Chapter 482: A Secret Layer Beneath the Prison

“Stand right here. Don’t move.”

While Ivankov wasn’t sure he trusted Ye Fan completely, there was something oddly familiar about the name Karl.

Someone who knows so much about Dragon’s plans… If he isn’t working with Dragon, it’s almost impossible. It couldn’t be an inside job, could it? Just to be safe, a call to Dragon was in order.

Ivankov stepped back, waving a hand. Instantly, armed figures emerged from the jungle on both sides, weapons raised, surrounding Ye Fan.

It was only after taking several dozen steps that Ivankov remembered where he’d heard the name Karl before. Wasn’t that one of the Four Emperors in the New World?

Yet his stride didn’t falter. He kept moving forward with steady resolve, not letting any emotion show on his face.

Only after Ivankov left did Ye Fan finally lift his head to take in the scenery around him. Even tucked between two layers of the prison, the view here was every bit as striking as the world outside.

…

“Ivankov-sama!”

“Ivankov!”

The further Ivankov walked inside, the more people he passed—each one called out warmly to greet him. Without Ivankov and Molly, many of them probably wouldn’t have survived this eternal hell, so their gratitude ran deep.

Ivankov, face grave, just nodded slightly and hurried toward the building deeper within.

“Ivankov, did something happen?”

Giant Molly watched Ivankov’s serious expression, sensing something was off. They’d worked together for years, but Ivankov had never looked like this.

Could something have happened? Or maybe the Navy had discovered Level 5.5?

If that was true, they’d better get ready fast before the Navy took them by surprise.

“Molly, yes, something big’s about to happen. Come with me.”

“Stay sharp. No one is allowed into this room.”

Once Molly had given orders to the guards, he pushed open the door and went inside. Outside, guards surrounded the house in layer after layer, not even a mosquito could slip through.

“Brrrlulu!”

“Moshi moshi? Ivankov here. Calling at a time like this—what’s up?”

Monkey D. Dragon hovered over Lia Island in the East Blue, leading Revolutionary Army soldiers in the assault on Sophia Kingdom.

“Boom boom boom!!!”

Explosions filled the sky as tens of thousands of Revolutionary soldiers, wielding advanced weaponry, pressed their siege against the soldiers of Sophia Kingdom. Though the kingdom had a force of a hundred thousand, under such relentless bombardment they were starting to falter.

“Dragon, I’ve got a strange visitor here named Ye Fan. Says he knows Karl and needs our help. Just wanted to check with you first.”

Dragon paused. What was Karl doing at Impel Down?

He was one of the few who knew Ye Fan was a split soul, an avatar of Karl. But wasn’t he supposed to be the Straw Hat Pirates’ vice-captain?

Impel Down? Was something happening he didn’t know about?

Whoosh!

Dragon caught a cannon shell midair, spun, and threw it back down to earth. “Boom!”

“Ye Fan is one of our top Revolutionary Army commanders. Unless he’s asking you to do something truly dangerous, go ahead and help him.”

“Understood, Dragon!”

Click!

After hanging up, Ivankov glanced over at Molly, who was waiting silently.

“This Ye Fan fellow really is shrouded in mystery.”

Dragon’s words hadn’t fooled him.

He knew every high-ranking officer in the Revolutionary Army—and there had never been anyone named Ye Fan. Given his level of access, he always knew the comings and goings of leaders big and small.

Especially at the upper ranks—there was no one he didn’t recognize. Could Dragon really be secretly grooming new followers on the side?

“Ivankov, what do we do now?”

“Are we really supposed to just trust this Ye Fan guy?”

Molly wasn’t dumb. Even without knowing exactly what was happening, he’d picked up from Ivankov and Dragon’s conversation that someone named Ye Fan had shown up seeking their aid.

And Dragon’s answer meant Ye Fan’s request was something even Dragon couldn’t simply refuse.

“Hehehe, let’s go meet this Ye Fan. If he wants us to risk our lives, we can always refuse.”

Soon, led by two okama escorts, Ye Fan was brought into the room.

“So, Commander, what exactly do you want from us?”

Ye Fan could hear the edge in Ivankov’s voice, but it didn’t bother him. Instead, he looked to the side at the giant, Molly. “You’re not the one who can help me. It’s Molly here that I need.”

“Word is you’re a Devil Fruit user—specifically, the Push-Push Fruit.”

“If we’re talking about a floor made entirely of pure Seastone, how long would it take you to push through a tunnel 150 meters deep?”

Now he was speaking Molly’s language. He paused, thinking back to how long it had taken him to carve out Level 5.5 between the fifth and sixth floors. Doing the math…

“If it’s a straight 150 meters, then I’d need about three days.”

Of course, Molly wasn’t giving away everything. Going all out, he could tunnel a 300-meter Seastone passage in just one day with his Devil Fruit power. But it’s always smart to hold a little something back.

“Good. I won’t ask you to do anything reckless—just that I’ve discovered Impel Down has a hidden seventh floor. I need your help opening a passage between the sixth and seventh levels.”

“Seventh floor?”

“Nani?!”

“How could there be a seventh floor?” Ivankov was floored. After living here for over a decade, he’d never even heard a whisper about a seventh layer in Impel Down.

Ye Fan nodded. “That’s right—Impel Down really does have a seventh floor. From what I can tell, it’s a place where the World Government locks away those it wants the world to forget. We’ll need those people for the battles ahead, so I’m counting on you, Molly.”

“Ivankov, I don’t know how much Dragon told you, but as a Revolutionary, you must sense the world’s about to change. Do what’s best for yourself.”

“Dig straight down 149 meters, then come find me—I’ll be waiting on the fifth floor.”

With that, Ye Fan stood and left Level 5.5, merging back with his clone left behind on the fifth floor, quietly preparing for Luffy’s arrival.

“Is he for real?”

“The way he spoke so confidently, there must be something in Impel Down we’ve never noticed.”

“No clue where he’s getting his info from, though.”

“Well, Dragon already gave the word, so we’d better step up and do our part.”

Molly stood and ordered the guards outside to put the entire Level 5.5 on alert. He then moved to the open field behind the house.

“Push Push!”

With his power unleashed, the ground opened up like a row of toy balls, revealing a five-meter-wide tunnel. Molly quickly vanished into the hole.

“World in flux, huh?”

Ivankov watched Molly’s shadow disappear and stood at the tunnel entrance, lost in thought.