Zera immediately took Hiccup and Astrid to the Palace for an audience with Atali.
"So let me see if I understand you correctly; you now wish me to take you to Impel Down," she said.
"I do," said Hiccup.
Atali's face darkened. "But to do so, I would have to board a Navy ship, and the only way for me to do that is to obey the World Government orders and fight their war."
"You ask too much of our Empress," said Nadia.
"Indeed, you've only asked for too much as it is," Minden agreed.
"And that's assuming I can sneak you on board," said Atali. "Surely you know of Impel Down's reputation. Only one man has ever escaped that awful prison in all the centuries since its creation."
"That true?" Astrid asked.
Hiccup nodded. "Leo, the Golden Lion, escaped that prison after being locked up. He was a fearsome rival of Gold Roger but was captured."
"How did he escape?" Astrid asked.
"He cut off his own legs and escaped," said Atali.
Astrid's eyes widened. "He went that far?"
"It is a hellish place where the Navy dumped all the pirates they've ever captured," said Zera. "And none are ever released; they are forced to remain in prison for life."
"You saw how they operate at Enies Lobby. Did you imagine the prisons would be any better?" Hiccup asked.
"Which brings us back to the point," said Atali. "Even if I am able to sneak you into Impel Down, rescuing your brother will be next to an impossible task, even with the two of you. If you could ask your brother, it would be to join your father in his war against the Navy."
"But hundreds of lives could be lost in that conflict, possibly even thousands. I can only imagine how my brother would feel watching the carnage helplessly," said Hiccup. "No, the only way to stop this war is to rescue Ace from the prison."
Atali looked into his eyes and could see his determination. "Could you step outside and give me time to deliberate."
"Okay," said Hiccup.
He and Astrid began to walk out of the room.
"Not you, girl, I wish to talk to you," said Atali.
Astrid paused and looked at Hiccup, who nodded.
Once Hiccup left, all eyes fell upon Astrid.
"What do you want?" Astrid asked.
"I would like to know why you are willing to follow such a foolish man," said Atali.
"He's my captain," said Astrid.
"Your loyalties certainly have, but I have a feeling it goes beyond that," said Atali. "My Love-Love powers combined with my beauty have never failed me before. As you have undoubtedly noticed, I can instantly turn men and women to stone, but Hiccup is the first man ever to overcome my powers."
"And what makes you think I know the reason behind it?" Astrid asked.
"Because I have a suspicion that it is because of you that he was unaffected."
Astrid looked at her, confused. "What?"
"You are incredibly beautiful; it may be because he has strong desires for you that he remained immune to my power."
"Hiccup has never made a move on me; he's always been a perfect gentleman."
"That does not necessarily mean that he does not desire you. After all, it's safe to assume that he does not desire me, as even after he saw me naked, my powers had no effect upon him. At first, I thought it was because he was terrified, but as I watched him fight, I knew he was possibly the bravest man I've ever seen."
"Wait, Hiccup saw you naked?" Astrid stared.
Atali looked at her curiously. "You sound jealous."
Astrid's face immediately turned bright pink. "No, why would I be jealous? I just like to know what he was doing?"
"He was trying to escape our warriors," said Zera. "He crashed into the bathroom where the Snake Princess was bathing."
"Oh, so you're saying it was an accident," said Astrid, looking a little bit more relieved.
"Additionally, never before have I seen someone defining in such a way as him," said Atali. "Normally, I am able to sway anyone, no matter the vile things I may do, even to my own people. Yet he looked disgusted by my actions."
"I'm not surprised; Hiccup has always had a good heart," said Astrid. "Whenever someone is in trouble, he can't help himself to get involved."
"Unusual for a pirate," said Nadia.
"Though it goes a long way to explain his demeanour," said Minden.
"I still would like to know how you have so much power over him that he leads your pirate crew," said Atali.
"I may be able to convince him to do things that he is against, but I would never take control of the crew, and I would hate it if I saw him hurt."
"You care about," said Atali.
"He saved my village; I will always be indebted to him."
