LW: Hi everyone, welcome to 2022! Let's begin
Rubber King & Mirror Master - Reunion of the Swan
"Oh, come my way, oh come my way, yeah yeah yeah, come my way" the singing continues, Galdinos' panic attack only getting stronger
'I can barely stand, but this guy's singing and probably frolicking like it's a day at the beach. He must be real tough' Buggy thinks "Hey partner, I'm going to go check out that noise" he calls out before jumping down, snapping Galdino out of his spiral long enough for him to follow him
"Listen Buggy I don't think this is a good idea" the candle man tries to explain, but is ignored as they hear weights drop just before reaching the cell
"Come on lazy bones up and at em, if you think this is hot, just wait until you see me angry!" Bentham laughs, then see's that he has an audience "Mr. 3 how are you ahaha?" he laughs, then leaps at the bars of the cage "MR 3! What are you doing in Impel Down?" he asks frantically "You must have been caught to be locked up in here… only I'm the one locked up aren't I?" he chuckles
"What is this strange creature?" Buggy asks in a whisper
"Hard to say, let's leave it here" Galdino suggests
"Aw, don't be such a meanie, I thought we were friends Mr. 3. Besides, I've got way too much energy to stay cooped up in this cell all by myself" he whines
A couple minutes later
"He went downstairs, you're sure about that?" Bentham asks as he rubs his wrists, now free of their shackles "You're not just screwing with me?"
"Nope, it's the honest truth"
"Very well, thanks for the escape Mr. 3, and friend, I'll pay you back someday ;)" he winks and blows a kiss, then starts piroetting in the direction Luffy went
"What a weirdo" Buggy grunts
"Indeed, but he's also, unfortunately, one of the best Baroque Works agents there was" Galdino sighs
Up top
"Come on men, we need to capture Straw Hat before he gets to Ace, it's a matter of marine pride!" A Vice Admiral bellows as he and his men disembark
CREEEEAK
"Uuh, hold on a moment" a voice moans from the darkness before stepping into the light of the open door. The person was a woman based on their voice with wild billowing ginger hair which covered her eyes, as well as what seemed like a headdress with pink hornlike spikes a pitchfork, and a long white cloak that covered her entire body with the exception of bright pink studded heels "I'm Mistress Sadie Impel Down's Torture Expert. We've already been compromised hm, so accepting future help from the navy hm, would just lead to further disgrace and humiliation"
"Is she being cute or something?" one marine mutters, getting a whip to the face
"I'm fucking adorable" she growls, then moans as he cried out in pain 'Those tortured screams, so delectable'
Before his men could do anything else stupid the Vice-admiral asks "So you're saying, you don't need the navy's help?"
"Correct. This entire prison is a labyrinthian hellhole, if you don't know your way around you'll just get lost and be of no use to us" Sadie explains "Though while you're here asking, if you truly wish to serve us, you can continue to guard the outside. This drawbridge is the only exit, we lock down, raise the drawbridge, and hm, seal up Impel Down so nothing can escape. We'll do our job, and as long as you do yours, ah, nobody is leaving this prison alive"
"Understood we'll stay put out here"
"Good boy, Mistress loves you" Sadie purrs, then walks back in to allow the drawbridge to rise.
Level 5
Finally, after what feels like a month they arrive at their final destination, the cellblock of Fire Fist Ace.
"Hanyabal?"
"And Magellan too"
'Oh, this is interesting' Cipher smirks 'and there's a cutie' he muses as Hancock steps closer to the Whitebeard Divison Commander
"Look alive Ace you've got a special visitor. You'll never guess who it is. Jinbe, you know her well, though I'm not sure if you two have ever actually met. Think I should give Ace a hint? She's strong, beautiful, commands the all female tribe known as a Kuja, and is the only female Warlord on record. It's Boa Hancock!" Hanyabal announces, stepping to the side to reveal her, eyebrows rise on Ace, Jinbe and even Crocodile.
