A smile curled at the corners of his lips. Though he had anticipated Ace's agreement, a wave of relief still washed over him when the young man finally nodded.
"Very well, then—you're free!"
With a swift slash, his blade, Breaking the Void, severed every chain binding Ace.
"Thank you, no matter what."
Savoring the long-lost taste of freedom, Ace offered his sincere gratitude to Katie.
A flicker of flame slowly ignited on his fist—without the seastone cuffs suppressing him, his Devil Fruit abilities were finally restored.
"By the way, there's one more thing I need your help with."
Katie hadn't forgotten about the remaining problem: Magellan.
"Name it," Ace replied without hesitation. Having chosen to trust Katie, he wouldn't refuse any request.
"But… could you free Jinbe too? He was only looking out for Pops."
Glancing at the Fishman beside him, Ace couldn't help but plead for leniency.
"Not yet. Releasing him now risks exposing my disguise. Once your brother arrives, he can rescue Jinbe then."
"Alright."
Seeing Katie's firm stance, Ace reluctantly dropped the matter. Still, he was reassured—Jinbe would get his freedom soon enough.
"Let's go. It's time to deal with Magellan."
With those words, Katie led Ace away.
However, the path they took back was entirely different from the one Katie had used earlier. From a bird's-eye view, it would be clear that Katie had now traversed the entirety of Level 6.
By the time they returned to the battlefield's edge, the stats on Katie's system interface had undergone a dramatic transformation.
Both forms of Haki had reached Mastery Level 10. Beyond that, he had acquired several formidable new skills:
Fish-Man Karate (Mastery Lv.10) — from Jinbe.Hero's Spear (Mastery Lv.10) — from the giant Sanjuan Wolf.Berserk Mode (Mastery Lv.10) — from Vasco Shot.
He'd even gained an auxiliary skill: Mechanical Engineering.
These three abilities filled the gaps in Katie's close-combat prowess. Fish-Man Karate, Jinbe's signature technique, spoke for itself in terms of power. The other two were no less impressive.
Hero's Spear, a technique mastered only by the strongest warriors of the Giants, boasted devastating offensive force. Its first known user, Hajrudin of the Giant Warrior Pirates, had once sent a member of the Donquixote Pirates flying with a single strike.
Yet, the one that intrigued Katie the most was Berserk Mode.
According to the system, activating this skill would double his combat power for a short time. Though it couldn't be sustained long and carried severe aftereffects, it was an invaluable trump card for survival.
However, what gave Katie pause was that most of these skills—including his newly enhanced Observation Haki—came from individuals who would later join the Blackbeard Pirates.
For a moment, he even considered eliminating them here and now.
But time was against him, and he wasn't confident he could finish them off quickly. Reluctantly, he let the opportunity pass.
"Let's move. Finish him in one strike!"
Shaking off his thoughts, Katie focused on the battle ahead and gave the signal to attack.
"World Sever!"
Holding nothing back, Katie unleashed his strongest swordsmanship technique. Breaking the Void tore through the air, its edge gleaming with a deadly chill.
Magellan was no longer in the same state as when Katie had left. The venom coating his body had shifted from purple to a sinister, bloody red. Even the stone barriers conjured by Bullet couldn't fully block it.
Clearly, under the combined assault of Rayleigh and Bullet, Magellan had been pushed to his limits—unleashing his ultimate form: the Venom Demon.
"Great Flame Commandment: Flame Emperor!"
A scorching heat erupted as Ace, standing nearby, became completely engulfed in flames.
A towering inferno instantly seized everyone's attention. The massive fireball blazed like a miniature sun, radiating annihilating heat. At its center, Ace stood like a god of fire, sovereign over the flames.
The sudden development stunned all three combatants.
Before Magellan could process Ace's appearance, he faced an unprecedented crisis. The moment Katie and Ace struck, Bullet and Rayleigh also unleashed their full power.
Four cataclysmic attacks descended simultaneously—leaving Magellan no room to evade. His only option was to endure head-on.
"Venom Domain!"
Crimson poison surged violently as Magellan pushed his abilities to the limit, summoning a sea of venom to shield himself.
A moment of eerie stillness—then absolute devastation.
Fire, poison, stone, and sword energy collided and detonated upon impact. The shockwaves rippled across all of Level 6, shaking the very foundations of Impel Down. Even Katie and his allies were sent flying by the backlash.
When the dust settled, a gigantic crater dominated the battlefield. For a moment, Katie couldn't even locate Magellan amidst the wreckage.
"What now? Should we kill him?"
Bullet eyed the unconscious warden, buried in rubble.
"Let him live. We still need his identity for our plans—and this place needs him too."
Though surprised, Bullet didn't argue. He bore no real hatred for Magellan; the man was merely a jailer, not the one who'd imprisoned him.
"Fine, we'll spare him. But he'll taste a prisoner's suffering first."
Bullet wasn't about to let Magellan off unscathed. He slapped seastone cuffs on the warden and bound him in heavy chains—venting a fraction of his lingering frustration.
"Alright, Ace. This matter is settled. You're truly free now. Do as you wish—but remember our deal. No revealing your identity, not even to Luffy. If you seek out Whitebeard, only he can know the truth. Understood?"
With Magellan subdued, Impel Down no longer posed a threat. Ace could leave whenever he pleased.
Ace stared at Katie, his emotions in turmoil. He had yearned for this moment for so long—yet now that it had arrived, he found himself at a loss.
Recognizing Ace's hesitation, Katie offered advice.
"If you're unsure, I suggest you return to the Whitebeard Pirates immediately. They've likely already entered these waters. Inform Whitebeard of my plans—he doesn't know the situation here. Adjust the strategy to minimize casualties."