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As the sandstorm subsided, Level 3, the Starvation Hell, was practically deserted. Aside from the few who had managed to retreat to Level 4, the Blazing Hell, the remaining prisoners had been reduced to viscous liquid, adding to Ian's fusion rate. "What's the situation on the lower levels?"
Ian addressed Saldeath, the little Devil jailer. He had already gleaned some information through his advanced Observation Haki. It seemed the prisoners on Level 4, aware of the chaos above, had retreated to Level 5, the Frozen Hell. And the prisoners on Level 5 were now attempting to free the inmates of Level 6, the Eternal Hell, hoping to bolster their numbers for a mass breakout.
After receiving Saldeath's report, Ian proceeded to Level 4. While he hadn't yet acquired a fire or magma-based ability, he could still manipulate the elements thanks to the remnants of Shiki's Float-Float Fruit within him.
Though he couldn't create elements from thin air or transform his body like a Logia user, he could still control existing matter. Several magma lions, conjured by Ian, roared and rampaged through Level 4.
Any remaining prisoners were incinerated, reduced to ashes. On Level 5, Ian unleashed a barrage of lightning-infused kirin, dragons, and birds. The icy environment, conducive to electrical currents, offered no escape.
Levels 3, 4, and 5 were now under his control, with only a handful of prisoners managing to reach Level 6. An idea began to form in Ian's mind. What if he assigned Logia-type Devil Fruit users like Enel, Aokiji, Akainu, and Crocodile to guard each level?
That would create an impenetrable fortress, each level fortified by its corresponding element. Magellan's effectiveness was limited to Impel Down's confined spaces, where his Doku Doku no Mi could be utilized to its fullest potential.
"Is that… Emporio Ivankov's Newkama Land?"
Ian arrived at the entrance to Level 5, the Frozen Hell, his gaze fixed on the distant forest of ice trees. He could sense two or three dozen life signs within its depths.
If his suspicions were correct, it was Emporio Ivankov, the Revolutionary Army's commander, and the Newkama Land he had established. despite their flamboyant personality, was not inherently evil, sharing Dragon's ambition to overthrow the World Government.
As Ian descended into Level 6, the Eternal Hell, Ivankov, deep within the ice forest, collapsed to the ground, a look of shock and fear etched on their face.
"Oh my god!! What's with that Marine boy? His power is Ridiculous! He's as strong as a Yonko or a legendary pirate!"
Ivankov wiped away a bead of sweat, their heart pounding in their chest. They had sensed the disturbances in Impel Down and had ventured out to investigate, only to encounter Ian. The sheer power radiating from him had paralyzed them with fear.
They had a premonition that confronting Ian would result in a gruesome end. Ivankov's instincts were rarely wrong, and it was this very instinct that had kept them hidden.
Only after Ian had departed did Ivankov dare to breathe a sigh of relief, their mind racing. Why would Kaido invade Impel Down? They had heard reports that Shiki and Doflamingo had recently been imprisoned. Was Kaido attempting to rescue his former crewmates?
But neither Shiki nor Kaido were known for their loyalty or compassion.
However, Ivankov had no time to dwell on such matters. They had to decide whether to attempt an escape. A Marine Vice Admiral of such immense power would surely discover their presence eventually.
Meanwhile, Ian had no time for such distractions. He continued his descent into Level 6. The prisoners from Levels 3, 4, and 5 had only yielded a 1% increase in his fusion rate, bringing him to 59%.
To reach 60% and achieve his second Resurrección, he needed the souls of the powerful criminals and Devil Fruit users imprisoned in Level 6. Even if he chose to ignore them, they would likely be freed by the rioting prisoners above.
A massive battle was inevitable, and unlike Magellan, Ian had no qualms about killing. This journey into the depths of Impel Down was necessary.
"O-Ooh! A visitor! What year is it? Is Whitebeard dead yet?"
"Hey, kid… if you don't mind, please let me out of here!"
A heavily bearded pirate greeted Ian with a seemingly friendly demeanor, but his narrowed eyes held a glint of bloodlust. "Hey, kid, if you open my cell, I'll give you all the gold I've hidden on a certain island! Mountains of it!"
Other pirates made similar promises, their words laced with desperation and veiled threats.
"Kid… no, Sir! Let me out, and I'll serve you for the rest of my life!" A bald, scarred pirate groveled at Ian's feet.
"Let me out, pretty boy, and I'll be your woman!" A rather unattractive middle-aged female pirate offered.
"Brat! Let me out, or I'll tear you to shreds!" Another pirate roared. "Let me out! I'm very capable! I can be of use to you!"
"Yeah, yeah! We'll do anything if you let us out!" As Ian entered Level 6, the imprisoned pirates turned their attention towards him, their faces contorted in savage grins.
They would stop at nothing to escape, even begging and pleading with someone they perceived as weaker.
"Heh heh… A Marine, huh?"
A sinister voice echoed through the prison as a pirate noticed Ian's uniform. A wave of oppressive aura washed over him.
Then another, and another…
Level 6 was a labyrinth of massive cages, each holding a powerful pirate. Most of the cages were constructed from seastone, reinforced with thick seastone shackles.
Escape was impossible, unless one possessed the monstrous strength of Kaido. One by one, the pirates unleashed their auras, their combined power threatening to suffocate the very air.
The already oppressive atmosphere of Level 6 intensified, transforming into a true hell on earth. The weaker pirates, their minds overwhelmed by visions of carnage and bloodshed, their faces pale, their hearts pounding in their chests.
