"That's… Douglas Bullet, the descendant of the devil from Roger's ship. He's a powerhouse on the same level as Pluto Rayleigh."
"No, it's not just Bullet! That guy over there was once defeated by Marshal Kong—Red Count, Baroric Redfield!"
"Hiss… Isn't that monster from Roger's era too? Ghost Man Felix Arnold. The guy with a bounty of 1.8 billion berries."
"And the one who was captured by Vice Admiral Garp and locked up in Impel Down—Crazy Crocodile Hobson Murphy. He's an Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit user—Emperor Crocodile model."
"Each one of them is a legend with terrifying infamy on the seas…"
"Can we even stop guys like them…?"
The prison guards recognized one infamous figure after another. With each name spoken aloud, their morale sank lower. A sense of dread pressed heavily upon them. Some even began to despair.
But Magellan's voice boomed across the chaos.
"You are the Navy! No matter how powerful the pirates you face are, never forget your duties as Marines!"
Then, turning his sharp gaze toward Mio and the others, Magellan shouted coldly, "None of you scum are leaving today!"
"Poison Cloud!"
With his declaration, toxic mist erupted from Magellan's body, sweeping across the area toward the fleeing pirates.
The prison guards were already prepared and swiftly donned their anti-gas suits. But the pirates had no such protection—only thin prison uniforms. One after another, they collapsed as the venom cloud paralyzed them upon contact.
Buzz.
Mio's mind focused. Armament Haki coated his entire body in a smooth layer.
It wasn't difficult for him to use Haki like this, but unlike full upper-body reinforcement, spreading it across his whole body made it weaker. Still, it was enough to block the poisonous gas.
"I'll handle this guy," Bullet said calmly, staring directly at Magellan.
As soon as the words left his mouth, a metallic clang echoed. Armament Haki engulfed Bullet's entire body, giving him the appearance of a human iron fortress.
He stepped forward.
Bullet walked straight through the cloud of poison. His full-body Haki served as a protective armor, completely neutralizing Magellan's toxic fog.
To Mio and the others, Magellan was the biggest obstacle in escaping Impel Down.
But that wasn't the end of their worries.
The Navy's reinforcements were inevitable.
To escape Impel Down, there was only one exit: the Gate of Justice.
Even if Magellan was dealt with and they left the prison, the Navy would almost certainly intercept them. The current flow between the three Gates of Justice allowed for rapid support from Marine Headquarters, which wasn't far from Impel Down to begin with.
And unlike the War of the Best, the Navy's forces weren't all concentrated elsewhere.
Which was why Mio wasn't in a hurry to leave.
Instead, he chose to wait.
Wait for the Navy to arrive—then use the chaos to slip away unnoticed.
With his abilities, leaving by himself wouldn't be difficult.
And once the Navy arrived, all the firepower would focus on the likes of Redfield and Bullet. Men like them were the Navy's top priority—they'd never be allowed to escape easily.
Mio could flee at any moment now, but it was unnecessary to risk drawing all attention to himself.
A thought.
Mio disappeared from where he stood, reappearing instantly before a jailer. He extended his hand, gripped the man's neck tightly, and twisted—snap—ending the jailer's life on the spot.
Redfield narrowed his eyes slightly. As if sensing something deeper, he exhaled and murmured as he glanced at the surrounding guards, "Think of this as a warm-up. Escaping from here really isn't easy. The Golden Lion's ability is still enviable…"
At that moment, Redfield had no intention of fleeing alone.
His attention was firmly on Magellan, clearly ready to work with Bullet to bring the warden down.
"Poison Dragon!"
Feeling Redfield's killing intent, Magellan let out a furious roar. A massive dragon formed entirely of venom surged toward the Red Count, hissing with corrosive force. Every spot the dragon touched melted under its toxic strength.
But with a light leap, Redfield gracefully avoided the venomous beast.
At the same time—
Boom!
Bullet stepped forward, releasing overwhelming speed in an instant.
In a flash, he appeared right before Magellan and threw a powerful punch.
Magellan's pupils shrank. Reacting swiftly, he summoned a mass of venom to his abdomen to defend.
But Bullet didn't hesitate.
His Armament Haki merged with Conqueror's Haki, and a dark, ghostly aura flickered around him. In moments, Bullet's entire body transformed—he became a blue devil.
His punch exploded forward.
BOOM!
Magellan was sent flying like a ragdoll, slamming into a far wall with a thunderous crash.
"Taking this seriously now, huh?" Redfield said mildly, glancing at Bullet. Without delay, he followed up, blinking to Magellan's side and stomping down toward his gut.
Grunting through the pain, Magellan flipped away just in time, narrowly dodging the devastating blow.
The spot Redfield had aimed at cracked and shattered, spiderwebbing with destruction.
"Ahem…"
Blood dripped from Magellan's mouth as he glared at the two monstrous foes before him.
Bullet—the so-called Devil's Heir—and the enigmatic Red Earl. Even Magellan felt crushing pressure now.
"I'll stop you both, even if it costs me my life!" Magellan growled.
His venom surged wildly, wrapping his body in a cocoon of toxins.
"Poison Giant Soldier: Judgment of Hell!"
A low, ominous shout followed. The venom changed color—bright red and even more volatile.
Redfield's face twitched. "Awakening… now that's trouble."
"Yeah, a damn headache," Bullet agreed, frowning. Poison was already a frustrating ability. Awakening it made things even worse.
This was why Magellan held the title of Chief Warden of Impel Down.
This venom… it didn't just poison. It infected, spread, and corroded anything it touched.
The Venom-Venom Fruit was undeniably powerful—but it had its drawbacks. These same drawbacks left Magellan with barely any time to rest. Had that not been the case, his strength could've reached the level of a Navy Admiral.
Meanwhile—
In Mio's palm, Millet—the Den Den Mushi—was lying quietly.
A familiar voice echoed from it. It was Lilith.
"Master, the Navy is approaching."
"So soon?" Mio raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. "Good. That's exactly what we need."
Only with the Navy's arrival could he execute a clean retreat.
If they didn't come, Mio wouldn't risk being the first to flee—he had no intention of facing the Navy's reinforcements alone.