"Without Haki, you're at a disadvantage!"
The potent neurotoxin coursed through Mizuchi's body, flowing rapidly from his hands to every part of him. His once-clear eyes now clouded over, his vision blurring under the chemical assault.
"One minute has passed. The Venom-Venom Fruit has been fully replicated."
Just as Mizuchi writhed in discomfort from the neurotoxin, a system voice suddenly rang inside his mind.
"Finally, it's in my grasp."
Having acquired the Venom-Venom Fruit, Mizuchi no longer needed to continue his entanglement with Magellan. His goal was to rescue Ace, not to challenge the warden.
"Director Magellan, what's that…?"
Mizuchi suddenly pointed upward with his left foot, his face puzzled.
"What is?"
Magellan looked up, confused. Above them were nothing but searing smoke and a tangle of passageways—there was nothing else there.
"…It's… nothing!"
Mizuchi let out a slight smile. His hands, trapped inside the poison dragons, emitted backward-firing laser beams. The dazzling beams pierced through the dragons, freeing his hands, which flew back to his sides.
Restoring his body to full form, Mizuchi wasted no time. Using "Yata Mirror!", he bypassed Magellan and shot toward the LV5 passage at high speed.
"Poison Passage!"
Realizing Mizuchi's move, Magellan manipulated the dragons he had formed to create a path, moving swiftly to intercept him.
"I've already spared you, so why are you so persistent?!"
Mizuchi looked at Magellan with mild exasperation. He knew if he didn't reach LV5 soon, it might be too late. Yet Magellan doggedly pursued, giving Mizuchi a genuine headache.
"You brat! This is Impel Down—my territory!"
Magellan inhaled deeply and spat out a thick stream of concentrated venom, flying straight toward Mizuchi.
"No choice! Let's see whose Venom-Venom Fruit is stronger!"
Mizuchi pulled out the fused Glint-Glint Fruit card, loading the newly acquired Venom-Venom Fruit card into it.
"Venom-Venom Fruit loaded. Duration: ten minutes. Cooldown: thirty seconds."
As the system voice spoke in his mind, the neurotoxin that had been affecting him lost its effect. His once-clouded eyes regained their clarity.
"The Venom-Venom Fruit is powerful… but this side effect…"
As soon as Mizuchi used the fruit, his stomach rumbled audibly.
"Your ability… could it be that you are the mysterious pirate, recently issued a bounty of 601,000,000 Berries by Admiral Kizaru—the one codenamed 'D'?"
Seeing Mizuchi wield a fruit ability identical to his own, Magellan recalled the recent bounty report: a new pirate valued at 601,000,000 Berries, strong enough to challenge an admiral, with the terrifying power to replicate Devil Fruits. This must be the pirate carrying the mysterious "D" codename.
"D, huh?"
Mizuchi's eyes narrowed slightly at the codename. Though his own name contained a "D," he had never mentioned it to Kizaru. Whether this was coincidence or Kizaru sensing something remained unclear.
"Interesting… 601,000,000 Berries," Mizuchi mused. Previously, during their battle, he had claimed his power level was worth 600,000,000 Berries. Now, the bounty listed 601,000,000. That extra million—clearly Kizaru's last stubborn touch.
"D, why are you in Impel Down? Are you allied with the Straw Hat kid?!"
Magellan exhaled pale violet mist, his gaze sharp and unfriendly.
"Allied or not… you can guess that yourself. You can't touch me. Let's just leave each other alone, alright?"
Mizuchi spread his hands helplessly, moving quickly past Magellan. Ace was still waiting for him—he could not afford delays here.
"Even if you can replicate my ability, that doesn't mean I can't defeat you!"
Magellan's poison dragons swirled behind him. Several dragons surged forward, aiming straight at Mizuchi's head.
"Poison Cloud!"
Releasing his dragons, Magellan unleashed his ultimate move. Thick clouds of violet poison sprayed from his mouth, forming strange "lifeforms" of toxic fog that encircled Mizuchi, continuously emitting lethal fumes.
"Your vision's blurred, your ears off… your senses all messed up, huh?!"
Magellan's calm voice echoed from within the cloud, exuding complete command of the battlefield.
"Heh… immunity to poison is really… boring."
Mizuchi stood in the midst of the fog, calm and collected. His eyes were sharp and lively, and his ears picked up sounds with precise clarity.
"Impossible… could your replication ability also alter your body's structure?"
Magellan's eyes widened. His power relied on poison's corrosive, lethal nature. Yet now, Mizuchi's body had become naturally immune to the Venom-Venom Fruit's toxins, just like his own.
"Well… you can't kill me, I can't kill you—so just stop bothering me."
Mizuchi calmly stepped out of the cloud. He no longer even wished to use his powers; since their abilities were identical, the Venom-Venom Fruit no longer offered a decisive advantage.
Even with complex poison techniques, the core effect relied solely on the poison itself.
"Poison Dragon!"
A trace of urgency appeared on Magellan's face. His hands liquefied into two dragons, lunging straight for Mizuchi's forehead.
"Why are you so persistent?!"
Mizuchi liquefied his hands in response, forming poison dragons almost identical to Magellan's, ready to clash head-on.
"Splash! Splash!"
Venom sprayed violently where the four dragons collided. The harsh sizzle of corrosion and explosive impact rang out continuously around Mizuchi and Magellan, echoing across the battlefield.
(End of Chapter)