Then the heckling starts, Hancock's eye begins to twitch, until the leering and demands she flash them is replaced by screams of pain as some prisoner is cooked alive from the inside out
"And they wonder why they're down here. Also, did you know water boils at 30 degrees if you try hard enough?" Cipher laughs, shuffling to the front, everyone giving him a wide berth "You shouldn't be down here Princess, that much is clear" he grins widely, amber eye flashing with madness
"What do you want?" Ace grunts as Hancock steps up to the bars
"Nothing really. I wanted to see the reason for which I'm being dragged into a pointless war, as well as my beloved's big brother. Can't say I'm that impressed, but a shithole like this will do that to a man" Ace chokes hearing the snake princess swear, getting the first laugh in a while out of him
"Until now you were the empress who stood her ground and disobeyed every summons, but now you're going to take part in this war? I hope your title is worth your dignity" Jinbe chuckles
"A pleasure to meet you too Son of the Sea. Now hold your tongue before I tear it out, the humans are speaking" Hancock sneers, hoping to piss him off enough he'd take offense and ignore her
"So, am I finally meeting the mother of my sweet little niece Artemis before I die?" he chuckles lowly while Hancock flushes, the idea of Artemis calling her Mama Hancock causing her heart to flutter
"Not yet, but maybe in the future. Artemis' mother is Nico Robin, whereabouts unknown" the Kuja replies "Why?"
Ace shrugs as best he could "Curiosity really, I met them in Alabasta and asked if it was you when she said her mom was the most beautiful woman on the Grand Line, she gave a non-answer that Amazon Lily is in the Calm Belt"
"Understandable, I have that kind of reputation" she chuckles, then looking behind her to see Magellen arguing with Hanyabal again scoots closer "Ace, Luffy's coming to bust you out of here, I don't know where he is right now but he's on the way. Also Kaos will be waiting at Marineford in case Luffy fails, which he's 90% sure he will"
Ace's eyes bulge "Luffy's here, in Impel Down? What the fuck why didn't you stop him?"
"Do you think I can stop your brother? He's more stubborn than me and even Kaos decided 'fuck it' and let him try" Hancock responds "By the way, they know you'll be pissed off that they're trying to rescue you.. But they decided you being alive to be mad at them, was worth angering you" she winks, then turns on her heels "I'm finished" she calls loudly, snapping the 2 idiots out of their arguing
"Done already? Well, guess it's back to the elevator then" Magellan shrugs "You all stay quiet if you want to live got it?" he growls before leading the others out
"So, do you think she's telling the truth?" Jinbe asks
"Yes, my brother is that stupid to try to break into this place" Ace sighs 'I'm not worth it Luffy, you stupid boy'
Back on Level 3
"Wait a minute when did I start going upstairs, I wanted to go downstairs" Luffy whines then sighs "hopefully this staircase will go back down eventually" he mutters before continuing his journey, meeting what normally would be not even worth thinking about for Luffy… idiots with guns. Unfortunately, these were net guns laced with seastone meaning Luffy was screwed if they managed to snare him, luckily being rubber meant he had the flexibility to dodge and weave as the guards fired, until the sphinx returned the pinned him under his claw
"Hey! Get away from him!" shouted…
"Zoro!?" Luffy screams in confusion, and it was true, just ahead of him, dressed in a prison uniform was Zoro himself, sans swords of course. And decked out in the widest grin Luffy had ever seen on the teen, which was setting off alarms in his brain
"Need a hand, pal?" Zoro calls down, looking ready to leap into action at a moment's notice
"Zoro! Luffy cheers, grinning widely, while the sphinx looks up in confusion
Zoro laughs "Fooled yah!" he shouts before leaping out and kicking the sphinx in the face, sending it flying
Swan Arabesque
'Wait a minute, Zoro doesn't kick things' Luffy thinks as he picks himself up and dusts off, meanwhile, his savior was spinning in the air, calling out 'Swan' repeatedly "But he does sound familiar"
"Been a while hasn't it Straw hat my boy?" Bon Kurei says as his face is finally visible to Luffy
"It's Bon! I mean I'd have preferred Zoro cause then I'd know he was still alive, but it's great to see you again!" Luffy laughs, always happy to see friends
