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Blazing Hell
Since Magellan was appointed by the Five Elders as the new director of Impel Down, he has stationed his office on this floor.
The scorching hot climate here is unbearable for most, but for someone with poison-based abilities like him, it's rather comfortable.
"Director Magellan! Director Magellan!"
"It's bad! It's really bad!"
A jailer, wearing a gas mask, sprinted from a distance and urgently knocked on the closed office door.
His anxious voice echoed throughout Blazing Hell.
Splash!
The sound of water flushing from the toilet was heard, and the door swung open a moment later.
Magellan's towering figure emerged.
"What is it? What's happened?" Magellan asked as he fastened his belt.
"The pirate Hal Acheson, who was captured by Fleet Admiral Sengoku, has died in Freezing Hell," the jailer quickly reported.
"What?!"
Magellan was shocked. He grabbed the jailer by the collar, his eyes wide. "Say that again!"
The jailer, startled by Magellan's intense expression, gulped before responding quickly:
"Yes, that's right. After Fleet Admiral Akira left Freezing Hell, we went inside to retrieve the pirates as usual, and that's when we found him."
"But when we searched inside, we found that he was already dead."
Magellan's face darkened. "Are you certain he's truly dead?"
"Yes, Sir Director, we're absolutely certain."
Hearing the jailer's confirmation, Magellan's frown deepened.
Since Akira had been using Impel Down as a place to strengthen himself, the unfortunate Hal Acheson was the first pirate to lose his life. In the past, the notorious pirates taken down there were typically treated as mere punching bags, beaten until they couldn't move. There was never any serious harm done.
But today was different—someone had died.
This was a serious issue.
In the past, Magellan could turn a blind eye to pirates being roughed up, but now, with deaths happening, things couldn't be ignored any longer.
"No! I can't allow him to kill prisoners at will!" Magellan said in a stern tone. "If this continues, what do you even need me as the director for?"
The jailer nodded rapidly in agreement.
"Yes, Mr. Director! If he keeps killing prisoners like this, we won't have enough pirates left for him to use."
"We also need plenty of them here to work and for medical research purposes."
"Not to mention, the business assigned by the Five Elders requires these big-name pirates to be alive. If they all die, how are we supposed to explain that?"
These words made Magellan's expression darken even further.
Without a word, he brushed past the jailer and headed straight toward Eternal Hell.
His pace was smooth and determined.
Soon, Magellan arrived at the entrance to Eternal Hell.
"Director!"
"Director Magellan!" The two jailers stationed at the door quickly saluted.
"Secure the door," Magellan ordered.
The jailers didn't dare hesitate. They immediately turned around, placing their hands on the door and gathering their strength as usual.
Despite Eternal Hell being the most dangerous floor in all of Impel Down, the doors had the same standard specifications as those on the other levels. Normally, it took just a bit of force for the gatekeepers to open it with ease.
But today was different.
"Director Magellan, push... it won't budge," the jailer gasped, his face flushed red as the veins in his forehead and neck bulged from the effort.
Both jailers had planted their feet firmly, pushing against the door with all their might, yet it was as immovable as a mountain—no sign of movement at all.
Magellan's frown deepened.
This strange occurrence made him uneasy.
Was Akira inside killing indiscriminately? Why else wouldn't they be able to open the door?
The more Magellan thought about it, the more anxious he became. If the infamous pirates of Eternal Hell ended up dead all at once, as the new director, he'd surely be held accountable by the higher-ups.
"Move aside, let me handle this," Magellan ordered.
Without hesitation, he shoved the two men aside and placed his own hands on the door.
"Urrgh~~~"
His muscles bulged as he exerted his full strength.
But still—nothing.
The door remained unshaken, even by Magellan's monstrous strength.
Magellan's eyes narrowed as a suspicion crossed his mind. It felt as if there was some invisible giant on the other side of the door, deliberately holding it shut, matching his strength.
Taking a deep breath, Magellan decided to stop holding back. Summoning all the power in his body, he prepared for a full-on push.
Boom!
A massive surge of energy exploded from Magellan, sending a powerful gust of wind whipping through the corridor. His arms began to secrete venom as he made up his mind: if he couldn't force the door open, he would melt it down.
Crunch, crunch, crunch!
A sharp cracking sound filled the air. The once-solid door was now splintering, riddled with cracks, threatening to break at any moment.
Seeing this, Magellan didn't relent. Instead, he doubled down, pouring more strength into the effort, determined to tear the door apart.
But then—Boom! Boom!
An even more overwhelming and violent wave of power suddenly erupted from inside Eternal Hell.
A terrifying and overwhelming wave of Conqueror's Haki crashed down like a tidal wave, pressing down on everyone present.
The guards' eyes instantly rolled back, turning white as they collapsed to the ground, fainting on the spot.
Magellan fared slightly better, but even he was pushed back by the immense force. His feet skidded along the aisle, causing him to stumble back several steps.
"So strong!" Magellan muttered in shock, regaining his footing, his eyes wide with surprise.
For someone to force him back using only their Haki—this wasn't something just anyone could do.
Magellan considered himself far from weak. Even Sakazuki—now a Marine Admiral—couldn't achieve such a feat with just his sheer presence.
But the person behind the door had done just that, purely through the power of their Conqueror's Haki.
It left Magellan deeply unsettled.
"Who is it?" Magellan wondered aloud. "Is it the freed Patrick Redfield... or Akira?"
Before he could dwell further on the thought, the massive door creaked open from the inside.
In the shadowy corridor, Akira emerged.
He glanced at the withered, crumbling leaves falling away from the door, which had blocked its movement, and then turned his gaze to Magellan.
"Is there something wrong, Magellan?" Akira asked, his voice calm yet commanding.