Magellan is the chief warden of the government-controlled stronghold, Impel Down, otherwise known as the Underwater Prison or the Great Prison. When it comes to his physical appearance, terrifyingly fearsome just doesn’t cut it. Magellan has a robust physique, a manly face, and a towering stature. As if that’s not enough, two black horns and a pair of wings that further improve his intimidating appearance. You may think he’s all fuss, but his frightening appearance is almost on par with his abilities, as you continue reading, you will learn how freakishly strong Magellan is.
Who is Chief Warden Magellan?
Magellan is not your everyday chief warden. As a principled man, he understands his responsibility of overseeing Impel Down, a locker for the most notorious and dangerous criminals in the One Piece universe. With many dangerous pirates and wickedly evil criminals in his audacious care, it is his duty to ensure none of these callous inmates enjoy unnecessary feelings like joy or happiness. Escape is not on the menu unless some brave soldiers answer the call. You’ll find that out later as you keep reading.
Magellan has a fun personality and enjoys occasional jabs at his vice–Hannyabal. Hannyabal is a funny character as he often claims to own everything, then quickly apologizes shortly after. He has envied the Chief Warden position for a long time and often claims to be the ruler. Will he jeopardize Magellan just to get that position? Again, you will find out at the end of the article.
The Doku Doku No Mi
At a young age, Magellan unconsciously ingested the Paramecia-type devil fruit Doku Doku no mi, also known as the Venom-Venom Fruit. This devil fruit granted him the ability to manipulate poison to become the ‘Poison Human.’ He realizes this when he accidentally kills a plant he was nurturing with his deadly poison. This devil fruit allows Magellan to easily control a large amount of poison, its potency and strengths, and its form. He utilizes this poison ability in intelligent ways to make him the formidable warrior that he is. His ability ranges from creating poisonous monsters called Hydra to coating himself with poison to shield him from incoming attacks.
The Doku Doku No Mi devil fruit power should not be confused with a Logia-type devil fruit, as Magellan can not turn into poison. There are a few innovative ways in which Magellan applies his devil fruit powers during his battles. He can use his poisonous hydra as a suction tube to reach farther places much more quickly. It certainly beats simple maneuvers like walking or sprinting.
Harnessing the Doku Doku No Mi’s Power
As earlier referenced, Magellan is able to defend himself with his poison. Naturally, poison is not fun to play with, this makes it hard for his opponents to land critical hits, especially those who specialize in close-range attacks. His poison coat is not a formidable fortitude, but it is sufficient enough defense to dissuade his opponents from trying to get close. This gives Magellan a seemingly unfair advantage as he possesses abilities like the Chloro Ball–a long-range attack that shoots out poisonous gas balls. This basically means that, as his opponents are figuring out a way to attack and simultaneously avoid his poison, he could just punish them by shooting Chloro Balls in their direction.
Magellan can control the toxicity and corrosiveness of his poison. If he is willing, he can reduce the potency of the poison, but he seldom displays that sort of willingness. It usually isn’t funny when Magellan’s opponents finally come in contact with his lethal poison. The gaseous poison causes uncontrollable sneezing, itchy eyes, watery eyes, and blurry vision. It is one thing to avoid direct contact, but inhaling the gas dulls his opponent’s senses, leaving them open to other forms of attacks while trying to regain consciousness or vision. The venom cloud technique (Doku Gumo) causes intense dizziness and loss of bearing. Lastly, Magellan’s ultimate attack form–Venom Demon, creates a monstrous poisonous entity that destroys and poisons everything in its path.
Tummy Troubles
Naturally, Magellan is immune to the poison he creates, and he also possesses certain immunity to external poisons. He delights in consuming foods garnished with poison as an added flavor. However, this added ‘flavor’ causes Magellan to have incessant diarrhea and to make use of the toilet for a measly ten hours a day. Nevertheless, he sees the toilet as a vicious struggle to overcome owing to the harsh environment that is Impel Down. Ironically, he enjoys the seclusion in the Underwater Prison as he is not a fan of the outside world.
