'll probably be hungry," she said, full of amusement and happiness that he was alright, even though she knew he would be eventually.

"FOOOOOOOOOOOD!"

And just like that she felt a whole lot better, she didn't doubt that Luffy would pull through but she was also glad just to hear his voice not screaming in agony. They opened the door quickly and Luffy looked stick thin like his muscle and fat had completely disintegrated only leaving skin and bone.

"FOOOOOOOOOD!" he shouted again and everyone started to rush around frantically to get the boy some food.

The whole thing went by quite quickly, Luffy eating like a complete monster and nearly swallowing the whole supply of food, it was all very normal-ish and Amethyst felt herself smiling just watching the whole thing. After he had his fill of food, he looked quite disturbing, as if the strange figure wasn't really him. His entire torso was bulging and huge, it was like nothing she'd ever seen before, he was too big to even fit through the door and yet his legs, arms and everything above the torso seemed bone thin.

"Looking pretty scary their Lu," she remarked.

She watched as he was still panting, grunting in pain as he suddenly absorbed the fat in his stomach. And as if his shrivelled limbs sucked it up, he shrank and the fat turned into muscle, spreading to his limbs and the rest of his body so when he finally stepped out, he looked strong and healthy again. He punched the air and screamed.

"I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAACK!"

Amethyst laughed out loud, she never felt so relieved in her life to hear that moron and hearing the remarks of all the people there saying he must've been some monster, it was all quite amusing despite the situation they were in. Then she was flung back into the floor and amusement seemed to fly out the door.

"Dammit Lu!" she hissed, feeling her already pounding headache only worsen as the rubber boy smothered her into the ground.

"Am! I'm so glad you're okay! Did you give up ten years as well?" he asked, cocking his head to the side like a puppy. She flicked him in the head and sat up, the boy sliding off of her and now sitting half on the floor, his legs still on her lap.

"No, I didn't need to and you better believe when I tell Ace that you gave up ten years of your life, he's going to pummel you," she said, a smirk on her face.

"I can take him!" Luffy boasted confidently.

"Unbelievable!"

"HE ABSORBED ALL THAT ENERGY!"

"He's not human!"

"He beat the poison in only 20 hours!"

Wait.

What?

"TWENTY HOURS?!" Amethyst shouted, now getting the attention of Luffy who also was shocked at the amount of time.

"A miracle... This is more than a miracle!" Ivankov said, ignoring the shout of indignation.

"Thank god!" Bon Clay shouted in utter relief.

Luffy heard the voice and snapped his head towards the person and spotted Bon Clay standing there. Bon Clay was heavily bandaged but very much alive and well.

"Oh, Bon Clay! You're okay!" He cried as if he wasn't the one who just nearly died.

"Stupid! Quit joking around, I'm the one who should be..." before he could finish his sentence he toppled to the ground in a heap, his eyes rolling back. He was out cold.

Luffy jumped away from Amethyst and to Bon Clay in an instant. "Hey, Bon Clay! You okay? Hang in there! What's wrong?" he questioned anxiously as he received no response.

Ivankov stepped forward then and made his presence known, speaking, "He's just over-exerted himself, nothing to do with Bon-boy's injuries"

"Oh, Hey Iva!" Luffy said casually to Ivankov once he spotted him standing there.

Amethyst suppressed a laugh as she watched the other cross-dresser's act offended by the boy addressing their leader so casually.

"We survived, Thank you so much for everything you've done for us!" Luffy said gratefully, his signature grin on his face.

Ivankov proceeded to reject the thanks and inform Luffy that while he was locked up and going through the torturous treatment that it was Bon Clay who had been there with him, cheering him on from the outside. He admitted that Bon Clay was the one who had been there, shouting and rooting for him for hours until he was coughing up blood and could barely let out coherent words, sharing the pain and constantly crying for Luffy to hang in there and to live. He inspired the other people there with his action, causing them to cheer with him and hope for a miracle to happen.

Luffy's eyes were wide with amazement at the information. "I see," he said, looking down at Bon Clay and bowing his head to him, gratefully. "Bon Clay," he said, tone serious. "Thank you so much, I owe you one!"

Amethyst grinned. "I wish I could heal him but my more intense abilities aren't available at the moment," she said gratefully.

Another man came in then, holding Luffy's hat and a yellow shirt. "Here are your hat and some new clothes, you've survived, but that's all. You must rest for a few more days to make a full recovery," the man informed.

Luffy got up on his feet "We don't have time for that! We've already wasted too much time already!" he said as he put his clothes and hat on. "Sorry, but can you guys look after Bon Clay? I'll come back for him later an..." he suddenly stumbled, cutting himself off as he fell to the floor.

Amethyst shot up and went to rush to Luffy when she stumbled and fell on all fours, cursing under her breath, her body had repaired itself quickly considering less than a day of 'rest' but she still was very weak.

"You also need to rest, you may not have had to go through the treatment but I'd say you're in no condition to do anything as much as your brother here," the man who she recognised as Inazuma of the Revolutionary Army, said.

She heard everyone start to try and convince her and him to listen to reason and not do anything rash but they both ignored them. Amethyst watched as Luffy pulled out Ace's Vivre card and they both stared at it, it was the same as the last time they looked at it but it was still pointing downwards which means they hadn't moved Ace yet, they still had a chance.

"We have no time for that, Ace's Vivre card is still pointing down which means we can still get to him... but where are we exactly?" Amethyst inquired.

Ivankov explained how there are actually six levels and they were in between the fifth and the sixth, So they were in Level 5.5.

"Now that you both have recovered from death, I suppose that you both don't care about anything but saving your brother, right? It's none of my business what you both do with your lives," Ivankov said.

Amethyst wanted to laugh at the fact that Magellan and Ivankov both assumed that Ace was her brother as well. She looked nothing like him or Luffy, her eyes are a pale lilac and blue and her hair was blonde plus her skin colour was different, the only 'resemblance' were her freckles. But she didn't have enough care to correct them.

"Iva! Mind telling us where Ace is then? I think Bon Clay mentioned something about saving your ass y'know," Luffy said unintentionally rudely.

Ivankov started explaining their reason for staying, how he understood the balance of power in the world especially now with the Marines and Whitebeard Pirates trying to shift the way of the world in their favour and proudly stating that his comrade Dragon had yet to make his move and because of that, they hadn't made a move to escape as the time wasn't right.

Amethyst recognised the name 'Dragon' he was the most dangerous criminal in the world, she quite admired what he was doing.

"Oh," Luffy said casually, "You mean my dad?"

"That's right," Ivankov replied "As soon as your dad rallies his troops and makes his move, I will once again return to the surface and throw myself into the flow of the world. Even if I tried to escape now I would merely end up being hunted down," suddenly he paused, blinking a few times and slowly registering what the boy had just said. "Your d-d-d-DAD!?" he shrieked out, jumping back and crashing into the wall behind him, leaving an indent. "DRAGON IS?" he questioned, shocked as he slid down the wall and then falling face first into the ground.

Everyone stood still, looking at Luffy as if he had just said the most absurd thing in the world, though hearing it, it sure did sound like it. They were also looking at Amethyst with the same expression seeing as they were siblings. Luffy just looked around wondering what the big deal was.

Amethyst was the first to snap out of it and just burst into laughter at how blunt and oblivious he was.

