All right 2 down, only 4 to go! Don't forget to review and all that mess, and I love all of you.

About halfway down, a sudden thought occurred in my mind. How was I going to land?

I glance at the endless sea of guards below me and panic. Could I use them as a cushion? My question answered itself as several guards held up tridents, intending to spear me on my way down. Great. I was seconds from impaling myself. Maybe I can swipe the trident heads away with the quarterstaff. My body flashed cold as I fully expected myself to fail, and die.

Suddenly there was a thin noise, and I see the trident heads beneath me slide to the right, before breaking off completely. The guards all freaked out before I hit them, literally.

They cushioned my fall greatly, however it was still pretty painful as I face planted in the sand. I ignore it as I push myself to my feet. I cannot look weak here, and I definitely can't act it.

I hear somebody land behind me, and I turn to see Zoro, brushing himself off, his swords magically appearing in his hands as he glanced warily at the enemies around him. That explains how the tridents had their heads lopped off.

I glance around, making sure everyone else landed safely. Usopp and Chopper landed in a similar fashion to me. Nami used gust sword to slow down her momentum to land safely. Sanji used skywalk to land, while Franky crushed much of the enemy under his iron feet. Brook landed on several guards while Robin used her hand wings to glide down. Luffy leapt into the fray as he landed, not even bothering with a gum gum balloon. All in all, we all landed safely, but we haven't gotten out yet.

I place my back against Zoro's, my quarterstaff becoming an extension of my body. I feel Zoro's powerful back against mine and I am instantly comforted. I really wanted to bust some heads now. Zoro whispers.

"Hi Rose."

I glance at him. Last time, we had fought together, but not for very long. I want to see what a long time partnership can look like.

"Let's go Zoro."

Strategically, right now we have more odds of surviving in pairs then one on one. Besides, I needed a rock at my back and I couldn't have picked a better one.

I kept low and he stayed high, moving his swords in all directions as I tripped guards with my quarterstaff. My mind immediately tuned into the battle, remembering past fights with the Straw-hats and how my instincts moved then. It became rhythm almost as I twirled my quarterstaff.

Zoro and I made a great team. His strength beside me made me feel insignificant, but I matched him sword for quarterstaff. He had extreme strength and size, while I was small and speedy, the opposite. A smirk came to my lips as I wrecked through the poor Impel Down jailors with Zoro. We were synchronized so well it was almost an entirely different battle experience from any other fight. We watched the other one's back, protecting from enemy weapons with ease. I made sure to stay in his blind spot to discourage any attacks there. It was an ultimate level of trust between us.

He made me feel insignificant, but I fought twice as hard to make myself not feel insignificant. I will not be weak. I won't let him fight all my battles for me. I don't know what I was trying to prove to him, but it was almost a competition for me.

I laughed as I took out another blugori and I felt something, something like a shudder through Zoro. I turn slightly to see him wince, before a frown creased his face. I glance at the trident that had one of its prongs through his arm and reacted immediately. I clubbed the guard with my quarterstaff, putting so much force behind the furious swing I shattered the stick into two pieces. Oops.

How dare they hurt Zoro? The guard fell, eyes rolled back in his head. I am trembling with anger, not only at the guard, but also at myself. I had resigned myself to protect him and he had been injured. I immediately turned to my nakama.

"Zoro? Are you ok? I'm sorry I didn't mean for you to get hurt."

Zoro took a deep breath and ripped the spike out of his arm. He swung his sword experimentally.

"I'm fine Rose."

His words are slow and sure. I bite my lip, uncertain. Suddenly his injured arm moves like lightening, his sword parrying a trident that had been trying to stab me in the back. He smirked.

"See?"

I frowned, but I turned back to the fight.

"I will work harder."

Zoro stepped up to stand beside me.

"Why?"

I brandished my two pieces of my quarterstaff in my hands like nightsticks. Twice as much head whacking, so I'm not complaining. I don't want to sit back and watch my crew protect me and get hurt in the process while keeping me perfectly safe. I want more then that.

"I am tired of being weak Zoro. I will become strong."

