Impel Down's Sixth Level

"Ace!"

Deep beneath the Navy's Impel Down prison lay the dim, quiet sixth level. But just then, a loud cry shattered the silence of the cell block.

"So it's finally starting!"

In a solitary cell on the sixth level, a prisoner covered in blood had been nailed to the wall with countless spikes. When he heard the cry for Ace, he opened his blood-red eyes, the corners of his mouth lifting into a terrifying smile.

At the same time, as he opened his eyes, a powerful aura rose from him.

"Where's Ace? Isn't he in here?" A young man in a vest and a straw hat soon passed by the cell. He stopped outside a nearby cell and looked inside. Apparently, he couldn't find the person he was looking for, so he turned to the woman behind him, who was dressed as a jailer, and asked in confusion.

"He's right here! I wouldn't remember wrong! Waaaah!" At Luffy's question, the female jailer burst into tears.

"Looks like we're too late. Ace has probably already been taken away!" Just then, a figure stepped forward. One side of the hair on his head was white, the other yellow, like lightning. Holding a glass of red wine, he swirled it as he looked into the cell.

While Luffy and the others were checking the cell, another prisoner inside—a Fish-Man dressed in a red floral shirt, with a huge sun tattooed on his chest—was also studying Luffy from outside. He was none other than Jinbe, the Knight of the Sea and one of the Shichibukai.

"So you really made it to the sixth level! You're Straw Hat Luffy, right? The younger brother Ace is always talking about!" After confirming Luffy's identity, Jinbe called out to him.

"Yeah!"

"Mr. Ace was just taken away. If you go after him now, you might still be able to save him!" Hearing Luffy confirm it, Jinbe spoke quickly, his voice filled with emotion.

"Hey, old man, who are you?" Luffy didn't leave right away after hearing the news. Instead, he asked Jinbe.

"Another incredible big shot!" Ivankov, the King of Okama standing beside Luffy, recognized Jinbe and exclaimed in surprise.

"Go after him! If you're too late, Mr. Ace might be taken out of Impel Down!" Jinbe didn't answer Luffy's question. He urged him to hurry instead.

"Okay! I don't know who you are, but thanks anyway!" Since the man hadn't given his name, Luffy didn't press him. He put his straw hat on and ran back the way he had come.

"Knight of the Sea Jinbe! Why didn't you ask Luffy to get you out?" After Luffy had left, the prisoner in the solitary cell spoke to Jinbe in a hoarse voice.

"It's you! Chen Qiang, the Undying, who's been escaping every day this past month! You're still alive! Though, how could you die so easily?" Jinbe froze when he heard the voice, but quickly recognized its owner and exclaimed in surprise. Then he remembered Chen Qiang's strange ability and relaxed.

Jinbe's surprise was understandable. Chen Qiang had been imprisoned on the sixth level for a month, and yet, during that short time, he had tried to escape every single day.

Every time he escaped, he grew stronger. His ability to withstand any amount of punishment without dying was especially powerful. Apart from Magellan, who could personally knock him out with poison, none of the other jailers could subdue him.

After catching him, the jailers had tried every method they could think of to kill him, but all their attempts had failed. In the end, they had no choice but to restrain him in all sorts of ways.

But without exception, the restraints could only hold him for one night. By the next day, he'd escape from his cell again. In fact, he might have only pretended to be restrained because he wanted to rest for the night; otherwise, he could have broken free in less than an evening.

But for some reason, after escaping every day and keeping Magellan stationed here for a whole month, the man had stopped trying yesterday, when the Empress arrived. The prisoners who had gathered to watch had wondered whether he had finally died and that was why he hadn't come out.

But now it seemed he was clearly still alive. The jailers' method must have worked this time, keeping him completely confined to his cell.

"More than my own safety, I want to save Mr. Ace." Once he realized who the man was, the surprise faded from Jinbe's face. He replied calmly.

"Is that so? I think Luffy will be back to save you soon. With the people he has with him right now, he won't be able to escape Impel Down." In the other cell, Chen Qiang chuckled quietly at Jinbe's words.

"Those of you who want to get out, don't drag us into this!"

"At this rate, the whole sixth level will fill with gas!"

"Help!"

"..."

After Chen Qiang finished speaking, the prisoners throughout the sixth level started shouting, especially those near the exit.

"It seems Straw Hat really has run into some trouble." Hearing the prisoners shouting, Jinbe couldn't help frowning.

