[I admit the Impel Down arc has dragged on too long, (╥_╥)]
Bang! Bang!
"You damned criminals again! Today, I'll make sure you learn the consequences of a jailbreak!"
"Poison Pink Pufferfish!"
Magellan roared, instantly activating his Venom-Venom Fruit ability.
Dozens of poison balls formed in the blink of an eye and blasted toward the criminals before him.
Many criminals had no time to defend themselves before the Poison Pink Pufferfish engulfed them.
Those lucky enough to dodge looked terrified and backed away again and again.
"Damn it, I didn't expect Magellan to come up ahead of time."
"With his terrifying strength, we can't possibly hold him off!"
Even Emporio Ivankov dared not openly attack at that moment, clearly wary of him to the extreme.
"We're finished. Impel Down's guardian, Chief Warden Magellan, is here. With his terrifying strength, these criminals can't stop him."
"I hope Sir Roy hurries up, or we're all going to suffer!"
Earlier, as their group fought their way from Level 5 toward the stairway leading to Level 4, they had encountered a full three hundred reinforcement jailers and ten Jailer Beasts.
There were even two Marine rear admirals stationed there, clearly having waited for quite some time.
With deep-seated grudges between them, both sides clashed without holding anything back the moment they met.
The Marine reinforcements had come to avenge their fellow jailers who had died last time, and their attacks were utterly ruthless.
Although the pirates numbered nearly a thousand, they still quickly fell behind in the fighting, with no advantage to speak of.
In a single clash, the Marines killed over a hundred criminals while losing thirty of their own.
Both sides fought relentlessly, determined to crush the other completely.
But no one had expected Magellan to come up.
After joining the battlefield, he swept through everyone as though no one stood in his way.
Nearly a hundred of the criminals who had been so arrogant moments earlier were brought down by his poison in an instant.
Although it did not kill them immediately, without an antidote, they would gradually die amid severe paralysis and corrosion.
Magellan's gaze was dark and full of anger. "Now, I'll give you a chance. Return to your cells immediately, and I'll let bygones be bygones."
"Otherwise, even if I have to put off dealing with Roy, I'll make you bastards experience the terror of venom for yourselves!"
Magellan's voice was low and icy, leaving no room for negotiation.
This was already the third jailbreak. Three whole times.
Anyone would have found it unbearable.
Yet although his words filled the criminals with fear and apprehension, freedom was within reach. Naturally, they could not simply let it slip away.
"Brothers, do you still want to go back to that Freezing Hell? There's no food there, no blankets, only thin prison uniforms and man-eating Army Wolves.
If all we can do is wait to die, is that really what we want? Better to fight to the death. We might still have a chance!"
"That's right! I admit we're criminals, but that hell on Level 5 is no place for a human being. Rather than go back and freeze to death, we might as well join the rebellion. At least that gives us a chance!"
Amid the roars and incitement, the criminals from Level 5 could no longer restrain themselves and attacked with everything they had.
Several Devil Fruit users immediately unleashed their abilities against Magellan, while over a hundred people charged straight at him with black Armament Haki coating their hands.
The remaining criminals used their own methods and pounced on the Marine jailers. The two sides clashed once more.
"These damned criminals had no humanity out there, and now they dare to break out! Fellow Marines, show no mercy! Kill them on the spot!"
On the Marine side, the two rear admirals were furious and led their troops forward again.
Haki coated their entire bodies, and the moment they engaged, they unleashed the Six Powers, killing several pirates in succession.
None of the pirates imprisoned on Level 5 of Impel Down were ordinary. Almost all were powerful individuals who had committed grave crimes in the New World.
Seeing how fiercely the two rear admirals fought, dozens of Haki-coated figures immediately moved forward to tie them down.
Bang! Bang!
Both sides fought with everything they had. Every attack carried a lethal threat, aimed solely at killing the other.
But how could anyone who became a Marine rear admiral be a simple opponent? Under normal circumstances, they could end the fight before long.
Magellan was likewise surrounded and attacked.
Several Devil Fruit users manipulated clouds, vines, flowers, and other abilities, attacking him simultaneously.
The other pirates also seized openings to attack Magellan.
But as Impel Down's guardian, Magellan's combat strength was infinitely close to that of an admiral.
Although he had been gravely injured in his battle with Roy, he was still far beyond what these Level 5 criminals could handle.
He released a Poison Cloud to bewilder everyone on the battlefield and slid along a venom passage to evade the attacks,
then formed three Poison Dragons, not only blocking every attack but also instantly killing dozens of the closest criminals.
At that moment, Magellan's terrifying might was on full display. Against criminals who lacked sufficient strength, he could practically kill them in a single blow.
"How laughable. You may be Level 5 criminals with decent strength, but your bodies have long since grown terribly weak. Do you still dream of turning the world upside down?"
Poisonous gas filled the air around Magellan, and criminals fell with every step he took.
The pirates who had mustered their courage to fight immediately lost heart and retreated.
They were no match for him at all.
Just then, Magellan noticed Emporio Ivankov and the others.
Seeing these unfamiliar okamas, he could not help feeling puzzled.
"Were there criminals like you on Level 5?"
"If you're criminals, why aren't you wearing prison uniforms? Who exactly are you?"
