Uhe moonless night—
El’s fming aura bzed behind him, marking his exit from "Invincible" defense mode. With his power, speed, and reflexes heightened, he reduced his size to a pact three meters and reached incredible flight speeds.
In moments, he crossed a vast whirlpool current, guided by the Vivre Card. He bypassed the t Gate of Justid, ihan two hours, arrived at his destination.
"Are we here?"
Before him y a vast, calm stretch of water with an isnd at its ter, heavily guarded by dozens of elite navy battleships f an imperable perimeter. Among them were over twenty advanced battleships—exclusive vessels designated for vice admirals of the Navy Headquarters, an impressive show of force.
This was the world’s most secure uer prison—Impel Down.
Alongside Enies Lobby and Navy Headquarters, it formed one of the three major strongholds of the Wover, ected by immense, swirling sea currents. In the event of an invasion, backup from the Navy Headquarters could arrive quickly through these powerful currents.
"Air Door!"
At El’s and, Uthan activated his Devil Fruit ability from within Mirror World, opening an air door.
The two stepped seamlessly from Mirror World across the open o, infiltrating Impel Down and emerging in a hidden area on the prison’s surface.
Uthan took a moment to catch his breath, then opened another air door, leading them deeper ihey bypassed multiple levels: the first-level Crimson Hell, the sed-level Wild Beast Hell, the third-level Starvation Hell, the fourth-level Bzing Hell, and finally desded to the frigid fifth level—Freezing Hell.
“Brrr…”
In the icy wastend, the two figures materialized, Uthan shivering untrolbly ireme cold.
“Look at you…”
El shot him a disapproving gre. As a Lunariahrived in harsh enviros and, with his immerength, felt no disfort in the freezing temperatures.
Raising his right hand, he ignited a bright fme mid-air, casting a warm glow around them. Uthan instantly felt a wave of relief.
"Thanks, Boss El. Is there really a Level 5.5 down here?”
Huddling closer to the fire’s warmth, Uthan looked around. “Even the Den Den Mushi are frozen solid here… makes things easier for us!”
"Yes, I sense several life forms still holding out—they must be the inmates who mao escape to Level 5.5." El took out a small mirror.
The mirror shimmered and expanded, and from it emerged Sally, Moss, Ryan, Barry, and Gerd, who had been waiting in the Mirror World.
"It really is freezing here..."
"So, this is Level 5—the Freezing Hell of Impel Down?”
“Prometheus, time for you to do your part…”
At Gerd’s side, the homie sun Prometheus took on his battle form, radiati like a massive furnace, bringing mueeded warmth to the group.
"El, I’d guess a good number of the prisoners here are already frozen to death…” Gerd said, gng at a nearby frozen cell where the lifeless remains of a prisoner y stiff and encased in ice.
"Some are barely ging to life," El replied with a shrug. His formidable Observation Haki picked up faint life signals as he led the way. “No rush; let’s find a safe spot first.”
They soon reached an area covered in thick id snow. Using his heightened senses, El pinpoihe location directly above Level 5.5, estimating it was about thirty to forty meters below.
After receiving El’s nod, Uthan activated his ability, opening an air door in the ground. They stepped through, passing through yers of frozeh.
In the dim underground Level 5.5—
A portal suddenly opened within a spacious hallway.
"Huh, is there really such a pside Impel Down?" Sally looked around in surprise, noting the scattered footprints on the ground. "It seems like people e and go here often!"
El shrugged. “Decades ago, a Giant with a Push-Push Fruit ability was imprisoned here. They mistook him for a non-Devil Fruit user, but he escaped using his ability and created this 5.5 floor space."
“So that’s what happened!” The group nodded in uanding.
“The Push-Push Fruit?” Gerd raised an eyebrow.
“It lets the user push non-living objects as if they were made of cy, so it’s perfect fging tunnels,” El expined with a smile.