"Y-Y-YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! HE HAS KIDS!?" Ivankov exclaimed, eyes bulging out in shock and disbelief.

"Lu, I don't think that's information you were supposed to tell people," Amethyst said amused.

Luffy stood up "Well, whatever. Gramps told me ... I don't really know him myself. To be honest I don't even know what he looks like," Luffy said casually.

Ivankov's jaw fell open as he stared at the boy "Where's your hometown?" he asked.

"The East Blue," Luffy answered. Ivankov gasped as if that detail held so much proof to his claim.

"Not that this isn't amusing but we really need to get to Ace so you helping or not?" Amethyst questioned now pushing herself off of the floor and standing up.

"Inazuma! Go and find out when Ace-boy is being taken to his execution!" Ivankov ordered.

"Yes, sir," Inazuma obeyed.

Ivankov stepped forward, voice full of seriousness and determination "It'll be a race against time! If the Vivre Card is still pointing downwards, then that means that he wasn't taken away yet! I am going down to Level 6 alongside Straw-Hat-boy and Amethyst, here!"

"Thanks, but Level 6? I thought Ace was in Level 5" Amethyst questioned but then shook it off, there was no time to question "Well, whatever"

"We're counting on you Iva!" Luffy shouted then leaning down to Bon Clay and promising to come back and get him.

Ivankov suddenly pressed his face against Luffy's and said to him very seriously, "In the future, you must not let slip such information about your origins, for the safety of you and your siblings"

"Big head is right Lu, that's not information that should be out there," Amethyst said pulling him away from Ivankov who started to take offence to the name.

Luffy nodded seeming to understand and agree by saying they were probably right.

"I might be acting of my own accord! But I have a duty to support you both! I will not let a friends children die while I'm around to see it!" Ivankov declared.

Ivankov then turned to the other people in the room and informed them of the plan. They protested a bit, fear in their voices as they did so but Ivankov stamped his foot and encouraged them saying a small inspirational speech that soon got them to turn their fear into excitement and determination.

Amethyst almost snickered as she realised that Ivankov thought Ace and her were Dragon's kids as well, but if he was going to help because of the fact, she wasn't going to burst his bubble.

"Right!" Luffy exclaimed "Wait for me Ace! We'll be right there..." and then slumped over and collapsed to the floor, unmoving.

Ivankov looked down at him and felt his pulse, tears pricking in his eyes as he gasped. Everyone in the room felt dread in their stomachs.

"His pulse, it's..." Ivankov gasped again. "IS STILL THERE!"

Amethyst growled and grabbed the man by the hair, pulling him down to look at her "Do that again and I'll set your hair on fire," she hissed, letting him go and ignoring the protests from his followers. "I knew this was too good to be true, he's obviously exhausted from the treatment, can you help him somehow?" she questioned.

Ivankov then suddenly turned his hands into syringes and stabbed them into Luffy's side, lifting him up a bit. Luffy yelled in pain before being dropped and he fell to his feet then falling on all fours, his body now shaking uncontrollably.

Amethyst glared at him, she felt her stomach drop thinking that he had just lost another ten years.

"That was only adrenaline, he'll be able to forget his fatigue for one day!" Ivankov explained and Amethyst felt herself relax a bit.

"I can do the same for you," Ivankov said, looking at the girl.

Amethyst shook her head. "No, it won't work properly. Medicines and anything like that much like poison and anything that can chemically affect my body doesn't work the way it should because my body naturally fights it off itself at a very abnormal and fast rate. My body or more so myself, in general, are very complex, I still don't fully understand it." she explained and Ivankov nodded in somewhat understanding.

Luffy suddenly reared his head back and let out a roar that sounded like a wild animal and Amethyst laughed a bit knowing the adrenaline kicked in. "Calm down Lu, no need for the dramatics, Let's go!".


Amethyst, Luffy, Ivankov and Inazuma were sprinting through a winter wasteland that happened to be Level 5. Luffy was letting out battle cries as he was still riding out the adrenaline high, he and Amethyst were a little further ahead than the other two who were trying to keep up.

Luffy started to run circles around them, flailing around uncontrollably. "OH WOW! I'M BURSTING WITH ENERGY!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

Amethyst rolled her eyes "Lu, seriously be quieter, your voice might make my brain explode and I'll die before we even get to Ace and would you stop running circles, you moron"

Luffy suddenly stopped and started running beside her normally.

"Let us hurry! Even the slightest delay could change the outcomes of our actions!" Inazuma shouted.

"No one is watching us here, transponder snails can't survive in the cold, so long as we don't waste time sneaking around, we'll get there very fast! Keep moving as fast as you can!" Ivankov exclaimed.

Suddenly a pack of wolves came out of nowhere, looking hungry and vicious.

"MOVE IT!" Luffy yelled loudly, throwing punches and kicks, taking them all out fairly easily, "DON'T GET IN OUR WAY!"

Amethyst cursed as she still didn't want to use her abilities, the last time she was like this she had slept for three days and still was far from fine after it but now she put herself in worse condition than that, she used her ability a lot more and is now still over-exerting herself, she knew it was a not very ideal situation, but she had felt a lot better considering the long yet short amount of time that she was passed out, it made no sense how she could even move but she wasn't going to queston it. She was thankful that the other two were holding their own with Luffy, making it seem as if it were merely a chore, Inazuma kicked one wolf away as if it were a ball and Ivankov just winked at them and created a blast that sent the wolves flying. Impressive.

They kept running until they spotted a large doorway, knowing that was the way to get to Level 6. Inazuma who had gotten there first was ordered by Ivankov to hurry and open it. Inazuma worked at the lock quickly and as the rest of them got there he had already gotten it open and forced the frozen hinges to move.

"There must be surveillance cameras past this point," Inazuma yelled as they ran ahead, leading to a set of stairs that led further down.

"If they're gonna come for us let them come!" Luffy shouted as he ran.

"Luffy we should be hoping for no disturbances not more!" Amethyst exclaimed, running next to him.

They continued to run down the stairs, leaving the cold behind them as they started to get warmer the further they ran down, Amethyst internally hoping they'd make it whilst Luffy externally voiced his hopes as they ran further towards Level 6.

They heard a shout and saw a crowd of guards running up towards them looking ready for a fight but much like the wolves before, Luffy kicked out his foot and took them all down in one go as the four of them charged forward as if nothing had happened. Luffy was chanting Ace's name over and over again, his desire to see his brother growing with every step.

More guards kept flooding in as they got deeper but much like the first amount of guards, they didn't last long. More guards came, succumbing to the same fate but then booby traps were set off and they had to keep dodging them from left to right, up and down but they didn't stop for a second, ready to keep running like their lives depended on it.

"What an annoying trap," Ivankov remarked, sounding quite bored.

"You're telling me, this is the second time this has happened and it's still as annoying as the first time except more predictable this time around," Amethyst said with an expression of irritation.

Amethyst and Luffy kept running even as Inazuma and Ivankov had stopped to fight off the rest of the guards that came.

They were frantic and sprinting as fast as they could, Amethyst trailing only a step behind, they ran down the spiral staircase at long last arriving at Level 6. They were looking around frantically, now calling his name. Eyes wildly darting here and there but not seeing any sign of him.

