Magellan was already used to Hannyabal blurting out his ambitions without meaning to.
He spoke sternly.
"When the time comes, Marine Admiral Akainu will join me to face the enemy. You're responsible for watching the prisoners. Don't let anyone cause trouble during the chaos!"
"Yes, sir!"
When it came to actual duties, Hannyabal had no issues.
After giving his orders, Magellan's expression twisted, and he immediately rushed into the bathroom behind his office.
As the user of the Paramecia-type Venom-Venom Fruit…
Magellan couldn't die from his own poison, but he did suffer constant stomach problems.
It was said that aside from eight hours of sleep, he only had four hours of actual work time per day.
The remaining ten hours were spent… having diarrhea.
If he weren't strong enough to keep the prisoners suppressed, he probably would've been fired long ago.
Two days later, after traveling day and night, Akainu finally arrived at Impel Down before Oguro.
"Admiral Akainu, thank you for coming!" Magellan personally came to greet him.
Akainu, cold and fierce as always, gave off a chilling aura.
"For the sake of justice, this time we must completely exterminate those unruly pirates."
Magellan nodded repeatedly.
No wonder he was a Marine Admiral.
Even if many anime fans in the previous life disliked Akainu…
From the perspective of the World Government, he was undeniably powerful and reliable.
He followed orders to the letter, and his strength was enough to crush ninety percent of all enemies.
What superior wouldn't value a subordinate like that?
"Then please rest for now. According to the surveillance ships, they'll probably reach Impel Down by tomorrow."
Magellan arranged everything properly, and Akainu thanked him before heading to the prepared quarters to rest.
He had rushed here in full force, so he needed to recover before the coming battle.
...
At sea, Oguro's group had reached the edge of the Calm Belt, the closest point to Impel Down.
Unlike Marine battleships, which had their own power systems, the Desert Rose was still a traditional wind-powered ship.
Under normal circumstances, it couldn't sail into the Calm Belt.
The World Government didn't know how Oguro planned to overcome this obstacle, but they didn't believe something so trivial could stop him.
At the edge of the Calm Belt, Oguro told Nami to stop the ship.
"Up ahead is the Calm Belt. You and Hanatarō stay on the ship and wait for us."
He could use Kidō to generate wind for propulsion, but the real danger in the Calm Belt wasn't the lack of wind.
It was the massive Sea Kings that gathered there.
These enormous marine monsters—hundreds or even thousands of meters long—were easily drawn to passing ships.
The Desert Rose's hull wasn't disguised with seastone. It wasn't worth the risk.
Nami understood the danger and nodded.
"Don't worry. We'll circle around outside and draw the World Government's attention!"
Oguro nodded.
Then, he, Yoruichi, Soi Fon, Rukia, and Rangiku all rose into the air and flew straight toward Impel Down.
Impel Down's proud first line of defense was effortlessly bypassed.
That was the strategic power of true flight.
Otherwise, Admiral Kizaru wouldn't constantly be used like a literal firefighter—sent anywhere trouble appeared.
...
In Impel Down, staring at the perfectly still sea surface, Magellan frowned in confusion.
"Strange… didn't the report say they'd arrive within a day? Why haven't they appeared?"
Hannyabal smirked.
"Maybe they were scared off by the name of Impel Down's future director? Oops, there I go revealing my ambition again!"
Just then, a report came from the World Government's monitoring ships.
"The Desert Rose has been circling outside the Calm Belt. They don't seem to be entering!"
Magellan froze.
"What? Circling around but not coming in? Are they here for sightseeing?"
"Maybe they're stuck because of the Calm Belt," Hannyabal shrugged.
"There are tons of Sea Kings inside. Without special preparations, entering is basically suicide."
Hearing that, Magellan couldn't help feeling a bit disdainful.
This was the Oguro the World Government viewed as a major threat?
If he couldn't even conquer the Calm Belt, what "attack on Impel Down" was he talking about?
"It seems I overestimated them," Magellan muttered.
At that moment, a playful voice suddenly came from above.
"Yo. So many people… all here to welcome me?"
Magellan snapped his head up.
Five figures stood in a perfect line, suspended calmly in the air.
Magellan instantly recognized the one in the middle—Sith Oguro.
"Five people… all of them can fly!?"
Shock exploded in Magellan's chest.
Flight was one of the rarest and most coveted abilities on the sea.
Yet five appeared at once.
After the initial shock, Magellan quickly regained his composure.
He said coldly, "No matter who you are, trespassing into Impel Down is a grave crime!"
"Heh." Oguro sneered.
"We walked through Enies Lobby just fine. This isn't any different."
He came to Impel Down to make a statement.
Of course he was going to be as arrogant as possible.
"Arrogant!" Magellan roared.
"You think Impel Down is a place you can come and go as you please?"
Sith Oguro smirked.
"Magellan… today I want to see whether this so-called unbreakable fortress truly lives up to its name."
As he spoke, spiritual pressure gathered around him, producing visible light.
"Reigning monarch… flesh of the mask… all creation… spread your wings… bearer of the human name… carve twin lotuses upon the wall of blue flames… await the abyss of conflagration in the distant sky… Hadō #73: Sōren Sōkatsui!"
Ever since successfully summoning Yoruichi Shihōin, Sith Oguro's spiritual pressure and Zanjutsu/Hakuda/Kidō had all reached seated-officer levels.
His reiatsu and Kidō were comparable to high-ranking seated officers.
He could finally cast high-level Hadō freely.
Two enormous blue flame lotuses intertwined, radiating blistering heat as they roared downward like falling meteors.
Magellan's pupils shrank sharply—this attack carried terrifying force.
"Poison Gas Bomb!"
Magellan spat out a massive cloud of poison gas, infused with concentrated tear gas.
BOOM!!
The moment the lotus flames touched the gas, a massive explosion erupted, shaking even the ground.
"Quick reaction. You even used the gas to detonate my Kidō."
A hint of appreciation flashed in Sith Oguro's eyes.
"Magellan, how about working for me in the future? You'd have far more potential than wasting away guarding this little prison."
Good grief.
The guards of Impel Down collectively gasped.
Trespassing was one thing…
But trying to poach Impel Down's director to his face?
That was outright treating the World Government like it didn't exist.
And Oguro absolutely did not put the World Government in his eyes.
As expected, Magellan exploded with fury.
"Sith Oguro! Don't think no one in this world can deal with you! I'll personally throw you into Impel Down myself!"
***
Read 20 Chapters early on P-atreon.com/Redestro666