A massive, venomous purple dragon emerged from the depths of the dark corridor, roaring in fury as its head crashed into Ivankov, who was just about to land in front of Rorschach.
"Boom!"
Like a waterfall crashing against solid rock, the impact was immense.
The dragon's enormous head instantly burst apart, transforming into thick, purple venom that splattered across the vast hall, leaving streaks of deep violet everywhere.
As for Ivankov, his large face took the full brunt of the strike. Letting out a painful scream, he was sent hurtling through the air like a cannonball, smashing hard into the hall's stone wall.
Cracks spread across the solid rock as debris scattered in all directions.
"Magellan-ossan!"
Seeing the venomous dragon appear, Rorschach couldn't help but cry out in surprise.
Then, amidst the sound of liquid shifting and flowing, a towering figure with two horns and a pair of wings emerged from the body of the poison dragon. It leaped out from the newly formed dragon's maw, landing in the center of the hall—right in front of Rorschach.
It was none other than Magellan.
At this moment, his massive body was exuding a thick, purple toxin. His already intimidating face now looked even more fearsome—like a true demon king descending from hell.
"Are you alright, Rosha?"
Magellan lowered his gaze toward Rorschach. After confirming that he wasn't severely injured, he let out a breath of relief.
To him, Rorschach's importance now was no less than that of the top Navy admirals.
A polite, justice-driven, and immensely talented Marine like Rorschach absolutely couldn't be allowed to fall in Impel Down.
Rorschach had already fought multiple battles today—against Shiryu, Jote, Pizarro, Deppen, and even Barrett. His stamina, abilities, and Haki had all been severely drained.
Now facing Ivankov, a high-ranking commander of the Revolutionary Army, he could still hold his ground for a short time thanks to his powerful Mythical Zoan body.
But if the fight dragged on, Rorschach would eventually lose.
"I'm fine, Magellan-ossan. But why are you here?"
Hearing the concern in Magellan's voice, Rorschach felt both touched and a little ashamed.
As someone who knew the manga's storyline, he had long been aware of Kamabakka Paradise hidden within Impel Down.
But due to various considerations, he hadn't informed Magellan immediately.
His decision to attack Ivankov earlier had been a spur-of-the-moment choice, driven by the desire to prevent a future prison break before it could even begin.
If he had chosen to do this from the start and warned Magellan in advance, Ivankov wouldn't have stood a chance.
"Because I've been keeping my Observation Haki focused on you."
Magellan answered bluntly, without hiding anything.
Rorschach was momentarily stunned, a little confused.
He knew Magellan wasn't the type to spy on people for no reason.
There had to be another explanation.
"You've fought too many battles today, draining your stamina and Haki. I couldn't just let you wander around Impel Down in that condition, so I kept tracking you with my Observation Haki."
Rorschach felt an even deeper sense of guilt.
"I… I'm sorry, Magellan-ossan, I—"
"No need to apologize, kid."
Magellan turned his gaze toward Ivankov, who was groaning as he pulled himself out of the shattered wall, clutching his face in pain.
"It's my fault for failing to maintain order. Impel Down still has too many unresolved issues."
His tone grew heavier.
"Emporio Ivankov. High-ranking commander of the Revolutionary Army. Captured by the Marines and imprisoned in the Frozen Hell."
"Yet, one night, years ago, you vanished from your cell without a trace. We searched every corner of Impel Down, but you were nowhere to be found."
"Your disappearance, along with the hundreds—no, thousands—of other prisoners who have mysteriously vanished over the decades, left no clues. No trails. Not even a single image captured by the surveillance Den Den Mushi."
"This has been an unsolved mystery haunting us guards for decades. The inexplicable disappearances instilled fear among both the jailers and prisoners, giving rise to a rumor that Impel Down harbored a demonic portal capable of randomly swallowing inmates."
Magellan raised his right hand, and the massive, venomous purple dragon above him lifted its head high.
"But who would have thought the truth was this simple?"
"A hidden paradise right under our noses! Ivankov! Tell me—how did you manage to carve out such a vast, winding underground space beneath this fortress of steel?"
"If it weren't for Rorschach accidentally discovering the hidden entrance in the infirmary, how much longer would we have been kept in the dark?"
On the other side of the hall, Ivankov, whose face was covered in large patches of purple venom, was rolling on the ground, clutching his face and screaming in panic.
"Ahhh! Magellan's deadly poison touched my skin!"
"I'm dying! I'm dying! I'm going to die right now!"
As he rolled around, he suddenly sat up straight, reached up, and peeled off his entire face—holding it in his hands. Letting out a long breath, he grinned.
"I won't die!"
"Because I applied a thick layer of makeup, hee-ha!"
Hearing Magellan's grim questioning, Ivankov's expression darkened.
He got to his feet, standing in a standoff with Magellan from across the hall.
Behind him, in the wall that had been sliced open by Lightning, the Okama who had been knocked out by Rorschach's Haoshoku Haki were slowly regaining consciousness. Under the command of a few leaders, they were hurriedly organizing their retreat.
"Lord Ivankov! You must escape! You can't fight Magellan!" Lightning's anxious voice came from behind.
"It's no use. We can't escape."
"With our current strength, it's impossible to break out of this iron-walled prison unless the entire Impel Down is thrown into chaos."
Ivankov let out a bitter smile.
He cast an annoyed glance at Rorschach, who had reverted to his human form and was standing silently to the side.
This was all because of that Marine Captain.
Because of him, their secret hideout had been exposed to Magellan. Even in the best-case scenario, they would all be recaptured and imprisoned—never again having the chance to taste freedom.
But what pained Ivankov even more than their imminent capture was the fact that Kamabakka Paradise had been discovered.
This hidden sanctuary had allowed them to continuously rescue prisoners from within Impel Down, gradually gathering powerful allies for the Revolutionary Army.
One day, when the time was right, they had planned to lead an uprising, break out from within, and take hundreds—if not thousands—of warriors to the outside world to reunite with Dragon, bringing immense strength to the Revolutionary Army.
Because of this secret, the Revolutionary Army had never feared their top fighters being captured by the World Government.
Even if they were thrown into Impel Down, they could always be rescued from within.
But now, it was all over.
Seeing that Ivankov refused to answer his question, Magellan's face darkened. Without hesitation, he swung his right hand forward.
"You don't want to talk? Then go to hell! Venom Dragon!"
"Rooooar!"
A massive purple dragon, taking up nearly a quarter of the hall's space, surged forward, its gaping maw spewing thick, toxic fumes as it charged toward Ivankov.
There was nowhere to escape.
Trapped in the narrow underground space, Ivankov had no way out.
Yet, he didn't even try to move. He remained rooted to the spot, his face shifting through a mix of emotions—hesitation, struggle, and uncertainty.
"Lord Ivankov!"
Seeing the venomous dragon roaring toward him, yet Ivankov still not moving, Lightning, who was standing in the corridor, was frantic with worry.
The distance of dozens of meters disappeared in a flash.
As the terrifying purple dragon was about to collide with him once more, Ivankov's tightly furrowed brows suddenly relaxed—as if he had come to a realization.
He let out a long sigh.
And under the stunned gazes of Rorschach, Lightning, and Magellan—
Ivankov fell to his knees with a heavy thud.
"Magellan, stop. I surrender."
(End of Chapter)
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