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Chapter 35: Vs. Magellan
Level 4, the Blazing Hell.
To describe it in a single sentence: this entire floor is built like a humongous iron cauldron. Inside the cauldron is a violently boiling Blood Pond Hell and a sea of flames. Between the rising steam and the sheer heat, it's the kind of floor where just standing still is agonizing. If you were to slip on the stone bridge spanning the cauldron and fall in... a mere burn wouldn't even begin to cover it.
And so, on that very stone bridge in the Blazing Hell, my battle against Magellan finally began.
However...
"It is time for your execution..."
"NO WAY!!"
"JIII!!"
Let me be perfectly clear. I can't win. This is going to be incredibly one-sided.
I mean, the guy's entire body is drenched in poison! I can't even touch him, so winning is impossible!
"Invisible Phantom Thief, I have heard much about you from Marine Headquarters..."
"Eh."
"I hear your strength supposedly surpasses even Admiral Kizaru...?"
"Uh... not exactly..."
Kizaru was just saying whatever he wanted... I absolutely do not possess strength surpassing Kizaru... So, like, it's actually kind of a problem if you overestimate me that much...
"However, everything has its 'compatibility'... A fighter like you, who relies primarily on martial arts, stands absolutely no chance against my ability...! Hydra!"
"Hiiiieee!! Hydreigon~!"
A three-headed dragon made of venomous liquid emerged from Magellan's body once again. It repeatedly extended its necks toward me, trying to slam into me and sending massive splashes of venom everywhere.
It's terrifying!
"Whoa!? Hey!? Hup, hup, hup! That was close!"
Using Observation Haki, dodging the poison dragon itself wasn't actually that difficult. However, the venom splattering everywhere from the shockwaves of its attacks was incredibly troublesome. Since the splattering liquid had no will of its own, it was hard to read with my Observation Haki.
"Jiiiii! Jiii~~!"
"D-Densuke, calm down! An attack like that won't hit me even if I stood here for a lifetime! So it's fine...! Whoops! Yikes!"
"Jiiiiii~..."
Every time Magellan attacked, Densuke, who was riding on my back, would cry out in a panic. I repeatedly assured her it was fine, managing to somewhat calm her down... but honestly, the situation was pretty grim. The venom splattering everywhere was slowly but surely narrowing down my space to move, which was rough.
(Guh...! This is what they call a war of attrition...!)
Power, speed, Observation Haki. In terms of pure physical capabilities, I think I'm actually stronger than Magellan... Though I can't speak for his Armament Haki.
But to make up for that, his Venom-Venom Fruit was just way too unfair. He was carelessly spamming attacks where even a single graze meant almost certain death... while I couldn't even touch him. Talk about unreasonable.
Hmm, this is an impossible game! I'm permanently stuck on the defensive! Isn't Magellan basically an invincible gimmick boss!?
"F-For now! I just have to! Keep dodging! Right! Hup!"
"Hmph... As expected of the man who defeated Kizaru... Your agility is beyond what I imagined..."
"F-Fuhehe, no matter how... hup! A-Amazing your poison is, if it doesn't hit, it doesn't mean a thing!"
"In that case... Poison Cloud!"
"!?"
Perhaps losing his patience because his attacks weren't connecting, Magellan exhaled a thick puff of purple breath. A bad breath attack? No, a poison breath attack!
"Once the entire area is filled with poisonous air, your speed will mean absolutely nothing."
"A clever tactic. But poison gas can be blown away! Tontatta Combat: Tail Copter!"
"!!?"
Gripping the floor tightly, I turned my backside to Magellan and spun my tail with explosive force. Acting as an ultra-powerful miniature fan, my tail completely blew away Magellan's bad breath.
"...You blew away the poison mist...!?"
"Fuhehe, and right after that... Take this!!"
"What!?"
Utilizing the rotation of my tail and the twist of my hips, I launched a compressed mass of air... a blade of wind directly at Magellan.
Oh! I just tried it on a whim thinking it might work, but it actually did! Heck yeah! I'll call it "Tail Whirlwind." I finally had a means of long-range attack.
"Alright! Gooooo!!"
The wind blade—my Tail Whirlwind—acting like a vacuum slash, closed in on Magellan, but...
"Hydra." Splash.
...It was casually blocked by the poison dragon. Man, my Tail Whirlwind is weak...
"To generate such wind pressure with such a small movement... Is this akin to Emporio Ivankov's wink...?"
"Who the heck is Ivankov!? Eat this! Continuous Tail Whirlwind!!"
"...!! Hmph!"
My highly anticipated long-range attack. I got carried away and fired it rapidly, but this time, he didn't even use his Hydra; he just blocked it with his bare hands.
"...Is this all you have?"
No good. It's not working. The wind I can generate right now is a 'Bagima' at best. For a boss fight, I really needed at least 'Bagicross' level firepower.
"Now it's my turn. Poison Blowfish! Ptui!"
"Whoa!? That's gross!"
"Poison Blowfish! Poison Blowfish! Poison Blowfish! Poison Blowfish! Poison Blowfish!"