"Then what about you, Mr. Chen Qiang? Why are you telling me all this?" After a moment of silence, Jinbe spoke again and asked him.

"Me? Simple. I want to get out!" Asked what he was after, Chen Qiang chuckled softly before stating his goal in a hoarse voice.

"Get out? Then you've come to the wrong person, Mr. Chen Qiang. I'm locked up too. I have no way to get you out." Jinbe shook his head.

"No, no! You can't right now, but when Luffy tries to escape Impel Down, he'll have to free people who can help him. And you, Jinbe, will definitely be one of them, because just like Luffy, you want to save Ace!" Chen Qiang's hoarse voice came again.

"Mr. Chen Qiang, why are you so sure Straw Hat will get me out? And even if I'm freed, why should I let you out?" Jinbe was puzzled by what Chen Qiang had just said.

"Don't you want to save Ace? As for why you should let me out, it's because I think I can help in the battle ahead—maybe even help you save Ace!" Chen Qiang spoke slowly and hoarsely, his voice utterly flat.

"Fine! I promise. If Straw Hat comes back and lets me out, I'll free you. Just don't break your word." Jinbe hesitated for a while before finally replying quietly.

"Heh heh heh! Don't worry. I'll keep my promise, join the war, and help you save Ace!"

Another long silence followed. Then Luffy returned through the passage.

Just as in the story, Luffy freed Crocodile and Jinbe, then prepared to begin their escape.

"Hey, Jinbe! Don't forget what you promised me!"

"I haven't forgotten!" Just then, Jinbe had only just been freed and was stretching his limbs. Hearing Chen Qiang's voice, he answered calmly.

"Huh? What promise?" Luffy was about to ask Crocodile to make a passage upward when he heard Jinbe talking to a prisoner in one of the cells. He looked confused.

"Of course, to let me out so I can help you save your brother, Ace!" Chen Qiang called out again.

"The Undying, Chen Qiang! You really are still alive!" Crocodile had come to the cell door after hearing Chen Qiang's voice. He looked at the man inside.

"Since you're calling me the Undying, how could I die so easily?" Seeing Crocodile at the cell door, Chen Qiang's grin widened.

"Can you really help me save Ace?" Luffy had also come to the cell door. Seeing Chen Qiang, who was pinned to the wall all over with thick spikes, he asked in disbelief.

At that moment, Chen Qiang was pinned in place by spikes, and blood was pouring from his body as if it cost nothing. He looked like he was about to die. Luffy was astonished that someone in such a state could say he would help save Ace.

"So it really is him, the kid who just won't die!" Hearing Crocodile say the name of the prisoner in the cell, Ivankov hurried over to the door in surprise.

"He promised that if we let him out, he'd help save Mr. Ace! I believe he won't go back on his word!" Jinbe spoke up again.

"Okay! Inazuma, please let him out!" Hearing that several of his companions knew Chen Qiang, along with what Jinbe had just said, Luffy quickly made up his mind and turned to Inazuma.

"Got it!" After hearing Luffy, Inazuma glanced at Ivankov. Seeing him nod, he didn't hesitate. He turned both hands into scissors, cut open the cell door, then went to Chen Qiang and snipped off the heads of the spikes embedded in his body one by one.

"Heh heh heh! I'm out again, Hannyabal! Are you ready?"

After Inazuma had snipped off the heads of all the spikes in Chen Qiang's body, Chen Qiang, who had been pinned motionless to the wall, braced his back against it and pulled himself free of the spikes.

Dozens of gaping holes appeared where the spikes had pierced Chen Qiang's body, and blood continued to gush out. But soon, his many wounds healed at an astonishing speed. Within a minute, not a single injury remained.

"That's amazing!"

The changes to Chen Qiang's body all played out before Luffy and the others, leaving Luffy astonished.

"That really is a powerful ability. Even wounds this severe can heal so quickly?" Crocodile remarked with a sigh.

"I hope you won't break your word. Otherwise, I won't let you off." Jinbe wasn't especially surprised by the changes to Chen Qiang's body. Their cells were close together, and he had seen Chen Qiang escape before, so he already knew about his ability. He simply warned him sternly again.

"Heh heh! Don't worry. I don't want to watch Ace die either. How boring the sea would be without him!" Chen Qiang had already stood up. Hearing Jinbe's words, he grinned at him again.