I feel his smirk as he settles beside me, ready to take down more enemies.

"Rose, you don't need to."

He slashed at a group of guards and they fall like bowling pins.

"You are already strong."

I smile slightly. As usual, Zoro overestimates me and makes me feel special.

We continue through the jailors until suddenly, there are none left. Blugoris and jailors litter the ground around the ten of us that are still standing. I bend over, resting my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. I may have endurance, but there are limits that even I have.

I had forgotten how competitive I was. I am the kind of person that will do anything to win. I will work harder, get tougher, and not give up until I have won. Sports have not only trained me to be physically tough, but mentally tough as well. I once played a gym basketball game with an underdog team and I tried to guard all five of the good players at the same time. I wanted to win that bad. This competitiveness separates the men from the boys, and is only an advantage to a fight.

I stand straight up and realize how sticky I feel. I am covered in sweat and I just now notice how warm it feels. I was so hyped up on adrenaline and the fight I had forgotten where we were. The humidity was the kind that physically smacks you in the face it is so hot.

I take a deep breath and relax.

"Hey Rose, you ok?"

I look over at a very concerned Robin. I smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

I give an apologetic smile to Nami.

"Sorry Nami, I broke your staff."

Nami waved the apology away.

"Nah, it's all right. I wasn't going to use it anymore anyway."

I glance around and see a burning up doctor lying on the ground, panting with his tongue out of his mouth.

"Hey Chopper, Zoro got hurt."

Chopper stood and swayed, his movements sluggish.

"Ok."

He motioned for Zoro to kneel so he could reach his arm, but he refused.

"I'm fine."

He muttered. Zoro may be stoic, but this is ridiculous. That wound could get infected and can only slow us down.

"Zoro, fix your wounds. You need that arm in prime condition if you want to fight in the lower levels."

His one eye bored into me, but I straightened, looking him right in the eye. I won't back down from this. I only care about his wellbeing. After a few seconds, his eye dropped to the floor and he sat, holding out his arm to Chopper. I relaxed and smiled with relief.

"What Marimo? Are you getting soft?"

"Shut it Dartbrow."

Zoro growled, his eye flashing dangerously. Sanji smirked and lit a cigarette, but backed down. Nami wiped some sweat from her brow.

"What a workout."

Usopp nodded, glancing around.

"What is this place?"

I released the breath that I had been holding.

"Sanji's worst nightmare."

Zoro chuckled.

"Oh really, is it the okama level?"

"Shut your trap Mosshead."

Luffy answered his first mate grimly.

"No, this is famine hell."

Sanji chomped on his cigarette and anger flashed in his eyes.

"What?"

I explained, pointing to the cages off in the distance.

"They place prisoners here and let them rot by starving them and dehydrating them. They lose the will to live after a few weeks and starve to death."

I grimly point to the sand shifting beneath our feet.

"That's where all the sand comes from."

I see disgust glint in most of the Straw-hats as they got my message. Brook kicked the sand.

"I may be bones, but at least I'm not sand."

I felt the hatred from Sanji directed toward Impel Down as he gritted.

"Bastards, I'm going to kill them. No one should be forced to starve to death."

I patted his arm.

"Sorry Sanji."

He looked a little confused, but then his face softened.

"Oh yeah, you know about that."

I nod silently. Sanji glanced around, and I know he is remembering his own eighty days of starvation.

"I would rather fight a thousand enemies stronger then me then starve to death again."

"I don't doubt it."

I say, feeling really sorry for him. I love food way too much to survive in this level very long. I can't imagine eighty days. Nami wiped some sweat from her brow.

"Well, I guess we should head to the next level."

Luffy bounded off toward the cages nearby, his energy as limitless as mine usually is. The rest of the crew walked after him slowly, trying to recover from our fight. I was perfectly fine now. I just needed a few seconds to catch my breath and I am ready to go a few more rounds. We are a quarter of the way through, down and back up to the surface. I can survive this.

"Whew, why is it so hot?"