Ivankov and Inazuma then came running in a minute later, Ivankov having a guard sprawled over one of his shoulders. They started to make comments but were left unheard by the frantic two.

"Where are you Ace?! We're here to save you! ACE!"

Ivankov scolded him slightly and then held up the guard that was on his shoulder by the scruff of his neck. "Would you be so kind as to tell us, the place where he's kept?" he asked politely.

"NEVER!" the guard shot back stubbornly.

"Oh, what a dilemma," Ivankov sighed dramatically as he dropped the guard to the floor like a sack of potatoes, "You have to be more honest with yourself," he went on, a twisted smile marring his face.

The guard started to freak out in fear when Ivankov stabbed the guard with his fingers as they turned into needles. The guard let out a cry of pain and shock, his body started to thrash and convulse then all of a sudden his body started to change, skin becoming smoother, features becoming more delicate... softer, his body became more slender.

"Did you just turn him into a girl?" Amethyst asked in shock. Gaping at the now female guard on the floor. Luffy looking the same.

"So, how does it feel to have awoken your true self?" Ivankov asked as he pulled out a small mirror so that the shemale could see.

The guard seemed to be confused at first then actually came to like it, even going as far to thank Ivankov who brushed it off and asked for directions to Ace's cell. The guard then happily pointed to where it was and they were off, bolting in that direction, passing all the inmates and dark shadows and they finally reached it.

"He's not here!" Luffy shouted, glaring at the guard.

Amethyst walked towards the guard and grabbed them by the scruff of their neck. "What the hell are you playing at? Where is he!?"

"Th-there's no doubt! I wouldn't do such a thing as lie!" the guard answered, now crying.

Amethyst let her go roughly, turning back to the others "We must've missed him," she said.

"It seems we were a step behind!" Inazuma stated.

They all looked at the empty cell and saw Jimbei there, he was staring at the ground grimly. He looked up and caught a glimpse of Luffy, recognising who he must be and staring in shock. Luffy looked at him, noticing the stare. Jimbei then glanced at the people and noticed Amethyst, look the same as when he saw Luffy.

"Hey! are you called Straw-Hat Luffy?" Jimbei called out.

"Yeah," Luffy answered.

"They've just taken him!" he shouted, his eyes staring down the hallway "Chase after them! Ace was being escorted to the lift! GO! You can still make it if you hurry!"

Luffy stared at him hard "Who're you?" he questioned, not knowing whether he should believe some stranger.

"It doesn't matter! Just go! There's still time!"

Luffy stared a little longer, but then nodded in understanding "Right! I got it! Thanks whoever you are!" he shouted as he turned and ran, Inazuma and Ivankov right behind. Amethyst went to follow but was stopped. "WAIT!" Jimbei shouted and she turned around.

"What!?" she questioned impatiently.

"You're Amethyst, are you not?" he asked curiously.

She cocked a brow at him "Yeah, how do you know?"

"Ace, he talked about you, I could tell by your eyes," Jimbei replied solemnly.

She tensed a little at that but then gave no response, turning and running to catch up with the others. She ran as fast as she could and saw them a little way ahead and she caught sight of an elevator lift.

"They must've used this to reach the upper floors! Let's go! They've left the gates open for the lift!" Inazuma shouted.

Ivankov went to the controls and desperately tried to turn the crank but it wouldn't budge. "The mechanisms are lost! it's no use!" he cried out.

Luffy looked inside the elevator, seeing the big chain and thinking that he could probably climb up it and he would get there when suddenly he was jerked away from it by Amethyst and just as soon a huge stone filled with spikes came crashing down.

"LU! You have to look out, they're watching our every move," Amethyst said, indicating to the transponder snail watching them.

They were all frustrated but there was no time, so all four of them bolted for the stairs behind them and for a split second, they thought they were going to make it when a large cage came falling down, blocking the stairs off.

"Hey! They blocked the stairs too!" Luffy shouted.

Amethyst felt something off, she sniffed the air and her eyes widened, she saw Luffy about to attack the cage but she pulled him away. "DON'T! Move away from it, I can smell something" she exclaimed and just at that moment a hissing sound was heard and a cloud of gas started to come through the bars of the cage.

"I knew it, it's sleeping gas, I know you'll say you don't care Lu but if you inhale it, you'll be out cold and we'll waste more time," Amethyst remarked, now pulling Luffy behind her as he tried to barge through it anyway.

"How did you know?" Ivankov asked curiously, he saw something flash in the girl's eyes but then it disappeared just as quickly.

"Experience".


Ace was a mess, both emotionally and physically. He had thick chains around his wrists. He was now out of the elevator, at the start of the corridor that led to the front doors of this godforsaken prison that held his little brother.

Many guards were there, armed and Magellan was also there, looking at a Transponder Snail with great satisfaction and slight boredom. "Hmph," Magellan said as he hung up the Transponder snail and looked over at Ace who was glaring at them all menacingly. "How unfortunate for you," he said, "I've been informed that Straw-Hat arrived on Level 6 no longer after we left."

Ace turned to stare at him, eyes filled with horror.

"Your sister happens to also be accompanying him, she was quite the high-spirited one," Magellan said mockingly.

Ace now gave a look of confusion and anger. "What are you talking about?"

Magellan scoffed "Don't act so oblivious" not believing his confusion at all.

"The Emergency Sleeping Gas was released several minutes ago, Straw-Hat's capture is only a matter of time now, it seems the freezing hell wasn't enough for either of them. Fortunately, your cell is now available and we can inflict our ultimate torture on him down in Level 6 and as for your sister, well I guess we'll just throw her back to her rightful place," Magellan informed calmly as he turned back to the corridor.

Ace ignored the confusion that he was feeling and felt himself becoming oddly calm like all his emotions had snapped and now he was in a state of shock that felt calm. He stood unmovingly and turned to stare long and hard at the elevator lift behind him.

"Luffy..." he said softly.

"Keep walking! Don't stop!" One of the jailers snapped.

Ace slowly turned away from the elevator lift and started walking forward, eyes closed and expression blank. But then suddenly he spun around and kicked out at the guards, knocking them back and bolted for the lift. A guard went to impale him with his trident but Ace dodged it and grabbed one of the forks with his teeth, spinning around to get the guard to let go and then he had it in his hands. He spun it expertly in his hands and began to take on everyone that was there as they ran and tried to subdue him, he was able to stand up to them even if he was shackled and weak. He was still strong.

Magellan then stepped forward, angry and grabbed ahold of the trident, stopping Ace as he tried to pull the weapon free but Magellan wrenched it out of his hands before he flung it elsewhere. Ace looked at him and backed up then whipped around and made a sprint for the elevator lift, ready to fling himself down it to attempt to get to his little brother. Magellan had enough, he was aggravated with the family members and reached forward, roughly pinning Ace down to the ground with nothing but his sheer size and weight to hold him there.

"Stop this futile resistance!" Magellan shouted at him.

Ace had lost control of his emotions then, eyes wild and unrestrained as he saw the lift doors close

"LUFFFFFFFFFYYYYYYYYY!".


"You really could've done that before the moron rushed forward and nearly knocked himself out," Amethyst remarked as she watched Inazuma finish his handy work and manipulate the stone floor by cutting them into sheets to cover up the staircase and keep the gas locked in.