"Hmph." Ian remained unfazed, his gaze cold and unwavering as he surveyed the scene.
His single, dismissive snort shattered the oppressive atmosphere like a thunderclap.
While the prisoners of Level 6 boasted bounties exceeding 200 or even 300 million berries, few truly caught Ian's attention. Pirates with bounties under a billion were beneath his notice.
He sought opponents on par with the All-Stars, and even in Level 6, such individuals were rare.
BOOM!!!
Ian's spiritual pressure exploded outwards, his slender figure seemingly expanding, transforming into a towering giant, his aura radiating outwards with earth-shattering force.
Like an unstoppable tidal wave, his power swept through Level 6, scattering the pirates' auras like leaves in a storm.
The sheer force of his power shook the very foundations of Impel Down, awakening the most dangerous criminals imprisoned in the deepest recesses of Level 6.
"Who is that?! It's not Magellan… That aura… A newcomer? No, a Marine?" Ian's spiritual pressure carried the weight of a king, a conqueror of the seas.
The weaker pirates, those with bounties in the hundreds of millions, were paralyzed with fear.
They stared at him in disbelief, unable to comprehend how a young Marine Vice Admiral could possess such terrifying power, rivaling even Warden Magellan. The oppressive weight of his aura threatened to crush them.
Hum!
Another wave of power erupted, not aura this time, but pure, unadulterated Conqueror's Haki.
The initial clash of auras had awakened the strongest prisoners of Level 6. They had assumed Ian was a rising star in the pirate world and had unleashed their Haki to assert their dominance, to remind him of his place.
Then another, and another… Level 6 was now a maelstrom of Conqueror's Haki, clashing and colliding like raging waves, threatening to tear the very fabric of reality apart. While they hadn't joined forces, their individual auras, even in conflict, created a terrifying spectacle. Several pirates who had descended from Level 5 collapsed unconscious, their minds unable to withstand the pressure.
Ian stood firm, an unyielding beacon amidst the storm, his body radiating an aura of calm amidst the chaos. BOOM!
His 59% fusion rate, equivalent to a high-level Adjuchas, a mid-tier Espada, a powerful Shinigami captain, and a Yonko, unleashed its full power.
His spiritual pressure, amplified by his Conqueror's Haki, exploded outwards, overwhelming the clashing auras of the other pirates.
Crack!
Black lightning crackled through the air as the weaker pirates, unable to withstand the pressure, collapsed unconscious, their souls ripe for the taking. Ian's fusion rate surged, reaching… 60%!
Cracks spiderwebbed across the floor, spreading outwards like a shattered mirror. Such a spectacle could only occur in Level 6 of Impel Down, a gathering of the world's most powerful and dangerous criminals.
Like a reef amidst a raging storm, Ian stood firm, unmoved by the crashing waves of Haki, their power breaking against his unwavering resolve.
"Strong Conqueror's Haki!"
"Who is this guy?!"
The pirates of Level 6 were finally terrified. Many of them had clashed with Whitebeard and even Roger, but Ian's Haki surpassed them all.
They had never encountered such power before. Countless pirates, their minds overwhelmed, had collapsed unconscious.
Those who remained conscious were drenched in sweat, their faces pale with fear and disbelief.
"The Eternal Hell… is nothing more than this."
Ian surveyed his surroundings, his gaze cold and dismissive, meeting the bewildered and awestruck eyes of the remaining prisoners.
"Who is that Marine? That Conqueror's Haki… He can't be a Marine!"
Not every prisoner in Level 6 possessed the power of a Yonko commander, or an Admiral. Those who had collapsed were the weaker ones.
Impel Down Level 6, the Eternal Hell, was the deepest level of the world's greatest prison, a hidden, top-secret location. The outside world only knew of five levels, each more terrifying than the last, unaware of the existence of Level 6. This hidden hell held the world's most dangerous criminals, each with bounties exceeding 200 or 300 million berries. This was the true hell.
The Eternal Hell, a gathering of the world's most vile and ruthless criminals, was not a peaceful place. While the shackles and cages prevented physical altercations, verbal sparring was a constant occurrence. Now, however, many pirates were desperately trying to break open the cells, hoping to free their comrades and unite against the newcomer.
With a resounding crash, several of the heavy iron cell doors, reinforced with seastone, were forced open, sending fragments of metal and molten slag flying. The sudden outburst silenced the prison, the prisoners, both near the entrance and in the deeper recesses, turning their attention towards the source of the commotion, their gazes fixed on Ian.
The invasion, likely orchestrated by Kaido to recruit new crewmates, had ignited a spark of hope in their hearts. Their blood boiled with anticipation.
They wouldn't miss this golden opportunity. Who knew when another chance would arise?
"Young Marine, you can't take them all on your own! Release me! Together, we can subdue this level!" A raspy voice echoed from a nearby cell.
A large man, wearing a pilot's cap and an Impel Down uniform, his hands bound by seastone shackles, emerged from the shadows.
It was Shiryu of the Rain, the former Chief Guard of Impel Down. He and Magellan were considered the prison's two trump cards, a testament to Shiryu's immense power. He was a master swordsman, his strength rivaling that of a Yonko commander or a Strong Warlord.
However, due to his penchant for excessive violence against prisoners, Shiryu had been sentenced to death, his execution postponed indefinitely as he languished in Level 6.
Now, amidst the chaos caused by Kaido's invasion, he offered Ian a deal: release him from his cell, and he would help subdue the rioting prisoners, even offering to assist in the fight against Kaido.
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