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Level Two of Impel Down, the Beasts Hell
Hannyabal, Sadi-chan, Domino, and the other guards stared in stunned disbelief. The combined force of Ian and Kaido's attacks had shattered three levels of the prison.
Outside Impel Down, a colossal wave, thousands of feet high, surged outwards in all directions. Fortunately, the prison's exterior was constructed of seastone, rendering the wave harmless to the inhabitants, nearly all of whom possessed superhuman abilities.
As the wave subsided, everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the scene below.
Levels One, Two, and Three were in ruins, reduced to a chaotic jumble of shattered debris. Amidst the devastation, a lone figure hovered in mid-air, his white robes billowing in the wind.
It was Ian. As they watched him float effortlessly, a collective gasp swept through the crowd. Where was Kaido?
Their eyes scanned the wreckage below, but the churning chaos of molten lava and shattered ice, now shrouded in a thick cloud of steam, obscured everything. Kaido was nowhere to be seen.
After a long, tense silence, a figure emerged from the ruins, its movements slow and labored.
"Is that… blood?"
"Is that… Kaido's blood?! Did Kaido… lose?" Murmurs of disbelief rippled through the crowd, their minds struggling to comprehend what they were witnessing. Rivulets of crimson blood flowed down Kaido's massive form, staining his scales.
However, due to his monstrous regenerative abilities, the wounds were already closing, making it impossible to discern whether the blood was his own or that of the prisoners he had slaughtered.
"He… defeated a Yonko?" Someone whispered, their voice filled with awe and disbelief.
A stunned silence fell over the world.
The sky above, once clear, darkened ominously, storm clouds gathering, streaks of lightning flashing within their depths. It was the third time that day the weather had shifted, reflecting the volatile nature of the battle below.
A dark shape emerged from the lowest level of the prison, soaring towards the storm clouds, weaving through the lightning-charged air. As it drew closer, its form became clear: a massive, azure dragon, radiating an aura of immense power, arcs of electricity crackling across its scales.
It was Kaido, the King of the Beasts, known as the world's strongest creature.
Countless eyes looked skyward.
As the azure dragon circled above Impel Down, the guards and personnel below trembled with fear, watching the spectacle of purple lightning dancing amidst the storm clouds.
Kaido, in his dragon form, hovered in the sky, his voice booming like thunder. "Black Winged Devil, Ian!"
"Impressive. You've thwarted my plans twice. I even considered recruiting you, but you chose to become a lapdog for the World Government and the Marines. Unfortunately, that means I have to kill you."
"But today… it seems I'll have to postpone our final showdown. Four Admiral-level opponents… even I might not survive this. Consider this a parting gift!"
Kaido's voice echoed across the sky, and he took a deep breath, a fiery glow intensifying within his maw. Hannyabal, the guards, and the remaining personnel below paled, their eyes widening in terror.
"Oh… no…"
"He's going to unleash his Boro Breath again! Run! We can rebuild Impel Down, we can recapture the prisoners, but we can't come back from the dead! Sorry, I let my ambition slip!" Hannyabal shrieked, his voice laced with panic.
Without hesitation, he turned and fled, his movements surprisingly agile for his large frame. The others followed suit, scrambling to escape the impending blast.
Kaido had already unleashed his Boro Breath upon arrival. Now, as a parting gift, he was about to do it again. A gift they desperately wished to refuse.
Those who couldn't escape in time stared at Kaido in horror. With Magellan's tacit approval, they pushed the remaining, still-living prisoners forward, using them as human shields. After all, these were criminals who deserved to die, their lives expendable compared to those of their own men.
With Levels Four and Five already decimated, a few more casualties wouldn't make much difference. Without Ian, Fujitora, and Magellan, even the World Government would hesitate before unleashing such a devastating attack. After all, the escaping prisoners would only bolster Kaido's forces. It was better to eliminate them here and now, a final act of atonement for their crimes.
Hannyabal, as he ran, yelled back, "Damn it, Kaido! Do you even care what this place is?!"
It was said that Fighting Whitebeard by harming his family was a dangerous proposition. But Kaido… Kaido was a force of nature, a terrifying presence whose very existence was a threat.
"Leaving already? And you couldn't resist one last parting shot? Well, let's see who's faster. I refuse your gift!"
Ian looked up at the sky, watching as the immense, fiery energy gathered within Kaido's maw. He shook his head slightly. Kaido had already given him the greatest gift of all: the souls of Impel Down's prisoners.
He raised his finger towards the sky, black lightning crackling around it, the energy intensifying as he prepared to unleash.
"Boro Breath!"
The fiery energy within Kaido's mouth reached critical mass, and he unleashed a torrent of flames towards Impel Down, engulfing half the prison in a fiery inferno, a blast far larger than his previous attack.
Those who hadn't escaped the blast radius stared in horror, their faces drained of color. Even Hannyabal and the other officers cried out in terror.
The darkened sky was momentarily illuminated by a blinding flash of light, a cross-shaped inferno of scorching dragon breath. Kaido's massive head snapped towards Ian.
"Take this! Boro Breath!"
The fiery blast, carrying intense heat and destructive power, tore through the sky, hurtling towards Ian. It was an attack capable of splitting mountains, boiling the sea, and shattering the earth.
But even in the face of Kaido's devastating Boro Breath, Ian remained calm, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.
Black lightning crackled around him, intensifying as he channeled his energy into his attack.
Kaido's Boro Breath reached the upper levels of Impel Down, threatening to consume Ian. Just as the flames were about to engulf him, Ian moved.
A slight smile played on his lips as black lightning surged from his right index finger.
