Howard Stark agreed with Lucas's assessment.
The ability to construct an underwater fortress with multiple distinct ecosystems was a technological feat beyond what even the Earth of the Marvel world possessed. The fact that the World Government had the vision—and resources—to build such a fantastical prison was nothing short of astonishing.
Fisher Tiger (breaking his usual silence): "This prison was built under the direction of the World Government, and the World Government is controlled by the Celestial Dragons. I seriously suspect that this place exists solely to satisfy their twisted tastes. After all, their perversions are well known across the world."
Golden Lion Shiki (laughing): "Shihahaha! You're probably right! The Celestial Dragons do love their sick entertainment, and a prison like this, filled with suffering, fits their style perfectly. If they enjoy watching prisoners rot away in agony, I wouldn't be surprised at all."
Uchiha Madara: "There's a strong presence ahead. Looks like this underwater prison has some capable fighters."
[Outside World – Impel Down]
A menacing figure stood before the six invading shinobi. Purple venom dripped from his body, corroding the stone floor beneath him. The air grew thick with a pungent, suffocating stench.
Magellan, the formidable warden of Impel Down, glared at them with cold fury.
"You dare to break into Impel Down? Do you think you can do whatever you please? Arrogant scum of the sea!"
With a roar, Magellan gathered his poisonous aura. The purple venom twisted into three massive serpentine dragons that surged toward the intruders.
"Poison Dragon!"
Susanoo! ×2
Wood Style – Wood Wall!
Water Style – Water Barrier! ×2
Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Shisui summoned their colossal Susanoo avatars, their glowing figures standing tall in the prison's dim light.
Hozuki and Senju Tobirama quickly formed hand seals, raising twin Water Barriers to intercept the attack.
Senju Hashirama erected a sturdy wooden wall in front of them.
As for Namikaze Minato… he simply stepped behind the others, watching the action unfold like a careful observer.
Magellan's eyes narrowed as his Poison Dragons crashed against the combined defenses, completely nullified.
"Huh? What kind of abilities are these? Strange powers… so this is the strength you rely on to invade Impel Down?"
Minato crouched near a pool of spilled venom, dipping a finger into the toxic substance. In mere seconds, the skin on his fingertip corroded away—only to regenerate instantly, leaving him unharmed.
[Chat Group]
Fire Fist Ace: "Magellan's strength comes entirely from his Devil Fruit. His poison abilities are terrifying for most people, but… everyone here is already dead. The poison won't affect them at all."
Lucas: "Exactly. Edo Tensei bodies don't have functioning organs, so poison is meaningless. Without his Devil Fruit's deadliest effect, Magellan is nothing but a toothless tiger."
Fire Fist Ace: "Group Leader, let me fight him!"
Pirate King Roger (curious): "What, did he wrong you or something? You seem to really want payback."
Fire Fist Ace (hesitating): "Well…"
Lucas (grinning): "Ah, let me explain! Before his execution, Ace was imprisoned here in Impel Down. He actually tried to escape but was effortlessly beaten down by Magellan before he could even get out!"
Fire Fist Ace (defensive): "That was because I was in Seastone handcuffs! I couldn't use my powers!"
Lucas: "Don't underestimate Magellan. Even without his poisonous abilities, he's still strong. A toothless tiger is still a tiger. One swipe, and you—nothing more than a calf—would be down for the count."
Fire Fist Ace: "…"
Almost as if to prove Lucas's point, the battle outside intensified.
Even without his venom's lethal effects, Magellan was proving to be a formidable opponent. His sheer size and endurance allowed him to withstand attacks from even four Uchiha Madara-level shinobi.
It was clear—Magellan could hold out for at least a minute against their combined assault.
Fire Fist Ace (muttering): "Damn… his size really gives him an advantage. He's too durable."
Lucas: "And that's why I said you wouldn't be able to beat him. Have you forgotten the fear he instilled in you?"
Pirate King Roger (laughing): "Group Leader! Tell me, how badly did Ace get beaten? I want to hear this story!"
Whitebeard (sighing): "Roger… are you really Ace's father?"
Pirate King Roger: "A man must accept his failures! Blood and tears are just part of a warrior's growth!"
Golden Lion Shiki: "Shihahaha! Well said! Whitebeard, you just spoil your son too much. If you weren't so soft, your crew wouldn't have been such pushovers!"
Lucas: "Ace's escape attempt? Oh, it was legendary. He grabbed a guard's steel trident as a weapon… and Magellan snatched it from him with two fingers—carefully at that."
Howard Stark: "Wait… he took it away with two fingers? And carefully?"
Sebastian Shaw: "Judging by their size difference, I can already picture it. What's up with this world? The body proportions here are insane."
[Outside World – Impel Down]
Uchiha Madara's Sharingan gleamed. "Should we kill this Magellan?"
Lucas: "No. Use Kotoamatsukami on him. He was the top authority in Impel Down, and still remains its most powerful enforcer. He probably has valuable intel that we need."
Uchiha Shisui: "I'm in Edo Tensei form, so my Kotoamatsukami is weaker. Plus, Magellan is stronger than me—my ability won't control him permanently."
Lucas: "That's fine. I don't need him permanently brainwashed. Just have him spill some information."
