"Ace! I... I...!"
Tears blurred Jiang Lin's vision. Ever since he had been reborn in the world of pirates, what he wanted most was to save Ace. Now Ace stood right in front of him, the warmth of Ace's hand still lingering in his palm, yet he could not choose to take him away.
The grief and despair were enough to suffocate him.
"Jiang Lin, if this is my fate, I accept it! You're strong. I can rest easy knowing you're with Luffy. Go!"
With that, Ace turned and walked toward the door without looking back. His back was resolute, his steps unwavering.
"Jiang Lin, please respect Ace's choice!"
Once Ace began walking, Aokiji passed the unwilling Jiang Lin and went to Magellan's side.
"Hiss..."
A thick white mist billowed out. The door and Magellan, both frozen by Jiang Lin, were freed by Aokiji.
"Let's go!"
Once freed, Magellan withdrew his poisonous mist. He glanced at Jiang Lin's back, then took hold of Ace's Seastone Handcuffs and led him toward the door.
"Wait!"
Just as Ace was about to leave the room, Jiang Lin's low voice came from behind him.
"D! Don't you want to save Ace?"
Magellan's voice rang out beside Ace, angry but edged with fear.
"D! I hope you won't gamble with Ace's life!"
Dense white mist rose from Aokiji's hands. He and Magellan were both beside Ace now. If Jiang Lin made a move, Ace would be the first to suffer.
"I only want to say one thing..." An Ice Path flashed beneath Jiang Lin's feet, carrying him before Ace in an instant.
"Ace! I won't pass that message on to Luffy. I'll bring everyone to save you—at Marineford!"
Jiang Lin turned Ace toward him and pressed their foreheads together, his voice stubborn.
"Jiang Lin! Luffy..."
Tears had already soaked Ace's cheeks. His stubbornness and strength had been nothing but a front he put on for Jiang Lin.
Deep down, Ace wanted to see the people he longed for, but he was also afraid they would come for him. So he buried it all in his heart.
Jiang Lin's words tore through that last pretense.
"Don't worry! I know what you're afraid of. I'll keep him safe. I won't let what happened today happen again. You know what Luffy's like. Even if you tell him not to, he'll go to Marineford."
As Jiang Lin spoke, he turned toward Magellan. The boundless fury in his gaze made Magellan tremble uncontrollably.
"Thank you!"
Ace said nothing more. He turned and walked out of Impel Down into the sunlight.
"Attention! Prepare to fire!"
Outside Impel Down, Vice Admiral Onigumo stood alone on the ship's bow, coldly watching the exit below. Behind him, every Marine Soldier gripped a weapon, ready for his command.
"Get the antidote ready, now. And until Ace has been handed over, do not provoke that man."
Still shaken, Magellan followed behind Ace. After sending a Prison Guard for the antidote, he glanced warily back at Jiang Lin.
Not long after Ace and the others left Impel Down, Jiang Lin slowly emerged. His appearance put everyone aboard the surrounding warships on edge.
"Pirate D has a bounty of six hundred million, one hundred Beli. What's he doing here? Did he come to rescue Ace? Then why hasn't he made a move?"
Vice Admiral Onigumo watched Impel Down's entrance below, puzzled. Once he was sure Jiang Lin showed no sign of attacking, he led his men down the stairs from the warship and approached Ace's group.
"If D makes any suspicious move, open fire!"
That was the absolute order Vice Admiral Onigumo gave his men before leaving the warship.
"Tap... tap... tap!"
Ace walked slowly along the wooden bridge, his footsteps soft and steady. When he reached Vice Admiral Onigumo, he silently raised his head and looked at the sky.
A pure-white seagull flew freely over Impel Down as Ace looked up, giving a faint cry.
"You're a little later than we agreed!"
Onigumo checked his pocket watch, but his eyes kept drifting behind Ace. There, Jiang Lin stood watching everything intently.
"We were delayed. We now hand the serious criminal Portgas D. Ace over to the Marines."
After speaking to Onigumo, Magellan stepped aside to let Ace through.
"Tap... tap!"
Ace trudged toward the Marine Soldiers, then could not help looking back. Near Impel Down's gate, Jiang Lin leaned against the doorway and looked toward him.
Their eyes met across the distance, as though they were making a promise to each other.
"Hurry... I need to get the antidote..."
A Prison Guard carrying the antidote ran up to Impel Down's top floor. Just as he was about to go through the gate, Jiang Lin strode in from outside, his face cold.
"P-Pirate... D!"
The Prison Guard's hands shook as he clutched the antidote. His eyes were full of fear and unease.
"D! Are you going to stand there and watch Ace die?"
Seeing Jiang Lin block the Prison Guard, Aokiji formed four Ice Spears and aimed them at Ace's back from afar.
"If I truly wanted to save him... you couldn't stop me!"
Jiang Lin snatched the antidote from the Prison Guard and rushed to Ace at nearly the speed of light.
"Attack!"
As soon as Jiang Lin approached, the crew aboard Onigumo's ship opened fire. More than a dozen black cannonballs shot from the warship toward the bridge.
"What a reckless thing to do!"
Magellan glanced at the cannonballs overhead and hurried toward Impel Down. With his powers, falling into the sea would be disastrous.
The other Prison Guards made exactly the same choice when the cannonballs came.
Under the barrage, only Jiang Lin, Ace, Aokiji, and Onigumo remained on the bridge.
"Ace! This is your last chance... before you go to Marineford!"
Ignoring the cannonballs, Jiang Lin lifted Ace's arm and slowly injected the antidote into him.
A chance!
Ace looked around. The Marine warships surrounding Impel Down were rapidly closing in on them.
"Attack! Keep firing!"
Shouts mingled with the thunder of cannon fire. In an instant, the waters around Impel Down became a sea of cannonballs.
"I said... you're too loud! Can't you see we're trying to... talk?"
Jiang Lin's furious voice rang out from the bridge beneath the incoming cannonballs. Then dazzling ice spread outward from him, freezing everything it touched!
"Ice Age!"
At his sharp cry, the waters around Impel Down fell silent.