Even while facing pirates whose names once terrorized the seas, Magellan showed not a shred of fear. His expression held only absolute resolve — the will to annihilate them.
"Against me, all resistance is pointless."
"Your only fate is to return to your true home — the prison you belong in."
With heavy steps, he advanced, poison dragons writhing behind him. One man alone was pressure enough to choke the entire battlefield.
"Sandstorm."
Crocodile flicked his wrist, summoning sand not to strike, but to dispel the spreading poison haze.
Shiryu's brow furrowed.
If this were open ground, he could at least retreat — but here, in this sealed furnace with only one exit… escape felt impossible.
"So many of us, yet one Marine frightens you?"
"You disappoint me! Gigglehahaha!"
Catarina Devon's ghastly laugh echoed.
"Wahahahaha… hideous woman, your mouth stinks — but you're right."
Waldo roared with laughter.
"Magellan," Crocodile said coldly, "step aside — or die."
"Crocodile, you worthless stray — you think you can stand before me?"
Magellan's voice darkened.
"In the name of justice, I will judge every last one of you criminals today."
With a hiss, the three poison dragons lunged.
"You're asking for death. Desert Spada!"
Crocodile's arm morphed into a sand blade, cleaving through poison and carving a hundred-meter trench through solid stone.
"Wahahahaha! How can you have fun without me?"
"Momo — Fifty Times Acceleration!"
Waldo flicked a pebble.
The tiny stone swelled into a massive boulder, fifty times faster, blazing as it tore through the air.
"Damn pirates."
Magellan cursed and slid back, taking his poison dragons with him rather than take the hit head-on.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The boulder smashed through the floor, punching a gigantic hole down into Level Five.
A blast of freezing wind burst upward — ice meeting fire in a violent storm.
"Wahahahaha… he dodged." Waldo sneered, unsurprised.
Magellan's eyes narrowed, voice filled with venom.
"If you want death so badly, I'll grant it."
"Even if you all die here, Sengoku will not complain."
Poison erupted like lava, flooding the battlefield.
"Oh no! The diarrhea maniac is angry! My dream of being warden— ruined! Hannyabal is furious!"
Hannyabal collapsed dramatically, crying into the floor.
"Not good!"
Panic swept the pirates. At this speed, Level Four would soon drown in poison. There would be no escape — only death.
"Die, filthy pirates! Venomous Aerial Dragon!"
Another massive poison dragon lunged.
"No choice. Everyone — full power." Shiryu barked.
"If we can't kill him here, we might as well hand ourselves back over."
"One-Sword Style — Crimson Dragon Surge!"
"Momo — Hundred Times Acceleration!"
"Desert La Spada!"
BOOM!!!
Stone meteors, crimson sword arcs, and sand blades slashed toward Magellan.
He didn't clash — he glided across poison, riding a colossal dragon like a king of venom.
BOOM!
BOOM!!
BOOOOOOM!!!
Explosions rocked the prison. Stone split, fire blazed, poison splashed and evaporated into thick, choking clouds.
"ARGHHH!"
Some pirates inhaled the mist and collapsed, screaming as paralysis claimed them. Their flesh bubbled beneath their skin.
"We can't beat him here. Not like this. Even breathing is death."
Shiryu clamped his mouth shut. The pirates followed, fear strangling their throats.
Silence fell — the desperate silence of men clinging to their last breath.
"At this rate, we're finished."
"…Pathetic trash."
A calm voice cut through the poison fog.
Lucian walked through the toxic cloud untouched.
Seeing him, even hardened criminals trembled.
He wasn't just unaffected — the poison didn't even acknowledge him.
In that instant, they began doubting not only their own strength… but the competence of the World Government itself.
"So you finally appear," Magellan spat.
"Culprit of this riot."
"Magellan… 'strongest warden in history,' is it?" Lucian replied.
"That title seems exaggerated."
"You're seeking death! Poison Dragon!"
Magellan roared — another venom serpent streaked toward Lucian.
"You've used your fruit well. In this prison, you are nearly invincible."
Lucian raised his hand.
"But before absolute power…"
Golden lightning crackled across his palm — divine, merciless electricity.
"…all effort is meaningless."
"Hadō #63 — Raikōhō."
The air screamed.
Then —
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
A thunderous blast ripped through the fortress. Walls convulsed. Steel melted. The venom dragon disintegrated in a flash of light.
Thunder rolled across Impel Down, drowning out all cries.
And in the heart of it —
Lucian stood untouched, cloak billowing in scorched air, eyes cold and sovereign.
Magellan — the warden feared as a living calamity — was thrown backward like a rag doll.
Silence fell.
Every pirate, every beast, every Marine watching from afar — all froze.
A monster had risen.
And hell itself had bowed before him.
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T/N:
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