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•———•———•———•———•———•
Chapter's Events:
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"Come on!!! Straw-chan!!! Cough"
"Don't give up!!!"
"Live!! Straw-chan!!"
Bon-chan stood in front of the closed iron gate, where Luffy was fighting against Magellan's poison, and began shouting with all his might to encourage Luffy.
"Come on!!"
"Don't give up!!"
"Live!!"
...
..
[7 hours later...]
Bon-chan was still screaming with all his might to support Luffy's struggle.
...
[Level 6]
"Ace, I don't know what's with that woman… but you shouldn't believe what she said…"
As he said that, Jimbei was talking about Boa Hancock.
"So you think she came all this way to lie to me!!?" exclaimed Ace.
"…!!" Jimbei didn't know how to respond.
"…!! No, I'm sorry… But Jimbei, that's the kind of brother he is… That's the kind of reckless crap he pulls…!!!"
The expression on Ace's face was painful as he described his younger brother.
"Ever since we were kids… he's always making us worry… That idiot…!!!"
...
[8 hours later...]
"Warden! Warden Magellan, good morning."
Domino seemed in a hurry to get away from this foul-smelling place.
"I'm busy!!" said Magellan from behind the closed doors.
"Then I'll make it quick."
"Portgas D. Ace, on the death row, is set to be transferred."
•———•———•———•———•———•
At the Restaurant Baratie in the East Blue, young Bentham found himself utterly captivated as he gazed in astonishment at the manga pages vividly portraying Luffy's anguish and his persistent screams during the treatment in his valiant struggle against the poison.
His eyelids quivered, and tears welled up once more as he observed the 'Okama,' his counterpart, standing resolutely in front of the iron door.
The Okama passionately began encouraging Luffy to endure even more.
"Is this what a true friend does…?" Bentham pondered, his thoughts flowing unconsciously.
"Indeed… Only a true friend engages in such actions, a loyal friend who desires nothing more than to witness their friend triumph over adversity," Rob responded with a warm smile to Bentham's unspoken question.
"This is truly touching, kid…" Even Roger, usually eloquent, struggled to find adequate words to convey his admiration for Bon-chan's actions.
"He's been at it for hours... tirelessly?" Olvia gasped, her hand instinctively covering her mouth in disbelief.
Suddenly, her expression shifted, and she cast a glance toward Rouge, beside her.
"Ace appears to be extremely concerned about Luffy, doesn't he?" A helpless smile played on Rouge's face.
"Of course, he'd be worried… This is Impel Down, and in Ace's eyes, Luffy remains a recklessly daring younger brother," Roger added, fully comprehending Ace's anxieties.
"That's true… Ace is absolutely certain of Luffy reaching Impel Down… and yet, he also senses that Luffy reaching where he is now is almost like a dream… That's why he's immensely worried and feels a deep sense of guilt for allowing Luffy to bear all these risks for his sake," Rob succinctly explained the entire situation.
"The realization that my son is already enduring this psychological torment adds to my own pain…" Rouge's smile faded.
"The outcome doesn't bode well for both of you… I apologize, but you must come to terms with it; after all, fantasy remains just that – fantasy," Rob reluctantly disclosed a fragment of the truth.
Both Roger and Rouge couldn't shake off an ominous premonition after absorbing this revelation.
...
•———•———•———•———•———•
"Blood..."
Seeing a river of blood seeping from under the iron door, the expression froze on Bon-chan's face.
The cheers came to a halt, and everyone felt a foreboding sense.
"His voice..." Bon Clay exclaimed in horror.
"The pain never stops while they're recovering…!! So if he's stopped screaming and two days haven't passed..." Ivankov perspired.
(It's a pity…!! But twenty hours…!! You fought well!) Ivankov felt regret for Strawhat's fate.
"Straw-chan..." Tears of despair began to flow from Bon-chan's eyes.
Suddenly, the iron gate shook as if a beast were trying to crush it to escape.
The crowd outside was surprised. "Eh..."
"...Eh...?"
"FOOOOOOOOOD!!!" Luffy's thunderous voice echoed as he demanded food.
"Straw-chan!?" Bon-chan couldn't bear the conflicting emotions at this moment; tears of joy burst like a dam.
"Uwoohh!!!"
"Straw-boy!?" The Okama group also got excited.
"It…!!! It can't be!! What's going on here!!?"
"It hasn't even been a full day!!" Ivankov, too, suffered a shock that shook his sound judgment.
•———•———•———•———•———•
Kingdom of Sorbet:
The hearty laughter of Garp echoed through the air as he gleefully absorbed the unfolding events of the latest chapter. "Buwahahahaha! This is my grandson for ya!!" he exclaimed, finding immense joy in the heroic feats of his kin.
"To anyone eagerly anticipating my grandson's demise, I'd like to offer a candid message: Go to hell!"
"Garp-san, your grandson is undeniably the protagonist of the story..." Ivankov remarked, acknowledging the protagonist's pivotal role.
A deep sigh escaped Ivankov as he observed the scene unfolding before him, clearly moved by the camaraderie and familial pride on display.
"Bwahahaha! Who could have fathomed that a weird man like you would extend such tremendous help to my grandson? Fantastic! That's truly great!" Paa!
Garp's exuberance manifested in a hearty slap on Ivankov's back, propelling the latter to collide with the church wall.
Ivankov's head lodged itself into the wall, a comical outcome of the unexpected force.
"Oops… Looks like I got a bit too excited..." Garp's enthusiasm seemed to have exceeded the situation's demands.
Dragon, witnessing this spectacle, couldn't help but smack his forehead in a mix of exasperation and amusement. "You old man, you're hurting my subordinates..."
"Oh? Haven't you made up your mind about whether to have Luffy or not?" Garp's words carried a mischievous undertone as he gazed at his son with a familiar, teasing look.
Dragon felt a tingling sensation on his scalp, a reaction to the sly, predatory expression directed at him. "Who's discussing having or not having children now, old man!? I told you to stop hurting my subordinates!"
"Bwahahaha!! They've brought more food for my grandson! When he recovers, he'll come back to kick that poison guy's butt! After gaining immunity to his toxins, of course!"
Garp's anger flared as he recalled Magellan's ruthless actions that brought his grandson to the brink of death.
...
Impel Down:
"He really survived..."
Magellan's eyes widened in astonishment as Luffy, against the odds, woke up again after being submerged in toxins from head to toe.
"Did you think he would die? Zehahaha! The only one capable of killing this story's protagonist is me..." Teach chuckled with a certain pride, having witnessed Luffy's resilient recovery.
"Is that so? If I was present in this arc instead of being imprisoned on Level 6, Magellan wouldn't have had the chance to fight him because I would have already sliced him into pieces."
"Such chaos wouldn't have happened in Impel Down if I was present..." Shiryu, exhaling smoke from a cigar he obtained after seeing his counterpart in the manga smoking it, commented on the potential order that might have prevailed.
Teach glanced at Shiryu and then at the Demonic sword on his belt before musing, "Well, maybe your imprisonment on the sixth floor is lucky for the story's protagonist..."
"Indeed, it's his luck... with me in Impel Down, not even a mouse would succeed in sneaking in..." Shiryu declared, emphasizing the security his presence would have brought to the formidable prison.
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 660: The Return…
Chapter 661: Events are going to become more thrilling from now on.
Chapter 662: Depletion and Temporary Adrenaline.
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