"Quick while he's distracted, capture Straw Hat!" one of the guards order
"Not so fast!" Bon Kurei screams, pirouetting over and launching a volley of kicks to take out the assembled guards "Nobody gets to hurt my friends in my prescience"
With the human guards dealt with all was good for 5 seconds, until the sphinx stood up again
"Good boy Sphinx now deal with…" Saldeath began only for it to get the ever-loving shit beat out of it by the combined efforts of Bon Kurei and Luffy in about 10 seconds 'Holy shit'
"Ok, after a beating like that we should be good for a while, from him at least" Luffy muses
"True, sometimes with a wild beast, you need to teach it the Law of the Jungle" Bon announces then hugs Luffy, the rubber boy hugging back just as tightly
"You really saved our asses back in Alabasta but I was sure you were dead man. Glad you're ok though"
"Silly boy, you know Swans never die… unless that's a lie. Oh well" he laughs
"Another escapee, with each new floor Straw Hat just keeps finding help and his allies grow" Saldeath growls, then turns his pitchfork to the side, revealing its secondary purpose as a command flute for the Bluegori "Bluegori, I don't care what it takes Straw Hat dies today!" he orders, the sea monkeys leap and surround Luffy and Bon
"So, I hear you're on the way all the way down to Level 5?" Bon asks
"That's right, but I'll need some help to get down there. Know anyone like that?"
"Oh, I wouldn't have it any other way. There's someone on Level 5 I'm dying to meet myself" Bon admits "Now, let's clear a path, to our dreams" he says, getting into his fighting stance
A little later
Due to the Bluegori being weak as tissue paper compared to Luffy and Bentham, they made short work of the mob and went about their business
"So Bon, how do we get to Level 4, also thanks for sacrificing your life back at Alabasta even though you're still alive" Luffy says with a laugh
"It's just a hop skip and a jump this way straw boy, and it was no trouble at all, besides our destinies are intertwined, we were meant to reunite" Bentham replies as he bounces his way through the level.
Up Top
"Thank you for being so understanding about everything, protocol and all that" Domino explains as she unshackles Hancock "Also, before you leave, your cloak" she adds, passing it over to the now freed Warlord
"Thank you" Hancock purrs, enjoying the flustered expression on the clearly meant to be stoic guard, but then stops "One last thing, I believe I heard while we were in the Warden's office that there was an intruder, is that correct?" she asks, worried about Luffy's status and whereabouts
"Yes so it appears, but Impel Down has ironclad defenses, there is NO escape" Domino assures her "Now Warden Magellan is on the case the matter will be dealt with shortly"
"Of course" Hancock nods as she follows Momonga out "If they were foolish enough to enter Hell itself, it makes sense they would become permanent residents" 'Please Luffy, he's too strong you need to run. If you see Magellan, you need to run!'
Magellan's office
Sadie arrives just as Magellan looked about ready to beat the shit out of Hanyabal (so business as usual), the large man seeing her arrive and halting his toxic tirade "Ah Mistress Sadie, on time as always"
"Indeed. Shame I missed all your guests arriving, we could have had a lot of fun" she purrs, fists tightening under her cloak "My team is ready for a hunt, all we need is a direction and target"
"Good, is there someone currently stationed on Level 4?" Magellan asks
"But ahhh-f course. Minotarus is patrolling as we hm, speak" Sadie pants
"That's a start, but there are too many places to hide on Level 3, we'll need more men. We'll let Saldeath handle the rioters on Level 2 and handle this ourselves" the Warden announces, reaching for his Den Den "With the exception of Saldeath, all Forces converge on Level 4, immediately!" he bellows
"Yes sir, on the way now"
"Understood" he nods, clicking off the snail "If Minotarus fails, and they do make it to Level 4, I will bury this boy myself" he growls sending shivers down everyone in the room's spine "All who make a mockery of his institution shall suffer the consequences"
Level 3
"I think we're in trouble now" Bon swallows as a hulking brute lumbers up the stairs, then shoots forward to try smash Luffy, only to miss as the rubber boy leaps away
"Wow, he's fast, a lot more so than his build would suggest" Luffy hums "What is this thing?"