Excluding mealtimes and breaks, he sleeps eight hours a day, and his tummy troubles leave him with a sizable four hours to do his job daily. Regardless of his odd lifestyle and comfortable living conditions, he is able to rule the hell house–Impel Down, with a minimum of fuss. Magellan is of the view that poison should be fought with poison. Hence his addiction to poisonous delicacies. He relentlessly consumes different kinds of poison as if to test his mettle and further confirm his immunity. The only thing angry with his decision would be his stomach or, worse, the toilet on level 4 where his office is.
The Infamous Impel Down
As far as prisons go, Impel Down’s structural appearance is one that refuses to hint at a means of escape for its inmates. It has six floors that run underwater. They are designated level 1, level 2, level 3, level 4, level 5, and level 6. Impel Down is located in the Calm Belt. The Calm Belt is home to the world’s largest Sea Kings, and with ocean currents and winds almost non-existent, it is hard for non-self-propelled ships to pass through. It is the main setting of the Impel Down Arc. Each level is tethered with vicious beasts, hellish traps, or torture chambers that make escaping a seemingly impossible task.
Magellan is responsible for managing and overseeing this government facility. He takes his duty seriously and frowns on any form of insurrection or incompetence. Magellan is seen dowsing his subordinates with poisonous gas when they interfere with his battles. He takes Impel Down’s security more importantly than his colleagues’ lives. As a caring boss would. The levels he manages include;
Level 1 – Crimson Hell
Down each level, the criminals become more infamous and dangerous. This means that the most dangerous of them all are locked up in Level 6 – Eternal Hell, which is not a happy place. Level 1 is a happy place in comparison. It is called Crimson Hell, and prisoners are forced to run around in a forest, a forest made of blades while being chased by poisonous spiders and getting sliced every which way. Not exactly a joyous occasion. At one point, we see Magellan pass through level 1 and incapacitate rioters when in pursuit of prison escapees.
Level 2 – Wild Beast Hell
Hell is not an overstatement when describing levels at Impel Down. Inmates can do nothing but frown at the idea of being locked up with a wild animal running through the corridor as if to tease their attempts at escaping. The good news about the wild beast hell is it offers variety. Variety of wild animals. Inmates are at liberty to run, but they would be accosted by Manticores–man-faced lions that eat humans and scream words they have heard but do not understand. It is quite ironic to be chased by a lion that has a unique face only to hear words like “beef steak” or something more absurd that can lead to further confusion. There is also the wild beast Basilisk–a wild snake born from a chicken, thankfully, there was no record of the mating process.
Level 3 – Starvation Hell
The starvation hell, as the name suggests, is a level where the prisoners are given little food and water to keep them in a near-death state. The prisoners feel the heat that rises up from level 4, and this causes them to feel unbearable pain. There is a hole in the middle of level 3 that acts as a ventilation mechanism, but the hole leads to Level 4 – Blazing hell. During a breakout, Magellan mobilizes guards on this level to catch Bon Kurei, one of the escapees in the Impel Down arc.
Level 4 – Blazing Hell
At this level, the prisoners really start to feel the heat. There is a pool of blood in the center of the level that is boiled to high temperatures. The resulting heat makes the level almost unbearable. The most common means of torture is throwing prisoners into boiling blood to bathe. Magellan’s office is located here. The kitchen is also located here, and it makes sense since finding heat to cook would not be too hard.
Level 5 – Freezing Hell
There is a huge contrast between this level and the previous level. The freezing hell is basically a giant refrigerator used to store hardened criminals and keep them frozen fresh. A superstition exists on this floor. It is said by inmates that people who have gone missing on level 5 have been ‘Demoned Away.’ This superstition instills fear in the minds of the prisoners, making it hard to picture escaping. Although, there is a hidden level between level 5 and level 6. It is where the prisoners who have supposedly been spirited away or demoned away stay to chill and have fun. Paradise in hell. Emporio rules this land, and they are open to newcomers. The secret floor was said to have been found by a prisoner with a tunneling Devil Fruit power long ago.