Their arrival quickly drew attention. Several figures dressed as regur citizens—not like typical prisoners—hurried over. When they saw El and his crew, their eyes widened in shock. “You’re…?”
“Whoosh… whoosh…”
El didn’t waste words. His feet smmed into the ground, and enormous vines surged forward, ing up every prisoner in the 5.5 level space.
There weren’t many—just a few dozen. They seemed to be of lower levels, the stro only parable to a Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral.
"These guys seem to be living quite fortably here…” The prisoners, dressed as though they were living freely in society, looked nothing like inmates. Some wore suits and ties, others were smoking, and they all looked well-fed ahy, clearly not suffering from malnutrition.
Moss and the others exged surprised gnces. "It’s like they’re not even in prison."
“I’ll see if any of them are Devil Fruit users.” El calmly grasped the head of the stro-looking prisoner and effortlessly began reading his memories. However, he was soon disappointed—none of the prisoners here had Devil Fruit abilities.
“Dispose of them all and throw the bodies to feed the jail wolves outside,” El anded coolly.
"Leave it to me," Gerd replied, donning her grim reaper mask as she approached the frightened, struggling prisoners.
“Life or Death?”
In mere moments, all their souls were harvested, and the group tinued deeper into the wide, brightly-lit hall, which was well-stocked with food, fruits, and even wine. fortable sofas and chairs filled the room.
"Alright, everyoake a break. It’s been a long day," El stretched, gesturing toward a hallway. "There are plenty of rooms down there, so if you get tired, feel free to grab one a."
"Tomorrow, Sally will acquire the prisoner records from Impel Down. Then, we’ll hunt down the Devil Fruit users first, and only afterward start harvesting the other prisoners’ souls.”
“Anyone worth recruiting,” he added, “ be taken with us if they show potential.”
With his strength, El was fident he could subdue even the most unruly prisoners. However, he wasn’t ied in recruiting just ahough he wasn’t overly strict, he didn’t want unworthy individuals in the Fallen Angels Pirate Crew. After all, he k would take time and strategic growth to challehe immense Wover.
"These guys live so well here, I’m tempted to stay locked up myself!” Uthan plopped down on a sofa, happily mung on a bunch of grapes.
"It’s true. They don’t have to do anything, just sneak around and steal food now and then," Ryan ughed. "What a perfect retirement lifestyle!"
“Ha! Dream on,” Barry sneered. “Impel Down has tens of thousands of prisoners, right? How many of them do you think are as lucky as the few Boss El captured here? You’d probably be tossed into the starvation hell ohird floor or burned alive in the fourth!”
The crew ughed, exging banter as they sat down and rexed.
“El, I…” Sally began to speak, a mischievous smile on her face, but Gerd cut her off, swooping in with a bold move.
“I’m tired, El. Let’s go rest!” Without giving Sally a ce, Gerd firmly took El by the arm and led him down the hall. “See you all in the m!”
“Gerd…” El sighed with a hint of amusement, though he didn’t resist her.
“Zeus, Prometheus… you two keep an eye here. Don’t let Sally sneak in, or you’ll pay for it tomorrow!” Gerd called over her shoulder.
“Yes, Gerd-sama!” Zeus and Prometheus, her loyal homies, promptly took position at the hallway entrance, gring at Sally with a fierce, protective stance.
“Too much, Gerd!” Sally fumed, ready to chase after them. “El isn’t yours alone, you know!”
“Not sharing—too bad!” Gerd stuck out her tongue, smirking as she g to El’s arm. “Try to have a baby with El first, and maybe I’ll resider!”
With that, she whisked El away into the distance.
“Ugh, Gerd! I hope you get exactly what you wish for and end up waddling around with a big belly all the time,” Sally muttered under her breath, frustrated. “Then you’ll be watg from the sidelines!”
Uthan, Barry, Ryan, and Moss all exged nervous gnces, silently wiping away sweat. The battles between the women of the crew were intense, and they’d rather stay out of it.
Bleam