"Minotarus, one of the Jailer Beasts, a nasty creature capable of throwing us around like yesterday's garbage. Be careful Straw Boy, those are the cold dead eyes, of a killer" Bentham shouts as the smoke clears and Minotaurus' dopey face is revealed.
"He's huge, did he eat a Devil fruit or something? Man, of all the times for Kaos to peace out" Luffy grumbles
"How the Hell should I know?" Bon screams, before getting smashed in the face by Minotarus' club, slamming into the nearest cage and groaning on the ground. The minotaur then disappeared before smacking Luffy around, the rubber boy bouncing across the area while being chased, and dodging as much as he could, though as he was almost pinned against the bars Bon regained his bearings enough to block with a kick. Unfortunately, this just made him the next target as he was grabbed by his face and slammed into the ground, Minotaurus' thick digits cutting off his airways
Gear Second
"Get away from him!"
Gum-Gum Jet Bazooka
Luffy's attack sent the minotaur flying, smashing a support bridge on the way, meanwhile, the boy cools off (easier said than done in this sweatbox) and relaxes, shutting down Gear 2nd
"You ok Bon, you took quite a beating there?" Luffy asks in concern
"I almost died, I think I saw a glimpse of the heavenly garden of the Okama Way" Bon replies though coughs and wheezes as he gets his breathing back under control then sits up "You're certainly strong Straw Boy, I'm certainly glad not to be your enemy these days" he chuckles then realizes Minotaurus ruined his make up and starts complaining, as well as giving a list of demands/requests, only food and drink Luffy actually agreed with
"I don't care about most of that crap, but I'm going to drop if food doesn't show up soon" he grumbles, snapping Bon out of his tirade
"Oh, don't you worry your pretty little head, it's tutu easy to get to Level 4 from here"
"Really, awesome!" Luffy cheers "How do we do that?"
"Just climb up there, but don't go charging in like a wild boar ok?" Bentham warns, which Luffy ignores until he stretched his arm out to pull himself up, only to immediately recoil in pain as he burnt himself
"Ow! That was like putting my hand on a hot skillet! What's wrong with this place?"
"A skillet huh, ironic. Anyway, on 3 we jump. Ok? 3!"
Both leap into the opening, though Luffy is bouncing from one foot to the other due to the heat, while Bon seems not to notice "Come over here Straw Hat, take a look at this" he says beckoning Luffy to the edge, where Level 4 is revealed, well almost as it's obscured by thick smoke
"So much smoke, don't tell me we need to go into that it's bad enough over here" Luffy groans
"Alas this is Level 4, the burning heat Hell you seem so intent on visiting. Unsurprisingly the description is accurate"
"Well, shit. What's down there?" Luffy asks
"The hot skillet comment earlier, is more accurate than you'd expect, though it's more an iron pot. Once we enter level 4 you'll see a boiling pool of blood and a raging sea of fire!"
"I hope they're cooking something besides prisoners down there, be a waste of all that heat otherwise" Luffy sighs, as Bon once more leads the way
"Now we could jump down from here, but landing in the wrong spot will flash fry us in an instant. You'll be risking your life with each step you take from now on" the dancer warns
"Like I wasn't doing that already. Also, you mentioned earlier that there was someone down on Level 5 you wanted to meet too, who are they? Why are they that big a deal you'd risk your life just to meet them?" Luffy asks
Bentham grins before speaking "I've heard he's known as 'The Miracle Worker' he's a true hero who deserves to be free. AND HIS FRIENDS CALL HIM IVA! He's the Queen of Kamabaka Kingdom [Hi Sanji. Bye Sanji], the pink paradise of the Grand Line. He's the leader of the queer folk, the Queen of all Queens!"
Luffy blinks then smiles "The queen of all queens? Wow, sounds like a pretty important guy"
"Of course. I want to set eyes on him for even a moment, but maybe we can set him free!"
