202: The Grim Reaper Descends Upon Eternal Hell

"Rayleigh, do you really need to tell them all this?"

Behind the counter, Shakky exhaled a ring of smoke, her gaze shifting toward the Straw Hat crew. "In the end, Ron will handle this. You guys don't need to get involved. Besides, with your current strength, there's not much you can do anyway."

"But this is Ace we're talking about! How can I just—"

Luffy couldn't help but protest.

"Luffy."

Sabo interrupted him, his voice calm but firm.

He looked directly at Luffy and said seriously, "Ace is your brother… but he's not the brother of your crew. You can't drag them into this danger."

"I understand how badly you want to save Ace. I feel the same way." Sabo placed a reassuring hand on Luffy's shoulder. "When the time comes, I will personally take you to Marineford. But until then… stay calm. Don't act recklessly."

Luffy stared at Sabo, his fists clenched. His heart was still restless, but Sabo's words gradually sank in, steadying his emotions.

"…Alright. I understand."

…

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, six days had passed.

Only three days remained until the public execution of Fire Fist Ace.

The Marines had already begun their preparations—Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals boarded warships, heading toward the various territories of the Seven Warlords of the Sea to summon them for battle.

At present, the Warlords consisted of:

"Knight of the Sea" Jinbe

"Blackbeard" Marshall D. Teach

"Surgeon of Death" Trafalgar D. Water Law

"Pirate Empress" Boa Hancock

Gecko Moria

"Tyrant" Bartholomew Kuma

"Hawk-Eye" Dracule Mihawk

Among them, Jinbe outright refused to participate and was thrown into Impel Down for his defiance.

The remaining six Warlords, however, had all agreed to fight and were now en route to Marineford aboard Marine warships.

Meanwhile, the Marine stronghold itself was bustling with activity—fleets patrolled the waters surrounding Marineford, soldiers were being mobilized, and Impel Down had tightened its security to the highest level.

The world stood on the brink of a storm, and as the day of the execution drew closer, that oppressive tension grew heavier with each passing moment.

…

Impel Down – The Great Underwater Prison

Level 6: Eternal Hell

Deep within the abyss of the world's most feared prison, the space outside one of the cells suddenly twisted.

A dark vortex spiraled into existence, distorting reality itself—until a tall, shadowy figure emerged from within.

Draped in black, a crimson blade strapped to his waist, the young man stood with an air of absolute dominance.

Standing nearly 2.1 meters tall, his long jet-black hair cascaded down his back, framing a face of unearthly beauty.

His piercing, glowing blue eyes radiated a terrifying, otherworldly light—calm, indifferent, yet carrying an unshakable presence.

"So… this is Level 6 of Impel Down… Eternal Hell…"

The voice was smooth yet chilling.

From inside the cells, prisoners bound in Seastone shackles glared at the new arrival. One particularly vicious-looking pirate grabbed the iron bars and barked:

"Oi! Who the hell are you, brat?! How did you get here?!"

His sudden outburst immediately drew the attention of the other prisoners—including Ace and the recently imprisoned Jinbe.

In the darkness of their cells, a dozen monstrous figures stirred, their bloodthirsty eyes gleaming as they turned toward the source of the disturbance.

"What's going on…?"

This was Level 6 of Impel Down—the deepest and most forbidden layer of the world's strongest prison.

The criminals imprisoned here were either deemed too dangerous for the world to even acknowledge their existence or had committed atrocities so unspeakable that the Marines had erased all records of them.

For those thrown into Eternal Hell, there were only two fates—execution or life imprisonment in darkness.

But one thing was certain…

Every single person locked up here was an absolute monster.

The prisoner gripping the bars glared at the young man standing outside his cell.

"You hear me, brat?! Answer me!"

Ron glanced at him indifferently.

Then—

A crushing, immense force descended upon the prisoner like an unstoppable avalanche.

"—!?"

In the span of a single heartbeat, his entire body froze as an unbelievable weight pressed down upon him.

His eyes widened in pure horror as he felt his legs buckle. His knees slammed into the steel floor—his entire body pinned down under an invisible pressure.

"Ah… AHHHHHH!!!"

A shrill, agonized scream ripped from his throat.

The terrifying force continued to intensify, crushing him further—his bones creaked and cracked, blood vessels ruptured, his mouth and eyes leaked blood as if his entire body was being methodically ground into dust.

This wasn't just Haki.

This was a presence so overwhelming that even these hardened criminals—these monsters of the past—felt a primordial fear crawl up their spines.

