Chapter 5: Chapter Five: Some Changes on the Timeline

"I'm on the second level, with Buggy and Mr. 3."

Su Lin sent a message through the Private Chat Realm.

"I'm coming to meet up with Sanji right away!"

What followed was an uneventful march alongside Buggy and Mr. 3 to rejoin the Straw Hats.

The number of imprisoned inmates was vast; once freed, the beastly guards were utterly useless.

Su Lin moved with the crowd, heading toward Buggy and the others ahead.

A magical artifact, automatically hidden and protective, orbited beside him; it had generated the barrier that blocked several pirates attempting to steal his clothes.

Su Lin then easily knocked out those foolish attackers—let them stay in Impel Down as punishment.

He wasn't ready for all this fighting and killing.

"Where's Magellan?" Su Lin already guessed the answer.

"I knocked him flying." Luffy grinned confidently.

No wonder Ivankov and scissors hands were both here.

Judging by Ivankov's expression, he still hadn't recovered from Luffy's power-up—meaning Magellan's ability couldn't be copied now.

【Library Series - Ability Log】Most abilities used by those present have now been recorded and stored; thanks to Old Man Sand for using his ability even while fleeing—at least now I can become intangible.

By the way, can the stored books be destroyed?

In the spiritual world, Su Lin abandoned the idea of tearing out Ivankov's ability—never mind, it's not a transgender ability, it's just that someone used it to become transgender. Hmm, the ability itself is innocent, the ability itself is innocent.

That big-headed guy was truly an eyesore.

He picked up the book related to the Sand-Sand Fruit, ready to flip it and switch abilities—why not use it now?

Joke's on you—he didn't want to draw Crocodile's attention.

"Straw Hat Boy, is this strange-looking boy your friend?"

"Yes, his name is Su Lin—he's the one who brought me and Sanji here."

"You and Sanji?"

"Ivankov-sama, we'll discuss this later," Sanji said as he ran, handing Su Lin a pocket watch. "He dropped this just now—I barely caught it before it fell!"

"It just fell out and almost dropped—I'm lucky Sanji caught it, haha!" Luffy laughed.

Su Lin's hand trembled as he took the pocket watch, suddenly gripped by dread.

"Do you have any idea that without this watch, we can't go back!"

"Huh? Really? It's that important?!" Luffy's eyes bulged—whether from Nika Fruit aftereffects or not, no one could tell.

A bead of sweat formed on Sanji's forehead—not from exhaustion, but from being terrified by his own captain.

Just now, when Luffy used Gear Fourth and launched into the air with Armament Haki to knock Magellan flying, the watch had fallen from midair—if Sanji hadn't been quick enough...

Ivankov and the others nearby were frozen in stunned silence.

"Mr. 2!"

Su Lin quietly stowed the pocket watch in his item space—how long had he been in this pirate world? These shocks outnumbered everything he'd faced in his entire life: "Mr. 2!"

"You called~?" Franky spun over to Su Lin's side.

"We split up: Sanji joins the main group to seize the warship; I and Luffy assist Mr. 2 in impersonating Magellan to reach the Level 1 power room and have the prison guards open the Gate of Justice."

"Who the hell are you? You've been standing there since the start—I've never seen you before!" Buggy's head floated forward. "Why should I follow your orders?"

"What do you think of my suggestion, Lord Buggy?"

"Uhh... yeah, actually, that's pretty smart. Fine, you go open that Gate of Justice." Buggy's body reassembled and floated upward. "Men! Follow me—we're seizing the Navy warships and escaping this place!"

"Yes! Our savior, Buggy!"

So easy to fool. Everyone thought to themselves.

Mr. 2, disguised as Magellan, carried Luffy and Su Lin to the power room and successfully tricked the guards into opening the Power Gate.

"Let's go then," Luffy clapped his hands.

All surrounding guards had been knocked out; Su Lin hadn't directly fought, but used Sand Eyes to destroy their communication devices, preventing any leaks.

He then switched to the Surgery Fruit's ability.

"Room."

The three arrived at the warship via instant teleportation just in time. Without Magellan's pressure, Sanji didn't summon his close sea king to assist—instead, they boarded like passengers on a cruise liner, orderly and calm.

"Little Franky—"

After boarding, Luffy hugged Mr. 2, laughing and crying.

"What's with this? Luffy-boy, I know you're happy we escaped, but you don't need to cry like this!"

"Thank you, Franky," Sanji placed his hand on Mr. 2's shoulder and said solemnly. "By the way, Lord Su Lin, thank you as well for giving us this chance—history's course will change now."

"I have my own goals too—no need to thank me," Su Lin smiled and waved his hand. "Change... for different people, is it good or bad?"

In the ruins of Level Three, Magellan's finger twitched: "Straw Hat... how did he get this strong? Haki..."

"Haki wrapped around his fist—he didn't even touch me..."

In the ruins, Magellan, slowly recovering, recalled the scene: he had been fighting Ivankov, when suddenly Straw Hat and former Seven Warlords Sanji appeared out of nowhere.

His aura and power—he'd become someone entirely different.

Caught off guard by Straw Hat in that form, he'd briefly passed out—had he been holding back from the start? No, absolutely not.

After carefully reviewing Straw Hat's entire behavior up to now, though many mysteries remained, now was not the time to ponder them.

His senses had mostly returned.

This was no time to rest—he must stop the criminals from escaping.

"Huh?!" Magellan's pupils shrank—the sight through the rubble's cracks made him angrier than being knocked down by Straw Hat: "Shiryu! You bastard!"

The group of Blackbeard, whom he'd knocked out on Level Four, were now traveling alongside former chief warden Rain Shiryu, passing right before the ruins.

"Big Barrel, Evil King, Giant Battleship, and Crescent Moon Hunter."

"Zehahahahaha. What a complete mess." Blackbeard gazed at the ruins ahead: "Looks like someone had a big fight with Magellan here."

Burgess slammed his fists together and laughed wildly: "I really want to have a go at that strong guy, hahaha."

"But at this point, he's probably already been taken care of by Magellan." Shiliew took a drag of his cigarette and blew a smoke ring: "Bad timing. I really want to give the Warden a slash myself."

The group chatted and laughed, strolling leisurely toward the road to LEVEL 2, not noticing the purple-black liquid slowly seeping out of the ruins behind them.