... In case nobody has noticed, I'm on a bit of a 'free-Ace' kick lately. If anybody has a problem with that, tough! I happen to have been very angry when Ace died.
On with it!
Strawhat Luffy had a reputation for being loud, obnoxious, and having a lack of tact or understanding of when to be quiet and sneaky. That was on top of his reputation of being freakishly strong for his age and appearance.
However, what none of them realized (or even knew for that matter) was that Luffy grew up in one of the most dangerous jungles in the world, relying on the oversized and aggressive animals who lived there for his food. He was a hunter. He was used to sneaking up on his prey, used to being able to ghost through jungle undergrowth without disturbing a single leaf or causing a single branch to rustle and make noise. And when he didn't have the animals to contend with, it was the bandits that called that jungle home as well, who occasionally tried to turn the tables and hunt him after some offense.
What they didn't realize, was how when he wasn't running, playing, and hunting in the jungle, he was in town, pick-pocketing Nobles who loved their money more than anything, and actively avoided coming within twenty feet of those they deemed 'undesirable'. He knew how to get close to somebody without them ever knowing he was there.
And so, it might surprise some to learn just how easy it was to sneak in and rescue his brother.
"That Strawhat brat is coming here, huh?" Crocodile asked, smirking. "He won't get far, he's too loud, he'll have the whole prison after him in minutes." He dismissed.
In the cell across from him, Ace smirked. "You underestimate him." He said mildly. "Luffy's a hunter. We would have starved years ago if he didn't know how to move silently, and quickly. He'll make it down here, and the Marines will have no idea what hit them." He leaned back against the wall as best as he could considering the angle his arms were chained at. He was seated cross-legged on the cold stone while his arms were outstretched, hands above his head. A chain ran across his torso, keeping him against the wall and unable to move around enough to stretch his legs out, and too much movement put too much strain on his shoulders anyway. That angle kept him from resting completely against the wall, despite the chain across his torso holding him in place.
"Pfft. Yeah right." Crocodile scoffed. "As if that loud-mouthed little brat could ever be quiet." He rolled his eyes.
Ace chuckled lowly. "You have no idea just who my baby brother is, or what he's capable of." His chuckles sent shivers down everyone's spines, hardened criminals that they all were (according to the Government, anyway). "He'll be here soon." He promised.
Luffy sighed quietly in annoyance. He was tempted to free one of the other prisoners, he'd seen a couple of familiar faces that he could count on not to immediately kill him, to show him how to get to the lower levels, but he wouldn't be able to move around as easily anymore afterwards.
He was currently perched in the rafters on the second floor, the only safe place to stand without getting poked through with the really, really sharp blades and such that made up every surface on the floor and half-way up the walls. It hadn't taken him long to find a blind-spot in the security snails, and he was now trying to figure out how to find the stairs, or something to get further down.
He was debating this while locating the snails and figuring out the best route between them, finally deciding that swinging across the beams in Second Gear would be his best bet. There were very few blind spots that he could see, and no path that he could see between those blind spots. With a small growl, he got into position and started steaming as his skin turned red and he shot off. By the time he found the stairs, he was panting lightly, but he had a way to get further down.
Before he moved any further, he carefully studied the area, easily picking out the snails in the area, two of which were pointed at the stairway. As far as he could tell, the only blindspot there was just inside the stairwell, if he could get to it without being seen, but he had no idea if there were any on the stairway itself. If there were any between the first and second floors, he had no idea because he'd found that giant hole in the floor and simply swung to the rafters without ever touching the ground. He'd smelled the blood that clung to the air, though, and saw the way the prisoners feet and hands were sliced to ribbons while they limped through the 'trees' and red 'grass'.
He'd quickly decided he didn't want anything to do with that.
Sometimes having sharp, hunters eyes was very handy.
Finally, after taking a moment to catch his breath and rest, he shot down the staircase, and wasted no time in finding another blindspot, not that it would matter he didn't think. No snail would ever be able to survive in this heat!
With a grimace, he let Second Gear go, not wanting to overdo it or overheat. (There was a good reason he turned red and started steaming, after all).
He hissed in a breath and hurried to hide when he saw Marines coming, one minute he wasn't there, the next, he was on top of the doorway with seconds to spare. He shamelessly listened in on their conversation as they passed beneath him. Hmm... six levels, huh? Oh! The kitchens were on the next level! Maybe he should make a detour... *drool*.
