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Impel Down, also known as The Great Underwater Prison, is a government controlled stronghold in Paradise together with Marine Headquarters and, formerly, Enies Lobby. It is the World Government's maximum-security prison for the most dangerous criminals and pirates. It is located underwater in the middle of the Calm Belt.
Impel Down & Entering
Impel Down is located in the middle of the Calm Belt, where Sea Kings thrive, making entrance difficult. The only way to get there with the greatest of ease is to use the Tarai Current, a water current accessible by going through the Gates of Justice located at either the Marine Headquarters or Enies Lobby. Also, the only way to safely get to the prison is to use one of the Kairoseki lined Marine battleships, as the entire place is surrounded by Sea Kings. Usually, Impel Down is a hell-fortress with maximum defenses, making intrusion and breaking-out by criminals impossible.
Arrival and Sterilization
When prisoners arrive in Impel Down, they are put in boiling water to disinfect and sterilize them. This is ritualistically referred to as "baptizing" them. While most have screamed in pain due to the extreme heat, only a few prisoners have been known to take the sterilization without flinching even one bit.
Clothing
Most prisoners then have their clothes taken before they are given a striped black and white pair of shirt and trousers. However, they are permitted to keep certain articles of clothing. Exceptions to this rule are prisoners who were not meant to stay long before death. The residents of Level 5.5 seem to have managed to retrieve their old clothes after escaping from their cells.
Level Assignment and Life of Torture
After sterilization and a change of clothing, the prisoners are then placed in one of the six known levels of Impel Down, based on their crimes and strength. The more heinous or powerful a prisoner is, the lower the level in impel they will be placed. From then on, the prisoners are tortured everyday in various ways, depending on their assigned levels, with most of them supposedly having no chance of ever leaving alive.
Visiting and Leaving
Whether outside people are permitted to visit the prisoners is unknown. Government agents and Marines have the authority to do so, but they would need permission from their superiors.
As Impel Down is a World Government facility, it is obvious pirates cannot enter without being branded as intruders and criminals. The Shichibukai are allowed, at the permission of the Government. Even so, they would be subjected to a full body search, then be forced to wear Kairoseki-cuffs, for safety measures. Without permission, they would be considered as traitors.
Aside from visitors and Government officials, most people who enter Impel Down never leave there alive. The only prisoners ever allowed to leave are those who are held until their death penalty that takes place outside of the fortress, those who are meant to serve temporary sentence and those who are released for special reasons. Breakout of Impel Down is virtually impossible, due to the defenses from the extremely powerful traps and guards of the place, with the Sea King-infested Calm Belt being its ultimate barricade.
