"Stay here, Sanders!"
"Poison Dragon!"
Magellan roared as the poisonous dragons behind him reared up, charging toward Sanders with a rush of toxic fumes.
Sanders summoned the power of the Thunder-Thunder Fruit, and a massive surge of lightning formed before him.
In an instant, the lightning transformed into a colossal blue-and-white dragon. This Thunder Dragon crackled with energy, its scales seemingly visible in the electric glow.
Two Hundred Million Volts—Thunder Dragon!
Boom!
With a deafening clap of thunder, the Thunder Dragon surged forward, crashing headlong into the Poison Dragon.
As the two forces collided in midair, the resulting shockwave sent ripples through the air.
The terrifying heat from the Thunder Dragon's two hundred million volts quickly evaporated the viscous poison coating Magellan's dragon. The stench of scorched venom filled the air, and the poisonous mist that formed was instantly neutralized by the powerful electric currents.
Seeing this, Sanders relaxed slightly, finally exhaling a breath.
Lightning, it seemed, could counter some of the poison's effects. This allowed him to be less cautious.
"Magellan, it seems your poison isn't all that impressive."
No matter how deadly the venom was, it came from within Magellan's body. The intense heat produced by lightning was more than enough to neutralize it.
With that said, Sanders' body flared with an even greater intensity of lightning. Countless bolts of electricity filled the first level of Impel Down, dispersing the lingering poison mist completely.
Magellan noticed this, but his expression remained unchanged. In a cold voice, he said, "Don't underestimate me, Sanders!"
The two remaining Poison Dragons, flanking him from either side, rushed at Sanders with terrifying speed.
In the blink of an eye, they were right in front of Sanders. The dragons raised their heads, jaws gaping wide as if to swallow him whole.
Sizzle, sizzle!
With the sound of crackling electricity, Sanders vanished from where he stood.
The Poison Dragons slammed into the ground, leaving a gaping hole.
Sanders reappeared off to the left, but before he could counterattack, the second Poison Dragon came roaring toward him. In another instant, Sanders disappeared once again.
Magellan's Poison Dragons continued their relentless pursuit, but Sanders remained elusive, dodging their attacks effortlessly as he moved across the first level, seemingly unbothered.
"Magellan, your Poison Dragons are too slow!"
"I can appear anywhere lightning exists."
Thunder Flash—a dodge technique Sanders had developed, allowing him to appear instantly wherever his lightning touched.
The battlefield was now filled with his lightning, meaning Sanders could teleport to any point at will.
Magellan's Poison Dragons were indeed formidable, but their speed couldn't keep up. Even with Magellan's Observation Haki predicting Sanders' movements, the dragons couldn't react fast enough to catch him.
Unless Magellan had developed his Observation Haki to the level where he could briefly foresee the future, he had no hope of closing the gap.
But it was clear that Magellan's Observation Haki wasn't that advanced.
His expression grew grim, but he remained silent. He knew that defeating Sanders alone would be ideal, but even if he couldn't, stalling for time until reinforcements arrived was a valid strategy.
The Thunder-Thunder Fruit's ability was too overwhelming. Sanders moved at the speed of lightning—or rather, he was lightning itself.
Magellan's Poison Dragons couldn't land a hit, and they moved like headless chickens, chasing after him in vain.
Seeing this, Sanders understood what Magellan was planning. His figure flickered, and suddenly, he appeared directly in front of Magellan.
It was time to end this quickly. If Magellan wasn't dealt with soon, Marine reinforcements would arrive.
Sanders clenched his fists, preparing to strike.
Armament Haki—Release!
A surge of powerful Armament Haki burst from Sanders' body, coating his fists in a solid layer of Haki.
This was an advanced application of Armament Haki: emission. By allowing the flow of Haki outside the body, it could be projected as both an offensive and defensive force.
Sanders had an immense reserve of Haki, similar to Douglas Bullet's, and releasing some of it to serve as a weapon or shield against Magellan's venom was no challenge.
Seeing Sanders charge at him, seemingly intent on close combat, Magellan was not afraid—in fact, he was thrilled.
The strength of the Venom-Venom Fruit lay in the poison itself, and for it to be effective, it needed to enter the opponent's body. Close combat was the most advantageous for him.
No matter how strong one's Armament Haki was, it couldn't fully protect them. The mouth, nose, eyes, and ears were difficult to cover with Haki, making them vulnerable to poison.
"Come on, Sanders. Let's see if you dare touch me!" Magellan taunted.
Sanders' muscular arms bulged with raw power, and the terrifying energy within them was palpable.
Two Hundred Million Volts—Thunder Fist!
With the force of destruction, Sanders' fist shot toward Magellan's chest.
Sizzle...
Magellan crossed his arms in front of his chest, coating them with Armament Haki in a defensive stance.
But as soon as the two forces made contact, Magellan's expression shifted dramatically.
The overwhelming power of Sanders' punch sent him flying backward.
Magellan tried to brace himself, his legs digging into the ground in an attempt to resist the impact. Deep grooves formed beneath his feet as he slid back for dozens of meters before finally coming to a stop.
"What terrifying strength!"
"Is this the same power that defeated Shiryu?"
Magellan's arms were scorched black, his sleeves in tatters. His warden's uniform was in ruins, and his hair had been singed into curls by the electricity.
He stared at Sanders, the thunder-wielding figure before him, with shock in his eyes.
It was hard to imagine the sheer talent required to attain this level of strength, even after being confined in Level Six of Impel Down.
Impel Down wasn't a charity. Prisoners in Level Six weren't even given enough food to stay strong.
And yet, Sanders had managed to grow significantly stronger in such harsh conditions. What would he be capable of if he were free in the outside world? Magellan dared not even imagine.
Moreover, poison had no effect on this man!
Magellan glanced at Sanders' unharmed arm, his heart sinking.
The punch just now had utilized Flowing Armament Haki, a technique that kept the lightning from touching any of the venom.
What a terrifying opponent.
To think he had trained his Armament Haki to such a degree while imprisoned in Impel Down...
--------------
T/N:
Access 30 chapters in advance on my Patreon: p@treon.com/OneFic