One Piece: I'm not Roger

Aether and his group remained unaware of Teach's situation. Instead, their attention was drawn to an unexpected encounter on the second level.

Standing before them was none other than Buggy the Clown, the red-nosed pirate who had once served as an apprentice on Gol D. Roger's ship.

Back then, Roger had placed great expectations on both Buggy and Shanks. As children, they had even dared to confront Teach. In the end, however, only Shanks fulfilled that potential and rose to become one of the Four Emperors. Buggy, on the other hand, had strayed from that path, losing himself in his obsession with treasure.

Now, Buggy stood proudly, draped in a red cape he had acquired from somewhere, followed by hundreds of pirates. His posture was arrogant, his steps confident, as if he were the master of the situation. When he saw Luffy and the others, he approached without hesitation, clearly failing to recognize anyone.

"Straw Hat, as expected of you. You carried out our plan perfectly. And this person…"

He casually patted Luffy's shoulder, acting like a superior praising a subordinate. However, the moment his gaze settled on Aether, his words faltered. A strange sense of familiarity stirred within him. He could not place it, but something about Aether felt deeply familiar.

Aether spoke first, his tone calm.

"I have long heard of your name, Buggy. As expected of someone who grew up alongside Red Hair Shanks, you managed to lead prisoners in a breakout from Impel Down."

Before Buggy could respond or question how Aether knew such things, the pirates behind him erupted into cheers.

"Our Captain Buggy is the brother of Red Hair Shanks!"

"As expected of Captain Buggy, conquering Impel Down is nothing to him!"

"Long live Captain Buggy!"

The overwhelming flattery made Buggy feel dizzy with pride. Still, he maintained a composed expression, placing his hands on his hips as he laughed loudly.

"Haha, of course. A mere Emperor is nothing. I came to Impel Down to rescue all of you who seek freedom. I will lead you across the New World."

"Captain Buggy, I will follow you forever!"

The pirates were either ecstatic or moved to tears. Even Aether found himself impressed. Buggy might lack strength, but his luck and charisma were undeniably remarkable.

Meanwhile, Aether's companions exchanged puzzled glances. Could this seemingly weak, red-nosed man truly be connected to one of the Four Emperors? Did he really come here with such grand ambitions?

After settling his followers, Buggy turned his full attention to Aether. As he studied him carefully, a long-buried memory surfaced. The image of his former captain appeared in his mind. Though older in that memory, the resemblance was undeniable.

A thought crossed his mind. Could this be related to that man?

With that suspicion, Buggy asked cautiously, "You have an unfamiliar face. What is your name?"

"Aether D. Augustus. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Before Buggy could respond, a scream erupted from behind them.

A massive purple Poison Dragon surged forward, devouring everything in its path. The Newkama caught in its reach collapsed instantly, their bodies succumbing to the deadly toxin.

Panic spread through the crowd. That unmistakable poison could only belong to one man.

Magellan, the Warden of Impel Down.

Since taking his position, he had become the living nightmare of every prisoner.

Step by step, Magellan advanced. Behind him, the single Poison Dragon split into three, each attacking with ruthless efficiency. Dozens of people fell every moment.

Ivankov was the first to act. The Newkama were his people, individuals he had gathered with great effort. He could not stand by and watch.

"Hee-haw! Death Wink!"

The shockwave from his attack struck the Poison Dragon, but the liquid body absorbed the impact, leaving only shallow dents. It caused no real damage.

The Poison Dragon lunged at Ivankov mid-air. With no footing, he used the recoil from his own attack to propel himself away, narrowly dodging the strike.

Landing back among the group, Ivankov's expression darkened. He had been completely suppressed in that exchange. Magellan's poison was a natural counter to most fighters, and Ivankov lacked the means to overcome it directly.

The situation grew dire, and everyone launched their attacks.

Crocodile stepped forward, his hand transforming into swirling sand.

"Desert Spada!"

Sharp blades of compressed sand shot toward Magellan, slicing through everything in their path. However, they only managed to sever one of the Poison Dragon's heads before dissolving under the corrosive toxin.

Crocodile's face hardened. His sand was versatile, but its single-target power was not enough to break through Magellan's defenses in one strike.

Magellan remained unfazed. Two more Poison Dragons emerged from his body, bringing the total to five. They writhed and attacked wildly, holding their ground against the combined assault.

Aether rolled his neck slightly, his gaze sharpening. He stepped forward, intending to test Magellan's strength.

Before moving, he glanced at Buggy.

"Buggy, want to join me?"

Buggy froze.

Magellan's terrifying display had already shaken him. Even a single drop of that poison could kill him. Charging in would be suicide.

Just as he struggled to find an excuse, Aether spoke again.

"Forget it. Stay back and organize the retreat. Someone of your caliber should hold the rear."

Relief flooded Buggy's heart, though he masked it with arrogance.

"Hmph, Magellan is nothing to me. But since you're confident, I'll leave him to you."

Aether said nothing more and dashed forward alone.

In truth, he had deliberately given Buggy an opportunity to build his reputation. He was curious to see just how far Buggy could go. If someone like Buggy could still rise to prominence, then perhaps his so-called luck was something far more significant.

With the Poison Dragons occupied, Aether closed the distance in an instant. His fist was wrapped in dark red lightning, the manifestation of Conqueror's Haki.

"Advanced Conqueror's Haki, Serious Punch!"

Magellan sensed the danger immediately. With no time to evade, he crossed his arms and reinforced them with Armament Haki.

A thunderous impact followed.

Dark red lightning crackled violently as the two forces collided. Poison splashed in all directions. Despite his defense, Magellan was sent flying backward dozens of meters.

Before he could recover, a massive cannonball, over ten meters in size, came hurtling toward him.

Magellan's pupils shrank.

The projectile exploded upon impact, releasing a devastating blast. A small mushroom cloud formed within Impel Down as the structure trembled under the force.

This was the power of Byrnndi World, the World Destroyer. With the Momo Momo no Mi, he could amplify the speed and size of objects up to one hundred times.

As the smoke cleared, Magellan stood revealed. His clothes were torn, and several wounds marked his body. The combined attack had injured him.

His expression turned grim.

A vast amount of crimson poison surged from his body, gathering and expanding until it formed a towering skeletal giant made entirely of liquid toxin.

"Poison Demon!"

Aether shook off the poison clinging to him. While this form protected him from immediate harm, the corrosive effect accelerated its depletion. At most, he had less than three minutes left.

Magellan's ultimate technique shifted the battlefield completely.

Jinbe found himself unable to close the distance, his Fish-Man Karate lacking long-range options in this situation. Crocodile's sand also struggled, as the liquid poison neutralized much of its effectiveness.

Even if the two of them combined their strength, they would struggle against this monstrous form.

Unless Jinbe could fight in open water, or Crocodile enhanced his attacks with powerful Armament Haki, breaking through Magellan's defense would remain nearly impossible.

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