"D. Jiang Lin! Luffy! You've grown up! With such a strong friend helping you, I... I... I can finally stop worrying!"
Ace's tears streamed down like a gushing spring. His little brother Luffy had always been his greatest worry. Now that he had seen such a powerful friend as Jiang Lin at Luffy's side, he felt he could leave this world without regrets!
"Ace! I'm here to get you out! Luffy is waiting for you down below! You can't give up on yourself!"
Jiang Lin knew what Ace was thinking. He pointed toward the elevator and shouted at Ace, his voice charged with emotion.
"Stay alive! Only by staying alive can you help Luffy... and make your own dream come true!"
There was so much Jiang Lin wanted to say to Ace, but he had to keep those words buried in his heart for now. Another formidable enemy stood before him—Aokiji.
Boom!
Jiang Lin casually tossed aside Magellan, whose entire body was encased in stone. The dull thud made the already oppressive atmosphere even more unsettling.
"Huff! Huff! Huff!"
Freed from Jiang Lin's grasp, Magellan gasped for breath as he slowly recovered from his petrified state. He wasn't afraid of Jiang Lin's petrification ability, but he was utterly terrified of Jiang Lin himself.
A man so young, so powerful, so charismatic—what kind of terrifying storm would he unleash if he entered the Grand Line?
The mere thought made Magellan's scalp prickle.
"Chief Warden Magellan, take Ace to the warship first. Leave this to me."
Aokiji stared coldly at Jiang Lin. Frost wreathed his hands, and his eyes were filled with wariness.
"No one is leaving today!"
Facing Aokiji, Jiang Lin reached back with his right hand and slapped the wall behind him. Bone-chilling cold surged from his palm, rapidly freezing the entire room.
Thick ice formed behind Jiang Lin, sealing the previously open gates of Impel Down.
"What happened? Why are the gates frozen shut?"
When the warships stationed outside Impel Down saw that the exit had been frozen shut, they immediately contacted the prison through a Den Den Mushi.
"The exact situation is still unknown, but... before the Surveillance Den Den Mushi froze, we saw the rookie Pirate D, with a bounty of 600,000,100 Beli, charge up the elevator shaft to the top floor. After restraining Chief Warden Magellan, he froze the entire room."
Once the call connected, the report from Impel Down sent chills through every Marine Soldier outside, leaving their limbs cold.
"Ace's transfer has been intercepted?"
That thought shattered the composure of every Marine waiting outside. At the Vice Admirals' orders, rows of cannon barrels swung toward Impel Down's exit.
"Fire as soon as the target is confirmed!"
Vice Admiral Onigumo stood on the deck and issued the order, his expression grave.
As the Marines outside prepared for battle, Jiang Lin and Aokiji exchanged a glance on Impel Down's top floor, then dashed to the right. Both were heading for Ace.
The key objective in this battle wasn't Magellan or the Marine warships outside. It was Fire Fist Ace, whose powers were currently suppressed by seastone.
Ice-Ice Fruit (enhanced by the Venom-Venom Fruit, Love-Love Fruit, and Glint-Glint Fruit) loaded. Duration: ten minutes. Cooldown: thirty seconds.
The system's announcement marked the start of the battle.
Jiang Lin planted one hand on the floor, and an Ice Wall shot out from his palm. Yellow light and purple liquid clung to its surface, making it spread like light while corroding everything in its path like a venomous ice serpent.
The Ice Wall, shimmering with an uncanny light, reached Aokiji just as he took his first step.
Its absurd speed had clearly surpassed the speed of sound.
"Haki!"
Faced with an Ice Wall that looked so deadly, even someone as powerful as Aokiji didn't dare touch it with his bare hands. He coated his hands in Armament Haki, bent down, and punched the Ice Wall.
Boom!
A violent rumble rang out alongside the sound of shattering ice, shaking the entire top floor.
"Ace! Let's go!"
While the Ice Wall held Aokiji back, Jiang Lin reached Ace first. He hauled Ace up from where he knelt on one knee and prepared to rush outside.
But at that moment, Magellan, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines, suddenly struck!
"Poison Cloud!"
Pale purple mist poured from Magellan's body and quickly filled the room.
"Ah... ah... ah!"
Overcome by the poisonous mist, Ace had barely stood up before he dropped back to one knee in agony.
"Magellan! You deserve to die!"
Jiang Lin turned furiously toward the doorway. Magellan stood resolutely in front of Impel Down's ice-covered exit, blocking the way. Thick poisonous mist streamed endlessly from his body, filling the room.
"D! You can't take him away. He's already been poisoned. Even if you get him out, he won't survive!"
Magellan's declaration made Jiang Lin slowly release Ace's hand. He knew Magellan had outmaneuvered him, and he knew those words weren't a bluff.
"You deserve to die!"
Jiang Lin glared at Magellan. A blast of freezing air erupted beside him and shot straight toward Magellan at the doorway.
The intense cold froze Magellan's body the moment it touched him. Ice crept upward until even the unidentified creature atop his head was frozen with him at Impel Down's exit.
"Kid! You can't take him away. Hand him over to us. That's the only way he'll live!"
Aokiji regarded Jiang Lin coldly. He knew how terrifying Magellan's poison was. If Jiang Lin insisted on taking Ace away, death would be the only fate awaiting him.
"Ace!"
Jiang Lin looked down at Ace's agonized face beside his feet, torn inside. He was just one step away from getting Ace out. All they had to do was cross those few meters and pass through Impel Down's gates, and they would be free.
But if Jiang Lin did that, Ace would most likely die from the poison.
Without an antidote, Ace would struggle to survive even if he escaped Impel Down.
Do I have to take Ace back? No, that won't work either!
Jiang Lin considered taking Ace back to LV6. Ivankov was there. If he entrusted Ace to Ivankov, perhaps he wouldn't have to worry about the poison.
But even setting aside Aokiji's obstruction, and assuming Jiang Lin could make it back down the stairs to LV6, whether Ace could survive the delay was still a huge question.
"Well? Have you made up your mind? He can't wait that long!"
Aokiji spoke again. He was in no hurry to attack now. As long as Jiang Lin still cared about Ace's life, he would surely hand Ace over of his own accord.
"I... I..."
Jiang Lin's lips trembled, but he couldn't bring himself to say those words.
"I'll go with you. Jiang Lin, pass a message to my little brother. Tell him he must... he must never come to Marineford!"
Ace stubbornly rose to his feet. The poison had already ravaged his body, but his eyes remained as clear as ever. As he shouted with all his strength, the tears on Jiang Lin's face finally began to flow unchecked.