Luffy nods "Sure we can try, just as long as it doesn't interfere with setting Ace free I'm down for it"
The pleasant moment was interrupted by thunderous hoofsteps and screaming, as Galdino and Buggy run screaming towards them, Minotaurus hot on their heels
"Oh for fuck sake! We just got rid of that thing and it's already up and chasing us again!" Bon screams, then starts running alongside Luffy, joining up with the other 2 escapees
"You again!" Buggy screams
"I knew you wouldn't abandon me" Luffy grins
"Oh fuck off we were hiding perfectly safe until this bruizer landed on top of us, and now we can't shake him"
"Oh, so that's where he landed" Luffy chuckles
"See, it's your fault we're in this mess, I hope he eats you!" Buggy shouts as they keep running away from the Beast "Wait a minute, Luffy, you remember the Buggy ball, which I used to destory half a town in one fial swoop back when we first met?"
"Nope" Luffy replies with a blank expression, causing a depressive spiral from Buggy, until he catches himself and starts running again
"By that you mean you were traumatized and blocked out the memory of the destruction and incredible KAboom, and it's all coming back to you?"
"Sorry, not ringing a bell" Luffy shrugs
"Oh, I see" Buggy says with the life drained from him "Well you see, the Buggy ball is this huge cannonball, some might call it my signature weapons in fact, you know, because it's named after me"
"Nobody cares, but clearly you think quite highly of it to put your name on it so get on with the explanation!" Galdino shouts breaking through the depression
"Right! Well, I've got miniaturised versions of them that pack just as big a punch, I call them the Muggy Balls!"
'Who the Hell is Muggy?'
"Take this you overgrown sow!" Buggy shouts, shooting a muggy ball from his shoe, which explodes like it was a shed load of TNT, honestly any normal person should be dead at this point… which explains why it stood up and started plodding towards them
"Oh come on!"
"Our turn Straw Boy" Bon cheers, leaping at the beast
Okama Kempo: Memoirs of the Summer's Day
"Hey 3, can you use your wax fruit in here?" Luffy asks
"In this heat, it would last at most 3 seconds before melting into sludge" Galdino sighs
"3 Seconds will do" Luffy replies, surprising him
"You're serious?" nod "Ok then"
Candle Lock
Gum Gum Mallet Rifle
The combination of blows, as well as the head-on impact with the wall as he was thrown across the area, finally did it for Minotarus, the beast passing out once it was fully on the ground.
"WE did it! We beat the demented cow thing from Level 3!" the squad cheer, hatred for one another forgotten for a moment as they jump around and hug each other.
Uptop
Due to the lockdown, Hancock and Momonga were led back to their ship on a little tugboat, slowly trundling through the water
"So, how long until Ace's execution now?" Hancock asks, trying to fill the dead air
"29 hours, this will all be over by 3pm tomorrow" he explains bluntly "Well that's the plan at least, not that plans ever go the way they're supposed to"
'Tell me about it' Hancock thinks, remembering how much of a mess Luffy had ended up causing in his little prison break
"Portgas D. Ace is secure, we'll be transferring him in the morning" the guard steering the vessel assures them
'Luffy, please be safe. It would break your brother's heart to lose your both so close together'
And back to Level 3
Buggy pinches his nose "I'll ask you this one more time Straw hat. After everything that's happened, do you still want to go down to Level 4?"
Luffy nods "Yep! I'm glad you understood and are on board again"
"You idiot! What part of Burning Heat Hell don't you understand? It's too damn hot here, never mind in there with the cauldrons of boiling blood and lakes of fire, ring any bells there?"
"It's too hot, I'm practically melting I need to go up"
"See, he gets it, up, as in escape you dumbass!"
Luffy shrugs in disinterest while Bon sighs "Ignore them, straw boy, they clearly don't have the balls to go a step further" he smirks
"You take that back, I'll have you know even my nose is a damn ball!" Buggy squeals
"Really, that's weird. Oh my we're getting off-topic, back to how to safely get down to Level 4 I believe"
"That and why the ceiling is rising" Luffy notes
"Huh, you're right, plus that rumbling noise is quite dis…oh crap it's not rising we're falling!" Galdino screams as all the thumping around earlier weakened the floor, causing it to crack and give way, sending them plummeting into Level 4.