No. Focus.
Ace first.
As soon as they were gone, he was walking through the sand, trying to find the next stairway.
And if he swiped a key-ring from one of them in the process? Well, nobody would ever know but him.
"How can you be so sure that this Luffy is even coming?" One of the other prisoners called, curious despite himself.
Ace smiled slightly. "He's my brother. We don't leave each other behind." He left out that Hancock told him. He didn't want one of these prisoners to mention something to a guard, no matter how slim the chances were of the guards believing them. After all, it wasn't like they had anything else to do, once you came down here you technically no longer existed. Trying to stir up trouble for somebody on the outside, even if they never came to know the outcome would be the most fun any of them would have had in years.
"Ha! Those Marine goons don't throw you down here without some sort of reason, Whitebeard Commander. He's not coming." A bitter voice came from further down the cell block.
"You know nothing about us. He'll be here. He's probably already in the prison." Ace said again. He didn't want Luffy anywhere near this place, didn't want him seeing the horrors of this prison. But he also knew his baby brother. He would have found a way into the prison no matter what the moment he read about Ace's execution, no matter what Ace had to say about the matter.
"Ha! I've heard that before." Another bitter voice rang out. Ace merely rolled his eyes and grinned at Jimbei.
He didn't care what they had to say, Luffy was going to get him out of here.
And then he was going to bash the idiots head in for being stupid enough to come get him.
Luffy was shocked. He hadn't expected to find the ballerina guy down here. He thought he died back in Alabasta! Hopefully he wouldn't get them caught.
"Your brother?" Bentham asked, twirling happily at finding a friend down here.
"Yup. I'm here to bust him out." Luffy said simply while they walked (Bentham spun on his toes).
"Oh, so beautiful! The love between two brothers!" Bentham cried, annoying Luffy with all the noise he was making.
"Quiet! Do you want to get us caught?" Luffy hissed, looking around to make sure they were alone. Luckily, the lack of real hallways or anything made it difficult for anybody to be hanging out around a corner or something, although they could still be standing around behind one of the prison cells that were dotted around the floor. Although, according to Bentham, the guards didn't linger on this or the floor below if they didn't have to, due to the extreme heat, which meant he didn't have to deal with dodging patrols, just keeping an eye out for the occasional guard wandering through.
Bentham froze. "Apologies, Luffy." He said normally, he even stopped spinning, taking the situation as seriously as he should be.
"So... what happened in Alabasta, anyway?" Luffy asked after a moment, looking around again. He didn't see any snails on the ceiling, or the walls that were visible... it was too hot for them. If he was any less focused on his goal, he himself would have a hard time moving from the heat. As they walked, Bentham told him all about how he got captured. "I'm glad you survived." Luffy said honestly.
"I am, too." Bentham smirked. "And now I have the chance to find my idol!" He started to spin and yell again, but remembered and stopped himself at the last moment.
"Who?" Luffy asked, curious.
"The great Ivankov! The Okama Queen! I've heard rumors that he was here, but nobody can tell me what level, or even what happened to him. But, there are more rumors of prisoners just disappearing. Nobody knows what happened, not even the guards know what happened with them, they just disappeared from their cells." He shrugged.
"Hmm... interesting." Luffy muttered, not actually interested in the mystery at the moment, preferring to think instead about finding Ace. As long as the mysterious prisoners didn't interfere, he didn't care. "Ah-ha!" He exclaimed happily when he finally saw the door, and stairs going downward behind it. Immediately, he ran over, carefully checking for snails along the walls, although it seemed even hotter over here, if that was even possible!
"The Fourth Level is said to be built over a giant pit filled with boiling blood, supplied by all the prisoners from over the years. How true that is, I don't know, and don't want to know." Bentham said bluntly. "But, part of the reason it's so hot on this level, is because of Level Four. It's going to be even hotter down there." He informed Luffy. "Level Five, on the other hand, is said to be a frozen wasteland. I don't know anything about Level Six, I didn't even think it actually existed." He admitted.
