"The man who has made the biggest waves on the seas lately… the so-called Pirate Instructor, Renji?"
There was only one recognized owner of the Quake Fruit.
That was Whitebeard.
So someone with similar power, who also had the ability to infiltrate Impel Down and cause chaos, could only be one person.
Renji.
Dark violet energy spread around Magellan.
Part of it was Armament Haki.
But most of it came from the terrifying power of his Venom-Venom Fruit.
His jelly-like poisonous body, combined with venom lethal on contact, made it nearly impossible for ordinary people to approach him.
That was the foundation of strength said to rival an Admiral.
As he spoke, Magellan strode forward.
He knew ordinary guards had no chance against Renji.
Only he could stop him.
Boom!!
Their fists collided in an instant.
Shockwaves burst outward.
At the same time, Magellan's poisonous hand splattered outward like thick syrup and melting gelatin.
The violent vibrations and spreading venom created an invisible boundary no one behind them dared cross.
What should have been a clash involving nearly a hundred thousand people was forcefully divided into a one-on-one duel by the powers of Renji and Magellan.
[You picked up one Devil Fruit Growth Experience!]
[You picked up one Armament Haki Insight Experience!]
[You picked up one Strength!]
Just from the exchange, Renji collected three drops.
He looked at Magellan with surprise.
He knew Magellan would be strong.
But he had not expected him to be this strong.
Especially the Devil Fruit experience drop it was on the same level as what Kizaru had dropped.
"I didn't expect a powerhouse like you to know the name of someone from the younger generation like me."
Magellan burst into hearty laughter.
Now that he had blocked the path out of the prison, he felt more at ease.
Though Renji was powerful, the escape route had been sealed.
That alone relaxed him.
"Don't say that."
"The successor to Whitebeard? It would be harder not to know who you are."
As he spoke, the two separated.
"That's fair enough."
Renji shook his hand lightly.
Fortunately, Armament Haki had protected him, so he hadn't suffered any real damage.
But now he truly understood how terrifying Magellan's poison was.
His Armament Haki might not compare to monsters like Garp or Whitebeard, those standing at the absolute peak of the world.
But it was still world-class.
And yet even that level of Haki was being slowly corroded by Magellan's venom.
Terrifying.
Terrifying to the extreme.
"Since you know who I am, then step aside."
"There's no point wasting each other's time."
As he spoke, the vibrations in Renji's hands intensified.
Cracks formed, then were compressed and hidden within both fists.
"Quake Break!"
The moment the words fell, Renji threw his punch.
"Good!"
Magellan had already condensed the power of the Venom-Venom Fruit.
He met the attack head-on with a punch of his own.
Boom!
Their fists collided again.
[You picked up one Devil Fruit Growth Experience!]
[You picked up one Observation Haki Insight Experience!]
[You picked up one Stamina!]
Three more drops were absorbed by Renji.
He smiled as he looked at Magellan's calm expression.
"You don't actually think I'd keep clashing head-on with you, do you?"
Confusion flashed across Magellan's eyes.
He didn't understand what Renji meant.
But the next second, he did.
"Release!"
Renji roared.
The Quake power he had compressed into his fist suddenly surged through the point of contact and exploded directly inside Magellan's body.
BOOM!
Clang! Clang!
A violent series of impact sounds rang out from within Magellan himself.
The sounds of violent vibrations rang out one after another.
Then, in the next instant magellan's body exploded apart.
"Scatter! Move away now!"
Seeing Magellan's shattered body raining down like droplets from the sky, both the pirates and the prison guards shouted in panic for everyone to retreat.
That poison…had no cure.
"No way…"
"He killed Magellan with one punch?!"
The pirate side was stunned.
"He's… that strong?"
"No."
Emporio Ivankov shook his head.
"Magellan is fine."
"The moment he was injured, he shifted his real body away."
"Renji's quake force only hit a body made from poison, something like a venom clone."
Ivankov narrowed his eyes.
"But even so… Renji is definitely stronger than him."
As a veteran powerhouse who had served as ruler of Kamabakka Kingdom and a high-ranking Revolutionary officer, Ivankov had seen countless monsters.
But someone who could steadily overpower Magellan?
That was rare even in his experience.
"Impressive."
As if responding to Ivankov's words, the scattered poison droplets began gathering together.
Magellan's body reformed before Renji once more.
"In terms of individual strength, I'm not your match."
Magellan admitted it directly.
"But…"
"It won't be easy for you to defeat me either."
"All I need to do is stall you until the Gates of Justice fully close."
As he spoke, Magellan's body rapidly expanded.
In an instant, he blocked the entire giant passageway, one wide enough for hundreds to walk through side by side.
"Poison Giant Soldier… Judgment of Hell."
His massive form completed itself.
A towering demonic figure, like something crawling straight out of the underworld, stood before Renji.
"Warden!"
"Invincible!"
The prison forces erupted in cheers.
Once the Poison Giant appeared, it symbolized absolute dominance.
This giant body was formed from Magellan's own venom, with his true self hidden inside it.
Even if the Poison Giant Soldier was shattered, it would not injure Magellan at all.
In this form, Magellan was essentially untouchable.
Even an Admiral perhaps even an Emperor of the Sea would find it troublesome to deal with.
"Excellent!"
"Pirates, let's see how you plan to get past our Warden now!"
The prison guards roared with excitement.
"To be honest…"
Renji scratched his cheek as he looked at the monstrous poison titan before him.
"This is a little troublesome."
For the first time, even he seemed mildly bothered.
But only mildly.
Because the word he used was troublesome.
Not impossible.
"Isn't the solution simple?"
"First destroy the poison body."
"Then hit your real body."
Renji smiled.
"Easy."
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