On the main deck
"Your request has been granted, and now…"
"I'm aware of what I said, and I promise to keep it. I'll play your silly wargames, even if it means squaring up against the Yonko" Hancock interrupts her tone tired and flat
"Welcome back Sir"
"It's good to be back, escort Miss Boa to her quarters, we're heading straight for Marineford immediately"
As the 2 separate a man rushes over "Vice Admiral we've just received word about an incident in the New World involving Red Hair"
Momonga raises an eyebrow "Shanks? That doesn't sound right, not now. Who was he fighting, can't have been one of us" he hums
"No sir, Kaido of the Beast Pirates, the Yonko" Momonga stops dead, and nearby, ears prick up
"Did you say Kaido?"
"Yes sir. Apparently, Kaido was after Whitebeard, I heard it was just a skirmish but Shanks intercepted. I can't say to what end though"
"This is not good, The Emporers fighting one another should be good for us, but with Whitebeard safe from Kaido by Shanks, and Linlin unlikely to interfere until there's something worth taking, he's now free to focus on us. Not good, not good at all" Momonga grimaces "I'm afraid it will be all-out war"
The messenger gulps "Do you really think his response will be that extreme Sir?"
"Yes. Whitebeard's fleet is comprised of the strongest pirates alive, even though striking will put him against the full strength of the marines including the 3 Admirals and the 7 Warlords. No matter who wins, this upcoming conflict, will shape this Age for years to come" Momonga explains, then turns and shouts "Set Sail for Marineford!"
Impel Down Level 4
"What's going on out there?"
"Nothing good, did you see all the upper brass showed up down here at once?"
"Magellan, Hanyabal, and the Demon guards? This is a very bad sign"
"Well, I'm bored" Sadie sighs, her shoulder's bounce and cause her cloak to ruffler and swish "If I knew there would be so much waiting I'd have just gone hunting these morsels myself" she purrs, licking her lips hungrilly
"Patience Mistress Sadie, you'll get your fun soon enough" Magellan scolds from his throne, which was also a toilet due to his near-constant bowel problems and diarrhea.
"Oh I can edge myself plenty, my boys, on the other hand, they don't know the meaning of the word patience, the poor things" she coos, grinning over at Minokoala, Minorhinoceros, and Minozebra, who had gotten bored and started fighting amongst themselves
"Sir we have an update!" shouted a guard as he rushes over "Straw hat and company are located in the Well Tower on Level 3… unfortunately that means we can no longer monitor him"
"They've made it that far already?" Sadie gasps
"If they get any further, all I need to do is pin the blame on the Warden and promotion is..OW" Hanyabal whines as Magellan hits him
'It would make our lives so much easier if the boy just falls to his death from there, the boiling blood would be quick and ensure no chance of survival, especially given all 4 of them have Devil fruits' Magellan thinks as another guard runs up to them
"Warden, another update! I regret to inform you that Straw Hat Luffy is already on this level"
"What! But we didn't see him pass us, how did this happen?"
"He um, apparently feel down here through the well, Sir"
"But those lead directly into the pools of blood, how did they survive?"
"Apparently, they used the falling floor from Level 3 as a shield and jumped to safety as it hit the blood-pool" the guard relayed, while Magellan growls
'Those fuckers have luck on their side, but it's about to run out, I swear it'
"One more thing Warden. The Demon Guard Minotarus also fell down with them… and he's not moving"
"WHAT! They defeated him?" Sadie gasps in shock
"It appears so Miss Sadie" the guard says with a bowed head
"My poor baby. I'll rip their heads from their shoulders!"
"Calm yourself Sadie" Magellan growls as he gets off his throne "Now, there are only 2 ways off this floor that don't involve dying. Hanyabal, you'll be staying here with a troop of guards and block the stairway back to Level 3, meanwhile, Sadie will take the Demon Guards and stand guard at the stairway to Level 5."
