Katie could clearly sense Ivankov's hostility. Troublesome, he thought to himself. Scissor Man wasn't much of a threat, but Ivankov was a different story. After all, they had once stood by Dragon's side. If it came to a fight, the outcome was far from certain.
Moreover, unless absolutely forced, Katie had no desire to fight them. Scissor Man had saved him, and in the upcoming war, they would technically be allies. There was no need for unnecessary conflict now.
"Hold on. We don't have to fight. And I'd bet that before long, you'll change your mind, abandon this place, and start a prison break. So me leaving a little early won't make a difference."
The response he got was a pair of eyes that clearly said, Are you kidding me? Ivankov wasn't buying it.
"Fine. Straw Hat Luffy—you should know him. His full name is Monkey D. Luffy, born in the East Blue. Grandson of Marine Vice Admiral 'Hero' Garp, and son of Revolutionary Army leader Dragon. The reason he's breaking into Impel Down is to save his brother, 'Fire Fist' Ace."
A flood of information about Luffy spilled from Katie's mouth.
He had no choice. Revealing Luffy's background was the only way to convince them.
Pausing for a moment, Katie locked eyes with Ivankov before continuing calmly.
"I don't know what your purpose here is, but your leader's son is in mortal danger. Are you really going to turn a blind eye?"
The hostility radiating from Ivankov vanished instantly, replaced by shock. That straw-hatted brat is Dragon's son?! Then that means Ace is too!
If that were true, Dragon would undoubtedly take action. His own son was about to be publicly executed—of course Ivankov couldn't just stay here.
Well, assuming Katie's telling the truth.
Of course, Ivankov had misunderstood. Ace was Luffy's brother, but not by blood—and Dragon was not his father. Ace's father was the far more infamous Gol D. Roger. But Kitty wasn't about to correct that misconception. The misunderstanding worked in his favor.
"Why should I believe you?"
Clearly, Katie's word alone wasn't enough.
"You can ask Luffy yourself when he gets here. But I should warn you—he recently ran into Magellan on Level 4. I don't need to spell out what happened. Right now, he's locked up on Level 5. If you want to save him, you'd better hurry. Time isn't on your side."
At this point, Katie relaxed. He'd done all he could. The rest was up to them. Since he couldn't leave yet anyway, he might as well take this chance to rest. Something told him the battles ahead would be brutal, with little room for breaks.
"Lightning, go save the young master!"
Unlike Katie's calm demeanor, Ivankov was anything but composed. They had to act now—better to assume it was true than risk ignoring it. If Katie's words were real, it meant both of Dragon's sons were in mortal danger. And even if it was a lie, the worst outcome was a little wasted effort. The stakes were too high to hesitate.
"On it!"
Without delay, Scissor Man rushed off. The situation had escalated far beyond expectations. His priority now was ensuring Luffy's safety.
Meanwhile, Mr. 2 Bon Clay—disguised as Hannyabal thanks to his Devil Fruit—had finally reached Level 5. There, he found an unconscious Luffy and, with Mr. 3's wax abilities, broke him out of his cell. Now, they were searching for Ivankov.
Perhaps by divine luck, Magellan had just left Level 5 for the deeper Level 6. Had their timing been slightly off, who knows what might have happened?
"KATIE! KATIE! SHOW YOURSELF!"
A furious roar echoed through Level 6 as Magellan stormed back in.
The prisoners watched in surprise. An enraged Magellan was a rare sight, and curiosity burned in their eyes. But none dared speak up—the still-warm corpses of those who had insulted him earlier served as a grim reminder of his brutality.
Well, almost none.
"What's wrong? Can't handle Impel Down without me? Let me out. I can help."
Magellan didn't even glance at the speaker. Instead, he stalked through Level 6, scouring every possible hiding spot with razor-sharp focus.
Once. Twice. Three times.
After searching the entire floor, there was still no sign of Katie.
He had to be somewhere else—somewhere hidden. But where? Magellan had followed him all the way down. There were no blind spots. So where had he gone?
"Give it up. If someone had come here, we'd know. No one understands this place better than the prisoners. Face it—you've been played."
The voice spoke again, utterly fearless.
"Things seem chaotic up there. Sure you don't want to release me? Otherwise, if that guy comes back after you leave… well, I won't be able to do much from in here."
Magellan stared at the familiar figure behind the bars, silent for a long moment.
"Shiryu. You're no longer the warden. Just another prisoner now. You don't get to make demands."
The man speaking was none other than Shiryu of the Rain, former co-warden of Impel Down alongside Magellan. The difference? Shiryu was a bloodthirsty killer who slaughtered prisoners for fun. So Magellan, upholding justice, had locked him away.
"Hmph. I almost forgot—you were the one who put me here. Fine then. I'll just wait. Wait for Ace to be rescued. Wait for you to be stripped of your position. Wait for you to become a prisoner."
His tone shifted—no longer pleading, just cold silence.
Shiryu was calm. Magellan was not.
As much as he hated to admit it, Shiryu was right.
The riots on the upper levels hadn't ended. Among the escaped prisoners was one with the ability to create keys at will. If he wasn't recaptured soon, the chaos would only escalate. Magellan had already been gone too long—he needed to return. But he couldn't just leave Level 6 unguarded.
"...I'll release you. But don't even think about escaping. I caught you once. I can do it again."
Reluctantly, freeing Shiryu became his only option.
Click. Clack.
The cell door opened. The seastone cuffs unlocked. For the first time in years, Shiryu breathed free air.
"Where's my sword?"
His first demand: Shodai Kitetsu, the legendary blade Rain.
"It'll be brought to you. You're in charge of this level now. Remember my warning—no tricks."
Even now, Magellan didn't trust him. But desperate times called for desperate measures.
With one last glare, he left.
Shiryu merely smirked and said nothing.