Chapter title page: Chapter 544, "Even Hell's Gates Open." The cover illustration continues Sanji's short focused serial, "Keep Your Cool in Hell, Sanji!" volume 2, "Totally a Maiden." Sanji is dressed like a maiden and runs with a horrified expression while smiling okama pursuers crowd around him, laughing "Daho! Ahahaha!!" The page is a side-story title card rather than part of the Impel Down riot, but it introduces the chapter before the action returns to Level 4.
Sanjiokama pursuers
01
Blackbeard tells Luffy that he only heard later that the person who defeated the former Shichibukai Crocodile was Strawhat Luffy. Teach explains that at the time he was aiming for a spot in the Shichibukai, and the easiest way was to take Luffy's head and prove his strength to the government. He recalls saying, "I'll kill Strawhat Luffy up ahead in Water 7 and give him to the government as a souvenir." The memory cuts to Ace answering, "There's no way I'll let you do that... That's my little brother!!!" Luffy, Crocodile and the others realize Teach's pursuit of Luffy is tied directly to Ace's capture.
Marshall D. TeachLuffyCrocodilePortgas D. AceBlackbeard Pirates
02
Teach says fate was kind to Luffy: Ace had already been chasing him for what he did on Whitebeard's ship, and Ace was Luffy's brother. Once Ace learned Teach meant to kill Luffy, he could not retreat. Teach explains that if Ace let them go, Whitebeard's name would be sullied and Ace's little brother would be killed too. Burgess laughs that Luffy's brother put up a hell of a fight. Laffitte says that now the captain has officially become a Shichibukai, they no longer need Luffy alive. Doc Q coughs that Luffy has amazing luck, while Van Augur says there are no coincidences, only fate.
Marshall D. TeachLuffyPortgas D. AceEdward NewgateJesus BurgessLaffitteDoc QVan Augur
03
Blackbeard taunts Luffy, saying he should go visit Ace's grave and say thanks, because if Ace had not shown up, Luffy would be the dead one. Luffy snaps back, "Then why don't you... try me now!!!" and drives a furious punch into Teach's face. The impact throws Teach back while his crew shouts in alarm. Luffy's rage turns the explanation of Ace's capture into an immediate attack, even though the escape still has no time to spare.
LuffyMarshall D. TeachBlackbeard PiratesPortgas D. Ace
04
The Blackbeard Pirates cry, "Captain!!!" as Teach reels from the blow. Luffy declares, "I won't let Ace die!!!" Blackbeard rises laughing and draws Luffy in with darkness. Luffy begins "Gomu Gomu..." and starts to call out "Jet," but Teach counters with "Kuro-uzu!!!" The black vortex pulls Luffy toward him before the attack can land, showing the dangerous pull of the Yami Yami power.
LuffyMarshall D. TeachBlackbeard PiratesPortgas D. Ace
05
Teach catches Luffy and smashes him down hard into the floor. Bon Clay shouts, "Straw-chan!?" and Crocodile notices the blood, asking how Luffy can be bleeding when he is made of rubber. The attack proves that Blackbeard's darkness can nullify Luffy's Devil Fruit defense on contact. The escape group is shocked because Luffy, who normally shrugs off blunt force, is suddenly hurt like an ordinary person.
LuffyMarshall D. TeachBon ClayCrocodileJimbeiBlackbeard Pirates
06
Luffy tries to continue with "Gomu Gomu," but Jimbei and Crocodile stop him. They shout, "Wait, Luffy!!! Stop!!!" and "You can't right now!! Endure it!!!" Crocodile asks what comes first and tells Luffy to think. Jimbei warns that he does not know exactly what Teach is doing, but right now Teach is strong enough to have beaten Ace. He adds that Blackbeard has been mysterious ever since he was on old man Whitebeard's ship. Their message is blunt: Luffy's anger is justified, but fighting Teach here would waste the chance to reach Ace.