Amethyst finally let go of Luffy who tried to rush forward again, thinking he could still fight through the gas. He started to yell at Inazuma for blocking the staircase and at Amethyst for stopping him.

"Sealing the staircase was the only way to stop the gas. It'd be impossible to rescue him if you're passed out," Inazuma replied.

Luffy went to argue again but Amethyst snapped at him. "LUFFY! if we're going to save Ace, we have no use for you if you're going to be knocked out! You can't do shit if you can't even move! So stop arguing because it's pointless!" she yelled, punching him in the head.

Luffy seemed to silence himself, rubbing his head but still seemed riled up.

"The enemy's plan was simple, but we fell for it. Now we're stuck here in Level 6. In this situation, there's no way for us to escape." Inazuma said calmly.

Ivankov winked at the Transponder Snail, now cutting off their connection. He looked around grimly. He spoke saying that no matter what they did, they wouldn't make it to Ace on time.

Amethyst hands were tightly clenched into fists, she closed her eyes and her eyes to turned red and she clicked to try and teleport but just as she did she felt the wound on her stomach that had almost healed rip open and she gasped, eyes shooting open, red disappearing. She clutched her stomach and tears appeared in her eyes.

"Am! Are you okay?" Luffy questioned worriedly.

She nodded, paying no mind to the stares of worry. Ivankov then started to question Luffy about Ace's Vivre Card and which direction it was pointing.

"He's probably being handed over to the Navy as we speak!" Ivankov informed him as Luffy stared at the piece of paper in his hand. "Right now we need to change our attitude! I will do everything in my power to help you both escape this prison safely. Ace-boy will most certainly be handed over to Marine Headquarters... you'll just have to give up on saving him. In fact..." he didn't finish as Amethyst growled at him.

"Don't you fucking dare even suggest that we not save Ace! I'm going to Marine Headquarters with or without you people," she said.

"I'm going as well," Luffy stated as he curled his hand around the piece of paper.

"What?" Ivankov questioned as if not hearing them properly.

"We're both going to Marineford!" Luffy said loudly, a look of seriousness and untamed determination in his eyes.

Ivankov stared at them before bellowing at them "ARE YOU TWO STUPID!? This is a battle between the world's greatest powers! What can you both do there? Do you even realise Whitebeards true strength!? Do you realise the true strength of the Navy Admirals or the Vice Admirals and Warlords!? Did you both forget that you both almost lost your lives fighting against Magellan? How many lives do you think you both have to spare?!" Ivankov shouted.

"You think we don't know that?!" Amethyst sneered, silencing the man "We're already fucking aware of that!"

"If I give up now, then I'll regret it forever!" Luffy shouted, true force behind his words.

Ivankov took a sharp intake of breath, stepping backwards, away from Luffy. It was as if he was seeing some kind of ghost. She stared at his face and glanced back to the girl and seemed to be convinced that maybe all this could be done after all.

Inazuma stepped in. "Before all that, we can't even escape this floor," he said calmly.

Right then a grisly laugh was heard from a cell behind them. "If you wanna escape from here, then set me free! I can make a hole in the ceiling! What do you say, Straw Hat?"

They all turned and Luffy looked at the cell in confusion but then his eyes widened in realisation as the man stepped forward so that he could see him. His eyes turned angry as he continued to stare at the man, now glaring. "YOU!? You're a prisoner here? Crocodile!?"

Crocodile laughed "Long time no see Straw Hat!"

Amethyst narrowed her eyes at the man, she didn't like him already. "Who the fuck is this guy? Another one of your buddies Lu?"

"No way!" Luffy rejected immediately.

"I'd been thinking even if I were on the outside, there'd be nothing going on the outside, there'd be nothing going on to interest me but now that I hear the Whitebeard Pirates and the Navy are going to war? I'd thought I'd get a chance to take the old man's head! I'm interested in this war. With my powers, we can escape from here. It's not a bad idea, is it? We both have something to gain from it" he said smiling all the way through.

"Get real! You're the one who messed up Vivi's country!" Luffy barked at Crocodile.

"That's all in the past, I, no longer have any interest in that country," Crocodile responded bored.

Luffy seemed to be contemplating it, he didn't know if he should because what's stopping him from attacking them once he got out.

"Luffy... we should release him..." Amethyst said suddenly.

Luffy looked at her shocked "But Am! He said he's going to attack the old man isn't that your father? And he..." he didn't finish as Amethyst cut him off.

"I know Luffy, but he's our best bet out of here and don't mind him, I won't let him touch Pops... over my cold dead body," she scoffed.

"Yes, Straw-Hat-boy, he would make a great ally, if you're going to Marine headquarters then you'll need him more," Ivankov said.

Amethyst watched as Crocodiles smug face dissipated instantly and he glared at Ivankov, growling as he said her name.

"Long time, no see, Croc Boy?" Ivankov said, sounding pleased to see him.

Luffy questioned whether the two knew each other, which Ivankov confirmed and reassured him that he knew how to keep the guy under control because he knew of his weakness and surprisingly Crocodile lost his cool a bit, trying to keep Ivankov from saying too much 'unnecessary' information.

"As long as you're a good boy and help us, then I won't say a word," Ivankov said, smiling smugly and laughing.

"Ha, you're basically his bitch and you think you're worthy enough to take on Pops," Amethyst remarked, earning a glare from Crocodile who cursed them both.

The inmates started yelling for them to be freed as well causing Ivankov to get angry and lash out.

"I beg of you! Please take me with you! I've known Ace ever since he joined the Whitebeard Pirates! He's told me everything about you, his little brother! I'm here because I opposed this war! I want to save Ace! Please let me choose my place of death!" Jimbei shouted suddenly, over the other voices.

Luffy then turned his attention to Jimbei and stared at him again, long and hard and Amethyst was reminded of the day she showed up on his ship, he was analysing him, looking deep into his core to see what type of a person he was.

"Sure," Luffy said finally.

"Hey! Is that really okay? We know nothing of this guys personality or how dangerous he is!" Inazuma exclaimed.

"It's fine, if Luffy thinks it's okay, then it is. Let him out," Amethyst said resolutely.

Jimbei nodded his head and voiced how grateful he was. The other prisoners then started to voice how they would be just as grateful and begged to be let out as well to which Ivankov lashed out and 'Death Wink' attacked them again, sending them flying to the back of their cells. Amethyst quite appreciated his methods.

Inazuma then started to work on Jimbei's lock, getting in successfully and cutting his shackles. He then went and did the same for Crocodile.

Now they had two strong Allies.


They went back to gather the New Kama's as they were called and Bon Clay, Crocodile also getting dressed out of his prison uniform. They went running up a flight of stairs from Level 5.5 along with the now bigger group of people. They went through a door and the first thing they were met with was the shock of cold air as they emerged into Level 5.

Luffy and Amethyst were now waiting impatiently for Ivankov and the last group of New Kama to come up. As they did, Ivankov then gathered everyone's attention and started to explain the plan that he set out. Luffy let out a deeply frustrated cry and grabbed Amethysts wrist running off, no longer bothering to wait, followed closely behind by Jimbei and Crocodile who seemed to agree with the notion.

It didn't take them long to find the right doorways that would lead them up to Level 4 and they were racing up as fast as they could, the trip upwards a lot longer than the trip downwards. Luffy and Amethyst were leading the way up the stairs and Crocodile and Jimbei were hot on their heels, one of them gliding upwards on a small whirlwind of sand.

