//------------------------------// // Rescue Ace! – The Ponies on Level Six // Story: My Little Pirates: Set Adrift - Sanji in Equestria // by River Road //------------------------------// Ivankov trotted closer to the three ponies who seemed completely oblivious to everything around them as they shared stories. The Straw Hat was talking the most, showing no signs of his near-death experience, any traces of the tons of food he had just devoured. “Shishishi. It’s great to see you’re safe, Sanji. Did you break into the prison, too?” The Straw Hat asked a blue pegasus in front of him. “Don’t be silly, Straw Hat,” Iva spoke up. “There’s no way he could have–“ “Yeah,” the pegasus said, ignoring him. “One of the Shichibukai helped me get inside. I heard you came here with Boa Hancock?” “EEEHH?” Iva’s jaw dropped. “That’s how you got here?” The other ponies were still ignoring her. “Shishishi. Yeah, she was a little strange at first, but she’s great. Without her I wouldn’t have found out about Ace.” Luffy’s expression got serious. “That’s right, I have to get to Ace!” he shouted, turning to Iva. “Bon said that you’re an important guy here. I need your help to find my brother.” “I already heard about that,” Iva said. “I can tell you where Fire-Fist Ace’s cell is, but I won’t come with you. Inazuma and I are part of the Revolutionary Army. We’re hiding in this secret Level until we get orders from Dragon.” “Dragon?” Luffy tilted his head. “Oh, so you know my dad?” “Yes, your dad was the one who…” He blinked. “EEEHH? Your dad?” “Monkey D. Dragon is my dad,” Luffy replied flatly. “At least that’s what Grandpa told me. I’ve never really met him.” “Dragon mentioned that he had a son, but to think that I would meet him here…” Iva mumbled to himself. He stared at Luffy. “That boy really is a lot like him. Okay,” he said, “I’ve changed my mind. We’re going to help you rescue your brother.” He turned to the crowd of changelings who had been watching the whole conversation. “What do you say?” he shouted. “Do you want to go up and escape from this prison?” Some changelings shouted “Yeah!” while others just nodded their heads excitedly. Iva waited a moment for the crowd to calm down again. “WELL, WE’RE GOING DOWN FIRST! HEE-HAW!” “You got us, Iva-sama!” Iva walked past the crowd and stopped on the other side, turning around. “Alright, everypony!” he announced. “Let’s show them the Okama Way, and don’t forget to smile Where did that come from?” A grey unicorn stallion with a green and yellow mane was frantically looking over the different screens in the room. “What do you mean you’re being attacked?” he screamed into the Den Den Mushi in front of him. “We have four attackers down here, Vice-Warden!” the snail replied. “One of them is the intruder ´Straw Hat Luffy´. He’s accompanied by ´Okama Queen Ivankov´, ´Revolutionary Inazuma´ and a pegasus we weren’t able to identify yet! None of the traps were able to hold them off and they’re just charging through the Gaolers. They’ll enter Level Six soon!” Vice-Warden Hannyabal continued to stare at the snail. This was bad, but it could also be his chance to prove his worth. “Let them through and initiate the Level Six Isolation Protocol,” he said, trying to sound confident. “I will be Warden– I mean, we will trap them on Level Six!” “ACE!” Luffy stood in front of a large cell. Inside a pair of empty, blood-encrusted chains were hanging from the wall. “Is this the right cell?” Iva asked the guard she had picked up on the stairs. “Yes, yes, I’m completely sure!” the guard exclaimed in panic. “This is the cell where Fire-Fist Ace was being held!” “Are you ´Straw Hat Luffy´?” Luffy noticed that there was another pony inside the cell. It didn’t look like a normal pony, though. “How do you know my name?” Luffy asked “There’s no time for that!” the strange pony roared. “They just came to take your brother to Marineford. They used the elevator, if you hurry you can still make it!” The pony pointed towards a large open stone cylinder. Inside it a set of strong ropes disappeared into the ceiling. “Strange, my tail won’t stop twitching…” Iva mumbled to himself. Sanji stepped forward to examine the shaft. “It will be the fastest solution if I fly Luffy up there. It seems big enough.” He looked upwards into the shaft and suddenly jumped away from it. A second later a tablet of spikes the size of the elevator came crashing down, causing the shaft to collapse. “Well, there goes plan A,” Sanji mumbled, examining the rubble. His head shot up when large metal bars smashed down in front of the stairs they had entered through. A faint hissing sounded and a cloud of green gas began to drift through the bars. “Hey! Let us out!” Luffy galloped a few steps towards the barricaded exit before he reached the green smoke and dropped to the ground snoring. “Sleeping gas,” Iva stated. “They’re trying to lock us in here until they can take care of us personally. Can you do something about that gas, Inazuma?” The two-colored pegasus was already at work. His wings had taken on a metallic sheen and he used them to cut through the stone floor like two hot knifes would cut through butter. Whenever he was done with a part of the floor he would lift it up with his wings as if it was a sheet of paper and throw it towards the steel gate in front of the stairs. In less than a minute the stairs were completely sealed off, not letting any of the gas pass into the level. “That was impressive,” Sanji commented, eyeing the other pegasus with interest. “It’s the power of the Choki Choki no Mi,” Inazuma stated flatly. “I’m a scissorman.” “But now we’re trapped down here.” Luffy was already back to consciousness. “I need to follow Ace!” “Even if we had a way to get out of here,” Iva spoke up, “we’d never get to him in time. Fire-Fist is probably already on his way to Marineford.” “Then I’m going