"I wonder if we can find coats or something before going further to Level Five." Luffy muttered, knowing that he could handle the cold for a bit, due to his rubber body (Chopper tried to explain it once, but it was such a mystery!), but even he couldn't handle it for too long, and he had no idea how much longer it would take him to find the next set of stairs once they reached that point.
"I overheard a guard saying the kitchens were on the next floor down." He said casually, walking into the stairwell, still watching for snails.
"They are... but they're sure to be guarded!" Bentham exclaimed. "They might also notice food missing, and who knows how many cooks are in there preparing the next... meal." He said that with a grimace, knowing that what they considered acceptable food for the prisoners was not actually very... edible. It was disgusting gruel with lumps of half-cooked seaking meat that he wouldn't feed to his dog... if he had a dog. He'd seen what the guards ate, and their meals were more in line with what he'd seen King Cobra eating.
"I just won't be seen." Luffy said offhand, as they came to the bottom of the staircase and hid just inside the doorway, peaking out. He frowned. Level Four was much more active than the third one, even though it was so much hotter down here. Prisoners were being led here and there by guards, and other guards patrolled the bridges that spanned across the giant pit of boiling liquid. He scrunched his nose up, thinking that there might be some truth to that rumor Bentham mentioned, about just what was in that pit, it certainly smelled like it could be blood.
Then again, most of this prison smelled of blood.
Bentham suddenly sucked in a breath and jerked Luffy backwards, pointing up. Getting the hint, Luffy quickly shot them on top of the ledge over the doorway, just as he had before entering Level Three. Just in time, too, because a big man wearing a very strange outfit, with devil horns, wings, and a tail, walked by underneath them, heading up the stairs. Putting his mouth against Luffy's ear, he breathed. "That's the prison warden, he ate a Devil-fruit and controls poison, we do not want to be caught by him, we won't survive." Nodding slowly that he understood, Luffy waited five minutes, long enough to be sure he was upstairs, before poking his head back down and dropping them both back down to the ground.
Once again, he looked around for snails, but didn't see any, so they edged out of their hiding spot, and he quickly shot them up into the rafters, where they wouldn't be seen.
"How is security supposed to do their jobs when three floors in this place are either too hot, or too cold for the Snails to survive?" He muttered, bewildered by that.
"Well... on Level Three, it's so hot that the prisoners just don't have the energy to do anything but sit there. Down here, most of these prisoners are actually put to work, so there is an actual guard presence, and the fifth one is so cold, that, again, all the prisoners can do is sit around and try to stay warm. The only floors they're really worried about keeping an eye on are levels one and six. Level one, obviously is so close to the entrance, they need to keep an eye on everybody coming and going. Level six, is where the most dangerous prisoners are held, the ones the government has pretty much erased from history, they're so bad. So... they gotta keep an eye on them, so that they know if any of them try to escape, because if they tried, they could probably manage it." That was according to rumors among the prisoners that he hadn't quite believed until Luffy confirmed Level Six's existence by saying he'd overheard a guard talking about it.
"Hmm." Luffy hummed. "Kitchen is that way. Stay here, I'll be back with food." He instructed, pointing out where he could smell cooking.
Mentally, Ace tried to figure out how long it had been since Boa Hancock came to see him, and inform him that Luffy was here to free him. It was hard to tell time down here, he didn't even know how long he'd been here.
He couldn't even figure it based on the feeding schedule, because from what he could tell, there was no set feeding schedule for the prisoners, they were fed whenever the guards thought to bring them food (or what passed for food around here).
By his figuring, based on what little he knew of this prison, and everything he knew about Luffy's skills back before he set sail three years ago... he figured Luffy would at least be on the third level by now. He would probably take a short break on the fourth level to refuel in the kitchens, but then he would be on the move again.
He hoped his brother was ok...
His only consolation right now was that no alarms had started going off, and there were no distant explosions from above them.
Luffy sighed in satisfaction, patting his belly. He hadn't nearly eaten his fill, but he'd eaten enough to tide him over until he found Ace and got out of here... they'd have to sneak aboard one of the Marine ships docked here, and they'd be able to raid the galley then. Bentham moaned in bliss beside him, having just eaten his first real meal since he was arrested weeks ago.
Having eaten, Luffy shifted into a crouch, watching everybody below for a few seconds, and mapping their route through the rafters. So... he wasn't going to have to worry about Snails at all until he reached the level where Ace was... He got a sudden idea.