"Hiiiiieee~~!! Wait, wait, wait, wait!!"
Magellan continuously spat globs of venom from his mouth. It looked exactly like he was hocking loogies, making it a very unpleasant sight. With only my newly improvised long-range attack, I had no way to counter.
"O-Okay, this is impossible! It's hot, it's exhausting, and jeez!! I'm making a tactical retreat! Let's run, Densuke!"
"Nin!"
It meant turning back, but in this situation, running away was the smartest move. Unlike Kizaru, who could move at the speed of light, Magellan didn't have that kind of mobility. In terms of pure speed, I was overwhelmingly superior. I could definitely lose him in no time.
"Do you really think I will let you escape!? Venom Road."
"Whoa!? What the heck is that movement method!?"
He rapidly extended a Hydra neck toward me... and before I knew it, Magellan was literally swimming through the inside of his own poison dragon at high speed.
Just like a turd being flushed down a drain.
"D-Densuke, we gotta hurry a bit! Acceleration!"
"!!"
It was certainly a novel way to travel, but I was still faster. The bridge was a straight path. If I just kept running, I could definitely shake Magellan off. Just as I was thinking that...
"Bumoooo!!"
"Ooooooh!!"
"Whoa!? You guys again!? Why!?"
Up ahead in my escape route, charging heavily toward me from the other end of the bridge, were the very Minotaurus and Minokoala I had supposedly just defeated. I thought I knocked them out cold! Why the hell are they already back up!?
"Hmph. It seems you underestimated the vitality of Awakened Zoan users. Minotaurus! Minokoala! Do not let the Invisible Phantom Thief pass!"
"Bumoooo!!"
"Ooooooh!!"
The Mino-duo stood side-by-side, striking firm fighting poses.
"Ngh... just how tough are they...!?"
"Jiiiii~~!"
Magellan from behind, two Jailer Beasts from the front. It was a single path, so there was nowhere to run...
Technically, the airspace was open, but... if I tried flying with my Tail Copter, I wouldn't be able to dodge if he sniped me with his Hydra.
"This is bad... what do I do...?"
As I racked my brain, the Mino-duo was already closing in on me.
"Bumoooooooo!!"
"Ooooooh!!"
"Agh! Damn it! You're in the way!!"
Given the narrowness of the bridge, slipping past them was basically impossible. If it were just one, maybe I could have ignored it and slipped by... but having two of them was a low-key pain in the ass. Even if I took the time to fight them and move forward, Magellan would definitely catch up while I was occupied.
"Nngh...!"
What do I do? What do I do? The path is blocked. I can't run. Magellan is closing in fast. Think, think...! How can I take on two Jailer Beasts and Magellan at the same time?
I can beat the Jailer Beasts normally. But to beat Magellan... bare hands won't work. I need a weapon that can bypass his poison to damage him. But a weapon like that... there's nothing here...
"...Huh? A weapon...? Oh, right! There are two right in front of me!"
"Bumo?"
"Oooh?"
Minotaurus and Minokoala... My mistake was thinking of them as enemies.
"Fuhehehehe!"
These guys are... "weapons"!! They're convenient "weapons" that came running right to me!
"Here we go! Raaaagh!"
"Mo...! Moooooh!?"
First, I dodged Minotaurus's punch, slipped right between his legs, grabbed his ankle, and hoisted him up.
"Ooooooh!!"
Minokoala immediately crouched down to support Minotaurus, but that stance is full of openings, you know!
"Tontatta Combat! Human Hammer!!"
CLOONK!!
"...!!??"
I swung Minotaurus down with all my might, smashing him directly into the crown of Minokoala's head. Sprouting massive cartoonish lumps on their heads, the two beasts slumped over, completely unconscious.
"You defeated Minotaurus and Minokoala... However, thanks to them, I have caught up to you. I won't let you run any further...! Prepare yourself, Invisible Phantom Thief!"
"Fuhehe, I don't need to run anymore."
"What?"
Holding Minotaurus in my right hand and Minokoala in my left, I turned back to face Magellan.
"Magellan! If I don't want to get hit by your poison, it just means I shouldn't touch you with my bare hands, right? Fuhehehe!"
"Huh? What are you... d-don't tell me...!?"
"Dual-wielding two Jailer Beasts! This is my answer!"
"!!?"
Even Magellan didn't seem to expect me to use his Jailer Beasts as weapons. His eyes went wide as he stared at the two massive creatures I was effortlessly swinging around. They were a bit large and unwieldy as weapons, but with my monstrous strength, swinging them was a piece of cake.
"Now then, Magellan-kun. Can you still use your precious poison attacks when your allies are being used as weapons—and shields? Fuhehehe"
"Are you a demon!?"
Warden Magellan looked genuinely appalled. But using whatever is available is my fighting style. I once used Kizaru's own subordinate to beat the crap out of him. I'm not going to hesitate now!
"Alright, Densuke! Hold on tight so you don't fall off my back!"
"Ni, nin!"
"Tontatta Combat... Beast Breathing!"
