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Marineford:
"Goodness! Level 5.5?! From where on earth did this level emerge!?"
"Why am I not informed about it!?"
At that precise moment, every soldier stationed in Marineford was privy to the resonating shock in Sengoku's voice.
His intonation carried a blend of bewilderment and amazement.
"Level 5.5? The prisoners' secret flower garden? What on earth is this?"
"Why is there such a covert location in Impel Down, right under the vigilant gaze of the guards...? The demons my ass! They're just mere prisoners!!"
The sight of the prisoners (pirates) reveling in their time within Impel Down not only fueled Sakazuki's already intense disdain for pirates but also roused his anger towards these peculiar monsters who identified themselves as Okamas!
"This was genuinely unforeseen..." Even Zephyr, no stranger to surprises, found the revelation astonishing.
This was an entirely new level in Impel Down exploited by pirates to evade retribution, a level unbeknownst even to the prison authorities!
How could the Marines not be astounded to witness this staggering truth unfold within the pages of the manga?
"Does such a level not currently exist?" Borsalino pondered...
"Wait... the manga's about to unveil that secretive Level...!"
"The manga has already disclosed a clandestine Level we were oblivious to... are you expecting anything else?" At that moment, Sengoku resumed his customary composure, uttering in an indifferent tone.
He had grown accustomed to anticipating the unexpected within the pages of this One Piece manga.
"The sixth level has been disclosed already... everyone is well aware that the location housing Ace, Jimbei, and Crocodile, the place Hancock ventured to, constitutes the sixth level."
"No need to fret over that anymore."
"More significantly... that rascal Ivankov... he's perilous! What kind of ability allows for the forcible alteration of a person's gender? It's unfathomable!"
The manga volume slipped from Sengoku's grasp upon witnessing Ivankov's extraordinary Paramecia ability!
"Such power exists in this world!" Tsuru was equally taken aback.
"Hahaha! True, the ability to manipulate and internally transform the human body is astounding, but, Tsuru-chan, you're the one immune to shock... can't you turn people into laundry swaying in the wind!?" Zephyr chuckled while offering his commentary on the scene.
"Huh...? My ability cannot be compared to this illogical power! This person can shatter the boundaries between genders completely!"
"There are other abilities capable of the same, nothing truly shocking..." At that moment, an intruder barged into the Fleet Admiral's room.
The imposing figure seized everyone's attention.
"Oh, it's Kong-san... welcome back, please take a seat." Sengoku extended his greetings to the former Fleet Admiral.
Others followed suit, mirroring Sengoku's actions.
"Sengoku, Zephyr... I see you're still relishing the manga as always... well, do not let me intrude, comrades."
The peculiarity lay in his statement while seemingly disregarding the manga book in his hand.
"Ahem... The Five Elders have dispatched me to synchronize with you, comrades, concerning a plan to fortify the Marines through Project Alpha."
Upon hearing this, the expressions on Sengoku's face underwent a transformation. Without delay, he closed the manga volume and declined the presence of those below the rank of Admiral.
...
Fish-Man Island:
"What in the world is happening here? Why are these men dressed in women's clothing?"
"Are there individuals among humans who exhibit such peculiar behavior?"
"Goodness! This huge man has undergone a transformation into a vulnerable woman!"
"The Horu Horu no Mi? What an alarming and fearsome ability!"
"My, oh my! Do such terrifying Paramecia powers truly exist in our world? Could they potentially affect our Fishmen as well?"
"Keep your voice down! I don't want to encounter such a devilish entity in my lifetime!"
A stir of confusion swept through the Fishman readers gathered in the art store as they observed a human man undergoing a gender transformation following the administration of Ivankov's transformative hormones.
"Hold on! Can his hormones be utilized in such a manner? Could they potentially rescue Luffy from Magellan's deadly poison?"
Not too far from the commotion, Little Franky was deeply engrossed in the unfolding narrative. His focus was entirely captured as Luffy made a reappearance; he paid little attention to the man who had been transformed into a woman by Ivankov.
"Ten years? Is Luffy prepared to sacrifice a decade of his life for a mere 3% chance of survival, all for the sake of his brother Ace?" Tom's eyes widened at the scene of Ivankov and Luffy.
"Could this be the unwavering determination of the future Pirate King!?"
