Chapter 73 (1/2)
Grandline, Paradise, Impel Down
The large entourage traveled through the heat of the third level and soon arrived at the stairs which lead to the fourth level, the burning hell. At the top of the stairs the group was already able to see the light of the distant fire's that flickered in the fourth level, tormenting and torturing the captives in one way or another.
They ventured down the long stairs and were met with the origin of the heat on the third level, smashing into the large groups faces like a child that ran into a brickwall, head first.
Most of the people had thought the heat on the third level to be terrifying already but were now met with the real deal, and to think that many prisoners had to permanently stay on this level send shivers over many backs.
”Urgh, so hoooot. I think I'll die of a heatstroke...” Chopper whimpered from ontop of Azuls shoulder, making Azul grin and the rest of the group groan under the heat with proclamations to please go back up into the cooler level, only to be rebuffed by the raging Sanji that was burning himself somehow.
Soon after the group had entered the level their presence had been noted by the working prisoners, making a lot of eyes widen at the sight with hopeful proclamations in between which resulted in the group to swell even further. Now and then a small scuffle would break out in between the hundreds of prisoners though those were swiftly subdued by Azul simply gazing at them with calm eyes, making the offenders straighten their backs with many unmanly squicking sounds accompanying the action.
Azul meanwhile had grown a little suspicious at the little resistance they had encountered. Where were all the guards? Weren't they supposed to stop them or something?
As his thoughts reached this stage his peripheral haki senses picked up a large life signature that headed towards the groups direction, making Azul stop in his tracks, bringing silence to the following crowd with the weaker ones from the upper level wondering why they stopped and the stronger ones from the lower level growing weary in worry. After all this level was home to the office of the supreme warden of Impel Down, Magellan. And many prisoners had had unpleasant encounters with the large fellow in the past.
”Stay out of this.” Azul said to the group behind him, picking up Chopper from his shoulder whom he handed to Nami that was dripping from sweat, just like the rest of the group, soaking Chopper even further until his fur bulged, transforming the reindeer into a pure ball of fur with a face and a hat on top of it, looking rather comical.
Not long after he had said those words the reason for them became apparent as Magellan walked into their direction, making a lot of the prisoners cry out in fear, not having witnessed how strong their leader was yet and thus afraid that they would get punished or worse by the warden.
”This is as far as you'll go!” Magellan said, his body beginning to turn purple in colour, until the first drops of the fluids his body now consisted of dropped onto the ground, sizzling and steaming slightly with purple gas in the process.
”A devilfruit hmm? Now this will make this more interesting...” Azul mused out loud, already forming ideas about the capabilities his opponents fruit possessed.
'Acid maybe? Or some kind of poison? Hmm, better not to get hit by it in the first place to find out...'
his thoughts wandered while his body transformed into his 5,5 meters tall, canine form, bathed in the flickering light and heat that his body produced, raising the temperature of his surroundings even higher.
”So you possess a zoanfruit? Mythical maybe? No matter. You'll die either way for breaching my prison. Now die! Hydra!” Magellan spoke out in a strong, deep voice, creating three snake like heads behind his back, consisting of the purple fluids which rushed towards Azul who swiftly stepped aside.
Though the hydra didn't seem to care as it rushed towards the group that had gathered behind Azul, making his eyes widen at the deviousness of the warden.