Boro Breath?
Two can play at that game.
Cero Oscuras!
A colossal beam of black lightning erupted from Ian's finger, colliding with Kaido's Boro Breath in mid-air. A blinding explosion, like a miniature sun, erupted, sending a shockwave rippling outwards.
The resulting inferno and shockwave flattened everything within a kilometer radius, igniting buildings and transforming Level One into a blazing inferno. It was a clash of titans, a battle between the world's strongest creature and a Devil of immense power.
In the sky, the clash between the black lightning and the fiery breath continued. Ian's Cero Oscuras, amplified by the power of several absorbed Devil Fruits, possessed greater power and piercing force than Kaido's Boro Breath.
Despite being unleashed later, it gradually pushed back against the flames, aided by the universal law of beam clashes: the one on the left always loses. The outcome of this duel was already decided. A powerful storm raged across the sea.
"Damn it!"
Kaido, realizing he was losing ground, abruptly shifted his head to the side. In the next instant, Ian's Cero Oscuras pierced through the remnants of his Boro Breath, tearing a hole through the storm clouds above.
The fleeing guards and prisoners cried out in terror as the black beam of energy sliced through the sky. Kaido, narrowly avoiding the attack, turned his massive head, staring at the gaping hole in the clouds above.
Even Kaido, a Yonko, couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. If he hadn't dodged, that attack would have pierced his head. What shocked him even more was that his Boro Breath, his signature attack, had lost in a beam clash.
"This kid… he's more than just a Mythical Zoan user." He growled, his voice dark with anger.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion rocked the sky, the fiery inferno painting the clouds crimson, as if the heaven itself were ablaze. The sheer power of the blast threatened to tear the world asunder.
"Waaaaah!"
Hannyabal and the escaping prisoners screamed in terror, their eyes wide with horror as they watched the apocalyptic scene unfold above. "We're doomed!"
"We're all going to die! Impel Down is going to be destroyed!" Hannyabal cried, covering his head with his hands.
Even though Ian's attack had clashed with Kaido's Boro Breath, successfully neutralizing the direct impact, the resulting shockwave from the collision between two Yonko-level attacks was still incredibly destructive.
But as the dust settled, and they cautiously raised their heads, they saw a shimmering, translucent yellow barrier hovering above them, protecting them from the cascading inferno.
The fiery torrent, like a waterfall of molten rock, crashed against the barrier, unable to penetrate its defenses. The flames surged and churned, but the barrier held firm, until finally, with a deafening roar, the inferno dissipated.
The remaining embers scattered harmlessly into the air, never reaching the ground below.
"Waaaaah…"
One of the guards, overcome with relief, collapsed to his knees, tears and snot streaming down his face. "We're… we're saved…"
Domino and the others breathed a collective sigh of relief, their eyes still wide with shock as they stared at Ian. "He blocked Kaido's Boro Breath so easily… He's a monster!"
Level One was now a vast, open expanse, the buildings reduced to rubble by the shockwave. From a distance, they could clearly see Ian and Kaido, one standing on the ground, the other circling in the sky, locked in a silent standoff. But there was something strange about the scene.
Kaido's aura radiated outwards, threatening to tear the sky apart, but Ian stood below, his presence calm and unassuming, showing no outward signs of power or even using his Conqueror's Haki. He stood firm, like an unyielding rock in a raging sea.
Just how many secrets did this young man hold? He was a complete enigma.
"Black Winged Devil. If you have the guts, come find me at Onigashima in Wano Country. That's my territory. Neither of us fought at full strength today. I'll have my revenge."
Kaido's voice echoed through the sky, and the azure dragon soared into the clouds, disappearing into the distance.
"I will." Ian murmured, his expression unchanged. Neither his Resurrección, nor Kaido's hybrid form had been revealed.
Unleashing their full power here would have undoubtedly destroyed Impel Down, erasing it from the map entirely.
"That kid is a freak of nature. In just two days, he's clashed with a Yonko, a Warlord, and a legendary pirate." Magellan sighed, his injuries mostly healed, the lingering effects of the seawater gone.
He had initially hoped to assist Ian in capturing or even killing Kaido, believing that with three Admiral-level fighters, they might stand a chance.
But Kaido had retreated, or perhaps, Ian had already reached the level of a Yonko, or even surpassed it. Even the world's strongest creature and the greatest swordsman were no match for him. How would he fare against Whitebeard, the strongest man in the world?
Many believed Ian was a secret weapon Enhanced by the Marines. He was only nineteen years old.
But they knew the truth. He had been rescued from pirates by Momousagi in the South Blue a year ago, near death, only to gain his powers through a twist of fate. Was this the power of vengeance?
After all, even a Devil Fruit's power depended on the user's skill. In the wrong hands, it was a wasted opportunity. In the right hands, even the most seemingly mundane ability could be devastating.
His hatred for pirates, fueled by his near-death experience, had driven him to challenge Warlords, legendary pirates, and now, a Yonko.
These battles had cemented his reputation. In a few days, his name would be known throughout the world: the Vice Admiral who repelled a Yonko before even entering the New World.
"Boys, it seems Impel Down is no longer a safe haven. Let's get out of here!" With the battle between Ian and Kaido concluded, Level 5.5, the Newkama Land, was exposed to Hannyabal, the guards, and even Magellan and Fujitora.
"That's Emporio Ivankov! I knew it! I knew he couldn't have escaped Impel Down without help! And all those missing items… it was him! Let's go capture him again!"
Hannyabal and the surviving guards, with nothing better to do, found themselves a new task…
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