"It's 10:00 in the morning right now, the execution is at three this afternoon, they're certain to carry out the execution at that exact moment, If Whitebeard intends to stop them, he should attack several hours before then! Ace is already being taken across the sea! The battle could break out at any moment!" Jimbei huffed suddenly.

Luffy who was listening intently then spoke up "But they won't kill him before three right? Then we still have a chance!" he said.

Crocodile grunted in distaste. He was now ahead of the two that were in conversation and now running beside Amethyst who was too focused to care about his close proximity at this point.

Crocodile held out his hand, complaining about the doors, and with a horrible sucking sound, his hand began to suck the moisture out of the door, it started to corrode and disintegrated into sand. It crumbled and broke away so that only metal rings remained. They were back on one of the walkways in Level 4 and felt the surge of heat, a complete contrast to that of the Level below.

Standing in front of them on the walkway, however, was a large group of people waiting for them. Guards and Jailers all armed with weapons, pitchforks and rifles, ready to stop them.

One of the guards started to report to someone about their appearance and the extra people who happened to also appear that weren't with Luffy and Amethyst before.

Crocodile, Jimbei and Luffy started to mumble things of no importance as they didn't feel so threatened as to where they would talk or discuss the fact that there were people blocking their way.

Amethyst was irritated, even if she couldn't teleport as of yet, she could still use her easier, less complex abilities and she was sick of being delayed. Her eyes turned white and she made one flick of the wrist and all the people blocking their way were flung over the sides of the walkway and to their death. She nodded, satisfied as she felt no after effect.

"That was quite something," Jimbei remarked as he looked at the girl in shock.

"Yeah well, just giving Croc over there a tiny demonstration of what he can look forward to," she responded, glaring at Crocodile who turned away, a scowl on his face. he looked and saw a set of keys to which he picked up. More guards started to flood in.

Suddenly they heard loud roars behind them and they looked to see that their own reinforcements had finally arrived. Ivankov, Inazuma, Bon Clay and the New Kamas charging forward, each one of them armed and all dressed to kill.

"We finally made it!" Ivankov shouted happily.

"Straw Hat!" Bon Clay shouted energetically as he spun around so fast that he looked like a complete blur.

"Bon Clay!? You've got an adrenaline boost too, huh?" Luffy yelled.

"It's UNSTOPPABLE!" Bon Clay cheered as he twirled around happily and just then Crocodile reappeared from wherever he had unnoticeably disappeared to but this time with another prisoner, he was tall and muscular with long and lean limbs, his hair shaved off and a giant scar on his right eye.

"WAAAAH! WHY ARE YOU HERE MR.1!?" Bon Clay cried, leaping forward.

"Bon, who's that?" Amethyst questioned, Luffy also feeling the same.

"He's the guy who was beaten by that waistband guy back in Alabasta!" Bon Clay replied, a smile on his face that almost looked malevolent.

Luffy just nodded taking it as someone he doesn't know.

"I'm not attacking anymore," Amethyst said suddenly, gaining the attention of a few people. "I have a feeling we're going to run into the Warden at some point and I want to greet him properly this time," she said, smiling sinisterly.

Luffy nodded, agreeing with the statement. The other people who heard it and saw the look on her face felt unnerved.

As they kept running, Crocodile stormed ahead, drying up anything in his path as Inazuma and Mr.1 stood back to back, slicing whatever tried to get close to them, Jimbei was taking out more with his Fishman Karate right behind them, smashing them back with powerful shockwaves, Bon Clay was spinning like a ballerina, kicking everyone near him in graceful arcs.

Luffy and Amethyst were in front, leading the charge, Luffy shouting, "Let's go! To Marine Headquarters!"

The New Kamas continued to go on their rampage, stealing keys from guards and throwing them to prisoners still in their cells, telling them to join them and increase their numbers. The whole place was soon filled with the sounds of cell doors opening and chains hitting the ground as their numbers were steadily growing larger and larger.

But that was all interrupted by some unwelcome guests, a bunch of Blugori lead by some small man who was playing a pitchfork like a flute and ordering the Blugori to attack them.

"Go get that freak with the Big Head, Blugori!" a guard shouted, pointing at Ivankov.

Ivankov looked highly insulted. "Giant Head!? Don't be ridiculous, my head isn't giant! It's just my face growth synthesis!" Ivankov said, due to his large head size that he increased with his hormone abilities, he was able to look down and have a large wink at them, sending the apes flying backwards at once, even taking out a number of jailers.

"Amethyst! Straw-Hat-boy! You both can't linger here! Leave this to us and go on ahead! Keep moving up! Hurry and go!" Ivankov called to Luffy and Amethyst.

"Got it!" Luffy shouted as he knocked out some random guard before running forward with Amethyst right beside him "Thanks, Iva!"

They both continued to make their way across the bridge, Amethyst watched as Luffy went nuts, taking out at least a hundred guys at once, though it may be a biased opinion coming from her. They were both desperate to get off this floor, Amethyst was grateful that Luffy was taking on all of them without complaint as she ran beside him. They were halfway across the bridge and thought that there should be little interference from now on when several creatures came bursting out of nowhere. They looked quite peculiar, there was a giant blue rhino carrying two spiked maces, a giant yellow koala with spiked knuckles around its wrists and a zebra with purple hair and carrying a spiked mace with a long shaft. There was also a woman standing with them, she was slender with long blonde hair and very revealing clothing that left little to the imagination.

"Great, more idiots and why do they look so stupid?" Amethyst questioned, irritated.

Jimbei came then and told them that he would carve a path through, confessing that he also wasn't great at fighting on land.

Amethyst scoffed "Could've fooled me, you're strong and you fight well too, I'd say you're good on both land and water but just one more so than the other," she said confidently.

Luffy agreed, voicing how he thought he was strong as well.

The lady seemed to be ordering the creatures to attack, to which they did, running and actually pummeling New Kamas and freed prisoners like it was nothing.

They started to get closer and Luffy, Jimbei and Crocodile all attacked and Amethyst was left impressed as each attack hit one of the creatures and sent them flying back, each one out cold before they hit the ground.

The woman ordering them screamed in dismay at seeing her little followers pummeled so easily. The jailers and guards that were left seemed to realise finally that they had no chance of beating them and backed away now losing the will to fight.

The woman was now enraged screaming nonsense as she brought out a whip and started to whip parts of the bridge, making it crumble when it made contact.

Luffy went to attack but Amethyst knew it would take too long so she made a simple flick of the wrist and the girl was sent behind them to Ivankov who she knew could deal with the woman. "Luffy! Amethyst! Quickly! The staircase is nearby! follow me, I'll show you both the way!" Inazuma called suddenly.

They both nodded and followed him, they were finally going to leave this wretched floor.

"This is the Fortress of Hell! No one... SHALL ESCAPE THIS PLACE ALIVE!"

They all looked towards the doors that had now flung open and saw the Vice-Warden standing there, not looking much different, but Amethyst sensed something inside him had changed.

Hannyabal shouted about how he was going to end their lives and that there was nowhere to escape, he had a halberd in his hand and had started to swing it at Luffy who seemed to easily dodge it but one single misstep and he would be cut down.