"Hey... could you shift into one of the guards?" He asked his friend, who looked startled by the sudden question.
"Of course I could, as long as I touched one, and I would need to take their clothes, too, or it would never work." He said, having an idea of what the strawhatted pirate wanted. Even if he was surprised by the way the boy was currently behaving, he was acting nothing like the loudmouthed kid he'd met back in Alabasta, that was for sure! But then again, the quicker and quieter he moved, the easier time he would have of getting his brother out alive.
"Good... then can you make your way to the security room? You'll be able to control the snails for the sixth floor then..." His crew would probably have a sleep attack if they could see and hear him right now! Shishishishishi!
"Of course! You leave it to me, I can be there in ten minutes!" Bentham promised, and started jumping away through the rafters, looking for a suitable guard to take care of and impersonate for his mission to go well. After that, it would be simple to make his way back up to the second floor where said security room was located. Not all of that floor was covered in sharp blades, after all.
Giving Bentham a few minutes headstart, he watched the patrols, then he shot away, looking for the stairs so he could go further down into the prison. Finding them, he was confused by the lady wearing pink and carrying a whip. Who on earth was she? Well, whoever she was, he didn't think she was anybody he wanted to meet right now. Luckily, she was coming up from the lower levels, so he wouldn't have to risk running into her.
As soon as she was gone, he shot down the stairs. He didn't even make it halfway before he started feeling the cold, which had never happened before!
Usually, whenever his crew sailed through a cold weather area, it took at least two hours before he started feeling the cold, counting the fact that he was usually running around and playing with Usopp and Chopper at the time... It was a mystery!
He exclaimed wordlessly when he found a closet about three-quarters of the way down, full of warm coats and hats.
Ah-ha!
Ace was as slumped as he could be right now, without putting too much more strain on his shoulders. He was dozing, which was about as much rest as he'd been able to get since being put down here. The other prisoners, he knew, that had been here longer, were able to sleep deeply, but they weren't chained in such an uncomfortable position. They were actually able to move around their cells for the most part, even if they were still shackled to limit movement.
They were also long since used to this place... to the eerie silence broken by occasional screams as prisoners were interrogated or just tortured just because... to the lingering smell of blood, and the even stronger smell of human filth... they were all used to it. It didn't bother them anymore.
He hoped that he was never here that long, although he knew that wasn't going to happen. He'd already been informed that his execution was in a few days, depending on how much time had passed since the Warden had given him the news.
It was so hard to tell time down here... he didn't even know how long it had been since he was brought here.
This was also a place that he didn't want Luffy anywhere near. He didn't want Luffy to go through the horrors of the upper levels, either.
He knew Luffy would get through it all without the guards being any wiser, they would have absolutely no idea what happened when they came to get him for his execution and he wasn't here. He almost wished he could stick around to see their faces!
Almost.
Bentham cursed quietly when he left the staircase from the third floor, and saw the second floor in chaos, with prisoners (freed from their cuffs and chains!) fighting against guards. Somebody must have escaped their cell and started a prison riot. He didn't blame them, the living conditions here were horrible, after all.
Not to mention, most of the criminals in here were pirates or bandits... with the occasional political prisoner. It was no surprise they would try to overthrow their jailers.
Whoever it was though, was making his job much more difficult than it should be!
Now what... should he try to subdue the rioters to let things calm down for when Luffy was ready to bring Ace out, or did he let them continue so Luffy could use them as extra cover in his escape... but if this went on for too much longer, surely Warden Magellan would get involved! Hmm... perhaps he should stop by the prison infirmary and pick up some antidote. The guards of Impel Down had long since been developing antidotes and antitoxins to counter Magellan's Devil Fruit powers for on the many instances where they were caught up in it when he was subduing an unruly prisoner. Perhaps he should gather some of that just in case...
Making up his mind, he made a quick side-trip to the Infirmary, where already guards and prisoners alike were being treated for poison, and quickly slipped a few vials of the antidotes into his pockets, along with a few syringes. Walking out with them was simple, Luffy wasn't the only one who could go unnoticed when he wanted to.
Of course, the fact that he looked like a guard right now didn't hurt...
