"Multiple mixed toxins?"
"No cure?"
Bon Clay was stunned by Magellan's words.
If that was true, did that mean they couldn't save the Straw Hat Boy?
"What do we do? This guy doesn't seem to be lying," Buggy said.
"Meiser, the Straw Hat Boy is done for. We—"
"What are you trying to say?" Meiser turned his head, cutting off Mr.3 with an icy tone. "Are you telling me to abandon Luffy?"
Seeing Meiser's frigid gaze, Mr.3 wisely shut his mouth, not daring to utter another word.
He knew full well that if he suggested giving up on the Straw Hat Boy now, Meiser would undoubtedly toss him straight into the poison.
Once Mr.3 fell silent, Meiser shifted his attention back to Magellan.
He could tell that Magellan was most likely telling the truth.
After all... the man knew his capabilities!
In this situation, using an incurable poison was the most logical choice.
But... if Luffy really died here, then he wouldn't hesitate to destroy everything!
With that thought, Meiser spoke: "Magellan, if Luffy dies, I'll slaughter every last one of you—then sink Impel Down to the bottom of the sea!"
"Believe me, I have the power to do it."
Magellan met Meiser's chilling glare and fell silent for a moment before hardening his own expression. "Then let's see whose life is tougher!"
Given Meiser's mastery of the Water Release Technique, Magellan didn't doubt his threat.
Because... if Meiser made it back to the surface, he could manipulate the ocean currents to flood Impel Down entirely!
But if Magellan could ensure Meiser never left Level 4, that fear would be unnecessary.
So... this time, he had to fight with everything he had.
"What do we do, what do we do...?" Bon Clay muttered frantically. "How are we going to fix this?!"
Then, an idea flashed through his mind.
"That's it—Ivankov!!"
"Huh?"
Buggy glanced at the panicking Bon Clay. "Who's Ivankov?"
Ignoring him, Bon Clay turned to Meiser. "Xiao Meiser, I know how to save the Straw Hat Boy!"
Meiser didn't even react to the nickname, his expression shifting to surprise. "How?"
"Hm?"
Magellan also frowned at Bon Clay, unable to fathom how he could possibly counteract his poison.
After all... it was a lethal cocktail of multiple deadly toxins—even he had no way to cure someone once they were infected!
Yet this guy... What was he planning?
Under Magellan's intense stare, Bon Clay quickly explained, "Xiao Meiser, remember the Ivankov I mentioned?"
"I do. What about them?"
"If we find them, they can definitely save the Straw Hat Boy!"
Ivankov was known as the "Miracle Worker"—there was no doubt they had a way to cure him!
"Ivankov...?"
Magellan's brow furrowed as he searched his memory for that name.
Soon, a figure surfaced in his mind.
"Ivankov, huh?"
Although he didn't know why that person had the ability to neutralize poison, it was a shame—that guy was already dead!
Even if they made it to Level 5, they wouldn't be able to find him.
Not only that, but they'd also be devoured by the terrifying War Wolves!
At this thought, Magellan sneered, his eyes turning mocking.
Meanwhile, Meiser fell silent after listening to Bon Clay's words before nodding. "Alright, leave it to you guys!"
"You head to Level 5. I'll hold this guy off."
He didn't know who this "Ivankov" was, but if there was a way to save Luffy, they had to try!
"Understood!"
Bon Clay nodded, then turned to Luffy, intending to carry him away.
But the boy's body was completely covered in poison, making it impossible to touch him. Bon Clay grimaced in frustration.
"Damn it, I can't even touch him!"
Though he didn't mind enduring the pain of the poison alongside Luffy, if he got taken down too, there'd be no one left to save the Straw Hat!
After all... Buggy the Clown and Mr.3 weren't exactly reliable.
Wait—Mr.3's ability could still be useful!
Thinking fast, Bon Clay said, "Mr.3! Use your wax to make a stretcher so we can carry the Straw Hat!"
"I told you, my powers don't work on this level!" Mr.3 snapped. "Anything I make melts in three seconds."
Ever since they arrived here, he'd become a "three-second man."
But there was nothing he could do—wax was weak against extreme heat.
"Then what do we do?!" Bon Clay cried in desperation.
Just then, he noticed Minotaurus approaching.
"That's it—Minotaurus!" Bon Clay exclaimed.
"Have him carry Luffy to the next level," Meiser said. "This guy's got insane vitality. He should be able to withstand the poison long enough to run."
With that, Meiser manipulated Minotaurus to grab Luffy and bolt toward the gate at the back.
If they could just escape this scorching area, Mr.3's Devil Fruit ability would work again. Even if Minotaurus succumbed to the poison, they could still have him drag Luffy along.
"Quick, let's follow!" Bon Clay urged.
"Right!"
Buggy and Mr.3 wasted no time scrambling to their feet and sprinting toward the distant gate.
