With Magellan firmly in Malverick's grasp, the warden couldn't use his Devil Fruit powers at all.
And without them—Magellan was basically helpless.
"Release the warden! Open fire!"
Just as Malverick was about to extract the Venom-Venom Fruit, a large group of guards rushed into the area—led by none other than a bloodied but still-breathing Hannyabal, who had finally pried himself out of the wall.
Taking advantage of Malverick's brief glance in their direction, Shiryu moved in a flash—grabbing Magellan and pulling him several meters away.
Malverick didn't bother stopping them.
Honestly, the Venom-Venom Fruit didn't interest him that much anyway.
Sure, the ability was powerful, but the side effects? Absolutely not worth it.
Eight hours a day chained to a toilet? No thanks.
In fact, come to think of it—maybe that's why Blackbeard didn't kill Magellan later on. The curse wasn't worth the reward.
Seeing their warden still alive, Hannyabal and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
"Now! Fire everything we've got!"
At his order, the guards unleashed a barrage of gunfire and cannon blasts, filling the air with smoke and metal.
But every bullet and shell vanished—swallowed whole by dark swirling vortices before reaching Malverick.
After a few seconds of pointless noise, Malverick sighed.
"My time is valuable, you know. I'm done playing."
Boom!
In an instant, thick black energy poured from his body, flooding the space around him like living smoke.
"Fall back! Hurry!" Magellan barked, clutching his wounded chest.
He knew first-hand just how devastating that darkness was—if it touched the guards, there'd be nothing left to save.
"Venom Dragon!"
A massive serpent made of toxic purple sludge surged from Magellan's body, snapping its jaws at Malverick.
But as soon as it hit the spreading darkness, the dragon disintegrated—swallowed whole, leaving not even a ripple behind.
"Hmph. None of you are getting away."
The gravitational pull of the Dark-Dark Fruit intensified.
The guards tried to run—but their bodies were dragged together by sheer force, crushing them into a trembling, panicked cluster.
"Ah! No! I don't want to die!"
Cries echoed from the center as the pressure built, threatening to compress them into pulp.
Magellan clenched his teeth and forced his battered body to move.
Poison welled from his pores, pooling and solidifying into a towering giant of venom—grotesque and furious.
"Venom Giant!"
The monster slammed its hands to the ground, sending a tidal wave of poison rushing toward Malverick.
But before it landed, Malverick's silhouette blurred—he had already turned and descended deeper, toward the next level.
The venom flood roared uselessly past, even sealing off the stairwell in the process.
"Damn you! Get back here!" Magellan bellowed.
"Warden, don't!" Hannyabal shouted. "We can't beat him. Let's save who we can first—before they're crushed!"
Magellan spat a mouthful of blood but nodded grimly, turning to rescue his trapped subordinates.
As for Malverick—none of them could stop him now. All they could do was wait for the Navy's reinforcements.
With no one left to bar his way, Malverick advanced rapidly.
Soon, the air grew hot and dry—the entrance to Blazing Hell.
The guards here had already fled.
Striding casually past the melted iron and scorched walls, Malverick made his way straight to Magellan's office.
He wasn't here for treasure—what valuable thing could this inferno possibly hold?
Bang!
One punch shattered the office door.
Inside, a transponder snail sat on the desk.
Before he could even touch it, it started ringing on its own.
Buru buru buru buru...
Raising an eyebrow, Malverick picked up the receiver.
The moment he connected, an urgent voice crackled through.
"Magellan! Report your status! Hold your position—I've already dispatched Admiral Candidate Kuzan for support!"
It was Fleet Commander Kong himself.
But after a few seconds of silence, the other end grew uneasy.
"Magellan? Say something!"
Malverick smiled faintly. "Sorry—Magellan's not available right now. You're welcome to come down yourself, though."
Instantly, Kong's tone darkened.
"Who are you?"
"What? You mean the great Fleet Commander doesn't recognize me? And yet you're the one who quietly put a five hundred million bounty on my head. Running out of funds, are we?"
Boom!
Even through the line, Malverick could feel the surge of fury from the other side.
The poor transponder snail trembled violently—almost unable to withstand the killing intent flooding through.
"You… you're Malverick, Rayleigh's son!"
Kong's voice was a growl of barely contained rage.
"Bingo. That's me. Tell me, old man—how's Gion doing? Put her on the line, I'd love to chat."
The name alone made Kong's control snap.
A loud crash sounded through the receiver—his desk didn't survive.
"Bastard! What did you do to Gion?!"
Malverick chuckled darkly.
"Oh, nothing much. Just… spent a night together, that's all."
He paused deliberately, letting the silence stretch.
"Gotta say though, Commander… your daughter, Gion…"
He clicked his tongue.
"...was very smooth."
Smooth. Smooth. Smooth.
The words echoed through the tense air.
For a full few seconds, everything went silent—utterly still, the kind of quiet that comes before a storm.
"Her skin was flawless too," Malverick went on casually. "That night… unforgettable. The way she begged for mercy—still vivid in my mind."
He waited for a reply. None came.
Then he glanced down—the line had gone dead.
Apparently, the transponder snail on Kong's end hadn't survived his explosive rage.
Grinning, Malverick dropped the receiver and laughed, turning to leave.
That little detour was just for his amusement—he had real business below.
Level Six — Infinite Hell.
Unlike the burning or frozen levels above, this place was eerily quiet—just stone, darkness, and despair.
Here, the inmates were monsters in human form—men so vile that pain and punishment had long since lost meaning.
When the gate creaked open, most of them assumed a new prisoner was being dragged in.
But Malverick ignored the stares.
He activated Fivefold Vision, scanning the cells one by one.
Then his eyes lit up.
"Found you."
He walked down the corridor until he stopped at one massive iron door.
Behind it sat a man radiating pure destructive power.
"Douglas Bullet," Malverick said with a grin.
"Sashiburidana." — Long time no see.
~~--------------------------
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