One Piece: Alucard the Immortal

Chapter 624 - 623: The Golden Lion Goes All Out

Rumble...Having lost his Observation Haki, Shiki was forced to rely solely on his eyes and ears to gauge the invisible incoming attacks.

Hearing the hum of a blade cutting through the air behind him, Shiki spun around frantically. He saw Alucard swinging a heavy broadsword directly at him.

In a desperate rush, Shiki hoisted his right leg high. The blade attached to his limb collided with Alucard’s heavy sword, releasing a shockwave that rippled in all directions. The snow, which had just settled after the defeat of the lion heads, was whipped up once more into a localized blizzard.

"Kukh...!"

Shiki poured every ounce of his strength into the block, struggling to hold his ground. Ultimately, he was no match for Alucard’s sheer power. Under the crushing pressure of the sword-aura, his body was sent flying backward, slamming into the ceiling of Level 5.

"Dammit..."

Even with his strength greatly diminished, Shiki’s pride as one of the "Three Great Pirates" of the previous generation remained unyielding. Being suppressed and beaten like this, how could he possibly accept it?

In a fit of rage, he ignored the potential consequences. He slammed both hands against the ceiling of Level 5 while flipping his body into a handstand, pointing the tips of his two famous swords toward the "pyramid" above.

"Lion’s Majesty: Scattering Valley!"

Countless golden, crescent-shaped sword-auras slashed into the frost-covered ceiling. Although everything here was constructed from the world’s sturdiest materials, it could not withstand wave after wave of attacks from a world-class pirate like Shiki.

As a crack of light split the ceiling, a wave of scorching heat billowed through.

Level 4’s Blazing Hell and Level 5’s Freezing Hell were diametrically opposed environments. Heaven only knew what would happen if the two were allowed to collide.

But Shiki had no intention of leaving alive. He wanted a frantic, regret-free conclusion to the final battle of his life. As for the fate of Impel Down, that was a problem for the living.

"Yahhh!"

With Shiki’s final sword-aura, the proverbial straw broke the camel’s back. The ceiling collapsed entirely, leaving a gaping hole nearly a hundred meters wide. From above, magma began to pour down in a relentless stream.

From Alucard’s perspective on the ground, it looked as if the sky were raining crimson blood.

"Has the Golden Lion lost his mind?"

Jinbe’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. But now that the shockwaves of the battle had finally subsided, he had no time for shock. Seizing the opportunity, he raced toward Level 4.

"Witness this!"

Shiki plunged one hand into the falling magma. Even for someone of his caliber, the searing heat caused his expression to twitch in agony. Without his Haki, he had no way to shield himself from the raw sensation.

Under the control of the Float-Float Fruit, the magma flowing from Level 4 obeyed Shiki’s will. The downpour slowed as the molten rock was molded into the shape of a massive lion head.

"Lion’s Majesty: Magma Spiral!"

"Oh?" Alucard’s lips curled into a smirk as he watched the sky fill with a magma lion head that glowed like a miniature sun. "Quite a flexible use of your fruit ability. However, you’ve already sacrificed an arm for it."

"I don’t care!!"

Shiki swept his hand, directing the magma lion to descend. "Take this!!"

...

Meanwhile, on Level 4.

Luffy, Sabo, and the others had successfully regrouped with the escaped Emporio Ivankov. By now, they had learned of Alucard’s "monster-tier" reputation.

Upon hearing the news, Zoro’s face lit up with excitement, though a trace of concern flickered in his eyes. "A Yonko? As an opponent, he’s a bit much for me right now."

Ivankov raised both hands in an exaggerated gesture. "Hee-haw! Because of the battle between Warden Magellan and the Immortal, the normal entrance to Level 5 has been destroyed. But don’t you worry! Hidden somewhere in Impel Down is a secret lift that can go directly from Level 1 to Level 6!"

"Iva, do you know where this secret lift is?" Sabo asked urgently.

A look of embarrassment crossed Ivankov’s face. "Well, because it’s a secret... we’d better find a jailer and ask."

Ivankov quickly regained his confidence. "Don’t worry, I’m an expert at interrogation!"

Luffy was restless. "Then let’s hurry! Ace’s execution is getting closer and closer!"

BOOM!!!

At that moment, a dull roar erupted from the giant molten iron furnace at the base of the floor. Luffy and the others, standing on the upper platforms, rushed to the railing and looked down.

The magma furnace below had split open with a massive hole. The magma inside was draining out at an exaggerated speed. In moments, the furnace was empty, and through the opening, a glimpse of a silvery-white landscape could be seen below.

"The... the floor has split open? What’s going on?" Ivankov cried in shock.

"Iva-chan, is that place down there Level 5?" Luffy pointed toward the hole.

Ivankov squinted at the opening. He could indeed see a vast expanse of silver-white, identical to the conditions of the Freezing Hell. He nodded instinctively. "It... it should be Level 5."

"Yosh! Then let’s go!"

Luffy threw his arm out, stretching it dozens of meters to grab a railing before swinging himself down. In the blink of an eye, he had vanished into the hole.

"Luffy, you’re too impulsive!" Sabo tried to stop him, but it was too late. He wanted to say there was still time before the execution and that they could look for the secret lift to Level 6.

Unfortunately, Luffy was already gone.

"Sabo, what do we do now?" Ivankov looked at the young man.

Resigned, Sabo placed a hand on the railing and jumped. "No choice. Let’s go."

At this point, they could only move forward, regardless of the danger.

...

"Lion’s Majesty: Magma Spiral!"

As Shiki unleashed his attack, the sun-like lion head descended. With every inch it dropped, the air became more suffocatingly hot. The snow on the ground melted instantly. Given the sheer size and speed, it was impossible to dodge.

"I am the blood that runs through your veins. I am the dark shadow that chills the hearts of men as you pass. I am the fury... your hate and your vengeance. I am... your destiny."

As the chant left his lips, Alucard’s body underwent a transformation: Count Vlad Alucard Form!

"Hmph."

Without any wasted motion, he simply drew the sword at his waist and swung. The resulting sword-aura left Shiki utterly aghast.

The level of swordsmanship from his peak years? No, this was even beyond that!

———————

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