"Child, this goes beyond a simple debt," said Zera. "I think it is safe to say that the two of you have feelings for each other."
Astrid's face turned bright pink. "What? No, you're wrong."
"What do you mean by feelings?" Atali asked.
"It's called love," said Zera.
"Love?" Nadia and Minden frowned.
"Look, I admit he's cute, but we are just friends," said Astrid firmly.
"That denial only confirms it," Zera smirked.
"Granny Zera, what do you mean by that it's love?" Nadia asked.
"Yes, why does this love have such power?" Minden asked.
Astrid stared. "Wait, you mean to say that none of you know what love is?"
"As you may have noticed, the Wing Maidens spend most of their time in isolation," said Zera. "As such, we have very little contact with men. Occasionally, a few of our warriors return pregnant, but that is only to fill our ranks. If we had not, our entire civilisation would have died out centuries ago."
"You still have not answered the question," said Atali.
"Look, love is not something that can be easily described, and much on the best person to explain it," said Astrid. "It can be strong and weak, and it suddenly extends to family and friends, not soulmates."
"Soulmates?"
"Look, sometimes one's appearance does come into play, but it all comes down to their personalities," said Astrid. "When I first met Hiccup, I did not want to be with him, but as I got to know him, I realised just how special he is."
Zera nodded. "And that is why Hiccup was able to resist your powers. His love for Astrid here overpowered any desire he may have for you."
Atali nodded. "Bring him back in."
Hiccup was soon brought back into the throne room.
"What's the verdict?" Hiccup asked, looking at Astrid.
"I don't know," she said honestly.
"I have considered your request long and hard and have reached the decision," said Atali. I will assist you in Impel Down."
Nadia and Minden stared at her.
"Are you quite certain, your Highness?" Minden asked.
"You do not need to bow to the World Government just for them," said Nadia.
"I am not," said Atali. "I despise the World Government, and I would never bow the knee to them, but if Hiccup was able to anger them once, he might very well do it again. This is the perfect way to get payback for everything they have done to us; that is the sole reason why I will assist you."
"Thank you," said Hiccup.
"You should give your thanks to Astrid. She was the one who convinced me," said Atali.
"But I didn't say anything?" Astrid frowned.
"But if you fail, I will be forced to fight against your father, and I must keep up my appearances," Atali warned. "I'll offer any kind of assistance I can, but only if you join the fight. Do I make myself plain?"
"Crystal," said Hiccup.
"In that case, I will leave in a few hours. I suggest that you prepare yourselves," Atali advised.
Hiccup and Astrid nodded and left.
Atali then turned to Zera. "Tell me, did you bring them here so I would be forced to follow the World Government's orders?"
"Everything I do is for the safety of our country," said Zera. "Does it matter if you get your payback as you desire?"
"No, I don't suppose it does."
"In any case, he's fortunate that you agreed to assist him," said Zera. "For the only way bring him to enter that dreadful prison was to be brought in in chains just like his brother."
Marcus' ship was still anchored just off the shore of Valkyrie Lily. Then he received a message from Atali on the transponder snail.
"Hello, Marcus," she said.
"Is this Atali Boa?" he asked.
"Yes, and I have decided to honour that little request of yours after all," she said, much to Marcus' surprise. "However, there is one condition that must be met first."
"Yes," he said curiously.
"Naturally, if you can't accept, you might as well turn your boat around and leave," she said.
"All right, and not suspense then, let me hear it," he said.
After hearing her request, Marcus agreed, and the Wing Maidens began to board their ship, and the rest of the village waved them farewell. Though most of the farewells appeared to be aimed at both Hiccup and Astrid.
"I thought they weren't leaving the kingdom until tomorrow, though?"
"I heard there was a last-minute change of plans. They're getting on a Navy ship along with the Snake Princess."
Hiccup waved at Margaret and her friends. "Thanks for everything."
"And again, we're sorry for the trouble," said Astrid.
"It was no problem at all," said Margaret.
"So, are you going to join up with your pirate crew?" Camie asked.