"You're not leaving here alive!" Magellan roared.
As he spoke, several Poison Dragons emerged from his body, surging toward Luffy and the others!
"Not happening!"
Meiser's eyes sharpened as he shouted.
In an instant, he retreated to a platform near the gate, ensuring he had full visibility.
Then, he activated his Water Release Technique.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
"BOOM!!"
A massive wall of water materialized before Meiser, forcefully blocking the Poison Dragons and thwarting Magellan's attack.
"Meiser, we're counting on you!" Buggy yelled without looking back as he reached the gate. "You better keep that guy busy!"
"Don't worry," Meiser replied, his back still turned. "I'll hold him off."
Even as he spoke, Meiser's mind raced with calculations.
'I should look for the medical room here,' Meiser thought to himself.
Although Magellan claimed his poison had no cure, Meiser still intended to check the medical room.
Even if there was the slightest hope, he had to try!
With that in mind, Meiser created a Shadow Clone.
The clone nodded at him before taking some of the poison from Luffy's body and burrowing underground, swiftly leaving the area.
With this poison sample, they could determine whether the people here could produce an antidote.
"You think blocking me will save that boy?" Magellan said, watching the water wall gradually dissipate. "He's been hit with my mixed toxins—there's no saving him now!"
As he spoke, Magellan glanced sideways at the ground.
His Observation Haki had detected an identical presence to the man before him.
"A clone?"
Recalling the intel Marine Headquarters had provided, Magellan narrowed his eyes.
'A clone with the same presence as the original, but weak against fatal attacks—it disappears when struck hard enough,' he mused. 'That means the one blocking me must still be the real one.'
But why had the opponent sent out a clone?
Was it to search for the medical room, hoping to find an antidote for the Straw Hat Boy?
Hah, how naive. Did he really think Magellan was lying?
Even if this guy hypnotized everyone in the medical room, he still wouldn't get an antidote for the Straw Hat Boy!
Of course, as the warden of Impel Down, he couldn't just let the clone escape either.
With that thought, Magellan directed his Poison Dragon to strike the distant ground.
"Not a chance!"
Meiser instantly appeared before Magellan and punched the Poison Dragon with a resounding—
"Boom!"
The sheer force of the blow tore a massive hole through the dragon, forcibly stopping Magellan's attack.
Meanwhile, the clone seized the opportunity to flee at top speed.
Seeing that he couldn't quickly eliminate the clone, Magellan turned his attention back to Meiser.
"Seems I was right," Magellan said, eyeing Meiser. "You sent your clone to look for an antidote, didn't you?"
Meiser, his arm sizzling, smirked coldly. "Who knows?"
"Deny it all you want," Magellan replied. "But my poison has no cure!"
"The Straw Hat Boy is as good as dead!"
Magellan had absolute confidence in his toxins.
This time, Meiser ignored him, using his ability to restore his arm to its original state.
"An immortal body, huh?"
Watching Meiser regenerate, Magellan's expression darkened. "I refuse to believe you can't be killed!"
"Poison Dragon!"
"Boom!!"
Several Poison Dragons, darker in hue than before, surged from Magellan's back and lunged viciously at Meiser.
Meiser shouted, "Susanoo!"
"Hum~"
A pale golden skeletal armor swiftly encased him, successfully blocking the Poison Dragons.
"Boom!!"
"Sizzle~"
"Hmm?"
Noticing the sizzling sound coming from his Susanoo, Meiser's eyes flickered with unease.
"Even my Susanoo can be corroded?"
Just how terrifying is this guy's poison?
"Bam!"
While Meiser was observing his Susanoo, Magellan suddenly appeared before him and threw a punch!
"Explosive Poison Fist!!!"
"Crrack!"
The fist wrapped in Armament Haki struck the cracked area corroded by the poison, shattering the pale golden ribs with brute force.
"Bam!"
The impact sent Meiser sliding backward, while Magellan's toxic assault took effect.
"Sizzle sizzle!"
The terrifying purple-red poison surged through the broken ribs onto Meiser's face, instantly subjecting him to indescribable agony.
"Such horrifying poison!"
Just a moment of contact caused his body to corrode—truly worthy of the warden of Impel Down!
At this level, no one could withstand such toxins!
For a moment, Meiser felt relieved that Luffy hadn't been poisoned by this—otherwise, there'd be no chance to save him.
"Now you see my power, brat ninja!" Magellan sneered.
To break through that pale golden skeletal armor, he had deliberately used his most corrosive poison!
Even the hardest rock would dissolve completely under this level of toxicity.
Surely, this kid should be...:
Before Magellan could finish his thought, the boy vanished from sight.
His expression darkened instantly.
"Not so easy after all, huh."
Spotting Meiser reappearing on the long bridge, Magellan growled, "What exactly is your ability?"