Amethyst could tell that Hannyabal knew he had no chance and was merely trying to stall for time and she was about to step in when Luffy changed into second gear and pounded Hannyabal into the ground with his jet-Gatling until he was left black and blue. But Hannyabal still managed to push himself up and grab a hold of Luffy's leg when he was walking by.

Hannyabal wouldn't give up even as he was pounded and pummelled, even as the guards and jailers started begging him to stop and Amethyst started to admire his persistence. Luffy kept pounding on him but he wouldn't give and he wouldn't stay down.

"Would you move?! I need to save Ace!" Luffy shouted, trying to get free.

"You mean to save your brother...?" he asked Luffy with disgust in his voice "You can't save that piece of trash!"

He started to rant on about how pirates committed countless crimes and why the government was superior and pirates ended up here, with every word the air seemed to grow thicker with fury and before he could continue Amethyst had enough with his persistence and there was a resounding crack heard throughout the room as she flicked her wrist and shattered Hannyabals entire arm and then another as she cracked his neck, but not killing him, leaving herself slightly breathless but not at all fazed by the use.

She was furious, angry tears gathering in her eyes as she spoke and looked down at the Vice-Warden, "As someone who has been forced to experience the 'Justice' of the World Government in all its filth, I want to kill you right now," she hissed, everyone there could practically feel anger rolling off of her in waves. "But as I have also experienced happiness, I choose to show you mercy by sparing your naive life. It is true that some if not most pirates these days are as you say but there are good ones just as there are good people and bad people. Ace is one of those good ones."

Luffy agreed "Ace is important to me so just get lost!" he shouted.

Suddenly a darkness filled the room and everyone looked to see the cause of it and through the fog, they were able to see a figure standing there a large outline of a man. He walked forward a tad before mercilessly kicking the Vice-Warden in the head. Amethyst glancing beforehand and saw who it was. Teach. And he hadn't noticed her, she clicked her fingers and turned invisible, moving out of sight and dropping the ability so she didn't use too much energy that she had already.

Teach scanned over the group in front of him with an amused and delighted expression. "Well, what an impressive group. Looks like we came during a pretty big incident, Luck for us."

"Teach, what are you doing here?!" Jimbei demanded, his hand curling up into a tight fist as he glared up at him and the rest of his crew that came sauntering down the stairs behind him. "Or, should call I you Blackbeard now?"

As he said the name Luffy's eyes widened in shock at who this guy was. Amethyst had told him the name of the person responsible for taking in Ace and also recognised the name Teach as he remembered her telling him about who was responsible for framing her and now he knew exactly who it was as he stood in front of him.

"Blackbeard!? So... you're Blackbeard?!" he barked, marching forward, fury shining in his eyes as he stared up at the man that was twice his size.

"Straw Hat Luffy. I was sure surprised when I found out you were Commander Ace's little brother. Shouldn't you be there? You know they're going to start it soon. Your brother's execution that is!" Blackbeard remarked, laughing.

Amethyst felt her blood boiling as she realised that he was Blackbeard and he continued to speak, talking about needless things like Luffy taking down Crocodile and his aim to become a warlord and how he framed her for his attempted murder of Thatch but then she felt her heart stop as he continued to talk, his crew also butting in, the speech now taking a turn.

"He was already coming after us because of what I did to Thatch and Amethyst, so when he found out we were planning to kill his little brother, he just had to fight us himself," Blackbeard said laughing as he did so.

Amethyst felt something shift in her chest as he continued.

"You should be thankful for Ace's interference," Blackbeard admitted as he said slowly, staring Luffy dead in the eyes as he finally said, "If he hadn't interfered, the one dying today would be you, Straw-hat!"

Amethyst tore her eyes away from Blackbeard and glanced at the boy in front of him and the look on Luffy's face... the grief, the shock, the horror and... guilt. It was all too much for her to stay in control and she snapped. Eyes turning crimson as she snarled and made her presence known.

"Hey Teach, you miss me?" she sneered making Blackbeard and his crew turn to the voice. Blackbeard's eyes widened and she saw fear flash in them and grinned malevolently.

She made a hand gesture and they were all in the air, choking on an invisible force. "The only people at fault here is you and the fucking government, I should've killed you when I had the chance"

Everyone watched in horror as the girl was now holding the six men in the air by some invisible force, she looked terrifyingly enraged, her eyes blood red, rivalling the boiling blood just below them and they all found out quickly and came to understand the very reason why she had earned her name.

The men in the air started to convulse, scratching at their necks trying desperately to get oxygen into their throats that were now being cut off.

"We aren't letting Ace die!" she spat venomously, she was seething with rage. "So you can take your petty words and shove it up your ass"

"Amethyst-san! Stop!" Jimbei yelled suddenly "This isn't the time! You must endure it! What is most important here?! We cannot afford to waste time on him even if you are able to defeat him!"

She didn't relent, she felt so much rage, someone like him could betray his own family, she never had a family before the Whitebeard Pirates and this bastard has the audacity to treat them as if they were no better than dirt, she couldn't fathom someone so despicable. She was blinded by so much fury.

Luffy watched in shock and horror as he started to see her start to change, different than what he's seen before now and knew he had to stop her before she went too far. He ran up to her and grabbed her out stretched arm. "Am! Stop! We have to get to Ace! Let's go!"

She felt herself calm almost instantly as his hand grabbed a hold of her arm, his frantic voice reaching her ears and her eyes started turning back to normal, red disappearing and she dropped the men to the floor, all of them now unconscious but not dead. She felt blood dripping from her hairline but didn't feel too bad and looked to Luffy. "Sorry Lu," she said softly.

Crocodile started to talk out loud to himself, he was full of curiosity as to why Blackbeard was there at this time especially, it was all very bizarre.

That was when they heard someone cry out, "Magellan is almost here!"

"This is not good," Iva said and he called out to the two siblings "Hurry up and get going! If Straw-hat-boy is hit by any more poison then I won't be able to save you a second time!"

New Kama's and prisoners started to run up the stairs hearing Magellan's name. Luffy and Amethyst lingered a few seconds longer, staring at Blackbeard, giving him identical glares of hatred.

"We're definitely going to save Ace!" Luffy yelled and through sheer will power, they both walked right passed them, though they both wanted to go back there and finish them off, unconscious or not.

Jimbei ran forward and Amethyst and Luffy followed behind, Amethyst still felt enraged that he put all the blame on Luffy and the fact that he was the one to take Ace in, she looked to Luffy and saw that he seemed ready to bite off the head of the next poor fool to bother him. She grabbed his hand and his head turned to look at her and she smiled reassuringly, he smiled back, both of them having identical looks of determination and trust in one another and themselves.

They headed towards the stairs again and a Minotaurus came down and blocked their path, Amethyst let go of Luffy's hand and gestured to the creature. He looked at it, eyes still filled with anger. He started to march forward, face twisted in rage.

People started to protest to what he was going to do but Jimbei held them back, agreeing with where Amethyst was going with encouraging Luffy to fight it.

"Move," Luffy said. His tone wasn't angry but it was a clear warning that whatever was blocking his way needed to heed his warning or else things weren't going to turn out very well for them. The Minotaurus looked down at Luffy and paid no mind to his warning and lifted his club and slammed it right over Luffy's head. Luffy stood his ground as he shook angrily, his eyes burning hotter than ever as he shifted into second gear and slammed his fist right into the Minotaurus' gut and it was sent flying right through the doorway and crashed into a wall, out cold as it stuck into it.

