Magellan's gaze locked onto Storm, his expression filled with unyielding authority.
"You don't get to choose who lives or dies in the Infinite Hell!"
The moment his words fell, a massive poison dragon erupted from behind him.
A massive serpentine entity, its body dripping with thick, purple venom, shot forward at an alarming speed. In the blink of an eye, it had closed in on Storm, its gaping maw poised to strike.
Just as the toxic beast was about to reach its target...
From the ground, a dragon head suddenly emerged, rising with mechanical precision.
Its form was nothing short of breathtaking. From its chiseled snout to its elongated body, every inch of the beast was sculpted to perfection, its radiant white scales gleaming like polished porcelain.
Unlike the four-legged dragon perched on Storm's shoulder, this one bore a striking resemblance to the beast form of Mythical Zoan: Azure Dragon Fruit user.
This is...
The White Dragon!
With a mere thought, Storm commanded his White Dragon forward.
A clash of titanic forces ensued.
One dragon, a serpentine beast of corrosion, dripping with deadly poison.
The other is a majestic entity of clay, sculpted with the finest craftsmanship.
The two creatures collided mid-air in Infinite Hell, unleashing a shockwave that sent a ripple through the prison's ominous atmosphere.
CRACK!
At the moment of impact, the White Dragon's hardened clay snout struck the Poison Dragon's head with bone-crushing force. The venomous construct couldn't withstand the sheer density and power of Storm's creation.
Its head shattered on impact, sending purple venom spraying in all directions like a deadly rainstorm.
Yet, the White Dragon did not relent. It surged forward, tearing through the Poison Dragon's body, crushing it piece by piece.
By the time the two separated, the Poison Dragon had been nearly obliterated, its remains dissolving into a downpour of toxic sludge.
The venom rain of Infinite Hell had begun.
Storm remained still, undisturbed by the deadly rainfall. He casually moved the White Dragon to his side, before shifting his gaze toward the fuming warden.
"Director Magellan," he called out, his voice calm and unshaken. "Why are you so angry?"
Magellan's hands clenched into fists. His expression was a mixture of rage and disbelief.
"Every prisoner in Infinite Hell is a nefarious criminal!" Magellan bellowed.
"Their crimes were so heinous that the government erased them from history!"
Storm nodded slightly, acknowledging the statement before posing a question of his own.
"If their crimes are so severe… why didn't the World Government simply kill them?"
Magellan's expression faltered.
Though he was a man of principle, even he could not deny the truth—there were far too many irredeemable criminals locked away in Impel Down.
Some had committed atrocities so unspeakable that no punishment could truly suffice.
And yet—
The government refused to execute them.
Especially the prisoners of Infinite Hell.
Life imprisonment was their fate, not death.
But why?
"Infinite Hell…" Magellan hesitated before offering an official explanation.
"Many of the criminals imprisoned here possess extremely dangerous Devil Fruits. If they were executed, their powers would be reborn somewhere in the sea."
Storm's lips curled into a smirk.
"Hah. So, let's assume that's the case for those with Devil Fruit abilities… what about the criminals who did not consume Devil Fruits?"
Silence.
Magellan had no answer.
He knew that Storm's words carried weight—too much weight.
"The World Government is keeping these criminals alive… what do they think this place is? A wasteful luxury funded by the Celestial Dragons' tribute?" Storm scoffed.
Magellan remained silent.
The words stung—because deep down, he knew there was some truth to them.
"If you can't answer that," Storm continued, "then let me ask something else."
His tone sharpened.
"You just said that the government is worried about executing Devil Fruit users because their powers would be reborn somewhere in the sea."
Magellan's eyes narrowed.
"So, why is the World Government so concerned about the rebirth of Devil Fruits?" Storm pressed. "What are they so afraid of?"
The answer was clear.
Because they know—if a Devil Fruit is reborn, it could fall into the hands of another pirate… another revolutionary… another enemy of their regime.
Storm's smile widened.
"They fear it," he declared. "Because they know the world they rule is already rotten to the core."
Magellan's fists trembled.
"They know that there are more people who hate them than those who support them."
"That's enough!"
Magellan's voice boomed, cutting through the tension like a blade.
His chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, his composure breaking.
"I am just a jailer," he said slowly, his voice firm. "I do not care how the outside world views the World Government. I do not know why the higher-ups chose to keep these criminals alive."
He clenched his fists tighter.
"But I do know this."
His venomous aura surged, filling the air with an overwhelmingly toxic pressure.
"My duty… is to guard this prison!"
Magellan's expression was resolute.
"Chief Guard Storm, your actions today have shattered the order of Impel Down. As Warden, I will punish you accordingly!"
A deep breath—
Magellan's body swelled like an expanding balloon.
Then, he exhaled.
A barrage of venomous spheres shot from his mouth, each one pulsating with an eerie purple glow.