Not just an undying body—even his clothes restored themselves... What the hell is this kid's power?!
"I have no intention of explaining my abilities to you," Meiser replied.
Magellan fell silent for a moment before coldly stating, "I refuse to believe you can't be killed!"
Though he didn't understand the nature of this near-immortality, such an invincible ability must have limitations—like usage limits or time constraints!
If he could push the kid to his limit, he could finish him off!
With that thought, Magellan charged at Meiser and launched his attack.
"Poison Gas!"
"Whoosh—"
A glob of purple liquid shot from Magellan's mouth, hurtling toward Meiser before exploding into a massive cloud of violet mist.
"This trick again?"
Meiser scoffed. "Magellan, the same move won't work on me twice!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"BOOM!!"
A gale-force wind erupted from Meiser's mouth, violently dispersing the purple mist and clearing the surroundings.
"So you know Wind Release too."
Magellan frowned, clearly not expecting this kid to wield such techniques.
This meant some of his poisons would be ineffective now.
"Come on, Magellan."
Meiser gestured invitingly. "Show me what else you've got."
"Of course, you could always try gassing me again—see if it works this time."
"What an... insufferably arrogant brat!"
Magellan's expression turned cold as he swiftly removed the two weapons from his head and charged toward Meiser.
"Though I prefer attacking with toxins, that doesn't mean my physical combat skills are weak!"
As his words fell, Magellan had already closed the distance, raising his Deadly Poison Weapon and striking out!
BOOM!!
"Hmm?"
Narrowing his eyes at Meiser, who had dodged his attack, Magellan remarked, "You chose to evade... Has the time limit on your immortality run out?"
With an immortal body, there was no reason for him to fear poison.
Yet this time, he had dodged—was his invincibility running low, or had the duration expired?
Meiser first glanced at the hole corroded into the long bridge by Magellan, then turned back to him with a smirk. "No one said I had to take your hits head-on, Magellan."
"Truth and illusion, illusion and truth—that's what makes things interesting, don't you think~?"
Tilting his head slightly, he continued, "Go ahead, guess—can you actually kill me right now~?"
Seeing Meiser's taunting demeanor, Magellan's face darkened. "You're one insufferable brat."
Just as he said, there was no way to confirm whether Meiser could currently be killed.
But... no matter what, he had to stop this man here today!
With that thought, Magellan attacked again.
"Die, brat!"
Armament Haki swiftly enveloped his poisoned blade as he swung it viciously at Meiser.
In response, Meiser instantly activated Susanoo, cloaking himself in pale golden skeletal armor.
"Good timing—take this!"
The massive armored fist of the skeletal warrior swung straight at Magellan!
CLANG!
BOOM!!!
"This is the entrance to Level 5," Bon Clay said urgently. "Mr.3, use your ability to open the door!"
The temperature here had mostly returned to normal, so he was certain Mr.3's powers would work now.
"Got it!"
Mr.3 nodded, stepping up to the door and quickly molding a key with his Devil Fruit Ability.
Creak~
As the door opened, a biting gust of icy wind rushed out, making them all shiver involuntarily.
"T-This cold?!"
Mr.3 instinctively hugged his arms. "We don't have winter gear—are we gonna freeze to death in there?!"
If it felt this bad just standing outside, going in would be unbearable.
"Even if it's freezing, we're going in!" Bon Clay declared. "Don't forget what Meiser is doing to buy us this chance!"
That man was holding off the terrifying Magellan alone!
If they backed out now, could they even call themselves friends?!
"You're right," Buggy sniffled, wiping his nose. "Cold as it is, it's better than turning back to face Magellan."
Against him, they'd be wiped out in an instant with his poison.
Compared to that, the freezing temperatures seemed almost tolerable.
"Fine."
Mr.3 nodded resignedly, no longer putting up a fuss.
At that moment, Minotaurus—who had been dragging Luffy—suddenly collapsed to the ground, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Clearly, he had reached his limit.
Even if he survived, he wouldn't be able to move anymore.
"Dammit, he had to collapse now of all times," Bon Clay gritted his teeth. "Looks like we'll have to use a wax sled to carry him."
He then turned his gaze to Mr.3, signaling him to make one.
Without wasting words, Mr.3 immediately used his Devil Fruit ability to create a sled, then fashioned a long wax pole to lift Luffy onto it.
"Good!"
"Now we can pull Straw Hat along!" Bon Clay declared.
Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the sled's handle and dashed toward Level 5.
"Keep up!"
"Hey, can't you make some wax clothes or something?" Buggy interjected. Though they had no spare garments, wax clothing might at least provide some insulation.
"Unless you want to die faster."
Mr.3 tossed the remark over his shoulder as he sprinted after Bon Clay without looking back.
Buggy: "???"
What's that supposed to mean?