Luffy quietly listened as the weirdo with the big hair talked about candy...? He didn't understand. How could candies help them?
Oh, it was a mystery!
"My dad's a dragon!" Luffy cut in when Iva started talking about a friend of his named Dragon. "Oh, but grandpa said it was a secret!" He laughed. Hey, this person's name was Iva, was this who Bentham was looking for?
Iva was silent, staring at him in shocked surprise. "Vat did you say your name vas?" He finally asked.
Luffy grinned. "My names Monkey D. Luffy! I'm going to be the King of the Pirates!" He proclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest and staring Iva down, daring him to laugh at his dream.
"Monkey D?!" Iva's eyes widened, his mind whirling with thoughts. He didn't know Dragon had a son! He thought back to all those times he'd seen the Boss staring towards the East, and the look on his face... was this why? Was it because of his son? Wait, Luffy was here for his brother... Well, now, this changed everything! He was going to send a person or two to help Luffy keep an eye out while he freed his brother, and that was it. But... if Dragons son was really down here, than he had to do everything possible to free the boy! And make sure Dragon's younger son didn't die in the attempt, either.
"My candies!" He called out, turning to face his fellow revolutionaries and 'prisoners'. "I vill not make you come. Ve are getting out of here! Ve are going to help save Ace!" He called, and immediately everybody cheered and started gathering things. Mostly meager personal belongings that they didn't want to leave behind, and a few food or medical supplies gathered over the years of living within the walls of the prison.
"I don't need help! I've been doing just fine on my own, I will be the one to save my brother!" Luffy yelled, glaring at Iva, not liking the insinuation that he couldn't do it.
Iva smiled slightly, recognizing Dragon in the boys stubborn attitude and determination to do it on his own. "And you vill. Getting out vill not be so easy as getting in has been." Iva said wisely, putting a hand on the boys back. Luffy huffed, but realized that he wasn't going to change this stranger's mind.
"Oh, yeah! We gotta make sure that we don't leave Bentham behind, I sent him towards the security room to control the video snails on Level Six." He said, not wanting his new (unwanted!) allies to leave him behind.
"Hmm..." Iva hummed and sent a few of his candies towards the security room to keep an eye out for this 'Bentham'. They could also ensure the gates would open for them, otherwise they would be trapped outside of Impel Down surrounded by Marine Battleships. It would certainly be a short escape attempt in that case. While they were at it, they could sabotage the gates so they wouldn't open again after closing behind them, otherwise they would have pursuers.
"Iva! We're getting word that the upper levels are all in a riot! Some pirate escaped and opened a bunch of other cells, we're going to have a time getting out." One of his people came up to him with a snail in his hands. They had to to be careful with those, they didn't want the guards to trace them here, after all. But they were very handy for keeping eyes and ears on what was happening in the rest of the prison.
"Oh? Is Varden Magellan doing anything yet?" He asked, concerned. He could probably take on Magellan, with Jimbei's help, of course, once they freed the fishman, but could he do it and still ensure everybody (including him!) got out safely? And they only had so much antidote squirreled away over the years to be able to help anybody who got caught up in one of his attacks.
"So far, nothing."
"Keep vatch." He instructed. "Ve leave in five minutes!" He called, eyeing the clock they'd stolen from the guard quarters, years ago.
Luffy almost vibrated in place, not wanting them all to come with... safety in numbers was a very, very bad idea when you were trying to move quickly and quietly, after all.
"Now... ve vill go to save your brother while the rest of my candies wait a bit, then ensure out path is clear." Iva turned to Luffy, knowing just as well as Luffy that a smaller group would be best in this case. Luffy brightened up slightly at the knowledge that this guy wasn't going to draw the entire guard staff down on them.
Bentham looked around in satisfaction. He'd managed to 'relieve' the guard in here of duty, and now it was just him in here. He eyed the screens in concern, having expected Luffy to have reached Level Six by now... he hadn't heard anything over the mini-snails, though, so he was going to remain optimistic that Luffy was simply still wandering through Level Five looking for the stairs, or something.
He eyed the other monitors in concern, especially when he spotted the warden finally stepping in to stop the riots.
He fidgeted while he watched, keeping careful watch on the Level Six monitors as well, and winced when he saw the prisoners closest to Magellan go down in a pool of poison.
