Thirty minutes earlier.
In the midst of their swift journey, Jon suddenly halted his steps, his voice was heavy as he spoke, "Wait, I have a bad feeling about this."
Hearing this, Jinbei and Ace also stopped, instinctively turning their gaze towards Jon.
"I can sense it, there's danger waiting for us ahead," Jon said with a serious expression.
Jinbei immediately thought of the formidable figure leading the charge in the city, the "Poison Human" Magellan.
That guy was not easy to deal with.
No.
It should be said, extremely troublesome!
Ace clenched his teeth, urgency in his voice, "At this point, we have no choice but to move forward, right?"
Even if ahead lied a mountain of swords and a sea of flames, we could only grit our teeth and charge through.
Only by facing death head-on could we survive!
In Ace's opinion, being trapped in the "Eternal Hell" was more terrifying than death itself.
"That's true," Jon scratched his brow, "but, we can let someone else scout ahead for us."
With that, he gave Ace and Jinbei a reassuring look and turned to run into the darkness behind them.
Before long, Jon gave a sign to the two.
"Alright, wait a moment," he said.
Ace and Jinbei were puzzled.
Wait? Wait for what?
Just as they were about to ask, they heard a rumbling sound coming from their surroundings.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Seeing the towering figure, Jinbei's pupils contracted slightly. "The Colossal Battleship! Jon, you actually released him!"
"Somebody has to draw the enemy's attention for us," Jon chuckled. "This big guy makes for a good target."
Well, you were really playing with fire, Jon.
Jinbei naturally adhered to the principles of chivalry in his dealings with others. The idea of letting someone else take the brunt of the danger never crossed his mind.
Ace was a straightforward guy. Though he seemed normal now, in his younger days, he was a stubborn and impulsive youth who preferred to solve problems with his fists.
In comparison, Jon's approach seemed a bit 'sneaky.'
Jon: Sneaky? It's called smart!
The giant's steps were massive.
In the blink of an eye, the hungry wolf stupidly ascended the stairs with a grin.
Jon nodded, "Let's observe for a moment, and when the commotion above settles down, we'll go up."
You were really cautious.
No, you were really cunning!
Jinbei and Ace's eyebrows twitched as they listened.
Jon was about to say something when...
Crack!
A fissure appeared in the ceiling above the three.
"Hey, Jon boy! Ace boy! Jinbei!"
A strange voice came from above.
Jon couldn't help but shiver.
Looking up, he was met with a frighteningly large and strange face.
"Oops!"
Jon swore that his punch was totally instinctive.
Ivankov tilted his head, narrowly avoiding Jon's attack.
He grinned widely, "Jon, you've gone too far! I came here to help you guys out of goodwill."
"Uh, Ivankov?"
Jon recognized the person above, his expression showing a hint of embarrassment.
The "Okama King" Ivankov.
A revolutionary army officer, user of the "Horm-Horm Fruit", and a legendary physician.
"Ivankov!"
Jinbei also recognized him, "What do you want?"
"What do I want? Of course, to save you guys!" Ivankov said indignantly. "Magellan is blocking the exit on the sixth floor. Going up there recklessly would be suicide!"
Jinbei fell silent.
Sure enough, when chaos arose in the "Eternal Hell," the Chief Warden of Impel Down wouldn't just sit back and watch.
If they were at sea, he was confident in defeating Magellan, but now...
Jinbei raised his head, "Are you saying you can avoid Magellan?"
"Now is not the time to talk, you guys come up first!" Ivankov threw down a sturdy rope.
The three exchanged glances.
"This guy seems a bit unreliable, what do you think?"
"The reputation of the 'Okama King' is quite good, I've heard of him."
"Ivankov should be trustworthy."
After a brief discussion, Jon and his companions decided to trust Ivankov.
Climbing up the rope, they ascended through the ceiling.
"Jon boy, I've seen everything you've done, oh, so cool," Ivankov said for some reason, showing an unusual interest in Jon.
Jon felt a tingling sensation on his scalp, dryly laughing, "Just some minor skirmishes, nothing worth mentioning."
"No, this is not just some minor skirmishes," Ivankov's eyes twinkled, "Anyone who can cause a ruckus in Impel Down is a world-renowned figure. Once this storm passes, you'll be one of them!"
World-renowned?
Who needs that kind of reputation!
I just want to quickly increase my Legendary Level and return to his world!
Shaking his head, Jon said, "Ivankov, I know about the 5.5th floor of Impel Down and that there are many exits leading to the outside world on that level. If possible, please take me to the 5.5th floor, I have a way to get everyone out."
Originally planning to rely on overwhelming numbers to wear down Magellan, now Jon had a better option with Ivankov's help.
Ivankov looked Jon up and down, smiling strangely as he nodded, "Haha, I knew you were not an ordinary person, Jon boy!"
To be honest, if Ivankov hadn't seen Jon's ability to open doors at will in the hidden surveillance, he would never have gotten involved in this mess.
Off they went!
Under Ivankov's guidance, Jon and his companions encountered no obstacles and soon arrived at the secret exit of the first floor, "Needle Grass."
Entering the first floor, the pressure of the seawater was not as strong, and Ace felt refreshingly comfortable.
Curious, Jon asked, "Ivankov, why are there only four of us? You should have many subordinates, right?"
Since it was a prison break, why not do a favor for the "Okama King."
Ivankov grinned, "My babies have gotten used to life here and aren't too keen on leaving."
Prison (×) Resort (√)
If it weren't for his concern for the Revolutionary Army and those old friends, Ivankov wouldn't want to leave.
Hearing this, Jon didn't insist.
Everyone had their own thoughts.
Anyway, he didn't want to be a Okama, nor did he want to stay in Impel Down.
"In that case, let's go!"
The last mile of the journey is the hardest; just one last effort, Jon naturally refused to let his guard down.
The guards at the exit of the first floor spotted the four obviously unusual prisoners from afar.
Without thinking, they immediately sounded the alarm.
Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Red lights flashed everywhere!
Jon calculated the distance silently in his heart and lightly tapped his fingers.
"Boom!"
The heavy chain gate was lifted all of a sudden.
The prison guards were dumbfounded.
Uh-oh, there's a traitor among us!
"Charge!"
Jinbei took the lead like an unstoppable heavy tank!
Ordinary prison guards were no match for the "First Son of The Sea." They screamed and fell to the ground, unable to get up again.