Amethyst stared at Luffy who was shaking violently "ACE!" he screamed out.

The pathway was now cleared enough for everyone to move forward again and Amethyst grabbed Luffy by the arm as he panted and they all started bolting up the stairs after cheering about their freedom. She kept her eyes on Luffy, he looked a little calmer after venting some frustration and she was glad, even though she still felt her own anger bubbling.

"STRAAAAAAW HAAAAAAAT! DEEEEEVIILLL EEYYYYYYYYESSS!" roared a voice directly below them and Amethyst felt herself peak in excitement and aggravation, thinking that this was her chance to vent but kept running, she didn't want to face him unless there was a need to but if they could still break out without having to confront him, then she would rather that.

She heard some people screeching in fear.

"I WILL NEVER LET EITHER OF YOU GET AWAY!" Magellan's voice rang out again.

Luffy looked back, his eyes widening as he realised who it was. They felt the entire place start to shake. They kept running Up and Up, with the sound of Hydra's right on their tails and then finally they burst through the doors of Level 3, now racing across the sand-covered floor to find the stairs but as they did, the Hydra had finally caught up with them, taking out some prisoners that were trailing behind.

Luffy turned and looked on in horror as he saw more and more prisoners getting caught by the Hydra and more appearing but Bon Clay snapped him out of it. "Straw Hat! Don't look back! Just keep running!" he cried prancing alongside him.

And so they ran and ran as hard and fast as they could, reaching the stairs in a surprisingly short amount of time. Inazuma and Ivankov both stopped at the foot of the stairs, calling everyone over. Everyone bolted up the steps and right past them as they began the long ascend to Level 2.

Amethyst realised that the Hydra should've caught up by now but wasn't, she felt something weird in the pit of her stomach but ignored it and kept running.

After an agonisingly long run up the stairs they finally managed to reach Level 2, now they had to get through all the accursed beasts and all that would be left was Level 1. As they kept running through corridors and up more stairs they noticed how it was seemingly empty, hardly anyone there, guards or prisoners. An echoing bashing noise was heard from behind and Manticores came rushing out attacking whoever was closest. Amethyst dodging them and Luffy kicking away as many as he could. More beasts started to appear and things were starting to get more desperate and as their newly made allies started dropping rapidly.

Luffy then looked behind them, "That's weird, the poison guy was right behind us a second ago," he panted hard.

Bon Clay who was also there, taking out animals here and there then answered, "Inazuma and Iva stopped him at the stairway!" he shouted.

Luffy stared at him and cried out "They're fighting the poison guy now?! Let's go back!"

Bon Clay turned to him and yelled, "Don't you dare! If they're fighting, then that means that it's all the more important for us to keep going forward! We have to believe in the power of the Miracle Worker!"

Luffy looked angrily back at Bon Clay but he knew that he was right as much as it pains him, he had considered them his friends and now he was going to leave them behind, even if it wasn't permanent.

"There are battleships stationed all around the prison outside! If we are able to hijack one then we should still have time to reach Marineford before Ace is executed!" Jimbei told them, now running beside the two siblings. Luffy and Amethyst nodding at him.

"The moron is just going to have to wait for us then," Amethyst spoke, making Luffy nod in agreement. Up and up they ran, much like the previous set of staircases passing all the blood-soaked forest scenery and ascending, it took several long minutes but they finally reached Level 1, hope and happiness blossoming in their chests but then they saw that the guards that they were sure were waiting for them were already knocked out.

They ran and burst through to Level 1 and were met with quite a surprising sight, the whole place was filled with escaped prisoners with Buggy and Mr.3 standing there, their path blocked but the same guards from before. Luffy and Jimbei ran passed everyone and straight for the Demon guards and took out all four easily.

Amethyst who was watching from the sidelines heard a voice screech out and turned to see Buggy and Mr.3 on the floor staring up in terror at Crocodile who hadn't even noticed them, she walked over and smirked.

"Huh?" Crocodile said, looking down at Mr.3 like he was dirt beneath his feet, "Oh, so it's you, Mr.3. What's a worthless piece of trash like you doing here?"

Amethyst interrupted. "Well, if it's my two least favourite people, how's life going? This where you both ended up after ditching me, Bon and Lu back there?"

The two on the floor looked to the girl and scream in shock, she smiled and nudged her head towards Luffy and Jimbei and the two then looked and spotted Luffy, screaming in shock again.

"You think we were dead?" she asked, voice sickeningly sweet.

Luffy seemed to notice the screams and turned his head, seeing the two on the floor and smiled when he spotted them "What a relief! So you guys are alright?!"

"MY HEART!" Buggy cried out as if he had been stabbed.

"IT HURTS SO MUCH!" Mr.3 shouted as they began to cry.

Amethyst scoffed and made a small hand gesture and they fell backwards... hard, hitting their heads against the floor. She grinned and started to walk towards Luffy.

"AM! What did you just do!?" Luffy said his voice had a tinge of anger in it.

She looked innocently at him, looking around like she hadn't done anything and shrugged. "What? I didn't do anything," she said, grinning at him.

Bon Clay seemed to catch on as well and turned angrily towards the two now rubbing their heads and kicked them over and over again, shouting how they could leave them back there.

The prisoners were arguing and Amethyst was getting a headache from them all, wanting so desperately to just throw them in the ocean and play a game of who sinks and who swims.

"HYDRA!" a voice boomed and they all turned to see three Hydra heads bursting through the doorway, Magellan slowly walking up to face them all. He looked beyond mad he was furious. Stone cold rage on his face. His eyes then landed on Luffy and Luffy only.

"Not that I'm not done with the perverted boss, my new priority is you!" he growled dangerously.

Amethyst snapped her head towards Luffy and saw him seething with rage, hands clenched and eyes wide as he mouthed the names of Inazuma and Ivankov and she stood in front of him. "Don't go kill them off so easily, they're strong. Don't listen to him, I told you, I'm fighting him," she said seriously, looking him dead in the eyes. But she could see that he may not listen to her so she looked at Bon Clay and he understood, now holding Luffy back before he did something stupid.

Bon Clay was holding him back trying to talk some sense into him but Luffy struggled against him and wouldn't listen to reason.

Jimbei started shouting suddenly, saying that things have gotten worse and they needed to hurry to the next floor, the way he warned and shouted was desperate and serious and although it took a while Luffy actually listened and they all started to run.

Magellan suddenly sent one of his Hydra heads shooting straight for Luffy's back but Amethyst stopped it. She glared at the man "Don't think just because you beat me before you can do it again, I'm not as injured as I was before, That poison-induced sleep really helped me build my strength. Thanks," she said mockingly, her body was starting to repair itself a whole lot faster, she guessed she could thank the whole trial and error of this damn prison for that, she noticed Luffy had also gained a relative amount of strength as well or maybe they were just feeding on their own determination.

Magellan looked angered even more so as she mocked him. Sending two more Hydra heads at her to which she easily stopped. "Oops sorry, A, for effort though," she said and turned to Luffy and Jimbei who were standing there, still not running like the others and shouted at them, "Jimbei! you said you were going to steal a ship right? I'll play with this guy while you do that. Luffy you go too! They'll need your help, that clown idiot is going to lead them to their deaths otherwise!"