Level 6 – Eternal Hell
It doesn’t get lower than this. Not because it is the final floor but because it is the most gruesome. This is where the government sweeps huge incidents under the rug. The criminals on this level are top of the class. Ace and Jinbei are locked up in this level as the former awaits his execution. Eternal hell was thought to be a myth until its recent discovery. Many inmates thought the lowest level was level 5. On this level, Magellan has the power and authority to execute any of the criminals at his own discretion if they should mock his authority or show signs of hostility.
Impel Down Arc
In Impel Down Arc, brave fugitives are led by Monkey D. Luffy, the protagonist in the One Piece series, to break out. Luffy is on a mission to rescue his brother, Portgas D. Ace, from Impel Down’s deepest depths to save him and, in turn, stop his pending execution. A daring move Chief Warden Magellan is all too happy to halt. He views the intrusion as a personal insult as Luffy attempts to dent the prison’s impeccable record and is determined to stop him at all costs. Before the intrusion, Magellan is visited by Vice Admiral Momonga, whom Boa Hancock, an infamous pirate, accompanies. Luffy, who is a stowaway on the Admiral’s ship, is assisted by Boa Hancock to infiltrate the stronghold–Impel Down.
After parting ways with Luffy, Hancock informs Magellan about the purpose of their visit to see Ace. Magellan engages them in conversations and directs them to the place. Luffy begins his impossible mission to save and free his brother from the impregnable depths of the Underwater Prison. Luffy meets up with Captain Buggy during his quest to visit the lowest level. Meanwhile, Captain Buggy is attempting his own routine escape. He is surprised to see Luffy but decides to team up with him after his display of considerable strength. The fee for the directions to lower levels is Luffy’s armband. The armband is supposedly a treasure map Captain Buggy has been after. Luffy remains unfazed and offers him the hand band in exchange for directions in order to save his brother Ace.
Operation ‘Save Ace’ Begins
Luffy and Captain Buggy successfully evade a couple of guards, and using Buggy’s powers, they are able to navigate through the Crimson Hell unscathed. In level two, they are chased by all sorts of wild beasts, but they manage to survive and defeat a few of them, including the Basilisk. They find Mr. 3 and a couple of other inmates, and Buggy decides to free them to cause further commotion. They continue to navigate their way through the levels. By this time, the guards are alerted of this high-scale intrusion and escape attempt, and quickly inform the boss, Magellan. Boa Hancock has already departed and Magellan receives the news of this intrusion and is furious. He orders for visuals and follow-ups on the current situation at hand. And instructs the prison guards to mobilize at level 4 and prepare to intercept the intruders.
While Luffy and another inmate are nearing the kitchen, Magellan drops in front of them and prepares to confront them. The guards were quick to notice Magellan’s preparation and pleaded with him to halt his attack to allow them to reach safety. Bon Kurei, an inmate accompanying Luffy, urges him to escape rather than engage in a futile fight with Magellan. Magellan is all too delighted to inform the escapees that all exits have been blocked off. This leads to Magellan confronting Luffy and declaring his dedication to finding out how Luffy infiltrated the prison. Luffy tells Magellan that he will not divulge that information even at the cost of his life, and then the battle begins.
Magellan vs Luffy
Magellan quickly activates his poisonous hydra and launches an attack on Luffy. With a couple of guards caught in the crossfire, Luffy manages to evade the attack and reach the high ground but suffers burns from the flames. Unfazed, Magellan launches a Chloro Ball towards Luffy. He manages to evade yet again but begins to suffer from itchy and watery eyes owing to the poisonous gas explosion. Magellan continues his pursuit and uses his Hydra to latch onto the platform Luffy is on to create a suction tube and swim towards him, this is a transport technique he calls Venom Road. He quickly catches up to Luffy, who is still suffering from severe sneezing and watery eyes. He attempts to damage Luffy using his poison-coated horns, but Luffy manages to escape owing to his speed. Luffy’s determination wows Magellan but still assures him of his impending failure.
