Chapter 5: Freezing Hell
Sadi, his unlikely companion, shivered. Clad only in tattered scraps of cloth, she was but a wisp of warmth against the bone-chilling cold. Yet, unlike her, Magnus seemed impervious to the freezing hell that Impel Down was infamous for. It wasn't just resistance - it was a primal defiance, a wordless message scrawled onto the very fabric of the frozen air.
His gaze swept across the towering cell blocks, their metal walls frosted over and warped by the relentless bite of the cold. With a flicker in his eyes, he activated his Observation Haki.
A surge of invisible energy emanated from him, momentarily disrupting the icy silence. Through the ice-caked windows, tragic scenes unfolded.
Unlike the chaos that had engulfed the upper levels during the breakout, Level Five was a scene of desolate despair. The brutal cold had sapped the prisoners' strength, leaving them ashen husks, their dreams of escape extinguished by the relentless frost.
In one cell, a skeletal figure slumped against the back wall, a single, frost-covered crust of bread clutched in its bony hand. The man's lips were blue, his eyes forever locked in a vacant stare, a final, desperate attempt to find warmth etched onto his lifeless face. Another cell held a twisted parody of a human, their body contorted in a horrifying tableau, a grim testament to their struggle against the relentless cold. A scattering of shattered, ice-coated bones littered the floor, a chilling reminder of those who hadn't even managed the dignity of a final meal.
The stench of death hung heavy in the air, a constant, fetid shroud. Even Sadi, hardened by her service at Impel Down, couldn't help but shudder. Here, in Level Five, the cold wasn't just a punishment - it was an executioner, slow and merciless in its work.
Magnus shook his head, his breath misting in the frigid air. Just four more levels separated him from freedom.
"Stop!" Sadi's sudden shout shattered the silence.
Magnus whirled around, his instincts flaring. Her voice held a tremor of urgency, and his hand instinctively snapped shut, telekinetic energy crackling around him.
Sadi cried out as the unseen force slammed into her, her face contorting in pain.
"Sir...don't misunderstand," she gasped, scrambling to explain. "There are Surveillance Transponder Snails ahead!"
Unlike the desolate depths they had traversed, the environment near the entrance was hospitable enough for these denizens of the prison to survive.
Recognition flickered in Magnus' eyes. He eased his grip, and Sadi crumpled to the floor, gasping for breath, blood trickling from her mouth.
"That Monkey D. Luffy, Ivankov and others...they destroyed most of the transponder snails and communication devices," she rasped, clutching her throbbing head. "But some are still functioning."
Magnus stared at her, his expression unreadable.
He had recovered almost half his strength. The guards here were no match for him, and with Blackbeard also causing chaos in Level Six, even the formidable guards who had survived the prison break would be too battered to put up much resistance.
Perhaps Magellan – the chief-warden with the ability to create and control poison – was a possible threat.
"We don't need to worry about that," he said, his voice low and dangerous. Telekinetic energy surged from him, a silent wave that crashed against the unsuspecting Surveillance Transponder Snails. Their eyestalks snapped, their bodies twitching as they overloaded under the invisible pressure.
"So, there's another one besides Blackbeard causing trouble," Magnus mused aloud, a hint of interest creeping into his voice. "This Monkey D. Luffy?"
"That bastard!"
Sadi spat, her voice laced with venom. The memory of the chaos he had unleashed still burned bright.
"He infiltrated Impel Down to rescue his brother! Caused the worst prison break in history!"
A slow smile spread across Magnus' face.
"Interesting," he rumbled.
In a world where loyalty was a rare commodity, this Luffy was a curious breed. Sadi pursed her lips. She knew a pirate's perspective would be far removed from her own rigid sense of duty. But as his new captain, his perspective was now hers.
A bloodcurdling howl pierced the oppressive silence, shattering the fragile peace. It was followed by another, and another, until the cavernous corridor echoed with the chilling chorus. Sadi flinched, her grip tightening on the tattered remains of her uniform. The sound was primal, a predator's battle cry that sent shivers down her spine despite the omnipresent cold.
Hulking shapes emerged from the dim shadows, their forms taking shape as they lumbered closer. Wolves. Not the scrawny scavengers of the surface world, but monstrous beasts honed by the unforgiving environment of Impel Down. Their matted fur hung heavy with ice crystals, their fangs gleamed like polished steel in the dim light, and their gaunt frames pulsed with a ravenous hunger.
The lead wolf, a behemoth with a single, battle-scarred eye, let out a bone-chilling snarl that vibrated in Sadi's chest. Primal terror, a fear etched into her very being, threatened to take hold. These beasts weren't interested in a fight; they saw only prey, two warm bodies radiating a faint but irresistible heat in the frozen wasteland.
With a synchronized surge, the wolves launched themselves towards Magnus and Sadi. Their powerful legs propelled them across the ice-glazed floor in a blur of fur and fangs. Sadi's hand instinctively reached for her whip, but it was a useless gesture in the face of such raw power and ferocious speed.
Then, with a terrifying calmness, Magnus raised a hand. No visible energy crackled, no wind swirled – it was as if he'd simply swatted a fly. Yet, the effect was instantaneous and horrifying. An invisible pressure slammed into the charging wolves. Their snarls turned to surprised yelps as their bodies contorted in unnatural ways. Bones snapped under the unseen force, muscles tore, and the very air around them seemed to crackle with the raw power Magnus unleashed.
In a sickening display, the wolves exploded in a shower of blood and gore. Crimson splattered across the icy floor, painting a grotesque scene of violence. The stench of death, sharp and metallic, flooded the corridor, momentarily overwhelming even the ever-present reek of decay.
Sadi watched, frozen in a mixture of terror and morbid fascination. Bile rose in her throat, the metallic tang heavy on her tongue. Her breath hitched in her chest, each gasp a ragged tear against the oppressive silence that had returned as abruptly as it had been broken.
A single bead of sweat trickled down her temple, a stark contrast to the bone-chilling air. Despite the near-death experience, her body was strangely warm, not from exertion, but from the lingering terror that pulsed through her veins.
"I have no time for such things," Magnus said coolly, his voice a low rumble that echoed in the cavernous corridor.
Sadi swallowed, her throat dry. She now remembered just how easily he had overpowered her not long ago.
And had she not been a treasure he desired as a pirate, perhaps she would have suffered the same fate as the wolves…
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