A lazy, drawn-out voice, dripping with that infuriatingly smug tone of someone who just loved to watch chaos unfold, echoed through the vast, silent depths of Eternal Hell.
Magellan, who had been about to rush forward to intervene, froze mid-step. His expression twisted several times in quick succession.
Daren: "..."
His eye twitched slightly.
He didn't even need to turn around. That damnably familiar voice alone was enough for a vivid image to pop into his mind—the face of a tall, leering man with that signature sleazy grin.
Daren sighed helplessly and shook his head.
"Figures. That old man Sengoku really can't be trusted to handle anything properly. I specifically told him I didn't want to be disturbed... What, did I not pay him enough?"
"For a Navy Admiral, he's got no sense of discretion whatsoever."
As he spoke, he turned around slowly, casting an unimpressed glance at the unusually tall, languid man standing behind him.
"Shouldn't you be at the Holy Land, Mary Geoise, overseeing security for the God's Knights' captain inauguration ceremony... Borsalino?"
"Now, now, Daren, no need to look at me like that. I come in peace."
Borsalino raised both hands in mock surrender, his face wearing that familiar, ridiculous expression.
Redfield's polite smile froze slightly at the sight—it was all too familiar.
"The World Government's security detail isn't all that urgent," Borsalino continued lazily. "It's not that far, after all... Besides, you should know the main security force for this event isn't the Navy."
He grinned, his tone full of mischief.
"As for Admiral Sengoku, he didn't exactly mean to leak anything. I just happened to overhear it as I was passing by."
By chance?
Yeah, sure.
Like hell you did.
Daren couldn't help but curse inwardly.
If he hadn't already learned from Redfield that Borsalino had once secretly spent time "training" down here on the sixth underground level of Impel Down, he might have almost believed that nonsense.
But now? Please. A guy who can literally see the future with his Observation Haki just happened to overhear a classified meeting?
He'd never admit it, of course, so Daren didn't bother calling him out. He simply shook his head and said flatly,
"That really is quite the coincidence."
Borsalino spread his hands with exaggerated innocence, then lazily swept his gaze around the room. Dozens of prisoners were smoking, drinking, and chatting by the bonfire. He raised an eyebrow and looked back at Daren with a smirk.
"To think all these vicious, world-class criminals from Level Six of Impel Down are just wandering around outside their cells... How terrifying."
"You've really outdone yourself this time, Daren."
Daren shrugged, smiling casually.
"They've been locked up in cells all day, every day. I just figured I'd let them stretch their legs a bit."
Borsalino chuckled.
"Aren't you worried they'll try to escape?"
Daren pointed toward the towering stacks of luxury goods and supplies laid out before them, grinning.
"With food and drink this good, and everyone getting along so nicely, why would they want to leave?"
The prisoners: "..."
Leave? Of course we want to leave!
We just don't want to die!
Borsalino nodded thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.
"That's true. Honestly, the environment here isn't bad. At least it's not freezing like the Blazing Cold Hell—or scorching like the Crimson Hell."
The two of them chatted idly like old acquaintances reunited after years apart, trading easy remarks back and forth.
Until—
"But still..."
Borsalino's voice trailed off as he lifted his right hand, extending one slender finger.
Beep... beep...
BIU!
A golden beam, as thick as a finger, shot from his fingertip. It sliced through the dark, empty prison corridor at blistering speed.
A heartbeat later—
BOOM!!
The explosion thundered through the cavernous chamber, sending shockwaves that whipped up dust, stone fragments, and a violent gust that tore through the passage.
Every prisoner froze instantly, not daring to move a muscle.
They stared wide-eyed at the thick reinforced wall at the end of the corridor—now bearing a smoking crater blasted clean through it. A chill crawled up from the soles of their feet, racing up their spines until it stabbed deep into their skulls.
Their scalps tingled.
All eyes locked on the Marine Vice Admiral, who calmly lowered his smoking finger, still wearing that infuriatingly pleasant smile.
For several seconds, no one even breathed.
Wait a second—weren't they just chatting normally a moment ago? How did things suddenly escalate into a fight?
And if they had to start fighting… why the hell was that guy smiling while doing it?!
The scariest part was that Borsalino's timing and speed were so absurdly precise that none of them even managed to see the attack happen.
Which meant… if that beam had been aimed at any one of them instead—
Their human bodies wouldn't have lasted half as long as the reinforced walls of Impel Down.
"Your Observation Haki… has gotten a lot sharper."
A glint of amusement flickered beneath Borsalino's sunglasses as he smiled lazily at Daren, who was slowly straightening his tilted head.
"In just a few short days—you really are a monster."
Daren lifted a hand and brushed the side of his face. His cheek was still warm to the touch, a faint smell of scorched flesh lingering in the air. After a brief pause, he grinned.
"If I were really a monster, I would've dodged that strike completely."
Borsalino shook his head lightly.
Bringing his hands together, his right hand seemed to close around something invisible. From the palm of his left hand, he slowly pulled a blade of pure golden light into existence.
"You're just not used to fighting in a style that involves dodging."
"Wh-what are you doing, Vice Admiral Borsalino?!"
Magellan's face went pale. A ripple of purple-black venom spread instinctively across his skin as he tensed.
"What do you think I'm doing?"
Borsalino gave him a slow, crooked smile.
"Rogers Daren is a wanted criminal of both the World Government and the Marines. And I… am a Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters. So tell me—what should I be doing?"
The instant his words fell, his body dissolved into countless golden photons, streaking forward in a blur toward Daren.
"My apologies, but I don't have much time. We'll have to make this quick, Daren..."
Twin arcs of searing light flared across Daren's body as he bared his teeth in a grin.
"Funny—you took the words right out of my mouth, Borsalino."