NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12: The Three Serpents Break Free from the Ice
Zehahaha…
Blackbeard's manic laughter echoed through all of Level 6 of Impel Down.
His eyes burned with madness and elation as he stared at the colossal mass of ice now wrapped in his Dark-Dark Fruit's power.
It would only be a matter of time.
Once his darkness fully consumed the ice and made contact with that monstrous beast, he would steal its power.
And then—the whole world would tremble beneath his feet.
Watching his maniacal expression, both Douglas Bullet and Patrick Redfield were shaken.
They couldn't even begin to imagine what the world would become if Blackbeard really did acquire that Devil Fruit ability.
At this very moment, Blackbeard stood at the center of everything.
Even the prisoners who'd been fighting moments earlier stopped, turning wide-eyed toward the shadow-wrapped cage.
Their bodies trembled.
They couldn't help it.
---
THOOM.
Suddenly, from within the darkness, a dull thud rang out—like a war drum.
Everyone's hearts skipped a beat.
"What was that sound…?"
Before anyone could speak again, another rhythmic pulse echoed through the level.
Thoom. Thoom. Thoom-thoom. Thoom-thoom…
It was steady.
Building.
Like the heartbeat of something ancient.
It began softly, then grew louder and faster, shaking the very ground beneath them.
Each beat made the floor quiver. Each pulse made their hearts tighten.
Especially Blackbeard—whose mad grin had faded.
Sweat beaded on his forehead. His expression grew tense.
---
Crack. Crack. Crack…
The ice groaned and shattered further.
Even the darkness that surrounded it began to ripple wildly.
Then—
"Marshall D. Teach…"
A voice echoed from within.
It was hoarse, low, and sharp—like a demon from the underworld had spoken.
And again, it rang out:
"So even after a thousand years…
your bloodline is still filled with filthy mongrels."
"Your kind… I hate you with every fiber of my being."
Zzzzzt…
As the twisted voice spoke, strange electrical static filled the darkness, like a jammed signal buzzing through a speaker.
"He's… He's alive!"
From afar, the crowd stared at the expanding dark mass with horror.
Blackbeard—what the hell had he awakened?
---
The dark power around the prison throbbed like a living thing, and now even Blackbeard himself panicked.
"Zehahaha… what a terrifying beast…"
"But… so what if it's alive?"
"My Darkness Fruit nullifies all Devil Fruit powers.
Nothing can stand against it!"
"Zehahahahaha!"
Still drunk on the power of the Yami Yami no Mi, Blackbeard ignored the warnings.
He didn't even register what the voice had just called him—"Marshall bloodline."
All that mattered now was taking the power before the monster fully awoke.
---
"Devil Fruit…?"
"What a joke."
From deep inside the swirling darkness, Ghidorah opened his three sets of golden eyes—
—and let out a deafening roar.
"ROAAAAAAAAR!!!"
BOOM! CRACK!! BOOM!
The sound of shattering ice echoed around the level.
The darkness that had encased the prison burst apart like a balloon, completely unable to contain the being within.
---
SHHHHRRAAA!!!
A visible shockwave tore through the air, like blades of wind slicing in all directions.
"AHHH!!"
"WHAT IS THIS—?!"
"HELP—GUHK!!"
The windstorm ripped through Level 6 like a hurricane.
Weaker prisoners were torn apart on the spot.
Those with a bit of strength weren't spared either—shredded by the winds or flung into stone walls, unconscious or dead.
---
"H-Holy hell…"
"Bullet! What… what is that thing!?"
Even Redfield, cool and composed, was visibly shaken as the monstrous scene unfolded.
---
"AAARGHHH! IT BURNS!! IT HURTS!!!"
Blackbeard, now at the center of the explosion, rolled across the ground like a man dipped in blood.
---
ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!!
Three monstrous dragon heads burst from the wreckage, roaring into the sky.
With each roar, circular shockwaves rippled from their mouths, expanding outward—
10 meters… 15… 20…
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The shockwaves slammed into the surrounding stone, cracking walls and blasting chunks of the prison away.
---
"Ahhh… the feeling of freedom…"
Ghidorah, twisting his three heads with a crack-crack-crack, savored the sensation of movement.
His body had rusted from centuries of stillness.
And because each head had independent consciousness, the creature had three minds.
---
The left head snaked down toward the groaning Blackbeard.
It sniffed.
"Disgusting. You reek of garbage.
Only an idiot would eat that kind of fruit."
Then, the right head, furious, shouted:
"You dared use that filthy power on the body of a King?!
Die, scum!"
It slammed into the other heads, pushing them aside and opened its giant crimson maw—
WHOOSH!
BOOM!!!
But just as it prepared to fire—
The center head caught something in its golden eyes.
A man with white wings—Laffitte, who had just rescued Blackbeard.
"You dare… interfere, Birdman?!"
BOOM!
The right head growled and aimed at Laffitte, forming a yellow glowing orb in its mouth crackling with electricity.
"Kevin (One of Ghidorah Head), STOP!"
The center head shouted and slammed into the right, canceling the blast.
"Don't forget, we're not fully free yet.
No need for pointless attacks."
"Kevin—get us out."
The right head, Kevin, clearly annoyed, snorted and scanned the area.
"Tch. There's another human down here?"
"Whatever. I'll try not to kill you…"
Mumbling to himself, Kevin reared up and pointed his mouth at the base of the ice prison.
A glowing golden orb formed, sparking with electrical arcs.
"What the hell is that…!?"
Far away, Bullet gasped, eyes widening as he felt the energy surge.
"Holy hell! HEY!! Dumbass, open this cage!!"
Even the ever-calm Redfield lost it, shouting toward Blackbeard's crew.
---
"Zehahaha…"
"I'll open it—if you help me fight him."
Blackbeard, lying bloodied on the ground, knew he'd messed up bad.
But he wasn't ready to give up.
If he could just get the fruit…
"You're INSANE!!"
Bullet and Redfield shouted at him.
They couldn't believe what they were hearing.
He'd already been shredded by wind pressure alone.
Now he still wanted to challenge Ghidorah?
Had he taken too many pills?
Or not enough?
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