Chapters · Summit War › Impel Down

Chapter 540: Level 6: Infinite Hell

Arc: Impel Down · Saga: Summit War · Released:

Summary

Luffy, the “Queen-King” Emporio Ivankov, and Inazuma the Revolutionary smash down to Level 6 — “the Infinite Hell” to free Ace, only to find his cell already empty: the guards put Ace on the big elevator moments earlier, bound for Navy Headquarters and his public execution. The prison’s defenders have prepared for the intrusion — the elevator is trapped, the stairways are sealed, and a powerful sleeping gas is pumped across the whole floor. Inazuma reveals his Snip-Snip Fruit, slicing the stone floor like paper and rearranging the slabs to wall off the gas. Reading Ace’s Vivre Card — which now points straight up — the rescuers realize Ace has already been carried to the surface and is likely aboard a ship. Rather than give up, Luffy declares he will follow Ace to Navy HQ itself. From a nearby cell, Sir Crocodile, the deposed Warlord and former Baroque Works boss, offers a deal: free him and he will blast a hole in the ceiling so the group can escape — he wants to join the war and kill Whitebeard, and has “no interest in Alabasta anymore.” Luffy refuses on sight (“you’re the one who messed up Vivi’s country!”), but Ivankov — who knew Crocodile in his early days and gleefully threatens that he knows Crocodile’s weakness — talks Luffy into accepting. A large prisoner who has known Ace for years and opposed the war also begs to come along. As the breakout coalesces, the group is reckoned to have “two Warlords, if you count Crocodile” — closing on the question of who the second, still-unnamed Warlord is.

New reveals

• Inazuma’s Snip-Snip Fruit (Choki Choki no Mi) (pp. 10–11): “He can manipulate anything he cuts like paper! Inazuma ate the Snip-Snip Fruit.” He cuts the solid stone floor of Level 6 like paper and slides the sections to seal off the encroaching sleeping gas.
• Ace already shipped out (pp. 4–6, 12–13): Luffy reaches Ace’s Level 6 cell “a few seconds too late” — Ace has been loaded onto the big elevator and is “on his way to Navy Headquarters,” likely already aboard a ship.
• Level 6 sealed against the intruders (pp. 6–9): the elevator is sabotaged/trapped (“the operation circuit is locked”), the stairs are closed off, and a powerful sleeping gas is flooded across the entire floor to knock out everyone — “they have nowhere to run.” The monitor room reports up to Warden Magellan.
• Ace’s Vivre Card points up (p. 12): used as a directional homing device — “isn’t it pointing straight up?” — confirming Ace is at the top level. (See Ace.)
• Luffy will chase Ace to Navy HQ (pp. 13–14): “I gotta go… to Navy Headquarters!!” — over warnings that Whitebeard, the Admirals, Vice Admirals, and Seven Warlords could each kill him with ease.
• Crocodile is a Level 6 prisoner (pp. 14–15): caption — SIR CROCODILE, FORMER WARLORD OF THE SEA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF BAROQUE WORKS. He offers to break the group out so he can join the war and “kill that old geezer” Whitebeard; “I have no interest in Alabasta anymore.”
• Ivankov knows Crocodile of old (p. 16): “Long time no see, Croc boy… We go way back. I knew him when he was just starting out.” — and threatens, “Mmmhm… I know his weakness!” (Crocodile: “You fiend!!”).
• Ivankov–Dragon tie (p. 14): Ivankov senses in Luffy “the same thing I felt with Dragon!” — implicitly placing Ivankov alongside the Revolutionary leader.
• A second, unnamed Warlord joins (pp. 17–19): a large prisoner who has known Ace “ever since he joined the Whitebeard Pirates,” opposed the war, and wants to save Ace, is freed; the group is now reckoned at “two Warlords… if you count Crocodile” — “Two?! Who’s the other one?”

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Appears: Luffy, Crocodile, Emporio Ivankov, Inazuma, unnamed Level 6 prisoners, and the concealed “second Warlord” — a large Whitebeard-allied prisoner (identity withheld this chapter; cf. Jinbei, established in Ch. 538 as the Level 6 Warlord beside Ace).
• Mentioned / off-page: Ace (shipped to Navy HQ), Whitebeard, Dragon, Vivi (“Vivi’s country”), Magellan (Warden), the Admirals / Vice Admirals, the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
• Groups / crews: Baroque Works, Revolutionary Army, Whitebeard Pirates, Marines.
• Devil Fruits: Choki Choki no Mi (named here), Suna Suna no Mi (Crocodile, implied “with my powers I can get you out of here”).
• Locations: Impel Down (Level 6, “the Infinite Hell”; the big elevator; the monitor room), Marine Headquarters (Ace’s destination).
• Prop: Ace.

Notable panels

• Pages 1–2 (color spread): two-page color title spread — the full Straw Hat crew lounging in a wild, animal-filled jungle (Robin reading, Sanji, Nami, Luffy reclining, Brook, Chopper, Usopp, Franky, plus a bear-like creature, leopard/jaguar, birds, and frogs). Header “LEVEL 6: INFINITE HELL” with the “ONE PIECE” logo; “Chapter 540:” on the facing page. Decorative animal-theme spread; notably depicts the whole crew together while they are canonically scattered post-Sabaody.
• Page 4: Luffy faces Ace’s cell, shouting “ACE!!”; a wine-glass-holding Level 6 prisoner watches from within.
• Page 11: Inazuma’s silhouette mid-cut — the Snip-Snip Fruit slicing and rearranging the stone floor to wall out the gas.
• Page 12: Ace’s Vivre Card lifting and pointing straight up (“TUP…”).
• Page 15: Crocodile reveal panel — striped prison garb, gold hook, cigar; caption naming him former Warlord / former Baroque Works president.
• Page 19 (chapter end): the breakout assembles; “Now we have two Warlords with us, if you count Crocodile.” / “Two?! Who’s the other one?” (DADOOM!!).
• Page 20 (bonus): Voice Actor Question Corner — Usopp’s voice actor, Kappei Yamaguchi (volume-bonus feature, not story content).

Open questions raised

• Who is the second Warlord — the large Whitebeard-allied prisoner — among the breakout group? (Identity withheld this chapter.)
• What exactly is Crocodile’s “weakness” that Ivankov knows from his early days?
• How did Ivankov come to know Dragon, and does he yet realize Luffy is Dragon’s son?
• Can Luffy and the breakout group escape Impel Down and reach Navy Headquarters before Ace’s 3 p.m. execution?