Before Emporio Ivankov could answer, he suddenly remembered what Sengoku had mentioned about Impel Down's Seventh Level.
"I see. You must be the people from Impel Down's hidden Seventh Level."
"Heh, I never imagined that even as Impel Down's chief warden, I wouldn't know there was a Seventh Level. You've certainly done well for yourselves!"
Despite his words, Magellan showed no mercy.
He activated his Venom-Venom Fruit ability, swiftly forming a Poison Dragon that charged at them.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Magellan truly lived up to his strength as someone approaching admiral level.
With that single attack, apart from Emporio Ivankov, who barely dodged, dozens of nearby okamas were brought down on the spot.
They lay on the ground, their faces bluish-purple, clearly deeply poisoned.
Seeing this, Emporio Ivankov attacked in anger.
"Magellan, what are you acting so arrogant for? You're nothing but someone Sir Roy defeated! Take this!"
"Death Wink!"
A shock wave from her wink instantly struck Magellan, but the blow barely breached his defenses.
Hiss, what a monster! Emporio Ivankov cursed inwardly in despair. She had known all along that this move would be useless.
A noncombatant like her could not possibly face a powerhouse of Magellan's caliber head-on.
"You're right. Roy is indeed powerful, and I lost to him.
If not for Admiral Kuzan, I might have died like Shiryu. But that has nothing to do with you. At least I'm stronger than you."
Without even looking at his injuries, Magellan formed several Poison Pink Pufferfish and sent them straight at Emporio Ivankov and Inazuma.
Their expressions changed at once, and they dodged rapidly, not daring to touch any of it.
But with their speed, they ultimately could not escape being hit.
The other criminals watched in shock, and no one dared attack Magellan again.
Almost no one could withstand even a single blow from someone like him.
However, just as Emporio Ivankov and Inazuma were about to be hit, a teasing voice suddenly rang out,
Immediately afterward, the poison balls were shattered in midair, saving the two of them.
"Oh, so it's you, Magellan. It's only been a few days, and you're looking more impressive than ever."
"Heh, I just wonder whether those wings of yours still hurt."
Hearing that familiar voice, Emporio Ivankov and the others looked toward the stairs in delighted surprise. Magellan also turned his grave gaze in that direction.
A conspicuous figure strolled slowly down the stairs, followed by over a hundred pirates whose imposing presence was clearly much stronger. Great pirates such as Big Barrel and World were among them.
Roy had appeared again, leading the pirates from Level 6 of Impel Down.
As Roy and the Level 6 pirates appeared, the Marines and criminals who had been fighting fiercely stopped at the same time.
The Marines were filled with resentment, but even more with lingering fear.
"What? That wicked Roy really has appeared! Behind him... those are the criminals from Level 6 of Impel Down, aren't they?
Damn it! That devil let all those vicious criminals out!"
The criminals, meanwhile, were incredibly excited.
"Hahaha! So this guy is Roy? Just the way he stands makes him look terrifyingly strong. What a monster!"
"Not only that, but those people behind him all seem to be monsters from Level 6 of Impel Down. He actually let them out! With them here, we might really succeed in breaking out."
The two sides felt differently: one was fearful, the other ecstatic.
Yet Roy paid no attention to those gazes. His eyes were only on Magellan.
"Magellan, oh, Magellan. I refuse to believe anyone can save you today!"
"Anyone who wants to leave Impel Down, follow me and kill! Turn this place upside down! Once we cut through these Marines, we can get out!"
As his words fell, Roy stepped forward and went straight for Magellan.
Magellan could only meet him.
The poisonous mist spread again as Magellan tried to use it to hold Roy back and wear him down.
Seeing this, the pirates behind Roy broke into savage grins and charged at the Marine jailers.
The two sides clashed again. But with the Level 6 pirates joining in, the situation on the battlefield was completely reversed in an instant.
Every one of the Level 6 monsters was formidable, powerful and ruthless in their attacks.
World, Big Barrel, and the others in particular possessed strength on the level of division commanders even in the New World.
Soon, despite their desperate resistance, the two Marine rear admirals were ultimately overwhelmed and killed on the spot.
Before dying, they roared for Magellan and the others to retreat.
"Chief Warden Magellan, this place has fallen! Don't worry about us! Go down and join Admiral Kuzan and the others first!"
"That's right! With Admiral Kuzan and Vice Admiral Garp down below, they're bound to fail!"
Already at a disadvantage against Roy, with blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, Magellan gritted his teeth at those words and released all his venom and Poison Clouds.
"Ah, I'll remember you! Once we take Roy down, we'll avenge you!"
"Everyone, retreat now! Once we go down and join Admiral Kuzan and the others, they'll be trapped like turtles in a jar!"
Venom and Poison Clouds instantly swept across the battlefield.
The pirates and criminals present all paled and scrambled out of the way.
They were not powerhouses like Roy, who had no fear of deadly poison. Once it touched them, even if they did not die on the spot, they would be severely weakened.
A short while later, the Poison Clouds dispersed. Magellan and the others had already taken the opportunity to retreat to the next level down.
The criminals present were unwilling to accept it.
If they had finished Magellan off just now, their chances of escaping would have been greater.
Only Roy gave a meaningful smile and said nothing more.
Before you continue