Uchiha Shisui: "Understood."
Shisui, still within his towering Susanoo, activated his Mangekyō Sharingan. The overwhelming power of Kotoamatsukami surged into Magellan's mind.
Magellan, once a relentless warrior, suddenly hesitated. The furious gleam in his eyes faded, replaced by an eerie calm.
The fight was over.
Uchiha Madara clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Tch. How boring."
Senju Hashirama shot Uchiha Madara an unimpressed look. "Madara, your killing intent is too heavy."
Uchiha Madara shook his head. "No, that's just one part of it. Fighting in this reincarnated body… it doesn't excite me. My blood doesn't boil like it does in a real battle. It always feels a little… dull."
Meanwhile, Uchiha Shisui continued interrogating Magellan about the whereabouts of Golden Lion Shiki's body.
Magellan frowned. "Not long after Golden Lion died, World Government agents retrieved his corpse. Where they took it, I don't know."
[Chat Group]
Golden Lion Shiki (furious): "Bastards! They experimented on my corpse, didn't they?! Damned World Government!"
Back in the real world, Magellan continued his warning.
"Your intrusion triggered an alert. The World Government and Marine Headquarters have already received the distress signal. If you don't leave soon, you will be intercepted."
Uchiha Madara let out a low chuckle. "The World Government and Marine Headquarters? Now I'm even more interested."
Magellan's expression hardened. "Then I will fight you."
Uchiha Shisui turned to Lucas. "Do we have Magellan stay here and continue acting as a warden, or should he leave with us?"
Lucas considered it. "Have Magellan put up a fight, but make it look like you've forced him into submission."
Uchiha Shisui nodded. "Understood. Magellan, cooperate with me."
With a glance, Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan activated, and Magellan's eyes flickered with the Kotoamatsukami illusion.
Shisui leaped onto Magellan's shoulder, and in an instant, a turquoise Susanoo enveloped the prison warden's massive frame.
Uchiha Madara (raising an eyebrow): "This body… it's close to a pseudo-Tailed Beast form."
Standing atop Magellan's shoulder, Shisui was now at the same height as the warden's head.
Uchiha Madara sighed. "The height of people in this world is ridiculous."
[Marine Headquarters]
"Damn it!"
A furious fist slammed against the desk.
Fleet Admiral Akainu seethed with rage, his gloved hand glowing red-hot as magma bubbled over his old battle scar.
"How many times has this damn pirates messed with Impel Down?! Do they think they can do whatever they want?!"
Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Marine's chief strategist, remained calm. "Magellan is the only high-level combatant left in Impel Down. He should be able to stall the invaders for a while, but we should still send reinforcements."
Akainu clenched his teeth. "I'll go myself."
Since taking over as Fleet Admiral, Akainu had been stuck behind a desk more often than he liked. This was the perfect chance to take the battlefield once more.
Vice Admiral Tsuru asked, "Do you need another Admiral to accompany you?"
Akainu shook his head. "No need for all three Admirals. Have Momousagi and Tokikake join me. That's more than enough."
With one Admiral-level fighter (himself) and two Vice Admirals at near-Admiral strength, plus Magellan in Impel Down, Akainu was confident they could suppress any intruders.
[Impel Down]
After confirming that the bodies of Golden Lion and Roger weren't in Impel Down, Lucas lost interest in going any deeper.
After a brief discussion with Uchiha Madara and the others, they unanimously decided to take the fight to the Marines instead.
Leaving Impel Down behind, the group followed the circular ocean current created by the Three Gates of Justice, heading straight toward Marineford.
As they walked effortlessly across the water, Senju Tobirama suddenly chuckled. "The people in this world don't have the ability to walk on water, do they? This kind of battlefield isn't exactly fair to them."
Hozuki Gengetsu smirked. "Isn't that perfect? The sea suppresses them, but for us, it's a home-field advantage."
Senju Tobirama snorted. "It almost feels like bullying."
Namikaze Minato, standing to the side, spoke up weakly. "To be fair… if we didn't have this advantage, we might not be able to defeat the Marine Admirals."
As an assassin-type fighter, Minato had a keen sense of power dynamics. Even when facing Magellan earlier, he had felt how difficult it would be to fight these physically overwhelming pirate world powerhouses.
Lucas smirked. "Minato, don't be so down on yourself. Your attack style isn't effective against them, but you do have your sealing techniques."
Uchiha Madara grinned. "So basically… Minato can't actually beat them?"
Lucas shrugged. "It's just a fact. Minato's fast, but his attack power is lacking. His strongest move is the Rasengan… and you know how strong that is."
Uchiha Madara snorted. "Yeah, about as strong as a basic swing from my Susanoo."
Namikaze Minato: "…"
Lucas: "That's why Minato struggled so much against the Nine-Tails. He couldn't stop its attacks. His speed and agility are top-tier, sure, but all he could do was dodge. If you can't deal damage, it doesn't matter how fast you move."
Uchiha Madara: "It's not just Minato. Hozuki Gengetsu, Senju Tobirama, and the others all have the same problem."
Hozuki Gengetsu scowled. "Not everyone is an overpowered freak like you, Madara. You and your RInnegan or Sage of Six Paths reincarnation nonsense. Normal shinobi actually have limits, you know."
...
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