He wished he had a way of communicating with Luffy... he perked up when he saw movement in Level Six, and twirled a few times in happiness when he saw that it was Luffy! And... was that...?
It was! Luffy found Ivankov! He twirled a few more times in joy, remembering to keep quiet, and stopped quickly when he heard something in the hall, and quickly fiddled with the monitors so that it only showed what was previously recorded, which was an empty hallway filled with prison cells.
He would switch back after he dealt with whoever it was, if they didn't leave fast enough, anyway.
"Ace." Jimbei suddenly said, jerking Ace out of his light doze. He frowned, Jimbei sounded... amazed? Worried? Looking up, his eyes widened at the sight in front of him.
"Luffy!" He called, amazed (even though he'd known this was going to happen). He laughed, happy to see his baby brother again, and that he was alright. From what Teach had said before they started fighting, he'd almost feared the worst, until Hancock showed up and told him that Luffy was here to rescue him.
"Shishishishi! Hi, Ace!" Luffy happily greeted his older brother while Iva made short work of the lock on the cell, and moved to break Jimbei loose first so the non-Devil Fruit user could handle Ace's seastone chains. Dimly, he heard the other prisoners exclaiming over Luffy's presence, since none of them thought anybody would be coming for Ace, while Crocodile was just shocked that Luffy had made it down here... and the guards seemed clueless. Of course, it was hard to tell what was going on in the upper levels, being stuck in the very bottom of the prison, but still. They would have at least heard the distant sound of explosions once the rookie started reaching the lower levels.
"Luffy... you..." He waited until Jimbei unlocked his chains and pulled them away from him before lurching to his feet (painfully and with much difficulty, mind) and out of the cell, only to practically collapse against Luffy as his muscles protested the movement after so long of being in one position. It had been a while since he was last led to the 'shower' room. "You little idiot." He whispered in his baby brothers ear as he forced his arms to wrap around the teen. Luffy just laughed and returned the hug, although it was surprisingly gentle, for Luffy's standards, anyway. (Anybody else would have been crushed.)
"I'm not the idiot, only idiots get caught." Luffy countered with a laugh, overjoyed to be with Ace again.
"No, only idiots will sneak into an inescapable prison to break somebody out." Ace pointed out with a sigh and a fond grin. Luffy was always pulling stuff like this, he was so reckless.
"And now ve need to sneak out." Iva said, looking around, and quickly deciding that nobody down here was worth the trouble of letting out. Not even Crocodile, although he knew he could keep the ex-Warlord under control. "Ve must hurry, vile the riots are still going on." He said, and quickly urged the brothers back towards the stairs, even though he hated to break up their reunion.
"Riots?" Ace asked, cautious.
"Some prisoners got out of their cells on the upper levels, and are fighting the guards." Iva informed the Commander, who glanced at Luffy.
"I didn't do it." Luffy defended himself, catching the look. Maybe Buggy...?
Ace quirked a grin at his brother, not having an ounce of doubt that Luffy was telling the truth.
"Let's go." Iva urged them after a short discussion with Jimbei, who quickly took the lead.
Bentham narrowed his eyes at his new visitor, but knew at first glance that this person wasn't a guard. But it also wasn't a typical prisoner, either. They weren't even wearing a prison uniform, so what were they doing here, and how did they get here?
"Who are you?" He asked, suspicious. The intruder eyed him with equal suspicion, but seemed to have found what she was looking for, because she looked satisfied before answering.
"Iva sent me, he said to make sure you got on the boats with us, and we need to have that gate open for them. We can rig it up so it will open for us on its own, but once it's closed, it won't open again, for anybody." It was a trick the Revolutionaries had figured out shortly before Iva was 'captured', they had tried it once (to test it), so they knew it worked, and the guards had thought it was just a glitch in the system that they'd since fixed. They'd never discovered just what it was they did, so it was still a weakness in the system that they could exploit.
"Really?" Bentham asked, his curiosity overriding his excitement at Iva sending somebody to help him.
"Mn-hm." She hummed, and quickly switched the monitors back so they could see what was going on in Level Six. "Commander Ace looks... wow. I would have expected them to go easier on him since they're making such a public spectacle of his execution." She frowned.
"How do you mean?"
