One Piece: Alucard the Immortal

Chapter 620 - 619: No Hope of Winning, but I Must Fight

Level 6, Eternal Hell.This was the cage holding the protagonist of the impending war, Portgas D. Ace. Previously, with the help of the Revolutionary Army, Ace might have escaped Blackbeard’s clutches a second time, provided Alucard didn’t interfere.

Unfortunately, saddled with a brother who specialized in "pitfalls," Ace was ultimately recaptured by Teach during their second clash and sent here. Bound in the cell next to him was the only Warlord to publicly defy the Government’s summons: "Knight of the Sea" Jinbe.

Clatter! Clatter!

The rhythmic thudding of footsteps caused the prisoners of the Eternal Hell to knit their brows. Whatever was happening upstairs, it required a massive mobilization of jailers.

Ace frowned, his hands and feet shackled by Seastone. For some reason, an ominous premonition swelled in his chest.

Jinbe, sharing a cell with Ace, suddenly snapped his head up from a bowed position. "Ace! Something is approaching!"

Ace turned to glance at Jinbe before using Observation Haki to search. Although the Seastone suppressed his Devil Fruit powers, he could still manage a faint read with Haki.

"This presence... what is it...?"

Ace sensed it too. Something that felt alive yet not alive; an unknown entity closing in on them at an incredible speed.

Jinbe, not being an Ability User, could still use Haki at full strength. Ace’s power, however, wasn’t just pure Observation; it was a partial inheritance of Roger’s ability to "Listen to the Voice of All Things."

"It stopped." Ace looked up. "It probably hit an obstacle near Level 5. If it’s an outsider charging all the way in from the entrance, it’s already an incredible feat..."

"Who could it be...?" Jinbe wondered, his brow furrowed.

...

The sea of blood covered the path to Level 5, where it was finally noticed by the battling Magellan and Emporio Ivankov.

In truth, it wasn’t so much "noticed" as it was Alucard stumbling upon them. The structure of the Freezing Hell on Level 5 was unique, and Alucard had briefly emerged from the shadows to find the entrance to Level 6 when he ran into the warden and the revolutionary.

Ivankov had released a massive number of Level 5 prisoners, causing an unprecedented riot to draw Magellan’s fire and ensure the Straw Hat crew could rendezvous quickly. He never expected to encounter the one man he feared most at such a critical moment.

"The Immortal..."

In his Venom Demon state, Magellan’s viscous, shifting form radiated deep wariness. "What are you doing here, Alucard?"

This was the first meeting between Alucard and Magellan. This man, a poison-human with strength nearly reaching the Admiral level, was a formidable figure who would eventually cost Straw Hat Luffy ten years of his life.

"Just a stroll," Alucard said, walking toward them. "Waiting for Whitebeard and the Marines to clash made me a bit impatient, so I decided to have a look around."

"Hey, hey... ’having a look around’ shouldn’t involve running into me!" Ivankov backed away two steps. The man he feared most was the one before him. Even Dragon, who once made the World Government tremble, had never gained an advantage against Alucard, and had eventually lost his life to him.

Given he was a Yonko, invading this place wasn’t exactly a miracle for him.

Magellan clenched his fists. Three Hydras of venom rose behind him, forming a barrier between him and Alucard.

"Are you sure you want to fight me?" Alucard asked. His twin pistols appeared in his hands. Just by standing there, he made Magellan feel the sheer weight of the power gap between them.

From Sengoku, Magellan had learned the secret of Alucard’s immortality. One had to force him into a specific state or move to strip him of his undying body; that was the only window of opportunity to kill him. However, once that moment arrived, Alucard’s raw power would completely transcend the level of a Yonko.

Magellan himself was still a hair’s breadth away from the Admiral level, let alone surpassing a Yonko. But he had to fight. He couldn’t just let the man pass.

"Saldeath! Watch Ivankov! I will hold back the Immortal!" Magellan barked to the small boy wearing a horned skull hat behind him.

This was Saldeath, the Chief Guard.

Saldeath looked worried. "Warden Magellan, shouldn’t we retreat and wait for reinforcements from Headquarters?" He hadn’t seen Alucard’s power firsthand, but the name alone carried enough weight.

"This is Level 5! Where would we retreat to? Do you plan to just stand by and watch him enter Level 6?" Magellan commanded his Hydras to lunge, momentarily cloaking Alucard’s body in venom. "I’ll stall him! You notify the guards in Level 6, move Fire Fist Ace through the secret passage immediately! Everyone else, watch Ivankov!"

Sizzle!

Although the Hydras hit their mark, Magellan wasn’t smiling. He knew all too well that the current Alucard possessed an undying body.

Bullets tore through the venomous dragons as Alucard stepped out. The toxins on his body were absorbed and neutralized instantly.

"I have no interest in Roger’s son," Alucard said indifferently. Ignoring the stunned looks on their faces, he crossed his black and white pistols into an inverted cross. His eyes turned a deep, blood-red.

"Though, perhaps... the previous battles were too frantic. I should re-immerse myself in the sensation of being a Vampire."

Magellan scanned his surroundings. My job is to stall for time. I must let Saldeath complete the transfer of Fire Fist. I cannot let the Immortal pursue them.

With that thought, Magellan’s three Hydras began to lash out wildly, coating the ground and surroundings in venom, making it impossible for Ivankov and the others to escape easily.

"Warden Magellan! We’re still here! Calm down!" several jailers who hadn’t escaped in time screamed.

But the speed of Magellan’s poison was faster. "Damn it! Scram and find an antidote if you want to live!"

At this moment, he could no longer afford to care about his subordinates’ lives.