"Poison Blowfish!"
The venom projectiles surged forward, each one possessing enough lethality to kill a Sea King with ease.
Yet—
Storm didn't even blink.
At his side, the White Dragon roared.
From its open maw, an array of hardened clay spheres were fired like high-caliber shells.
Each clay bullet locked onto a venom sphere, colliding with pinpoint accuracy.
In mid-air—
Clay met Venom.
A chain reaction of explosions erupted across Infinite Hell, sending showers of venomous rain cascading down once more.
The battlefield was quickly becoming a swamp of poison.
Yet, Magellan wasn't done.
He raised his arms—
The toxic sludge pooling on the ground responded to his will, flowing unnaturally.
From the venom-covered earth, a sinister pathway began to form.
This was—
"Venom Road!"
Utilizing the toxic channel, Magellan launched himself forward, accelerating toward Storm with terrifying speed.
He had realized it.
After multiple clashes—he knew that his venom alone was not enough to harm Storm.
But it didn't matter.
If venom won't work… then I'll bring him down with my own hands!
With a sharp whoosh, Magellan slid in front of Storm. Without hesitation, he reached up, grasped the two massive, curved black horns on his forehead, and tore them off in one swift motion.
Now wielding the black demonic horns like dual daggers, Magellan lunged forward, thrusting them at Storm with ferocious force.
Unfortunately for him, every one of his movements had already been anticipated.
Before Magellan could launch his attack, Storm had already commanded the White Dragon to retreat to his side. The dragon coiled its long, sinuous body into a towering shield, forming a solid barrier between them.
Magellan's demonic horns struck hard.
Ding!
A sharp metallic ring echoed through the air as the horns clashed against the White Dragon, which was composed of high-density porcelain clay.
Magellan narrowed his eyes. Without wasting a second, he infused his Devil Fruit power into the tips of his horns. The venom seeping from the sharpened ends intensified, its corrosive properties far surpassing anything before.
A sinister hissing sound followed.
The powerful toxin began eating away at the White Dragon, melting through it rapidly and leaving behind a gaping hole.
Magellan saw his opening. He prepared to drive his horns further, aiming to pierce through completely.
But at that very moment—
The White Dragon suddenly shifted its gaze toward Magellan. Its pale, otherworldly eyes reflected his silhouette like a mirror.
Sensing the movement, Magellan instinctively turned his head, locking eyes with the dragon.
His heart clenched. A deep, primal sense of danger surged through his body.
Then—
The White Dragon closed its eyes.
An instant later, a shockwave of unimaginable force erupted from the dragon.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!
A deafening explosion shook the Infinite Hell as the impact slammed into Magellan. His arm, still lodged in the dragon, was caught in the blast.
Magellan was sent flying backward, his body flipping through the air before crashing down in the same spot where he had started.
Cough! Cough!
He clutched his stomach, coughing violently as he steadied himself.
"Your strength... is far more troublesome than I expected, Storm..." Magellan exhaled heavily. "I didn't want to resort to this..."
Their battle had turned the Infinite Hell into a battlefield of destruction.
Magellan's Poison-Poison Fruit was an overwhelming force. However, the power of his attacks came at a cost—his toxins were indiscriminate. If he unleashed them without restraint, they would spread across the battlefield, potentially affecting the prisoners locked in nearby cells.
Even though many of those prisoners were either incapacitated or already dead...
Even if there was only the slightest chance of worsening the situation inside the Infinite Hell, Magellan was unwilling to take that risk.
But now—
If he didn't go all out, he knew he would never be able to capture Storm.
He took a slow, deep breath.
Then, a thick, violet mist poured from his mouth, spreading across the battlefield at an alarming speed.
"Poison Cloud!"
The toxic fog expanded, enveloping the area in a dense, suffocating haze.
Even infamous pirates with bounties exceeding 100 million would be unable to resist its effects. Their senses would slowly deteriorate, fading one by one, until they collapsed—completely at Magellan's mercy.
However—
Whoosh—Whoosh—
A powerful gust of wind swept across the battlefield.
In an instant, most of the poisonous cloud was blown away.
Magellan's eyes widened in surprise.
He shifted his gaze back to Storm.
Behind him, massive clay fans had materialized. The wide, flat blades spun at incredible speeds, generating an intense whirlwind that easily dispelled the deadly mist.
"Magellan, don't waste my time with tricks like these."
Storm's voice was calm, almost dismissive.
His expression remained unchanged as the giant clay fans continued their relentless rotation, stirring the air like an unstoppable storm.
"Otherwise..." He narrowed his eyes, his tone growing colder.
"I'll start treating you as nothing more than trash, just like Shiryu!"
*******************************
Please consider leaving a review!
I will release 1 bonus chapters for every two review till we meet ten reviews. [3/10].
If you would like to gain early access, you can join me at www.patre on.com/bookbattalion