"The general public don't like to see half-dead pirates being executed. They don't look powerful or scary enough for an execution to be warranted in their minds. Healthy, strong looking individuals, on the other hand..." She shrugged, and Bentham nodded his understanding. "That's the signal." She said suddenly, eyeing the monitor, where Iva had just winked at the Snail."They're coming out. Alright, here's the plan. The group of people leaving is too large to sneak out, so... we're going to have to fight our way out."
Bentham sucked in a breath. "The warden..." He said slowly.
"We know. We've been... gathering- antidotes and such for his poisons over the years we've been here, we have enough for everybody in our group to carry several doses with them. So, we have nothing to worry about there, unless of course he comes out with a new poison that they haven't created an antidote for..." She was quiet for a moment before shaking it off. "At any rate, Iva and Jimbei should both be able to handle the warden. For now, our job is to watch out for them on the monitors, and try to misdirect any guards through the mini-Snails." She pointed to the row of snails asleep on the counter behind them. All communications throughout the prison came through this room before being passed on to the relevant parties.
"While we wait for them to show up on Level Two, lets get those gates dealt with."
Bentham grinned, and the two got to work.
"It's Magellan!" Somebody yelled as they came out into Level Two. There was a tense moment where both sides blinked at each other in shocked surprise, until the wardens eyes rested on Ace and Jimbei. Then his gaze sharpened and he turned towards them, leaving the small fry he had been subduing for the rest of the guards to deal with. He wouldn't have gotten involved in this little riot at all, except he was bored.
It was just their luck that Magellan would be right there by the stairs just as they came up them.
On their way out, they'd stopped by the main area Iva and his people had been using for Ace to get some quick medical care and eat something before continuing on their way. It wouldn't do for Ace to collapse from exhaustion and his accumulated injuries after all. They'd then blasted through Level's Five, Four, and Three with no problem, unless you count running into Sadie, of course. She was dealt with by Iva, though, so nobody really did.
"Everybody, get out of here." Iva ordered, as she and Jimbei both stepped up to face the warden, both of them knocking his Hydra attack off course, and going on the attack, easily leading him away from the rest of the group.
Inazuma looked after his boss and friend, worried, but motioned for the group to continue onward, anyway. Iva would catch up.
"This is pathetic." Somebody muttered just as they reached Level One. "How has nobody escaped from here before?" Because really, other than the 'officers', like the Warden and Sadie, none of the guards put up much of a fight.
"It's the officers, that's what it is." Somebody else called.
"And the prison itself!"
Which was true. The first and sixth floors were the only 'normal' prison floors in the entire facility. The second level was filled with giant, blood-thirsty animals that Luffy had completely bypassed earlier, along with the sharp blades all over the walls and floors in the main area, the third was so hot that the 'sand' was actually dust from all the people who died there and were just left, the fourth was a big boiling pot of... something, and the fifth was a frozen wasteland. The very environment of the place was what kept the prisoners in line, along with the threat presented by the warden and his Devil-Fruit abilities.
"Hey! The gates still open!" Somebody from the front of the group called when they reached the main entrance. And the massive doors were open, and the drawbridge was down, letting them cross, leaving the prison for the first time in years (for some of them).
There was only one small problem...
"The ships!" Somebody yelled in despair. All the warships normally docked around the prison were anchored out in the middle of nowhere, far, far away from any escapees that might want to hijack one. "How do we get out of here now?"
"Move!" Jimbei shouted from behind them, and jumped into the water when they sprang aside, giving him open access to the water.
"Look at him move!" He was speeding through the water, reaching a warship in no time.
"Luffy... what are you planning?" Ace asked warily, eyeing his baby brother. He had a disturbingly familiar glint in his eye... one that never boded well for Ace's sanity.
"Shishishishishi." Luffy laughed, and then launched himself off the dock without any word or warning, straight towards the first ship within his range, which was quite considerable.
"Luffy!" Ace yelled in shock. "That little idiot." He growled when his limited Observation skills picked up Luffy safe and sound on a ship a moment later. Well... not exactly safe... but he was safer over there right then than he was standing on the dock with the rest of them.
"Grab on!" Iva shouted from behind everyone. Ace's eyes widened in shock and disbelief when he saw Iva's head had gotten larger... much, much larger. He was riding one of the giant doors like it was a surfboard, at this point, Ace just wanted to home, back to the (relative) normality of the Moby.