"Eventually, but we have a small task to deal with first," said Astrid.
"We would like to bring them here, but most of our crew are guys," said Hiccup.
"Oh, I'm sure the Snake Princess will make an exception," said Margaret.
"Yeah, she certainly made a lot of exceptions from you so far," Penelope agreed.
Atali then began making her way towards the ship, wearing a long cape.
"We love you, Princess!" the Wing Maidens cried.
"If I was half as sexy as her, I would stay in front of a mirror. She's even more striking than usual."
"I didn't think that was possible."
"She certainly has them eating in the palm of her hand," Astrid sighed.
"Looks like her personality hasn't changed," said Hiccup.
One of the sea snakes lowered his head and lifted her onto the ship.
"I hope the two of you understand what you're about to go through," she said, looking at them. "What you're trying to achieve has never been done before."
"We know," said Astrid.
"And we do appreciate the help," said Hiccup.
"Just remember the plan," said Atali.
"I'm still not comfortable with the plan," said Astrid.
"It is the only way to sneak on board," Hiccup pointed out.
"So long as you remain quiet, everything should be fine," said Atali.
Soon, the gates began to open, and the Razor Wind began to leave the island.
"Have a safe trip, Snake Princess!"
"We'll miss you, Hiccup!"
"Farewell, Astrid!"
"Bye!" Camie waved. "We're serious about you coming back!"
"Indeed, we will await your return with bated breath!" said Penelope.
"Hiccup! Astrid! I hope you get to see your friends!" Margaret yelled.
"Thanks!" Hiccup waved.
"Take care!" Astrid yelled.
Samantha then approached Zera. "Granny Zera, I'm not worried about the Snake Princess reaching the prison unharmed, but how does she manage to bring Hiccup and Astrid with her?"
"Well, it will require some trickery, I can say that much," said Zera. "The two of them together have over 4 million Gil bounty on their heads, and I am certain that the Navy is eager to apprehend them after what happened on Sabaody."
"But she can't very well stow them in the cargo," said Samantha.
Zera smiled. "No need to worry; I thought of an excellent strategy, and our Princess can be quite persuasive."
Marcus was sitting upon the dead Sea King, and since Atali had taken all the provisions, it was his only food source. He stopped eating when he saw the Wing Maiden ship coming about, and Atali stood upon one of the sea snakes.
"You certainly kept us waiting, Empress," he said as he stood up. "In fact, I almost lost hope."
"Can you guarantee that you will honour the promise you made earlier?" she asked.
"I contacted my superiors; as long as we're quick about it, we can stop at Impel Down," he said, jumping onto his ship. "To be clear, only you and only you may board. Unless they're shackled, Pirates are not welcome at the prison, Warlord or not. We will make an exception once, but know this: they will watch you like a hawk."
"You can't intimidate me," said Atali.
Marcus smirked.
"Whatever you do, please try to stay safe," said Nadia.
"Strike down at all those who oppose you, your Highness," said Minden.
"Good luck with the battle against Stoick, Snake Princess!"
"Hiccup, I hope you—" The Wing Maiden quickly covered her mouth.
"I shall return soon," Atali promised. "Guards the kingdom in my absence."
"Of course!" they said.
The sea snake then lowered Atali onto the ship.
"I'm glad I stuck around," said Marcus as she stepped aboard. "I fear that I might have to return to headquarters as a failure. You were adamant in your refusal last time we spoke, so you shall forgive me if I ask what happened to change your mind?"
"Let us say that someone extremely stubborn convinced me to change my mind," she said.
Hiccup and Astrid hid beneath her cape, pressing against her body as firmly as possible. They have to remain perfectly silent, or else they'll be discovered. Atali had to be very careful not to show her back.
"I see, but before we leave now, I ask a small favour of you," he said and turned to the stone statues of his men. "Do you think you can change back my crew members that you turned to stone? Showing up at Navy Headquarters in this… unsightly state would be shameful. They are alive, aren't they?"
"Yes, they're alive, and I can reverse it," she said.