The prisoner gasped, his breath turning ragged as the pressure threatened to end his life.

"N-No… No! Please—!!"

Tears mixed with blood as he begged.

"Spare me! Please, I beg you—!!"

SPLAT!

The criminal's body was crushed like an insignificant insect under the merciless weight of that terrifying gravity. Flesh and bones were ground into pulp, leaving behind a pool of blood.

Yet, before the blood could splatter onto Ron, an invisible force formed a barrier around him, preventing even a single drop from touching him. Though it was merely an arm's length away, it might as well have been an unbridgeable abyss.

The prisoners in the opposite cells, who had witnessed this scene firsthand, turned pale with terror. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably.

"T-The smell of blood... Who was killed?!"

"What the hell is happening?!"

The brutal execution had completely disrupted the eerie silence of the sixth level—Eternal Hell.

Inside the monitoring room, the sudden blaring of alarms from the surveillance Den Den Mushi alerted Magellan.

"What's going on in Level Six?!"

However, when he tried to check the surveillance feed, he found nothing but a blank screen—completely cut off.

At that very moment, deep inside the darkness of Eternal Hell...

Ron, having disrupted the surveillance with his eye technique, walked leisurely through the grim corridors.

Wherever he passed—

The prisoners, infamous for their heinous crimes, let out agonized screams before being crushed into a mass of blood and bones by an incomprehensible force.

The entire level reeked of an overwhelming scent of blood.

Inside their cells, Ace and Jinbe stared into the darkness, cold sweat rolling down their foreheads.

"What the hell is happening out there?"

They could feel it.

An unfathomable force was approaching, its presence drowning out all other sounds except for the despairing cries of prisoners being slaughtered.

It was as if a grim reaper had descended into Eternal Hell, harvesting the lives of sinners without mercy.

Before long—

A deathly silence enveloped the entire level.

Not a single voice remained.

Only the thick, pungent scent of blood lingered, spreading further and further...

The sound of slow, deliberate footsteps echoed in the stillness.

Ace and Jinbe swallowed hard, their hearts pounding as a figure emerged from the darkness.

Tall and elegant, dressed in black, his body remained spotless despite the carnage he had left behind.

Stopping before the deepest cell, the man looked through the iron bars and smiled.

"Yo, Ace."

Ace's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

"R-Ron?!!"

Jinbe was equally stunned, staring at the man before him in shock.

This man... was he truly the legendary traveler, Ron?!

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

Ace couldn't suppress his shock and blurted out the question.

Ron simply smiled and said, "Don't worry about it. I just came to check on you."

He observed Ace carefully and then added, "You don't seem to have lost much weight. Looks like you're being fed well."

"Has the old man Garp been here to see you?"

Ace nodded, his expression turning complicated.

"I see..." Ron muttered before suddenly changing the subject. "Did he tell you about what's happening outside?"

Ace nodded again, but then he suddenly realized something. His expression changed as he hurriedly said, "Since you're here, then hurry up and get me out of here! Take off these damn Seastone shackles—I need to stop Pops and the others!"

Jinbe's eyes also lit up with hope. He turned to Ron and said earnestly, "If we free Ace now, we might still have a chance to stop this war."

"Stop this war?"

Ron chuckled upon hearing those words.

"I'm afraid that's not what I came here for."

Both Ace and Jinbe were caught off guard.

"What... did you just say?"

Ron's glowing blue eyes locked onto the two men before him, his tone indifferent.

"This war is necessary for me. So I won't stop it. Ace, I will save you—but not yet."

Ace stared at Ron in complete disbelief.

"You... what are you talking about?"

Ron then turned his gaze to Jinbe, his expression calm yet commanding.

"I came here for you."

He smiled.

"'Knight of the Sea' Jinbe, as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, your strength is considerable. I want you to stand on my side."

Jinbe frowned, unable to comprehend Ron's intentions.

"What do you mean?"

Ace also asked anxiously, "Ron, just what the hell are you planning?!"

Without answering, Ron reached out with both hands and effortlessly pulled apart the steel prison bars, tearing them as if they were made of paper.

Stepping inside, he grabbed Jinbe's arm.

"Let's talk more when we get to Marineford," he said with a grin.

Just then, his observation Haki detected Magellan and the guards arriving at Level Six.

Without hesitation, Ron's eerie blue eyes gleamed as he activated his ability.

The space around him and Jinbe twisted violently.

In an instant—

They vanished.

Leaving behind only Ace, sitting in the destroyed prison cell, completely dumbfounded.

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