Chapter 34: Message of Hope
In the lowest level of Impel Down, named The Eternal Hell, was a man who refused to go after one Portgas D. Ace. His name was Jinbe. The blue skinned whale shark fish man snarled as the chains holding his body still were tightened as the door to his cell was opened. A guard grinned evilly down upon him before he lifted the heavy club and began to beat the fish man as he pleased. Blood splattered upon the ground as the former warlord refused to scream. As soon as the beating was done, the chains were tightened even more.
"I will not run from you!" Jinbe yelled as the doors slammed shut. "Even if I was free to walk about, you honorless scum."
The guard grinned at him. "No, but your spirit will be crushed before we kill you." He said as he laughed, a chill ran down the older pirates spine.
As the beast guard stomped off, Jinbe groaned. "Can't even scratch to itch." He muttered quietly. His words do not have a sting to them and therefore cannot hurt me. He thought. "What hurts is that I cannot stand up for those who will need me very soon. A war is coming."
"Hahahaha." Laughter sounded from a nearby cell causing the blue whale shark man to look at his neighbor. "War is inevitable."
"Crocodile."Jinbe knew the former warlord was one for revenge. He wondered who would come for the man. "I just regret I won't be able to stop the coming war. I would sacrifice my life if it meant stopping it! They have no idea the kind of destruction Whitebeard will cause to save one of his sons."
"Destruction?" Crocodile asked. "Just be thankful it's only Whitebeard who will be fighting." The sand logia user leaned his head back against the cell wall. "Be thankful that man isn't a part of the war or else all their carefully laid plans would fail."
"Are you talking about red haired?" Jinbe asked only for laughter to fill the floor from Crocodile.
"If only." He answered. "If Mugiwara catches wind of this, I am certain the Marines will fail in killing the Strongest Man alive and his sons."
Jinbe's eyes widened as his jaw dropped. "Kill Whitebeard!?" Jinbe half asked half prayed to be a lie.
"Do you really think you were jailed for standing against the capture and murder of Portgas D. Ace?" The look Jinbe gave told the other man that yes he had. "Ace is only one small fish in a big pond. They want Whitebeard and they'll get their war for it." As silence returned between them, Jinbe was left with his thoughts. Who was this Mugiwara? Yes, he had heard of the young man racing across the seas like Calypso herself was chasing him; but just who was this man, the one Ace called a brother?
As soon as they came to the next level Luffy turned towards Mr. 3. "Since you can't go very far, I have a very special mission for you." He said grinning like an idiot.
Buggy and Bon Clay looked at the strawhat teen. "Why would I do another mission for you?" Mr. 3 asked.
"Because if you don't, then everything will fail!" Luffy exclaimed. "If we fail, we die and so will Ace!"
Mr. 3's eyebrow twitched. "Fine."
"Once I get down to level four, you and Buggy can return up top. As you do, release everyone as you go." He looked at Buggy. "You're a smart guy, I'm certain you can rally everyone in rioting and gain new comrades in helping Ace." He gave Buggy a thumbs up in his confidence in him. He then looked at Bon Clay. "I could use your help though. If you'd stick with me a bit longer, Hancook stated there were people in level 6 that could help me that are super strong, dangerous, but super strong and that they hold a grudge against the government too!"
Bon Clay gave him a smirk. "Of course I'll help you! I'm a loyal friend after all!" He spun in a ballet dance form to show just how serious he was.
"Awesome!" Luffy cried out joyfully. Looking around the level they were now in, he was kind of reminded of Alabasta; as it was a desert. "What's this level called?"
"Third level, Starvation Hell." Buggy said looking around at the cells covered in sand.
Bon Clay grinned. "I was here for a while before a guard touched me and I swapped places with him."
"That's how you ended up in my cell!" Mr. 3 yelled at the cross dresser.
"Maybe." Bon Clay refused to admit that he'd gone looking for other Baroque Works members but only ended up for Mr. 3 by accident.
Luffy suddenly got an idea. "Is there anybody left on this level?"
Bon Clay blinked at him in surprise. "A few." He cocked his head at Luffy's question. "Why?"
Luffy grinned. "Might need them to cause some chaos." He said "Shishishi." He then turned to continue running down the stairs.
Across the sea at Mary Geoise in the Marine base, Fleet Admiral Sengoku growled in frustration. "What do you mean Strawhat Luffy has infiltrated Impel Down!?'
Across the room, Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp choked lightly on the cookie cracker he had in his mouth before slowly turning his head towards his long time friend's words. Damn brat did what?
"Garp!" Sengoku ended the denden call. "Your grandson is causing trouble again!" Garp laughed. "This is serious! He's infiltrated Imprel Down! There hasn't been an escape attempt there in twenty years!" Garp took another bite from his favorite cracker cookie. "As if that's not enough, Portgas D. Ace is missing and nobody can find him in order to arrest the damn brat!" He suddenly grabbed the box of cracker cookies from Garp.