to follow him to Marineford!” Luffy was racing across the corridor, looking for another way out. “You can’t be serious, Straw Hat! Whitebeard and his men will be there, and the elite of the Marine on the other side. You wouldn’t stand a chance! Besides,” he added, “it doesn’t matter if we have no way out of here.” “Kuhahaha. It seems that you have quite a problem.” Hooves clacked on stone and a pony stepped up to the bars of his cell. He was a pegasus with a sandy fur coat and a black mane. A visible scar ran across his face right above his nose and his left front leg ended in a golden hook instead of a hoof. His cutie mark showed a cloud of golden sand, outlining a hook. “I didn’t think that there was anything of interest left for me outside of this prison, but I can’t miss a chance to take that old guy’s head.” Sanji stepped closer to examine the stallion. “You look familiar…” “Huh?” Luffy had stopped his running to watch. “Do you know that guy, Sanji?” “I think that’s–“ Sanji began. “Crocodile!” Iva shouted. “I haven’t seen you in a while. I didn’t know you were in here, too.” “Kuhaha. You can thank the Straw Hat for that.” Crocodile gave a dark grin towards Luffy. “But I won’t hold any grudges if you let me out of here.” “Don’t trust him, Iva!” Luffy shouted. “That guy tried to destroy Vivi’s country.” “I’ll have to agree with Luffy,” Sanji added. “That guy is nothing but trouble.” “We don’t have much of a choice,” Iva said. “Besides, I’ve known Croco-Boy back when he was still a rookie, and I know a great weakness of his.” Crocodile cringed at that. “But,” Iva continued, “I’ll keep quiet about it if he is willing to help us out of here.” Inazuma was already working to open the cell door. “If you are really escaping” – everyone turned their heads to the cell that had held Ace captive – “please take me with you!” the seapony inside roared. “I swear that I will do all that I can to help you!” The seapony’s eyes were wide in desperation. “I’ve known Ace for years, since he first joined Whitebeard. He told me stories of his younger brother. I’m only in this prison because I refused to participate in the war!” “Okay,” Luffy replied nonchalantly. “If you’re a friend of Ace we’ll take you along, too.” He turned to the other ponies. “Hey, scissor-guy! Can you help him out of that cell?” “Thank you, Straw Hat!” The seapony bowed his head deeply. “I am indebted to you.” “If you are willing to accept those two into your group –“ out of Crocodile’s open cell trotted another pony “– perhaps you will hear my plea as well.” She was another changeling, her mane a washed out blue. Unlike the changelings on the secret level she had a black unicorn horn and two insect wings folded to the sides of her back. “I am not much of a fighter,” she said, “but I’m sure that I can be of assistance to you.” “Vice-Warden?” Hannyabal stared at the Den Den Mushi in front of him. “What is your status?” “They’re not here.” “What?” “They escaped Level Six through a hole in the wall. As it seems they freed three more prisoners from this level: ´Knight of the Sea´ Jinbe, former Shichibukai ´Sir Crocodile´ and ´Changeling Queen Chrysalis´.” “That is not good. That is really bad!” Hannyabal picked up another Den Den Mushi from the desk. “Warden?” He paused and set the snail back to its place. “No. This is still a chance to prove myself. I can still capture them!” He picked up another one of the snails. “Saldeath, Sadi-chan! Rally all of your troops at Level Four. We’re going to confront them there. I will be Warden– I mean, they will not escape!” “OAHH! Iva-sama, those Vigor Hormones were strong. I can’t stop spinning!” The horde of changelings shivering in the freezing wind of Level Five didn’t pay much attention to the high-strung Mr.2. Right now all of them where focusing their attention on the speech their leader was holding. “…and open as many of the cells as possible,” Iva shouted. “We are going to cause a panic the likes of which this prison has never seen! Let’s start moving, Straw Hat!” “He already went on ahead,” Inazuma stated flatly. “Such a determined spirit! Hee-Haw!” “The execution is planned for three pm. We have about five hours left to reach Marineford and rescue Ace-san.” Jinbe galloped up the stairs to Level Four. Beside him the Changeling Queen and Sanji were trying to keep up with Luffy. Crocodile was already flying further ahead towards the large door leading to Level Four. “Doors mean nothing,” Crocodile said, placing his right hoof on the wood. “I’ll just turn them into dust.” Spreading out from his hoof the door quickly turned into dust as all the moisture was drained from it. The other four ponies stopped next to him as the last pieces of the door fell to the ground. On the other side hundreds of guards were waiting from them, guns ready. Behind them towered a giant Rhinoceros, a giant Koala and a giant Zebra – all standing on their hind legs – as well as a grey Minotaur. Three ponies stood in front of the guards. On the left was a very small, white unicorn stallion with a light beige mane. The pegasus mare on the right had a deep pink fur coat and a blonde mane, and was holding a whip with her wing. The big grey unicorn stallion in the front had a yellow and green mane, and was carrying a pole that had a long blade on each end in his magic aura. “Stop right there, pirates!” the grey unicorn announced. “I will be Ward– I mean, we will not let you go any further!” Luffy stepped forward. “Get out of the way! I’m going to rescue Ace!” The level fell completely silent after his outburst, the guards still keeping their guns aimed at the escapees. The only sound that could be heard was a group of hooves clicking on the stone floor, coming from somewhere on the level. Some of the guards began to look around to spot the source of the sound. “I’d listen to him, you know,” a voice said.