At this moment, the Revolutionary Army had already stormed into Level 6 of Impel Down. Hannyabal and others lay sprawled in pools of blood—not dead, but severely wounded. The Revolutionaries had spared nothing for this mission. Even if breaking into Impel Down went against their ideology, they were willing to cross that line.
Because to save Luffy and Ivankov... any price was worth it.
"LUFFY!!"
On Level 6, Sabo burst into tears of joy as he saw Luffy, just freed by Ivankov and the others.
"You're… Sabo?!"
Countless childhood memories surged back into Luffy's mind. In that instant, he finally remembered the boy standing before him.
Sabo.
Just like Ace… his brother.
"Sabo... it's been so long!"
Ivankov, too, hadn't seen Sabo in over five years, and the same went for the other Revolutionary members. Now reunited, they exchanged greetings and stories amid the despair of Eternal Hell.
Meanwhile, the prisoners locked in surrounding cells caught sight of the intruders. Shouts and roars echoed across the floor. They knew exactly what this meant—outsiders. Invaders.
Could these people… be their ticket out of here?
Their desire to escape burned hotter than ever—just as it had when Bullet, Crocodile, and Shiryu had escaped before.
The entire Level 6 trembled under the riotous screams of the damned.
"So noisy… trash like you won't be going anywhere."
One of the Revolutionary Army's commanders, Belo Betty, scoffed coldly. Their mission was crystal clear: rescue Ivankov and Luffy, then retreat. No more, no less.
"Alright, time to pull out. Let's move and regroup with Dragon immediately!" Betty barked.
But Luffy suddenly spoke, panic clear in his voice. "Sabo, I have to save Ace! His execution's today… do you remember Ace?"
"Of course I do! And I'm going with you. No matter what!"
Sabo's response was immediate, fierce, and aligned perfectly with Luffy's determination.
"That boy… is he Ace's brother? Luffy, right? I'm Jinbei. Take me with you—I want to go to Marineford to help save Ace."
Soon, Jinbei was freed as well.
With Jinbei explaining his bond with Ace, Luffy and Sabo quickly agreed. They would head to Marineford — together.
The three brothers… none of them would leave the other behind.
After freeing Jinbei, Sabo and the others ignored the other prisoners, heading straight out of Level 6, aiming to reunite with Dragon.
But when Sabo declared that he was heading to Marineford…
Karasu, Betty, and the other commanders were visibly displeased. After all, they had risked everything breaking into Impel Down at this exact time—when the Marine was too tied up with the war preparations to dispatch reinforcements here.
It was a perfect window of opportunity. But now Sabo was suggesting running off to save Ace — Whitebeard's commander. A pirate. This wasn't the Revolutionary Army's business!
Bitter resentment filled the air. Ace belonged to the Whitebeard Pirates. This wasn't their fight.
Of everyone present, only Jinbei, Sabo, Luffy, Ivankov, and Inazuma were determined to head for Marineford. Betty and the other three Army Commanders refused — they had no intention of throwing themselves into the jaws of death.
Facing the full force of the Marine — 100,000 elite soldiers, the Seven Warlords, and all top officers—was suicide. Even the Whitebeard Pirates weren't guaranteed to survive.
For the Revolutionary Army, the smart move was clear: get out of Impel Down intact.
Not charge into Marineford—a place countless times more terrifying than this prison.
Tension was high. Along the way, Sabo nearly came to blows with Betty. As far as she was concerned, participating in this war did nothing for the Revolutionary cause.
But then… as they reached Level 5's main corridor, they ran into someone entirely unexpected.
"Blackbeard…!"
The second Luffy laid eyes on him, rage exploded from his chest.
It was this man—the one who handed Ace over to the World Government. The man responsible for Ace's death sentence.
Blackbeard was the one Ace hated most… perhaps the only person Ace truly hated.
"Luffy... that's him, isn't it?"
Sabo's face twisted with fury. Ace was his brother too. His rage now burned just as fiercely as Luffy's.
"Captain… seems like they're itching for a fight" Jesus Burgess, the Champion of the Blackbeard Pirates, chuckled.
"Zehahahaha…"
Blackbeard laughed darkly. "Just a pair of snot-nosed brats…"
He sneered at them both with utter contempt.
"Luffy, don't be reckless!"
Jinbei grabbed his shoulder. He knew all too well how dangerous Blackbeard was — the scar on Shanks' face was his doing. That alone was enough to prove his monstrous strength.
But there was no way Luffy would listen now.
"Gear Second!"
With a low snarl, white steam burst from his body as blood rapidly pumped through his veins. In a flash, Luffy vanished from sight.
"Gomu Gomu no… Jet Bazooka!"
Luffy shot forward, launching his fists directly at Blackbeard, suspended a meter above the ground.
"Black Hole..."
Without flinching, Blackbeard raised his right hand, summoning a vortex of pure darkness. The gravitational pull dragged Luffy in mid-attack.
Before anyone could react, Blackbeard caught Luffy and slammed him brutally into the ground. The floor shattered beneath the impact, and Luffy writhed in agony.
The power of the Dark-Dark Fruit… the ability to nullify all Devil Fruit powers.
"You're a hundred years too early to take me on, brat."
With a cruel grin, Blackbeard stomped on Luffy's chest, pinning him mercilessly.
"Luffy!"
Sabo's eyes burned with fury. Watching his brother be brutalized like this—he couldn't hold back. He lunged at Blackbeard without hesitation.
But Blackbeard wasn't just anyone.
The man who scarred a Yonko.
Even without his Devil Fruit, Blackbeard was a powerhouse. And this was two years ago—Sabo wasn't yet strong enough. His power was barely on par with the Supernovas.
Boom!
Blackbeard smashed his fist into Sabo, sending him flying like a ragdoll.
"Zehahahaha! A bunch of little brats! Remember my name... I'm Blackbeard!"
His arrogant laughter echoed through the prison, feeding off the hatred and helplessness of those around him.
Jinbei quickly restrained both Luffy and Sabo. Blackbeard wasn't someone they could face right now. Wasting time fighting him would only lead to disaster.
With one last mocking laugh, Blackbeard turned and walked away.
His destination—Level 6.