Brontes's Deterrence

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"Bang!"

Suddenly, beneath the sea, a group of strange sea creatures appeared, tossing chains that fastened onto the warship and pulled it forward.

The warship had to retract its sails; in the Calm Belt, sails were of no use. Unless a ship was self-powered, it depended on these trained sea creatures to draw near Impel Down.

This was also the reason why the escort warships of Impel Down were equipped with special propulsion, and these sea creatures served as escorts, fending off Sea Kings, the most formidable and untamable sea creatures in the Calm Belt, thereby safeguarding the approaching warships.

Witnessing Impel Down for the first time, Jinbe was both awed and stunned. 

The fortifications of Impel Down were exceptionally robust, making direct entry nearly impossible for pirates, unless perhaps from the sky or the deep sea.

And even if they managed to infiltrate, escaping was an even greater challenge. The guards of Impel Down were elite soldiers from Marineford.

He thought of Fisher Tiger, who had miraculously escaped from Mariejois. Now, with Brontes overseeing the security of Mariejois, such an event would surely not recur.

Finally, after about half an hour, the warship docked at Impel Down. 

From the surface, it appeared as a heavily guarded fortress, and it certainly did not seem large or formidable enough to detain all those fearsome pirates he had heard about in the New World.

Jinbe gazed at Impel Down before him with bewilderment; he had never imagined Impel Down to be like this.

At the gates of Impel Down, a man with an unusual outfit stood waiting. This man was quite peculiar, with a large belly, jagged horns, and an Egyptian pharaoh's headdress. 

Upon noticing Brontes disembarking from the warship, he promptly saluted:

"Welcome to my Impel Down, Fleet-Admiral Ragnarok. I am Chief Warden Hannyabal."

"Thud!"

"Ah, damn it! I accidentally revealed my own ambition." Hannyabal cursed in his heart.

"Move aside, you idiot." Behind him, a man clad in a black coat, sporting a pair of small wings on his back and a set of horns on his head, shoved Hannyabal out of the way.

"Damn you, Magellan!" Hannyabal immediately spat at Magellan.

But what he faced was Magellan's immense visage, as Magellan leaned in close to Hannyabal and opened his mouth.

"Hhaa!"

A purple poison mist billowed from his mouth, terrifying Hannyabal into covering his nose, but he still inhaled the toxic fumes and began to foam at the mouth instantly.

"Quick, get me the antidote!" Hannyabal clutched his throat, rolling on the ground and yelling.

"I'll prepare it for you, sir." A guard, showing no urgency, saluted and then strolled into Impel Down.

"Fleet-Admiral Ragnarok, my apologies for making you wait." Magellan approached and said in apologetic voice. 

Jinbe felt an intimidating presence emanating from the man in black before him.

"It's a pleasure to meet the Warden of Impel Down, Magellan." Brontes reached out and shook hands with Magellan.

"I've arranged everything for Arlong's release. This must be one of the Seven Shichibukai of the Sea, the Knight of the Sea Jinbe." Magellan said, as he looked at the stout, blue figure of Jinbe standing behind Brontes.

"Chief Warden of Impel Down, Poison Man Magellan." Jinbe took a deep breath as he looked at Magellan. 

Venom-Venom Fruit!

Who wouldn't fear poison? Magellan's Devil Fruit granted him the fearsome power to produce and control various types of poison.

Though he wielded a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit, Magellan's might was formidable, with rumors suggesting his strength rivaled that of the Marine Admirals.

After the previous warden, King, defected, he assumed the role and became the Chief Warden of Impel Down.

"Bring him up." Magellan commanded, turning to a guard behind him.

"Yes, sir." The guard responded.

"Clank! Clank!"

The sound of chains dragging echoed as a fish-man with blue skin was escorted out.

"Jinbe..." Arlong glanced at Magellan and the others; it had been years since he last saw the sun, which initially blurred and dazzled his vision, but he quickly adjusted and recognized Jinbe.

Yet, he refrained from calling Jinbe 'brother,' clearly his heart still harboring some resentment for Jinbe. 

"You're free now, get lost, trash." Hannyabal, having taken the antidote, shoved Arlong forward and said.

"Unlock him." Brontes ordered calmly.

"Yes, yes, right away, sir!" Hannyabal promptly fetched the keys and released Arlong from his handcuffs and shackles.

"Jinbe, I still have matters to attend to here. You can manage to leave with him, right? The sea is your Fish-Man domain; no one will stop you." Brontes looked at Jinbe and said.

"I understand, thank you, Brontes-dono. I will take Arlong and depart." Jinbe nodded. His crew awaited in the New World, and he needed to take Arlong to Fish-Man Island before returning.

"Arlong, let's go." Jinbe said gently to Arlong.

With twin splashes, they plunged into the sea, departing the Calm Belt without a backward glance.

As the pair vanished into the depths, Brontes turned to Magellan and said: "I'll leave the rest in your hands."

"It is my honor. But truth be told, other Admirals and Vice-Admirals have made several visits to Impel Down, yet it seems that Fleet-Admiral Ragnarok has not once done so." Magellan reflected aloud after a moment's thought.

"I can't help it; I've always been stationed in the New World. I rarely return to Marineford. And particularly after my recent promotion, my responsibilities have only increased." Brontes replied with a helpless voice. 

"I must admit, I was quite taken aback when I heard of your so-called promotion. I have my doubts about their decision." Magellan suddenly said, shaking his head.

As the warden of Impel Down, Magellan's rank was, in theory, on par with that of an Admiral. Thus, he was privy to more internal information than other high-ranking Marines, given his status as a senior official of the World Government.

Having served as the Chief Warden at Impel Down for many years, Magellan was intimately acquainted with the nature of pirates, more so than most. 

Consequently, he was a staunch critic of the Seven Shichibukai System, particularly the decision to transfer Brontes from Marineford to Mariejois.

Although Magellan had never personally encountered Brontes, the legendary pirates that Brontes had thrown into Impel Down spoke for him. The mere mention of Brontes's name struck fear into the hearts of the prison's inmates.

From the prisoners' tales, they too had come to know the true terror that was Brontes.

It wasn't the relentless pursuit characteristic of Sakazuki, who hunted pirates with a vengeance, nor the laissez-faire approach of Kuzan and Borsalino, but rather, it was the dread of Brontes's formidable Devil Fruit powers and his capacity for deterrence that they feared.

In the Marine hierarchy, no one could match Brontes's might, except for Garp, whose renown as the vanquisher of both the Rocks and Roger's era resonated loudly among both old and new generations of pirates.

Yet, Brontes was distinct. He relied on his absolute strength. As long as he was present in the New World, pirates had to remain vigilant against Brontes's assaults, including the Four Emperors. 

Even Whitebeard would think twice before provoking Brontes; who would willingly subject themselves to relentless lightning strikes without the means to retaliate?

Even within the Marine ranks, many soldiers and high-ranking officers believed that Brontes was a natural successor to Sengoku's position as Fleet-Admiral upon his retirement.

This sentiment was not uncommon in the private discussions among Marines, which underscored the leadership capabilities of Brontes.

Even now, Brontes's former subordinates, such as Kuzan, continued to address him as 'Commander' upon meeting him.

Brontes's name had been invoked too often by the inmates, and what Magellan lamented most was the escape of the Warlords and King's betrayal. 

Had it not been for Kaido's timely intervention, King would have been recaptured and thrown back into Impel Down by Brontes.