"Oh? So it can absorb poison? The Dark-Dark Fruit is quite impressive," Jerry observed calmly after watching Teach slowly struggle to his feet.
It seemed that when the poison dragon had approached, Teach had used his Dark-Dark Fruit powers to absorb a significant portion of the venom directed at him, preventing his body from sustaining serious damage.
Therefore, thanks to his Devil Fruit ability, he had managed to completely neutralize the poison before it could take effect.
"Then let me give you another dose!"
Jerry crooked his left index finger forward, and the poisonous dragon under his control immediately lunged toward Teach.
Facing this controlled poison dragon's attack, Teach extended his left hand fearlessly and grinned widely. "The same technique won't work on me twice!"
Sure enough, a massive dark vortex suddenly emerged, and the entire poisonous dragon was absorbed in the blink of an eye, disappearing without a trace.
Seeing this demonstration, Catarina Devon leaped back to Teach's side.
With this development, a new three-way confrontation erupted between the competing factions.
However, Jerry, Teach, and the others obviously had no intention of remaining here indefinitely.
Noticing Zoro and Brook quietly positioning themselves for attack, Jerry reached into his pocket and pulled out a timepiece. After checking it briefly, he tossed it to his companions.
"Sanji, escort everyone to the upper levels first. We still have a little time before we need to rendezvous."
"Be careful," his crew responded. Without further discussion, they followed Sanji—who was practically dancing with excitement in front of the two ladies—as they departed together.
"Don't even think about escaping!" Magellan made the first move, launching three massive poison dragons toward Teach, Jerry, and Sanji's retreating group respectively.
Jerry raised his arms, and a thick curtain of water rapidly gathered and formed in the air, creating an impenetrable barrier protecting Sanji and the others while completely blocking access to the upper-level staircase.
Simultaneously, a huge crystalline water dragon materialized and began circling through the air, intercepting the two poison dragons rushing toward Jerry's position. It swallowed them completely, dissolving them into nothingness within its watery form.
"You two handle the woman who looks like a man. I'll take care of Blackbeard and Magellan myself."
Even as his words echoed through the stairwell, Jerry's figure had already vanished from his original position.
At the same moment, Magellan showed no hesitation and charged directly toward Teach, who found himself caught between multiple enemies.
When Teach had used his abilities to resist the poison dragon, Catarina had already leaped to safety. She was now hesitating whether to find an antidote to help her poisoned crewmates first.
As someone familiar with Impel Down's layout, she knew there were usually antidotes for Magellan's poison stored somewhere within the facility.
However, Zoro and Brook didn't give her time to consider her options.
"One Sword Style: Lion's Song!"
"Soul Solid: Blizzard Slash!"
Both swordsmen's blades flashed across the battlefield like meteors, slashing toward Catarina without mercy.
"Fufufu, it seems I'm being underestimated," Catarina let out her characteristic laugh while leaping to avoid their fierce coordinated assault.
"Take this!" Finding himself under attack from multiple directions, Teach roared and decisively hurled the poison dragon he had just absorbed directly at Jerry.
He then stomped the ground hard, spun around, and charged toward Magellan.
"What?!" Magellan, who had been sprinting at full speed, was unexpectedly caught by the gravitational pull of Teach's Dark-Dark Fruit. His body was involuntarily drawn closer to his opponent.
"Zehahahaha! I'll return that favor with interest!"
Teach's right fist became coated with thick Armament Haki as he delivered a devastating punch directly to Magellan's abdomen.
The impact was so powerful that Magellan was sent flying backward, his body slamming into the wall behind him like a cannonball with a thunderous crash.
"Haha! Better to arrive at the perfect moment than to arrive early, don't you think? Mr.1."
A whirlwind of sand suddenly erupted, and Crocodile appeared in the distance with dramatic flair.
Mr.1 stood at his side, while behind them followed a group of escaped prisoners of obviously dangerous caliber.
However, his arrival failed to halt the ongoing battles throughout the area.
Teach examined his fist and looked at the humiliated Magellan before him, grinning triumphantly. He was about to speak when he suddenly heard a low murmur from behind.
"Do you think I'm some kind of minor character? Then let me give you a punch from Ace first!"
As the voice rang out, a powerful gust of wind completely enveloped Teach.
His heart tightened and he instinctively tried to dodge, but Jerry—who had launched this attack—wasn't about to let him escape so easily.
"Maelstorm Abyss Breaker!"
Teach's desperate evasion attempt proved utterly useless as Jerry's earth-shattering spinning water vortex fist connected directly with his chest.
Teach suddenly felt excruciating pain and couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood.
While suffering the devastating blow, Teach's entire body was launched into the air involuntarily.
A tremendous crash echoed as Magellan, who had just managed to stand up, instinctively raised his hands protectively to shield himself from the debris and shockwave that exploded around him.
Watching Magellan advance through the settling dust cloud, Jerry turned his attention toward Crocodile with a serious expression.
"Hey there, Croc! Long time no see," Jerry raised his hand in casual greeting. "I was just thinking that when they were causing chaos down in Level 6, you'd definitely take the opportunity to break out."
Before Crocodile could respond, Jerry's expression turned cold and predatory:
"However, now that I've encountered you and that group behind you, I can't let you slip away right under my nose."
"While I'm no saint... well, I'm certainly no devil either... I refuse to watch you most heinous criminals escape from prison so easily."
Jerry's hostile words infuriated the prisoners following Crocodile.
"Who does this kid think he is? How dare he speak so arrogantly? Boss Crocodile, let's kill him!"
Except for Crocodile and Mr.1, the rest of the escapees began shouting and charging at Jerry like a pack of wild animals.
Facing the assault of hundreds of vicious criminals, Jerry remained completely calm. Instead, a cold smile played at the corner of his mouth. "Your courage is admirable. Then you can have a taste of this magnificent dragon—a fusion of three poison dragons!"
He raised his left hand and waved it forward gently. The giant water dragon that had been hovering motionlessly immediately turned and rushed forward to meet the charging prisoners.
Apparently, most of these Impel Down veterans recognized Magellan's signature techniques.
"Hey! What is that thing?!"
"Why does it look exactly like Magellan's poison dragon?"
"He just said it was a poison dragon! Everyone run!"
Amid the panicked shouting, they immediately realized the danger and attempted to scatter in all directions.
The originally clear massive water dragon had now turned purple-black as ink. It roared silently as it swept through the crowd before it.
"Don't come near me!"
"Help! This poison is... incredibly toxic!"
The dramatic siege attempt by numerous prisoners ended in the blink of an eye.
Jerry ignored the fallen criminals who had received their just punishment and focused his attention on a sand barrier that had suddenly materialized.
"Boy, you don't appear to be working with Magellan, so why are you trying to stop us?" Crocodile glanced at Magellan and Teach's fierce ongoing battle, as well as Zoro's group fighting on the other side, and spoke with calculated calm.
"You're right—I don't have time to waste here playing with you people," Jerry clenched his right fist and spoke in a low, dangerous tone. "So why couldn't you wait until after I left to make your escape? Why did you have to show up at this exact moment?!"
Before he finished speaking, tremendous pressure erupted from Jerry like a towering mountain, heavily oppressing everyone present. The range of this overwhelming aura continued expanding outward.
Many prisoners who were still in their cells observing the chaos had no idea what was happening. In that instant, they felt crushing oppression wash over them, their eyes rolled back, and they collapsed powerlessly to the ground.
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