LuffyMarshall D. TeachJimbeiCrocodilePortgas D. AceEdward Newgate
07
Jimbei and Crocodile keep Luffy moving, telling him not to waste time and energy here and that letting his emotions control him will not help Ace escape. Teach admits Luffy is stronger than he expected, saying, "Your haki is stronger than before, too." Crocodile asks Teach why a no-name pirate from Whitebeard's crew who took Crocodile's Shichibukai seat is here instead of answering the summons to Marine Headquarters. Teach says it is all part of his plan, though he has run into some snags, but he sees no need to explain it to Mr. Crocodile.
LuffyMarshall D. TeachJimbeiCrocodilePortgas D. AceEdward NewgateBlackbeard Pirates
08
Crocodile says he is not interested in Teach's plan and adds that Teach has no manners. The exchange is cut off when guards scream that Magellan is here and order everyone to run to Level 3. The Chief Warden's poison surges through the area, forcing both the escapees and Blackbeard's group to react. Ivankov cries out as the page turns the confrontation into another crisis: Magellan has reached the stairs and the boss of hell is now in front of them.
CrocodileMarshall D. TeachMagellanLuffyJimbeiEmporio IvankovImpel Down guardsImpel Down prisoners
09
The guards rejoice that Chief Warden Magellan has arrived, but Ivankov warns Luffy that this is bad. Iva says, "Strawhat boy!! Get going already!! If you get hit with Magellan's poison again, you won't be coming back alive!!!" Prisoners shout to get upstairs to Level 3, noting that the Bazooka Squad is gone and the path is open because they broke through the defenses at the stairs. Blackbeard laughs, "Zehahaha...!! Same here! This panic is perfect for us...!!" Even Magellan's arrival creates the chaos Teach wants.
MagellanEmporio IvankovLuffyMarshall D. TeachImpel Down guardsImpel Down prisoners
10
Another Demon Beast Guard appears, and the prisoners shout that it is Minotaurus. They are shocked because they already defeated him. Crocodile explains that he was revived because he is an awakened Zoan-type ability user, and that abnormal resilience is their strong point. He warns that this is not the time to be afraid of them because the boss of hell is coming quickly; if they waste more time, the other three Demon Beast Guards they defeated before will also be back up. The page raises the pressure by showing that even beaten prison forces can return.
MinotaurusCrocodileLuffyJimbeiImpel Down prisonersImpel Down guardsDemon Beast GuardsMagellan
11
Guards report to Magellan that they have received information Blackbeard appeared at the stairs to Level 3 on this floor. Magellan says Teach should have run into Shiryu and wonders if Shiryu was defeated. In the monitor room, guards panic that the giant video Den Den Mushi has been taken out and the entire prison monitor system is down. They add that all communication lines to Marine Headquarters and the government have been cut and that Impel Down is completely cut off. Shiryu, holding his sword after cutting the lines, warns, "Don't tattle, or Magellan will come here..."
MagellanShiryu of the RainMarshall D. TeachImpel Down guardsDen Den Mushi
12
Hannyabal and the guards receive no response and order someone to confirm the situation. They realize that if Blackbeard has reached this floor, he broke through the gates to Level 2, meaning they are not catching any breaks. One guard says a single rat has turned into a gigantic mess. The scene cuts to Level 2, where prisoners cheer, "Totally totally lucky men!!!" and hail Buggy as their blessed savior, shouting that they are heading out into the sun. The prison's collapse is spreading upward at the same time Luffy is trying to escape from below.
HannyabalImpel Down guardsMarshall D. TeachBuggyMr. 3Level 2 prisoners
13
Luffy turns away from Teach and declares, "I'll definitely save Ace!!!" Teach laughs and says he will not tell Luffy that it is impossible, because nothing is impossible in this world. Luffy asks, "The sky island was real, right?" Teach answers that One Piece is the same and that it definitely exists. He also echoes the phrase "The age of pirate dreams is over...!?" and laughs at anyone who would believe that. In the middle of the prison riot, Teach again speaks like the man from Jaya: cruel, dangerous, and still completely certain that dreams and treasure are real.