"This... must be an excruciatingly painful experience." Iceburg shuddered at the sight of Luffy's internal anatomy being flooded with Ivankov's crucial hormones, encompassing blood, veins, and heart. Luffy's tragic scream triggered a tensing of Iceburg's muscles.
Glancing sideways, Iceburg noticed Franky silently shedding tears at that moment.
"Enduring ten hours of such agony!? Is Magellan's poison truly that potent!?" Kokoro experienced profound fear after witnessing Luffy's suffering depicted in the manga.
She, too, had undergone internal and external transformations in her body, reverting to a youthful state, thanks to a perpetual youth dosage from Rob. However, it caused her no pain; she merely felt a gentle warmth followed by a brief contraction in her body, lasting only a few seconds. The vitality present in the perpetual youth dosage was undeniably immense.
Yet, who could have anticipated that Ivankov's crucial hormones would inflict such intense pain upon Luffy.
Unbeknownst to Kokoro, and indeed to anyone else who had received a perpetual youth dose (Rob's diluted blood), the will of Rob embedded in his blood meant two choices: either accepting the person consuming it or rejecting them, a matter of life and death.
In other words, if Rob's blood accidentally fell into the hands of someone whom Rob did not wish to consume his blood, that individual would suffer agonizing consequences only upon consumption.
...
Back at the Baratie restaurant:
"Luffy was screaming like that for 10 hours!?" Bentham asked in astonishment.
"It's not easy to escape death when you have a close connection to it." Rob said simply.
"Well, that's certainly true... if it weren't for you, I'd be living my last moments now, fulfilling the prophecy of the manga... Now, the World Government and everyone who doesn't know the details are waiting for me to surrender so I can die, haha!" Roger laughed after saying that.
Rob nodded at Roger with a smile before looking towards Bentham, who was watching the scene of Ivankov pleading to save Luffy, who was screaming in pain behind the closed door.
"What do you think? Do you feel his words are not credible?" Rob asked.
"Hm?" Bentham looked at Rob confused.
"Miracles only come to those who never give up, don't underestimate the power of miracles... That's what he said, right?"
"... Yes..."
"So, what do you feel? Is he right, or do you still believe that miracles are real?"
Bentham returned his gaze to the manga and began reading the paragraph where Ivankov explained his ability.
•———•———•———•———•———•
Chapter's Events:
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"He... He... He's gonna die!!! His body is coming apart…!!!"
"No, he's already dying…!!! You're terrible!!! Help him!!! Save Starw-chan!!! Undo the chains and stop the blood…!!"
"... Do something about…"
Bon-chan fell to his knees and began pleading with Ivankov, tears streaming from his eyes like a dam breaking after hearing Luffy's blood-curdling scream.
"SHUT UP!!!" Ivankov, unable to bear it, slapped him again.
"I'm saving him right now!!!" said Ivankov.
"Don't make light of his life!!!"
"Cough!!" Bon-chan coughed from the force of the slap.
But he listened in silence to what Ivankov was saying. "Do you understand what it takes to survive when you're fated to die!!?"
"I'm not a God or a Buddha. Man of miracles!? That's just a name other people decided to call me with… I've never been able to save a fool who only relied on others… Countries that were mired in poverty, Countries that were broken by war and about to collapse… I just called forth their own will to live."
At that moment, Ivankov recalled who he truly was.
"Miracles only come to those who never give up!!"
"Don't underestimate the power of miracles!!!"
After seeing that Bon Clay had finally calmed down, Ivankov began to explain his power: "Basically, I ate the Horu Horu Fruit. I can manipulate hormones."
"Gender, body temperature, pigment, growth, tension!! I'm a human engineer who can remake people from the inside out."
Ivankov sat down, took a barrel of wine, and took a sip. "You do smell like a newkama."
"The candies here have completely surpassed the concept of gender. A man might have originally been a woman…"
He paused for a moment and added, "A woman might have started out as a man. That is a miracle. N~fufufu!! It's a miracle!!!"
"I see…!! You used hormones to change that man into a woman…!!"
Finally, Bon Clay understood what it truly meant.
•———•———•———•———•———•
"So that's it... no miracles exist?"
"No, the Devil Fruit itself is a true miracle," Rob said.
I see, a miracle can't happen if an individual's belief in it is weak, isn't that right?"
"Wahahaha! Finally, you've understood that."
This time, Roger answered instead of Rob.
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 657: Level 6!?
Chapter 658: Shiryu of the Rain.
Chapter 659: Luffy's Escape Death.
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