He forgot how exhausting his brother could be when he wanted to be...
Roughly half-way to the closest ship, he noticed that the other ships in the area were sinking, but he couldn't see any reason for it... then he saw a Seaking breach the surface of the water, and he understood. Jimbei must have done something, because they were going after all the ships but the one Jimbei (and Luffy, thank goodness) was on.
Only Luffy...
"How are ve going to get out of this current?" Iva asked. Iva, Jimbei, Ace, and Luffy were gathered in the commander's office of the warship, while the other prisoners were enjoying the chance to be on the ocean again. Already, they could smell a good mean being cooked, and prisoners were raiding supply closets for new clothes. The infirmary had already been raided, and those that could make use of the stuff in there were doing so. (They had already cornered Ace and given him proper treatment now that they had time.)
"The only ways out are through the Gates of Justice. Enies Lobby, Marineford, and Impel Down." Jimbei frowned. "None of which are places we want to go."
"We can't sail at an angle with the current, make our way out that way?" Ace asked. Both Jimbei and Iva shook their heads.
"We could go to Enies Lobby." Luffy said suddenly. "After my crew went through there a few weeks ago, they won't be able to react."
"I'm sorry, what? When was your crew in Enies Lobby?" Ace demanded, looking like he didn't actually want to know.
"They took Robin, we took her back." Luffy said simply, and Ace groaned. He couldn't really fault his little brother for that, either, because he would have done the same. "They pulled a Bummer Call?"
Iva paled. "A Buster Call?" He asked, horrified.
"Yeah! They did that, they destroyed their own island, not us." He dismissed. Although, his crew had left plenty of destruction even before that... ah, not important.
"If Enies Lobby was really hit with a Buster Call... any Marines trying to rebuild it won't be in any position to stop us." Jimbei said thoughtfully, choosing to forget for the moment what the rookie captain just said. "We're also in one of their own ships... by the time they realize that we're not Marines..."
"It's an idea." Iva murmured, thinking. Dragons son was certainly a force to be reckoned with!
"Will whatever your people did with the Gates at the prison affect the other two Gates, too?" Jimbei asked. Iva shook his head. No, what they did at the prison would only affect that one Gate.
"Enies Lobby, it is." Iva said after a few moments of silence, in which nobody else had anything more to offer.
Whitebeard frowned at what he saw. Where was the army? Where was the prisoner and the executioners? Instead, the Marines were scrambling to react to his presence, when they should have been waiting for them, because they all knew that he wasn't going to just let one of his children be executed, not if he could help it.
He turned his head to speak over his shoulder, not willing to turn his back on his enemy. "Haruta, you and Izo sneak onto the island, figure out what's going on. Marco, call the Allies, let them know something's wrong, have them hang back." He instructed, and three quickly dispersed to carry out their tasks.
Finally, Sengoku and Garp arrived. Garp looked... he looked ecstatic about something, and wasn't even trying to hide it, while Sengoku looked... well, to say he looked annoyed would be a vast understatement.
"Sengoku! Where's my son?" He demanded, eyes narrowed.
His frown deepened when Sengoku looked uncomfortable. "We don't know." He admitted through gritted teeth, causing all those on the Moby who heard it to raise their eyebrows and murmur in surprise. "There was a mass prison break, we are still trying to work out who was involved, and how." All they knew was that the ship taken by the prisoners was last seen exiting the Gate at Enies Lobby, before it disappeared.
There was silence from the Moby, before they all burst into cheers and laughter. Loud, raucous laughter, that they made no attempt to hide being aimed towards the Marines misfortune.
"Well then... in that case..." Whitebeard grinned, relieved. "Marco! Let the Allies know that Ace is free somewhere! And call Haruta and Izo back." He said the last bit more quietly, no need to let the Marines know that two of his were currently on their island.
"They hadn't left yet." Marco informed him quietly before heading back towards the communications room again.
"Go back under! We have a spitfire to find!" Whitebeard ordered, and ensured the Marines would be too busy keeping their footing to even think about attacking them before they could get away.
Whoever freed Ace, was going to have his gratitude, that was for sure.
Even if his other sons didn't get to run wild on Marineford like they thought they would...