"Impel Down is absolute! Absolutely nothing can be allowed to happen, especially at a time like this!"
At this moment, Magellan was sprinting through the corridors, his face grim, his heart weighed down with anxiety.
Ace's public execution at Marineford was set to happen in just two weeks. The entire world was already in turmoil, and according to the intelligence gathered by the Marines, the Whitebeard Pirates were mobilizing their forces.
The execution of Ace carried immense significance—there was no room for failure.
No one could predict what would happen.
Perhaps Whitebeard himself would attack Impel Down directly—after all, Ace was currently imprisoned there.
That made the fortress's security more crucial than ever.
As the chief warden, Magellan had been on high alert for weeks. But never—not even in his worst nightmares—did he expect that, right now, an intruder had broken into Level 6, Eternal Hell, the lowest and most secure level, where the most terrifying criminals were kept.
And worse—the intruder had freed Douglas Bullet!
The Demon Heir, Douglas Bullet!
A former member of the Roger pirates, a man who once stood on equal footing with Rayleigh!
And undeniably, the most powerful and dangerous criminal within Impel Down.
Now he was free.
And he wasn't alone.
Magellan couldn't even begin to imagine what would happen next. If anything went wrong at Impel Down now, even sacrificing his life in apology wouldn't be enough.
There could not be another Golden Lion incident!
Yet, Magellan was still unaware that the intruder had also freed Shiryu, a swordsman whose strength rivaled Magellan's own, as well as Crocodile, a former Shichibukai who had only recently been imprisoned.
All of them—criminals who made Magellan's skin crawl.
...
A large squad of guards rushed toward Level 6, but on the other side, Elior and his group had already left the deepest level of the prison. Soon, they would meet Magellan head-on.
"I still need to retrieve my sword" Shiryu remarked. His Meito, Raiu, had been with him through countless battles.
"No problem" Elior replied, leading the way at the front.
This was a prison break, and they had no intention of sneaking out—they would smash through anything in their way!
Every jailer and beast guardian that tried to stand in their way was effortlessly swept aside.
To Elior and his group, as long as Magellan wasn't here, everything in their path was insignificant.
...
And then—ten minutes later—at Level 5 of Impel Down…
They finally came face-to-face with Magellan.
"Shiryu! What is the meaning of this?!"
Magellan's voice roared through the prison halls as he saw his former colleague standing with the enemy.
But what shocked him even more—was the fact that the intruder hadn't just freed Bullet, but also Crocodile and Shiryu!
"Impossible!"
"Magellan, tell me… when exactly was the World Government planning to execute me?" Shiryu asked, his tone indifferent.
Crocodile scoffed. "I wonder if it would have been a public execution or just a quiet assassination."
"Shiryu, you—!" Magellan clenched his fists, unable to refute them.
Shiryu shook his head in disappointment. "I was once loyal. I gave everything for the government. But the higher-ups… they'll discard you faster than a used piece of toilet paper. Magellan, I guess this is where our paths part."
Magellan's expression darkened. "Shiryu… then I have no choice. You will all die here!"
Fury erupted within him. Thick, venomous purple liquid surged around his body, forming the horrifying shape of four massive poison dragons.
"Everyone, fall back! Warden Magellan is about to attack!"
Sadi shouted as the guards and jailers scrambled backward.
Hannyabal, trembling violently, muttered, "I-I really want to be Warden… No, wait! Magellan is terrifying! As vice warden, I must stand with him!"
Yet, despite his words, his legs refused to move.
After all, standing before them was not just Shiryu — a man feared even among executioners.
But also Douglas Bullet — the Demon Heir!
The sheer presence of these two was suffocating.
What kind of monsters were they up against?!
...
"Magellan's Venom-Venom Fruit… a troublesome power" Shiryu remarked. "His poison won't kill us instantly, but it'll make us suffer."
Bullet smirked. "Hmph. He's just a diarrhea-ridden freak. If we're talking pure strength, he's nothing compared to me!"
With that, Bullet stepped forward, preparing to fight—
But then—
Elior raised his left hand, stopping him.
"As the captain, it's only right that I handle Magellan myself."
Elior stepped forward.
More than just fighting — he needed to prove himself.
He had to show Bullet, Shiryu, and Crocodile that he was strong enough to command them.
That he was the one who would lead them to the top!
Magellan's glare hardened. "Who the hell are you?!"
There was something about this boy. Something unnerving.
A pressure that Magellan had only felt from monsters like Bullet himself.
Impossible.
He looked too young. He was barely more than a teenager!
He looked younger than the Supernovas currently wreaking havoc in the first half of the Grand Line.
Among the younger generation, the Worst Generation were considered the ceiling of strength…
Yet this intruder seemed to surpass even them.
Magellan clenched his fists, willing himself to believe—
This must be an illusion.