On the Barren Island.
The sounds of steel clashing echoed across the open rocky field.
Zoro was currently locked in a fierce battle with Daz Bones. The two swordsmen exchanged blow after blow, their strength nearly equal. After suffering defeat at Zoro's hands back in Alabasta, Daz Bones had clearly grown stronger.
No longer relying solely on his Dice-Dice fruit ability that turned his body into blades, he now wielded two real swords with deadly precision. His technique had improved significantly, and his fighting spirit burned brighter than ever.
Sparks flew with every collision, blades grinding and recoiling with explosive force. Neither man was holding back. Having both lost previously to powerful Haki users, they now fought not just to test strength, but to awaken something deeper within — the will to unlock Haki. Their shared goal pulsed between each clash, each movement brimming with desire.
A short distance away, another intense duel was taking place. Sanji was sparring against Gin. The two fighters, once fought against each other, now exchanged kicks, punches, and blinding speed in a dynamic battle. Both of them had mastered most of the Rokushiki techniques, and their fight showcased a blend of those abilities with their own unique styles — Sanji's blazing kicks and Gin's savage strength. Their skirmish wasn't out of hostility but mutual growth.
Near the cliffside, Kruz was being trained directly by Friday. The red orb floated steadily, its voice calm and firm as it guided Kruz in mastering the Saku Saku ability. Around them, space tears flickered open and shut in shimmering bursts, as Kruz practiced creating and controlling pocket dimensions with increasing precision.
On the shoreline, the two ships lay anchored — the Silent Orca and the Billions Work. Hibari and Binko were fully engrossed in their ship modification project.
Hibari chose to handle the upgrades on the Silent Orca by himself, meticulously adjusting the propulsion systems and stabilizers needed for aerial travel. Binko, meanwhile, worked diligently on the Numbers Pirates' ship, strengthening the Billions Work to be airworthy.
Not far from the docks, Nojiko, having recently awakened her Observation Haki, was guiding Nami, Mikita, and Kaya. She patiently shared her experiences, describing the feelings and mental state needed to tap into the mysterious sixth sense. The girls listened intently, occasionally interrupting with thoughtful questions, eager to understand the path to awakening Haki themselves.
Elsewhere, Baral the mimic chest was acting as an instructor. Despite his strange form, he proved to be a surprisingly competent teacher. He guided Moris, Chloris, and Marianne in the basics of mantra — another name for Observation Haki. Marianne, accustomed to using color-based hypnosis techniques, found herself adapting quickly, showing promising results.
Zino himself was leading a separate training group: Robin, Alvida, Stev, Usopp, Zala, Bon Clay, Mr. 4, and Drophy. Robin and the main Orca crew showed steady progress in feeling Haki, gradually growing more aware of their surroundings and intent. However, the newcomers struggled to grasp the abstract concepts behind it, though Zino remained patient.
This routine continued steadily for three days. The entire crew was fully immersed in training, repairing, and preparation.
Then came the fourth day.
Everyone woke early, as usual, but something felt off.
"Where's Zino?" Nami asked, glancing around.
"Maybe he flew off to scout the area," Sanji offered, lighting a cigarette.
Both ships were now fully modified, docked on the shore in standby mode. They were ready to depart at any moment. But without their captain, there was no command to move.
Time passed. Morning turned to noon.
"This is weird," Zoro muttered. "Why hasn't he come back yet?"
Just then, Friday hovered into the center of the group, glowing slightly brighter than usual.
"Actually… Zino has already departed for Impel Down."
"What?!" multiple voices cried out in unison.
"Are you serious?!" Alvida grunted. "Why would he go alone? Didn't he say we'd go together?"
"It's not that simple," Friday said. "He asked me to relay a message: all of you are to stand by and prepare."
"Prepare for what?" Gin asked, his brows furrowed.
Friday's voice deepened. "Zino said the Marines and Whitebeard are about to go to war. Ace is the trigger for that war… which means right now, he is more heavily guarded than ever."
...
Impel Down.
The roaring Tarai Current churned the waters around the fortified island, a natural defense mechanism that swept away any unauthorized vessel.
But a certain man had no need for a ship. He was already here.
Monkey D. Zino.
High above the prison, Zino transformed his body into an invisible vortex of air. He became pure wind, his consciousness spreading across the atmosphere with the enhanced reach of his Observation Haki. He moved not with force, but with subtlety, letting the natural air currents guide him downward, a silent whisper in the perpetual gray sky of the Calm Belt.
He slipped past the outer defenses without a single guard noticing. He flowed through a gap in the radar dishes, past the silent Marine sentries on the deck of a patrolling ship, and down toward the fortress itself.
Zino found a small, narrow ventilation shaft near the prison's base. He condensed his form, becoming a focused, cool breeze that wound its way effortlessly through the metal ducts and pipes, deep into the heart of Impel Down.
He navigated the maze of internal systems by sensing the world around him as pressure changes and air density shifts, a method even more precise than sight. He felt the location of every guard, every prisoner, every heartbeat, all cataloged by his enhanced Haki.
He flowed out of a grate on an upper level and reformed silently in a shadowed service corridor. Not a single alarm had sounded. The Den Den Mushi surveillance continued to relay empty hallways to the monitor room, unaware that the target had already bypassed their entire system.
Zino was inside, undetected.
After a while, he reformed from the silent breeze in a utility corridor near Level 3, the floor designated "Starvation Hell." He moved carefully, using his superior Observation Haki as a living map. Ace was deep below, in Level 6, Eternal Hell.
