CHAPTER 11
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Level 5 — Impel Down: Chill Hell
The freezing breath of Level 5 the Chill Hell bit into their skin the moment Umi and Kris hit the snow-packed stone. Frost crawled along their clothes. Kris staggered, coughing.
"Damn… The captain really just threw us like garbage."
Umi rubbed his shoulder, teeth chattering. "Yeah… even though he was saving us, that still looked cruel."
They hadn't gone far when a metallic DING echoed through the frost-bitten cavern, the elevator descending. Ice crystals trembled on the walls.
"It's already over," Sadi said, voice sickly sweet. "Kizaru and some vice admirals have already entered the prison. He's heading down."
Kris's face went pale. "K-Kizaru?! As in Admiral Kizaru?! LIGHT Kizaru?"
Hannybal pointed, eyes wide with theatrical glee. "YES!! The Yellow Monkey! The one who moves faster than thought! and the remaining vice admiral. You idiots are dead!!"
The two pirates locked eyes, breath clouding in the air. Without a word they ran. Bullets, blades, and a whip screamed after them into the white haze.
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Level 4 — The Blazing Hell
They tumbled onto Level 4 and the heat slammed into them like a living wall: steam hissed, rivers of molten rock crawled below, and iron plates glowed a furious orange.
A colossal shadow dropped across the scorched bridge. Vice Admiral Pomsky, tall and wrapped in an aura of justice landed , his maul resting on his shoulder.
"You two are the subordinates of the intruder from Level Six," Pomsky said, voice calm as a judge. "You will not leave this floor."
Umi stepped forward,leaving Kris to be chased by sadi and hannybal.
Fingers tightening on the axe Ren had given him. The weapon thrummed, a low, hungry growl of bloodlust under the metal. "...So you're the Vice Admiral?" Umi's voice dropped, heavy with expectation. "Good. I need someone strong to test this thing."
Pomsky's eyes sharpened. "You control its will? Impressive. Then" He swung.
BOOOOOOOMM! The maul slammed the axe; the stone bridge cracked under the shock.
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Umi vs. Vice Admiral Pomsky
Heat, sparks, and the smell of singed iron filled the air. Pomsky's strikes were disciplined, the kind honed by decades of war. Umi's blows were raw and primal, driven by will rather than form.
Pomsky pushed him back, step by step, haki and his devil-fruit strength lending ruthless precision. "You're strong," Pomsky said between strikes, "but brute force without discipline"
"SHUT UP!!" Umi roared. His arm blackened with Armament Haki; the axe sighed like a beast waking. He swung.
KRAAAAAAANG! Stone exploded; lava sprayed as the impact blasted a wave of heat across the chamber. Pomsky's eyes widened. "So he's already awakened Armament…"
Umi flashed a grin, sharp as a knife. "Let me show you, what my CAPTAIN taught me."
They fought on for what felt like an hour. Sweat, ash, and sparks painted both fighters. Pomsky raised his maul for a decisive blow, but Umi closed his eyes for a heartbeat. Ren's voice echoed in his memory: "Don't overpower the weapon… COMMAND it."
Umi's aura shifted. The feral hunger smoothed into cold focus. He planted his foot; the stone groaned. "EARTH-CLEAVE!!" he bellowed.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! The impact unmoored flames like a tidal wave; Pomsky skidded and braced with Armament-shod palms. He stared at Umi with newly tempered respect.
"…You are not just some thug from the sea."
Umi panted, steadying the axe with both hands. "I'm Umi. Battle cook of the Pride Pirates. Remember it."
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Back in the Cells
"Hey, you guys, where is this place?
Who are you guys?" Ren asked, staring around with total confusion.
"We are at the backup prison, where we are waiting for transfer, apparently we were supposed to be transferred two years ago."Brocky, The giant hybrid standing beside Ross answered Ren.
"Please, can you share some of your food?" brocky pleaded.
" Wow, look how shriveled you guys are" Ren pitied as he threw some food into the prison they were in.
Soon they started munching on the food like a starved beast.
After their meal Ren and the boys lied down with their tummy rising like a mountain.
"Were you not given food?" Ren questioned while adjusting his position.
"The guards that were supposed to be feeding us cut on our ration because the new warden is not aware of us being here, as you can see that fool sitting over, sleeping, was supposed to stand guard." Brocky answered as he pointed to the sleeping guard by the small gate that led to the 6th level. Suddenly the silent Ross sitting at a corner jumped at The gate of their prison as if he was possessed.
"Has whitebeard found the one piece, I know right the strongest man in the world will not do anything less than the pirate king, right ?Hahabhhahahahh" Ross asked as he clinged onto the prison door like an obsessed fan.
"Huh??" Ren looked at Ross confused at what he was asking.
"Don't you know whitebeard?" Ross tilted his head asking Ren.
"Yes, I know pops." Ren answered with somber eyes.
"Wait...wait… what., You mean you are from the whitebeard crew, so that means the whitebeard will soon come storming into impel down" Row blabbed as he raised his smugly like somone that has just won a trophy.
"Yes, he was my captain before he, died some hours ago" Ren added
"Wait..., you mean he is dead" Ross questioned with crying eyes.
"Yes".
"So my dream has been crushed" Ross sobbed tightly holding onto his golden locked hair in a corner of the cell.
Standing up Ren pulled out his naginata slicing the prison gate into precisely divided cubes before cutting off their chains.
Suddenly Ross jumped on the naginata like an obsessed fan dragging it from Ren's hand.
Not giving in a bit, Ren gave Ross a weird eye.
"Why are you pulling my blade ?" Ren asked.
"What did you mean by yours, you obviously stole it from whitebeard and I am going to return it back it back." Ross barked as intense flame burned in his eye.
"Shut up and listen, whitebeard gave me himself and didn't you hear what I said he is dead" Ren said he pushed the clingy Ross away.
" So you mean he is really dead, and you have his blade, " Ross sobbed.
"Yes"
"yess, I know what to do, challenge you to a duel." Ross shouted smugly
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Silence fell like a sheet. Ross's aura shifted, the obsessed fan melted away and a cold, seasoned fierceness took its place. His voice rang out, steel and pride.
"I have to see if you are really worthy of holding whitebeard's naginata, so I KRATOS ROSS, hereby challenge you to a duel" Ross shouted
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