Rolan's gaze rested on the fragmented remains of Blackbeard's body lying across the cracked stone floor of Impel Down. Three black hearts lay exposed amidst the wreckage, one of them bearing a deep cut with its edges slightly charred — unmistakably the result of Rolan's Electromagnetic Blade.
The other two hearts still twitched faintly, but as Blackbeard's life ebbed, they too stilled, their beats fading into silence.
Rolan observed in silence, his expression unreadable. Three hearts… all black. The anomaly stirred something in his mind — a memory of how Blackbeard had been described in the original timeline. Marco once said Teach's body was an oddity, never succumbing to sleep even as a child, and that it plagued him. Yet most strangely of all, Blackbeard had consumed more than one Devil Fruit. In the entire history of the pirate world, no one should have been able to do that without their body tearing itself apart.
Rolan had once believed the Dark-Dark Fruit's unique compatibility explained it, but now, faced with the reality of three hearts, he understood the truth: Blackbeard was not merely unusual — he was an amalgamation of three souls. Each heart housed a soul, and each soul could thus consume a Devil Fruit. Three souls meant three Devil Fruits without fatal consequence.
Devil Fruits were the embodiment of desire, their power rooted in the heart. Across the world, different races bore distinct traits. Clearly, Blackbeard belonged to a race unknown to the current world — perhaps extinct, or perhaps from another land entirely. In that race, individuals could be born with multiple hearts and multiple souls.
Whatever the origin, the end result was clear: Blackbeard could consume three Devil Fruits simultaneously. In the original timeline, he wielded the Logia Dark-Dark Fruit and the Paramecia Tremor-Tremor Fruit. If he had acquired a powerful Mythical Zoan as well, there would have been nothing stopping him from dominating the world.
Rolan looked at the remains beneath him, uneasy even now. With a simple flick of his hand, arcs of concentrated lightning shot from his palm and enveloped every piece of Blackbeard's scattered body. The fragments disintegrated into dust, dissipating into the air until nothing remained that Rolan could sense. Only then did he allow himself the barest hint of relief.
Would Blackbeard rise again? That question lingered. The man had been like a black widow in the shadows — unpredictable and lethal.
Hannyabal, who had been standing nearby, witnessed the entire sequence with wide eyes. His shock was twofold: first at the revelation of three hearts, then at the merciless efficiency with which Rolan had erased the threat.
Rolan sensed his gaze and turned toward him. "I know you have questions," he said in a calm voice, "but first I'm going to stabilize your Warden."
Hannyabal stared at him intensely. The air around Rolan seemed to shift violently — one moment he carried the aura of a ruthless killer, icy and unfeeling, the next he projected a casual ease, like a cool breeze on a spring morning.
"What exactly do you want, Rolan?" he asked, voice trembling slightly.
This Rolan, who had stormed Impel Down with Luffy to free the prisoners of Level 6 and who had nearly destroyed the entire prison in his path, stood silent for a moment before turning toward the ruined battlefield where Magellan battled Luffy and Jinbe.
There, the fight raged on without a clear victor. The ground was pocked with giant holes and scorched with remnants of venom and fire — a hellish wasteland of destruction.
"Stop, Magellan. You have no chance against us. If this continues, you'll level all of Impel Down," Rolan called out.
Magellan paused mid-strike, glancing from Rolan to Luffy and Jinbe. There was no animosity in their postures, only resolve. After a brief moment, Magellan slowly retracted his Venom Demon.
"And what do you want, pirate Rolan?" Magellan asked, emphasizing the word pirate with disdain.
Luffy lowered his stance, abandoning Gear Fourth, and Jinbe relaxed his use of Armament Haki. Hannyabal stepped toward Magellan's side.
"I just want to leave Impel Down," Rolan said bluntly.
Magellan barked a harsh laugh. "Do you think this place is your living room? Come and go as you please? Impel Down holds the gravest criminals on Earth. It is a fortress, sacred and inviolate. If you release Level 6 and let them roam the seas, the world will be thrown into chaos. How many will suffer? How many families torn apart? How many nations fall into terror? Tell me, Warden — what reason do you have to let us go?"
Luffy stood silent, giving no response other than his presence.
Rolan heard Magellan's words and found himself uncharacteristically at a loss. He remembered what Hannyabal had said to Luffy in the original timeline — a strange echo that hit harder than expected now that he occupied Luffy's role. The question of intent, of righteousness, now weighed on him.
"I know this wasn't planned," Rolan began, voice flat but clear, "There are reasons for what we did. It would take more than a few words to explain."
Magellan's laugh cut him off. "You think that excuses your crimes? One word cannot erase what you've done."
Rolan took a breath, then looked to Luffy and Jinbe. "I'm sending you two ahead to meet Ivankov. Ace's execution is only half a day away."
Magellan and Hannyabal both turned to look as Rolan's figure blurred, and with a touch on Luffy's and Jinbe's shoulders, he vanished.
"Rolan!" Hannyabal called after him, stunned.
Impel Down Level 1
Ivankov marched toward the great gate, leading a group of Okama through the fallen guards. Bodies lay scattered and groaning, and Ivankov frowned.
"Could all this be Rolan's doing?" he muttered.
Shaking his head, he pressed on, urging the Okama forward. "Keep moving, my sweet candies. The gate is close."
At the gate stood three figures.
"Rolan, Luffy, Jinbe," Ivankov exclaimed upon seeing them.
Rolan nodded toward Luffy and Jinbe. "You two go on to Marineford. I'll meet you there."
With no further words, Rolan disappeared from sight.