He didn't use the stairs or the main elevators, knowing those were monitored paths. Instead, he relied on his agility, speed, and mastery of Rokushiki's Geppo (Moon Walk) to traverse the prison's internal scaffolding and massive central shaft undetected, phasing into a breeze whenever he needed to slip past a guard's position or a stray camera snail.
The atmosphere grew heavier and more oppressive with each level he descended.
On Level 4: Blazing Hell, it smelled of smoke and searing heat, the floor a pool of boiling blood. Zino shifted his ability to ice element, creating a localized bubble of extreme cold surrounding his body that neutralized the intense environmental heat.
At that same time, he sensed Magellan was here, currently distracted inside his personal toilet, trying to overcome his diarrhea. Zino became a gust of wind, drifting past the Warden without so much as a ripple in the air.
On Level 5: Freezing Hell, it was a contrast to the level above it—a sub-zero wasteland where prisoners froze to death in their cells. Zino didn't feel the cold; he was the cold. He moved through the endless corridors of ice, sensing the terrified prisoners huddling in their cells, their life forces dimming.
He bypassed the main prison entirely and felt the unique cluster of auras that indicated the secret Level 5.5, the Newkama Land, but he continued his descent.
The air in the stairwell leading to the final level was utterly devoid of hope. This was Level 6: Eternal Hell, reserved for those whose crimes were too heinous for the World Government to announce publicly.
Zino used his Observation Haki again, specifically filtering for Ace's unique, strong aura. He found it near the center of the floor, alongside one other powerful presences: Jinbe. As he did that, he also sensed Sir Crocodile in the neighboring cell.
Zino drifted down the final set of stairs. The silence was unnerving, broken only by a low groan from a distant, unseen prisoner. With a wave of his hand, a gust of cold air was aimed at all the Surveillance Den Den Mushi across level 6. Then he approached a bank of heavy, cell doors.
A moment later, he stopped in front of the cell containing the target of his rescue.
Portgas D. Ace sat hunched over, his back on the wall, seemingly dozing. He was heavily shackled in Sea-Prism Stone.
Ace's eyes snapped open. His own Observation Haki had sensed the newcomer—a powerful presence he recognized. He slowly raised his head.
"Zino?"
Ace whispered, the name a mix of surprise and disbelief. He couldn't believe the man he met in the Alabasta desert was actually standing in front of him, in the most secure prison in the world.
"What are you doing here?" he asked slowly. "No, How did you get in here?"
Zino pulled out a small, slightly singed piece of paper from his pocket—the Vivre Card Ace had given him back in Nanohana Port of Alabasta.
"You gave me this in case I want to find you, or if you need my help," Zino said, a faint smile on his face. "Turns out I just needed it to find you in this place."
"Then, how did you get in?"
"I can come and go easily. This prison won't be able to hold me," Zino replied. "So, what are you doing here? Are you on a holiday trip?"
"Tch, stop being sarcastic. I'm being imprisoned here." Ace snorted. "Did you come here just to make fun of me?"
"I've come to rescue you." Zino said.
He then used his ice powers to create a key to the heavy Sea-Prism Stone locks on the cell door. With a careful twist, the lock was opened.
Sitting quietly in the corner of the same cell, Jinbe looked up, eyes wide. The stoic warrior of the sea had remained silent throughout the exchange, unsure if this was friend or foe. Now, seeing the door open and Ace standing, he couldn't believe what he was witnessing.
Zino swung the door open, stepped inside and knelt beside Ace, carefully unlocking each of the shackles that bound his wrists and ankles. Ace flexed his fingers as the cold weight of the Sea-Prism Stone restraints fell away.
As Zino stood again, Ace looked over his shoulder toward Jinbe.
"Can you release him too?" Ace asked. "He's my comrade."
Zino turned to Jinbe, nodding. "Jinbe, former Warlord of the Sea. I've heard of you."
He created another ice key, adjusted for the specific restraints on Jinbe's arms and legs. A few moments later, Jinbe too was free, slowly rising to his feet and rubbing his wrists.
"I owe you my thanks," Jinbe said quietly, his deep voice sincere.
"No need," Zino replied. "You're one of Ace's. So, you are my comrade too."
After that, Zino walked out of the cell alongside Ace and Jinbe.
"So, how exactly do you plan to get us out of here?" Ace asked.
Zino glanced at him with a smirk. "Simple. We cause a riot."
"A riot?" Jinbe frowned. "Are you seriously thinking of releasing the prisoners?"
"Not all of them," Zino replied. "Only those who are worth releasing."
He turned and walked over to the neighboring cell—the one right beside where Ace and Jinbe had been held. Inside, a lone silhouette sat in silence, watching him with sharp eyes.
"We meet again, Crocodile," Zino said, smiling at the man once known as Mr. 0. "I was planning to recruit you… so why did you disappear and end up locked in here?"
Crocodile studied Zino closely. "Didn't those cloaked assassins finish you off back in Rainbase? How are you still alive?"
"They failed," Zino said, his grin widening. "I'm not that easy to kill."
Zino then said without hesitation. "Join me, join my crew."
"And what do I get from joining you?" Crocodile asked, his voice cool and skeptical.
"Freedom," Zino answered simply. "I plan to become a Yonko. If you join me, you can take the position of one of my commanders."
Crocodile's eyes widened slightly. Ace and Jinbe were equally stunned—Zino's ambition wasn't just big, it was colossal.
"…Interesting," Crocodile muttered. "Rather than rot in this frozen cage, I suppose I'd rather take my chances out there."
"Good," Zino nodded.
Without another word, he started working on the cell lock, freeing the former Warlord of the Sea from his confinement.