"Hey!" Garp yelled.
"Get off your ass and do something about your grandsons!" Sengoku threw back a few cookies into his mouth.
"Ah! My cookies!" Garp yelled as he ran after his friend. Those damn brats are going to pay. Maybe I've been too lite on them. Time for another fist of love.
Suddenly Jinbe heard new alarms going off. "They're sealing the prison." He wondered what in the world was going on.
"Newbies must be trying to escape." Crocodile mused, he really could use a smoke right now. His hook tapped the cell bars. "They're fools to think they can do so. Nobody has escaped Impel Down in well over twenty years."
Then why do you look hopeful? Jinbe wondered. You know something, don't you? "Hmm?" Jinbe heard the elevator suddenly stop. Boa Hancock stepped out with the jailers walking behind her. "You've always been the empress who never cared about a summons but here you are after the government has summoned you for an illogical war."
She looked down her nose at him as she stepped towards his cell doors, her snake near her to protect her from the sight of the other prisoners. "So, you're the one called Jinbe. Do not snarl at me like a beast." She told him with a snark of her own.
The prisoners began to make catcalls towards her. She gave them a cute look. "Oh so scary." She flirted, if people thought she needed her devil fruit to cause men to act like idiots, they were wrong. Jutting out her chest just a bit, arching her back just right. "You're scaring me." She feigned.
The jailer warden, Magellan was his name, suddenly growled at the men for calling him names and making such noises towards the Empress. "It would seem you all need a reminder as to who is in charge here." He activated his own devil fruit. His body began to change to a dark, crimson-colored as an oozing mist covered his body, his eyes also appeared more sinister as a toxic scent filled the air.
As he began to harm the prisoners, Boa turned quickly towards Jinbe. "A man is come down here. His name is Strawhat Luffy." She told him, even as the screams behind her covered her voice from the other jailers. "He is coming here to release everyone in the prison, but he is truly here to gain help in helping his older brother escape the clutches of the World Government; Portgas D. Ace." She gave him a pleading look. "Help him." She whispered before turning towards the screaming prisoners just as they began to go quiet from fear after watching their fellow prisoners die as the poison from Magellan's devil fruit killed them.
Magellan approached her. "Empress, you may speak freely now." He told her proudly.
"I am done here." She told him no longer needing to speak to the former warlord.
Crocodile looked at Jinbe, after the warden and his people left, he spoke. "What did she say?"
Jinbe began to laugh loudly. "Your worst case scenario has come true." He stated causing the sand logia to raise a brow at him. "Strawhat Luffy is here and he's coming to free everyone in order to help Whitebeard and subsequently his brother; Portgas D. Ace." Wide eyes looked at him with shock as the fish man laughed again. "It would seem fate wants me to continue to fight for justice and freedom a bit longer!" He grinned. "Let's see what Strawhat has in store because I have a feeling it's going to be fun!"
Luffy panted as he continued to climb the stairs. I was going down, but now I'm going up! This place is so confusing! "I'm so hungry too!" He said to himself. Ace better appreciate this! Luffy suddenly felt something ping off his observation haki. Turning he saw gunmen begin shooting at him. Again! He thought as he dodged their nets. "Sea stone infused nets!" He gasped. I didn't think they had those things! He dodged each shot. That was close!
Suddenly a huge sphinx lion beast jumped towards Luffy when a scream echoed out to gain its attention. "You stupid lion! Come get me! I am a stupid worthless pirate hunter!" Luffy's eyes widened when saw Zoro standing there. "Over here!" He suddenly turned around and slapped his ass. "Come and get me!"
"Huh?" Luffy questioned in confusion. That doesn't seem like Zoro. Just then the screams of several dozen men was heard as the prisoners on the level had been let out. Leading the group was Buggy and Mr. 3! "Fooled you!" Zoro's voice changed as Bon Clay jumped down at the beast. "Swan Arabasque!" Bon Clay spun around and used the momentum of the spin to slam his foot into the giant beasts face. The man began to laugh wildly as the group found the snipers of guards and began to beat, kick and bite their way through.
Buggy, who had found a weapon, a giant axe, swung the weapon at a soldiers head before separating his feet from his body. The two limbs jumped up and shot out at different directions a single Buggy Ball. The resulting explosions took out half of the floor which began to crack and crumble beneath everyone's feet. Oh no! Luffy thought as Bon Clay grabbed Luffy and threw him and himself off and away from the quickly dissolving floor.
Buggy groaned. This may have not been my most brilliant of plans. As he and the others fell to the floor below them all, Luffy outstretched his arms wrapping them around Mr. 3 and Buggy all the while the rest of the escapees fell to the next floor. Above them a security denden relayed what had happened to the control center. The guards gasping in shock at the audacity of this young pirate. It was time they told the warden what was happening in order to stop the ensuing chaos.
M-Angel: Hope everyone has a wonderful day! ^_^