"Good, but I should warn you," said Marcus. "I know you're up to something, and I swear I will get to the bottom of it."
"Would you care to elaborate?" Atali asked.
"Your demeanour is completely different from when I met you before."
"I assure you I have nothing to hide in my body or mind, but if you have any doubt, I would encourage you to search me yourself if you think you are capable."
Marcus just stood there.
"Well then, what shall it be?" Atali asked.
Hiccup and Astrid panicked and remained perfectly silent. You could hear a pin drop as Atali and Marcus looked at one another, but eventually, he relented.
"No, there is no reason to doubt your word," he said. "But I will have to ask you to fix my crew. We can scarcely operate the ship, let alone your little trip to Impel Down."
Atali sighed and approached the stone men. "Awaken!"
She then blew them a kiss, and they instantly returned to normal.
"Atali!" they cried before toppling over.
They picked themselves up and were completely confused, considering it was now the middle of the night.
"Huh? What happened?"
"Get ready for departure!" Marcus barked.
"Yes, sir!" they said.
"Right away!"
The Navy ship then began to move out.
"We'll make a stop at Impel Down before we return to Mainford," Marcus commanded.
At Navy Headquarters, Salem was preparing for the inevitable war with Stoick.
"Fleet Admiral Salem, we have word from Vice-Admiral Marcus!" said a Marine rushing into his office. "Snake Princess Atali Boa came to speak with him again and finally agreed to our conditions. I am told they are on their way now."
"It's about time," said Salem. "Let us just hope they are not late. That woman is quite formidable. Now, we will have six of the Seven Warlords with us. Hawkeye… Kuma Batholomew… Johann Tradesman… Moria Gecko… Drago Bludvist… and Atali Boa. And the seventh, did a little time in prison cool his head? Perhaps he is ready to aid in our fight now."
"No, sir! Just as before, he's adamantly refusing to fight. He went so far as to say that he is willing to relinquish his title of Warlord."
"Given his disposition, I had assumed that he be the most cooperative of the bunch," Salem frowned. "This is not the time to get hung up on principles. We need you, Jinbe."
A Marine officer then suddenly rushed into the office frantically. "Fleet Admiral, sir! I have an announcement; we have a small issue with the 500 Pirates Admiral Kia captured at Sabaody. That is to say, the staff at Impel Down said they can't hold them."
"Send them to a labour camp," Salem ordered. "Frankly, if it doesn't have anything to do with Stoick, I don't have time for it right now."
"I understand, Sir, but Saint Charlie is uh…"
Salem groaned. "Lest the admirals handle it for once, and where the hell is Wrinkly."
"I thought he informed you, sir. He left for Impel Down quite some time ago."
"I guess I shouldn't expect that kind of behaviour from that old bastard, but not before a battle."
Another Marine officer then rushed into the office. "Excuse me, sir! I'm afraid we have a situation. Stoick's ship is advancing."
"I see," said Salem. "I assume the guard ships are on the line. Put them through. I would rather speak to them directly."
"I can't do that; we lost contact, sir, with all 23 Navy vessels keeping tabs on Stoick's main ship, the Skullcrusher. Given the circumstances, we can only conclude that they were eliminated by the enemy."
"Surely not the whole fleet," said Salem stunned.
"There has been some worrying activity from other pirate ships in the New World as well. Without guard ships, we won't know how many ships the enemy is sending or when he's sending them. I'm ordering replacements, but we're in the dark right now."
Salem then slammed his hand on his desk in frustration. "We've been had. I didn't think they would act so quickly. Until new ships are replaced, we're flying blind! As long as Ace is that they may have, they may even have the audacity to strike Impel Down! So be ready for anything!"
"Yes, sir!"
Wrinkly was currently at Impel Down and was making his way down the dark corridors.
"Vice-Admiral, it will be right this way," said one of the guards as he walked by. "Please be careful."
"Sure," he said as he made his way to the cell.
This was the same cell that Ace was currently locked in.
"You're in a right mess, boy, I hate to say it," he said. "You still breathing in there?"
Ace merely looked up at him.