Cover
Luffy is flying on a rhinoceros beetle.
Storyline
The opening scene follows up on the events of the previous week. The reader continues to participate in the conversation between Jinbe and Ace. The samurai of the seas explains to the young pirate why he has such sympathy for his captain and his gang.
Although the two cellmates have fought many a fierce battle in the past, the Fishman still has great respect for Whitebeard. It is thanks to Whitebeard that Fish-Man Island is no longer a lawless and trafficked zone as it once was. When the great pirate announced that Fish-Man Island would be part of his territory, no one dared harm the island and its inhabitants.
Jinbe goes on to explain that he didn’t want to imagine a world without Whitebeard because he expected devastating consequences. For this reason, the fish-man wanted to stop the government’s fight at all costs. He adds that no matter how hopeless the current situation may seem, he has not given up hope for a “miracle.
At this point, Crocodile surprisingly intervenes in the conversation between the two. He says that the fact that Whitebeard might actually fall puts him in a state of extreme suspense. This sets off an outcry of like-minded prisoners who are also eager for Whitebeard’s demise or would prefer to finish him off themselves. Crocodile adds that there would be many pirates who were strong, but saw no chance against greats like Gol D. Roger or Whitebeard. He implies at the same time that if Whitebeard were now to give up his life, the way would be clear for those same people.
There is a scene change to the monitor room of Impel Down prison. The guards are on the lookout for Luffy and co. while one is shocked at the exceptional situation on Level 2. One of the guards manages to sight the fugitives, but is displeased to note that the number of fugitives has increased to three now.
The scene then pans to those same three (Luffy, Buggy, and Mr. 3). They are fleeing from a horde of level 2 hellish beasts (including Manticore), which Buggy recalls that the boss of this projectile is also supposed to be a lion-like beast.
As luck would have it, the three run straight into the arms of this beast, and the giant sphinx, the guardian of level 2, stretches out before their eyes. This monster immediately attacks the trio. Luffy and co. fight together against the beast, but most of their attacks don’t show much effect. Mr. 3, however, manages to confuse the Sphinx using a variety of doppelgangers created by his devilish powers. This causes the beast to go into turmoil and trample one wax figure after another, inevitably causing the ground beneath them all to give way and Luffy and co., along with the lion beast, to plummet into the depths – towards the lower level 3.
| Manga volumes | Impel Down Arc (Manga) |