Jimbei didn't seem to hesitate, he had witnessed her power enough to know she was capable of holding her own and it would be hard to steal a ship with him on their heels. He nodded in understanding then turned and ran up to the entrance.

Luffy stared at her longer "LU! Inazuma and Ivankov are alive! They'll need you up there waiting for them! Now go! I'll be fine!" she shouted, seeing his hesitation.

He nodded, having full trust in her and ran after Jimbei, the remaining people then running up as well.

"Oh, are you talking about Ivankov? I executed him, of course," Magellan said.

Amethyst scoffed, still holding the Hydra heads back. "Like you executed Luffy and me? That's cute," she said.

Amethyst made a hand gesture, eyes turning white and Magellan was lying on the floor as if he were stuck there like glue, unable to move a muscle. She whistled and laughed, taunting him. "Laying around on the job Warden? Now, maybe that Vice-Warden should become Warden, then again, he does have a shattered arm and I did break his neck, so maybe after he heals?"

She could see the anger building in his eyes and she relished in it, she then remembered hearing Luffy's screams and moved a finger, a loud crack resounding through the area, "There goes your left leg" Movement. Crack. "There goes your other leg" Movement. Crunch. "Ooh, I did both arms with that one" Ten years of his life. Movement. Crunch. "You know the spine is quite a useless thing, don't you think? Well, at least for you. I'm glad I got rid of that for you" The words of Him, Blackbeard and Hannyabal. Movement. Pop. "There goes your jaw, now you can't spout any more of your bullshit"

She then looked at him as she had her eyes trailing elsewhere and saw him bleeding quite a bit, seeing jagged dents in his clothes, indicating bones that she had forced to break and rip through the skin. She looked into his eyes and saw he was still conscious but they were now shrouded with pain, his mouth hanging open unnaturally and then she gave one more flick of her wrist and his neck cracked, his eyes falling closed. She didn't know if he was dead and she didn't care.

She stopped and remembered something the guards in Level 4 that he had killed shouted when they were covered in poison and she hunched towards the Warden, raiding his pockets and taking something she was sure was what she was looking for and turned around quickly, running up the stairs, feeling her head pounding from the use of her ability but nothing she couldn't handle at this point in time. She recognised where she was as she got to the final hallway and she could still hear voices, meaning they still hadn't found a way to escape yet.

She ran and ran and finally turned around the last corner and saw Luffy, Bon Clay and the rest of the people there, excluding Jimbei and Crocodile. Even Ivankov was there, not in the best of conditions though, nose bleeding and mouth dripping with blood, Inazuma was in his arm, coated in a layer of poison.

She ran to Luffy and he looked to her, relief flooding in his eyes and she winked at him, "What's happening?"

"Jimbei stole a ship but said they're too far away and we have to jump into the sea," he said nervously.

Amethyst nodded, getting over her initial shock and looked at all of them "Well, what are you idiots waiting for? Fucking jump,"

They all started shouting at her and she rolled her eyes she looked around and suddenly noticed something, cursing under her breath she looked at Luffy and smiled. He looked at her, smiling back though he wasn't sure why and then she flicked her wrist and sent them all into the ocean.

She grinned watching as they all went flying towards the sea, near it but instead of sinking like most of them expected, they landed on something rubbery and firm. She watched as Luffy laughed happily as they all noticed what they landed on. They landed on sharks, smiling sharks to be exact, he was staring at them in amazement.

'Lu, I'll be back I promise'

Luffy jerked at the voice and looked around, quickly realising that he couldn't see Amethyst, he snapped his head towards the entrance of the prison and saw her still standing there. "AM!"

Amethyst smiled at him and then disappeared from sight.

Amethyst closed her eyes, hoping it would work, and she tried to sense the person she was looking for and surprisingly she could. She ran and ran down a hallway and took a sharp turn, bursting through a door. And almost gasped at seeing Magellan but calmed down as she realised who it actually was.

"Well, you shouldn't be here, you thought you could slip away and make another sacrifice? Nope," Amethyst said and 'Magellan' and the guard who was there, turned to her and she grinned.

"Come on Bon, you think I wouldn't notice? Very noble and I like you even more now but you know I can open the gates myself," she informed.

BonGellan looked at her in shock and tears gathered in his eyes and he turned back to normal.

She grabbed his hand and they ran to the entrance of the prison and she hoped to whatever God there might be that she had just enough energy to make it the distance, she closed her eyes, turning them red and gripped Bon Clay's hand even tighter then clicked her fingers and as she did, she felt the wind get knocked out of her, her eyes shot open and she saw Luffy and felt relief flood through her as she turned and saw Bon Clay as well, it worked.

She put her hand up suddenly. "Lu, I swear if you jump me I will punch you so hard," she warned half-heartedly. Luffy stopped his movements and pouted but she grinned and lay flat on the deck, looking up at the sky, breathing heavily, deciding to just rest there for the time being. She then remembered something as she heard Ivankov shouting for people to get medical supplies.

"Iva!" She called out, getting his attention, she gave Luffy the bottle in her hand and told him to give it to Ivankov. "I got it off Magellan, I'm sure it's the antidote. I don't know the extent of what you both went through but I hope it can be of use," she said and Ivankov thanked her.

Suddenly cannon balls started to fly at them, one of them causing Buggy to fall apart into pieces and hit the deck. An entire fleet was after them and they were all full of cannons. Jimbei was at the wheel and expertly steered out of the way of most of them but not all of them.

She noticed that Jimbei and Crocodile looked at Bon Clay surprised and knew that they also had known about the sacrifice but she knew better than to get angry, there was no time and they truly believed that, that was the only option.

Amethyst glanced and saw the gates.

"This is bad! These gates will never will never open for us!" Mr.3 started to scream in despair.

Buggy then ran over to Jimbei and grabbed his Kimono, shaking him hard, though not actually budging the Fishman. "What are we going to do, you damn shark!?"

"OI! Moronic Duo, why don't you shut up and just wait patiently or make yourself useful as you can see we are being attacked," Amethyst snapped causing both people to shut up. Luffy started to shout at everyone to protect the ship in the meanwhile and they all began running around, trying to do what they could to protect it. The prisoners and New Kama's ran around doing everything they could to get the cannons working and loading them up to fire back, though most of them missed by miles but thankfully some had hit their target and were continuing to bombard them.

They got closer and closer to the gate until they finally reached it.

Amethyst quickly went into action and turned her eyes red, sticking both hands out and making quick hand gestures, a loud creaking sound, emitting through the air from the gates as they started to force open, a crack of light peering through as it opened up.

People started to cheer and she felt her self smile as she let her ability drop knowing that the were open enough to slip through.

"You okay, Bon?" She questioned as she saw he was still in tears.

"I... thank you for coming back for me!" he cried in gratitude.

She smiled at him and shook her head, turning her attention back to the sky, watching as the clouds moved and despite the dreadful day that was still ongoing, the sky stayed beautiful as if in a blissful state of obliviousness to what they had in store for them. "No worries," she said simply and smiled at Luffy who seemed confused at the exchange.

And then she turned again, eyes glowing red and the gates started to close behind them.

They had escaped.