LuffyMarshall D. TeachPortgas D. AceBlackbeard PiratesJimbeiCrocodileEmporio Ivankov
14
The escapees keep moving toward Level 3 while Jimbei tells Luffy to forget Teach. Blackbeard calls after everyone, "Look forward to it, you guys!!!" and announces, "In just a few short hours, we'll put on a show that'll shake the entire world!!!" Luffy's group shouts "Onward!!!" and continues up the stairs. Teach's warning hangs behind them: he has not come to Impel Down simply to cause random chaos, and his real plan is about to affect the world outside the prison.
Marshall D. TeachLuffyJimbeiCrocodileEmporio IvankovInazumaBlackbeard PiratesImpel Down prisoners
15
Sadi-chan is tied up and hanging helplessly after Ivankov's attack. She cries, "Nnnn~ Help me!! Chief Warden!!!" and complains that "that okamakov" got her. She says it is humiliating and that there is no point in living if she is not dominating. Guards hurry to get her down. At the same time, Blackbeard's group faces Magellan. Teach laughs, "Zehaha... Are you Magellan...?" The page shifts from the defeated jailer Sadi to the coming clash between the prison's true warden and the intruding pirate crew.
Sadi-chanMagellanMarshall D. TeachBlackbeard PiratesEmporio IvankovImpel Down guards
16
Magellan identifies the intruder as Blackbeard, and Teach answers, "Indeed!!!" Magellan does not negotiate. He unleashes "Hydra!!!" and a huge mass of poison shaped like dragon heads floods over Blackbeard and the Blackbeard Pirates. The attack catches the entire crew in one sweeping strike, showing why Magellan is the prison's chief warden and why even Teach's confidence cannot make Impel Down harmless.
MagellanMarshall D. TeachJesus BurgessLaffitteVan AugurDoc QStrongerBlackbeard Pirates
17
Blackbeard and his crew collapse under the poison. Teach groans, "Oh..." and someone screams, "Gyaaaa, it hurts~ I'm suffering!!!" Magellan says he has no time to hear why Teach came here. He then turns to the battered vice warden and says, "Hannyabal... You stood your ground well...!!" Hannyabal, still conscious on the floor, asks in shock whether this is poison and curses. Magellan's praise confirms that Hannyabal's desperate stand mattered, even though the prison is still falling apart.
MagellanMarshall D. TeachBlackbeard PiratesHannyabal
18
Hannyabal, badly wounded, tells Magellan, "Vice Warden!! I'll take care of the rest. Don't die on me." Magellan answers him with stern praise: "You are the only successor I have!!!" From the crowd above, Luffy suddenly hears a loud voice calling "Strawhat!!!" Prisoners panic, asking who that is and whether it is Magellan's voice. Luffy recognizes it as "the poison guy...!!" Magellan glares upward and declares, "I will never let you out of here!!!" The chapter's title comes true in one final confrontation: even the gates of hell are opening, but Magellan refuses to let Luffy leave.
MagellanHannyabalLuffyImpel Down prisonersDemon Beast Guards
19
SBS question corner page. A reader asks whether Elder Nyon has a butt chin, and Oda says she does, just like Franky, joking that maybe she can do the Coup D'Vent too. Another reader asks how close Dr. Kureha is to the natural 140-year life span mentioned on volume 54's cover. Oda says she is around 139, but because she is superhuman she will be fine, though someone with only a year left might not be baring their midriff in a snowy country. A third reader suggests submitted Devil Fruit ideas such as the Geri Geri Fruit or Buri Buri Fruit. Oda rejects them as just a normal healthy person and explains that he does not use other people's story or character ideas because the characters and story are his; if he starts relying on someone else's ideas, he loses confidence and success or failure stops being his own. He says he does accept simple drawing requests unrelated to the main story, such as animals and Strawhat background ideas.