I glance over at Chopper, who is being carried by Robin. He looks like he is about to pass out, and I feel truly sorry for him. It will only get hotter, and there is nothing we can do. Oh well, on level five he will be perfectly fine while we are freezing our tails off.

"Sorry Chopper, but it's hot because of the level below us."

Franky's mouth dropped open.

"It gets even hotter then this?"

I nod. Robin asked calmly.

"So what is the next level like?"

I sigh, explaining.

"Well, it's inferno hell. What you think the actual hell looks like is probably the most accurate description I can give you."

Sanji kind of chuckled a little.

"You mean like a pit of fire? There is no way that can be a real place."

I clarified.

"Sea of blood and fire actually, and yes it is a real place."

Sanji abruptly stopped laughing, and his face became grave. Brook frowned; at least I think he did.

"Sounds lovely."

Nami clutched her climatact.

"This place is evil, even more then Arlong was."

I nod in agreement. I couldn't even imagine myself subjecting anyone to this, not even the World Nobles, and that is saying something because I truly hated those guys. Usopp glanced around.

"This isn't even the worst level?"

I shake my head slowly.

"Sorry no, this is only level three. Level four and five are going to be a lot tougher, and with Magellan on our backs it's going to be difficult."

Zoro gave me a hard stare, fidgeting with his new bandage.

"Rose, who is Magellan? You have mentioned him several times now."

I glance over to make sure Luffy is out of earshot, before I sigh. They need to know everything I can give them information wise, and now that they know I'm not from this world I don't have to censor.

"Magellan used to be the warden here, but I think he resigned and became vice warden. He lives on level four, which is the next level. Out of all the people in this prison Luffy fought, Magellan is the most experienced, most dangerous, and most difficult to fight."

Robin's eyes gleamed with the concept of gaining new information.

"How is he difficult to fight?"

I explain.

"He is a logia user. He ate the poison poison fruit. If you touch him, you die. He has several different types of poisons: airborne, contact, and of course simple ones that won't kill you but mess up your body so you can't fight correctly. Which is why it is impossible for anyone to fight him. Luffy tried to fight him, and he lost, badly. He was abandoned to die on level five."

Everyone looked serious and a little concerned. Nami whispered.

"What happened?"

I popped my knuckles, giving my hands something to do.

"Bon Kurei brought him to Ivankov, who saved his life. Without him, Luffy wouldn't have made it out of Impel Down alive."

Sanji's eyes sparked.

"You mean…"

"Yes, him. You know his power Sanji?"

Everyone turned to look at him. Sanji took a drag out of his cigarette calmly and said shortly.

"The Hormone Hormone fruit."

I nod, explaining.

"Ivankov can inject hormones that change the body's genetic makeup. He changed Luffy's immune system to fight against Magellan's poisons. Now, Luffy is the only man in the entire world that can fight Magellan and win."

Robin smiled calmly.

"Yes, with his haki and his immunity, Luffy can truly defeat him."

I smile back at her.

"Exactly, but I suggest we don't get in the way of their fight. That poison can affect us too."

Suddenly Luffy yelled.

"I found it! I found the entrance to level four!"

The crew sped up after their captain and I trotted alongside them, trying to keep my eyes from wandering to the dead and dying prisoners on all sides. I can't help them. I can't save them.

I find myself looking at Luffy for a distraction. He is acting like he usually is, and I am grateful. I don't want him to have any crippling flashbacks of him failing to save Ace. If he does though, I will be there for him. I will tell him this is different and he has his friends at his back. It won't happen like last time.

We reach the wall that is the entrance to the fourth level. I contemplate how the heck I am going to leap up there when I feel something grab me from behind.

"Hey what are you—"

I start to say but I look up and see Zoro is holding me safely, tucked under his arm. He smirks at me.

"You made me do something I didn't want to do. Only returning the favor."

I stick my tongue out at him, and he chuckles slightly. I sigh.

"Fine."

He jumps powerfully up to the lip that leads to level four. I glance forward to see the orange reddish glow from up ahead and I take a deep breath to prepare myself. This is going to be difficult.