"But standing around is so boring, I want to punish those lettle boys, make them pay for harming sweet Minotarus" Sadie whines
'Maybe I'll just let them slip past me and blame the warden for his incompetence' Hanyabal thinks, only to get poison gassed by Magellan "I didn't even say anything!" he gasps
"You don't need to, I know you're almost always plotting against me. If it's any consolation, once you do capture them, you can do whatever you like to the prisoners"
"Yes, score! Free reign" Sadie cheers, her demon guards grunt and hum
"And as for the rest of you, I want you to pursue them at all costs, capture them or else funnel them towards Hanyabal or Sadie, understand? I want them brought to me, dead or alive"
"Almost dead works too right?" Sadie pants, her unseen thighs rubbing against each other vigorously
"This ends, here and now, that little brat isn't getting any further. The burning heat hell will be their last stop, the reputation of Impel Down rests on our shoulders. But first…" he rushes back onto his throne, taking another dump before leaving, which amongst other things, killed the mood he was going for.
Elsewhere on Level 4
"Hot, hot, hot! What the hell I thought it was bad on the previous floor!" Buggy screams as he hops from foot to foot in pain
"My lungs feel like they're on fire!" Galdino complains
"The faster we move the faster we get out of here, now which way do we go?" Luffy asks, also bouncing, meanwhile Bon finally reaches his limit for ignoring heat-based pain as he's yelling and screaming just as loud as the rest of them. Luffy then stops, frowning before sniffing the air "Wait, I know where to go, follow me!" he cheers, rushing off, leaving the others in the dust
"Hm, now where could straw boy be leading us?" Bon wonders, then remembering how Luffy often thinks with his stomach snaps his fingers "Of course, the kitchen! Some food sounds great right about now, especially after Level 3"
"He's right, food and maybe a little booze would be great right now" Buggy agrees but is slowed down by Galdino "Hey, what's the big idea?"
"Just wait a minute Buggy"
"Hot, hot hot, so much food, hot, hot, hot, I'm so hungry" Luffy moans as he runs only to meet up with a large contingent of guards who charge at him, only for Luffy to jump over them and begin to spin rapidly right above them
Gum Gum….
'Oh crap'
…Fireworks
"Sir, Team A has engaged with Straw Hat Luffy"
"Sir, Team B has joined up with Team A, they're not even slowing him down though"
"Should we send reinforcements Sir?"
Gum Gum Whip
Okama Kempo: Memoirs of the Summer's Day
"A and B teams have been taken out"
"C, D, and E report major losses"
"Extra Backup from upstairs won't cut it"
"They're too strong, we can't hold the line Sir!"
"Oh whoa is me, if only I were Warden I could fix this" Hanyabal complains, just before Warden Magellan finally gets off the shitter, his aura striking terror into everyone around him
Elsewhere
"Ok, what was the big idea pulling me away like that?" Buggy growls
"Open your eyes Buggy, look around! There's an ocean of guards down here, and despite this level being devoted to the agony of it's residents, not a single one is manning the torture devices"
Buggy's eyes widen "Meaning they're all here, to capture Straw Hat!"
"Exactly. I guarantee they'll be guarding the staircases, and have boxed us in with all these goons so we're trapped in this boiling Hellscape"
"But it's clear they're just after the kid, we didn't even want to come down here"
"True, but we were still trying to break out, and the guards already know our names and faces" Galdino points out, popping that bubble "Still, there's something even more troubling"
"Great, what now?"
"If they're sending this many guards after us, it's entirely possible they also sent Impel Down's Allstars as well. And I don't just mean the other 3 Demon Guards, I mean Warden Magellan might make an appearance down here, and if that happens… we'll we're dead my friend, no 2 ways about it.
Elsewhere, because we can't have nice things
CRASH
"It's time to put an end to this buffoonery boy" Magellan growls, purple, jelly-like toxic goo dripping from his body like sweat as he steps out of the slight crater his drop caused, towering over Luffy and Bon Kuri
"Who the Hell are you?" Luffy asks
"It's Magellan!" Bon screams in fear, causing Luffy to swallow thickly as this was very bad news
"I've got you now, criminal scum, time to meet your maker!" Magellan bellows
TBC
LW: So here we are, 1st chapter of the new year and it ends with Luffy and Bon meeting Magellan in Level 4. A big thing to worry about… in 2 weeks time.