Channeling my inner Inosuke Hashibira, I sprinted toward Magellan in a full ninja run while dragging Minotaurus and Minokoala behind me. Pig Assault! Pig Assault!
"Guh...! H-Hydra!"
Perhaps because I was holding his Jailer Beasts, Magellan hesitated for a split second, but seemingly accepting them as necessary sacrifices, he extended his poison dragon toward me.
However... too naive! Right now, I have weapons larger than my own body that are perfectly suited for swatting that away!
"Beast Breathing! Third Fang: Devour!!"
SPLAAAASH!!
Using Minotaurus and Minokoala, I slashed apart Magellan's poison dragon. It was a technique that killed two birds with one stone: dealing poison damage to the Jailer Beasts while perfectly protecting myself.
"Curse you...!! Chloro Ball!"
Next, Magellan spat a soccer-ball-sized sphere of poison from his mouth. My Observation Haki told me... that poison ball would explode in 3 seconds, scattering highly lethal poison gas all over the area.
"Before that happens... catch this! Minokoala!"
"Aga!?"
Using Minokoala's head, I forced his mouth open to catch the incoming poison ball. The moment I clamped his jaws shut, a muffled BOOM echoed as the poison gas detonated inside his mouth.
"○☓△△■■☠~~!!?!?"
"You truly have no heart, do you!? You bastard!!"
"It's your poison in the first place! If you think it's bad, don't shoot it at me!"
"This would all be over if you just surrendered quietly! Hydra!"
"Like hell I will! Beast Breathing! Spatial Toss!!"
I hurled the now purple-faced Minokoala directly at Magellan with all my might.
"Guh!?"
"~~☠"
Shattering the Hydra with a massive splash, Minokoala's giant body scored a direct hit on Magellan. The two of them were sent flying off the bridge. This is it! This is where I end it! I'll wipe out both the Jailer Beasts and Magellan in one fell swoop!
Swinging Minotaurus wildly, I leaped high into the air, right above the airborne Magellan.
"P-Poison Blowfish!"
In a desperate struggle, Magellan fired a chaotic barrage of venom, but none of it was going to hit me.
"This is the end! Tontatta Combat! Beast Breathing! Spatial Toooooss!!"
"!!!"
Aiming squarely at Magellan and Minokoala, I forcefully hurled Minotaurus straight down at them.
BA-KROOOOOOM!!!
"Guh-foooh!? I-Invisible Phantom Thief! You bastard...!!"
Already thrown off balance in mid-air, Magellan was unable to catch the rapidly plummeting Minotaurus. The sheer momentum carried them all down, spinning wildly as they fell.
The destination awaiting Magellan, Minotaurus, and Minokoala was the very hallmark of Level 4's Blazing Hell...
The Blood Pond Hell!!
KADOOOOSH!!
"Goba!? Ogh, gobo, obo... Aaagh... Gobobaba...!!"
"...Bu... mooooh..."
"...☠"
Magellan and the Jailer Beasts were all Devil Fruit users... so once they fell into the Blood Pond, there was no way they were climbing back up on their own.
Watching the three of them slowly sink beneath the bubbling surface, I pressed my hands together in a brief prayer. "Namu..."
"...I somehow managed to win... huh..."
"Niii~~ ♪"
I set Densuke, who was clapping her little hands, down on the floor and slumped down right beside her. I was completely exhausted. But this was no time to be resting...
"Phew... well, we survived that ordeal, but what should we do now, Densuke?"
"Jiii~~?"
"Personally, I really want to go see what happened to Luffy..."
Magellan said he executed Luffy... but he couldn't actually be dead yet, right?
"It's fine... I'm sure he's fine..."
I know this. Luffy is highly resistant to poison. Back on Amazon Lily, when he ate that Might-Die Mushroom—a poison that would leave a normal person bedridden for days—he fully recovered in just a few hours. So, I'm sure he'll be fine this time too.
"..."
As I sat there, my mind racing with different thoughts... that's when it happened.
"Ji!?"
Densuke noticed something.
"Ji, jiii! Jiiii!"
"Hm?"
I completely failed to notice what Densuke saw. I think I had let my guard down after finishing the death match with Magellan...
"Jiiii!!"
Densuke was staring straight up above me. There was a chain fixture hanging from the ceiling of this floor. By pure coincidence, a glob of the venom Magellan had been randomly firing earlier had gotten stuck to it.
Drip... drip...
The venom was slowly sliding down the chain... Was Densuke able to notice it because she was usually a surveillance snail?
"Jijijiii!! Jiii! Jiiiii~~!!"
"What's wrong, Densuke...? Is there something above me? What in the world is... eh?"
Plop.
By the time I realized it, it was too late. The venom was already inches from my face. From my sitting position, there was absolutely no way to dodge it...
(Ah, crap...)
The moment that thought crossed my mind—
"Jii!!"
"...Eh!?"
Splat.
Densuke lunged right at me. And because of that, she ended up taking the venom in my place...
"D-DENSUKEEEEEEE!!!?"
"...Ji...ii..."
Densuke collapsed limply to the floor.
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