This fires Luffy up. He informs Magellan of his readiness to defeat him, even at the cost of sacrificing his arms to inflict considerable damage. Luffy activates gear 2 and launches a Jet Bazooka that connects and pushes Magellan back. Although the attack connected beautifully, the poison took a serious toll on Luffy’s arms. Magellan gets back in position as if not affected by the attack and proceeds to attack with Hydra. Luffy makes use of his outstanding resolve to keep fighting but is met with a different kind of attack–the Venom Cloud, which causes him to become dizzy and lose his balance. Magellan, committed to ending the battle, envelops Luffy in more corrosive poison, leaving him on the floor in a helpless state. After informing Luffy of his inevitable demise, Magellan orders the guards to throw him into level 5 to await his doom.
Magellan vs Luffy’s Group
On level 5, Luffy is helped by Emporio, who informs him of the risk of trying to neutralize the poison. After a successful healing session, Luffy and the inmates proceed with their plan. Later on, news reaches Magellan that Luffy is currently on level 6. To his greatest surprise, he pondered how Luffy managed to survive their previous battle. Determined to put an end to all this nonsense and restore order to Impel Down, he decides to take matters into his poisonous hands. He discovers Hannyabal was beaten and in an unconscious state and commends him for his bravery and dedication. Hot on the heels of the escapees, he quickly covers a lot of ground in his pursuit and incapacitates some escaping inmates and rioters.
He confronts Emporio and Inazuma on his way to Luffy’s group and ultimately neutralizes them. Using Venom Road to catch up with Luffy’s group, he immediately launches a poison attack at them. Coming to their aid is Mr. 3, who uses his candle wax abilities to create a thick wall to defend against the poison attack. With sharp thinking, Mr. 3 coats Luffy’s hands and legs with candle wax, granting him some immunity to allow him to launch his attacks freely. He begins to hold his ground against Magellan and fend off his attacks. This doesn’t sit well with Magellan. He decides to close the chapter on this battle and activates his Venom Demon, which is said to be capable of destroying Impel Down itself.
Running Is The Only Option
Recognizing the impending danger, Luffy and his group begin to run away. Some inmates were caught in the attack and immediately meet their demise. But Magellan did not back off. As he pursues them, Mr. 3 uses his candle wax abilities to create a candle wall to barricade and halt Magellan’s movements. Luffy, in turn, kicks the wall with his Gigantic Stamp to push Magellan further behind. This gives them enough time and space to make a run for the exit, where Emporio, who apparently survived Magellan’s attack, saves the group by the skin of their teeth and plunges them into the ocean. Magellan does not give up, but ultimately, a total of 241 inmates slip from his grasp.
Magellan’s Fate
After the inmates escape, Magellan sought to take responsibility for his mistakes. He remained the principled man that he was. Unhappy about the turn of events, he expresses his desire to right his wrongs even by contemplating suicide. With the Blackbeard pirates having freed other inmates on level 6, he believed he had tarnished the image of Impel Down and wanted to take responsibility for it.
Following a time skip, Magellan faces the consequences of his inability to prevent the large-scale breakout. He is demoted to Vice Warden, and Hannyabal takes his place to become the Chief Warden of Impel Down. Magellan is a formidable warrior. He is dedicated to his duties regardless of his lifestyle or habits. More importantly, he is considered a reliable force to be reckoned with despite his demotion. In spite of Magellan’s attitude and complicated relationship with his colleague Hannyabal, he is a serious individual who does not play around with his battles. Dedicated men like him are respected, even throughout One Piece.
