The air inside Impel Down reeked of sweat, blood and something fouler still. The red glow of the alarms turned the stone corridors into the throat of a beast, and from the end of that throat came thunder with the march of guards, the roars of things not quite human.
The jailer beasts arrived first.
A hulking minotaur dragged its spiked club along the floor sparks flying as it bared yellowed fangs. Behind it came the rhino-man its horn scraping deep gouges into the stone as it charged forward. Their eyes burned with the mindless fury of animals bred only to kill.
They came without hesitation.
The minotaur's club whistled through the air, a mountain of iron falling toward Magnus.
Shusui flashed.
The blade carved through the weapon like rotted wood, black lightning spiderwebbing up the length of it. The beast didn't even have time to roar before its torso split open in a spray of blood its massive frame crashing to the floor.
The rhino-man bellowed and lunged with its horn first. Shusui met the horn with a crack that split the air and at the next moment, the beast's head rolled across the stone, its body staggering a few steps before collapsing in a heap.
Silence lasted only a heartbeat.
Then the guards screamed and opened fire.
Bullets tore through the air, ricocheting off the walls, sparking against steel. Magnus moved through them like a shadow in the storm. A step forward and his Shusui cutting left as five men fell, their rifles clattering beside torn limbs. He pivoted as the blade dragged black arcs that split the corridor wall itself. Guards were ripped from their feet as the shockwave shredded armor and bone alike.
Blood sprayed painting the red glow of the alarm darker still.
Some tried to run but Magnus's haki crushed them before they took three steps, their bodies convulsing as foam gathered at their lips.
The air stank of iron now and the floor was slick with it.
Magnus didn't pause as his stride never broke.
Magellan reached the inner gates with the stench of poison thickening the air.
The ground hissed where droplets fell.
Purple steam curled from the stones.
From the shadows ahead, Magellan stepped forth. His massive frame was cloaked in a tide of venom his skin already shimmering with the deadly Hydra that coiled around him. His face twisted with disgust as his voice rolled through the chamber.
"You dare set foot in my prison, boy?"
His venom hissed eating through the floor. The Hydra's heads whipped and snapped in the air with each movement leaving trails of sizzling ruin.
Magnus's grip on Shusui tightened. His gaze locked on Magellan, calm, sharp, unyielding.
"I've come to take what you bury."
The Hydra struck.
Magnus responded.
Shusui carved the first head in two but venom sprayed outward eating through stone like acid rain. Magnus rolled aside, boots sliding through blood and sparks bursting as his blade slashed another head apart. The chamber shook as the poison hissed against the walls burning deep gouges into the black stone.
Magellan's laugh thundered. "YOU CANNOT CUT POISON!"
Magnus said nothing. His eyes narrowed with his haki surging, black lightning crawled up Shusui's blade answering him once more.
He then slashed.
The arc tore through the Hydra scattering venom like rain the impact rocked the chamber, the shockwave rattling steel doors and shattering chains. Guards watching from above stumbled, some collapsing outright under the pressure.
Magellan staggered a step, eyes widening. "Conqueror's Haki…"
Magnus's voice cut through the storm.
"Walls and poison mean nothing to mean. I'll carve straight through."
The battle for Impel Down had begun in full.