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Sadi felt that if she could help Domino gain power as well, Domino would feel more favorably toward her. And even if Domino came to hold a high position on account of that power, she would still remain loyal to her.
In that way, it would be as though there were now two people within Impel Down willing to pledge their allegiance to Ikki.
That was precisely the point. In order to help Ikki as much as possible, Sadi intended to bring Domino onto his side as well.
Of course, her decision to do so was not driven entirely by a desire to place another capable ally beside Ikki. She also wanted another ally close to her who could draw Ikki's attention. That way, when she found herself competing with Robin and the others for his favor, she would have a stronger hand.
To that end, she had already formed a plan. If she could obtain the deputy warden's famous sword, she would present it to Ikki and use the moment to introduce him to Domino.
The deputy warden's blade was a named sword, not particularly remarkable among the great swords of the world, but Sadi believed that with a little charm, she could still convince Ikki to take Domino in.
"Sadi-chan, I want to become as strong as you too," Domino said, shaking her head slowly. "But the deputy warden's sword isn't mine to give. We can't just hand it over to Ikki and ask him to train me on the strength of that alone."
"Besides, I have my duties here in Impel Down. You were only able to go to Ikki's ship for training because of special permission from the Marines and the World Government. Without that same permission, I can't go to his ship, can I?"
It was impossible for Domino not to feel some envy watching Sadi-chan's growth. But she also understood that the same opportunities were unlikely to come her way. Even if they managed to obtain the deputy warden's sword and the Marines and the World Government gave their approval, there was still the question of whether Ikki himself would be willing to take her in.
Domino did not know the full details of how Ikki had trained Sadi. But she suspected he had paid a considerable price for it. The Noble Phantasm now in Sadi's possession alone was proof enough of that.
Trading a top-tier fast sword for Ikki's instruction and a legendary weapon was an extraordinarily good deal. A warden like herself, by comparison, was perhaps too ordinary a figure. She did not think Ikki would consider it worthwhile.
With these concerns in mind, she voiced them aloud.
"Hehe, we still have to try," Sadi said with a smile. "Perhaps Ikki will agree. And as for whether the Marines and the World Government will approve you going to his side, that is the last thing you need to worry about."
"My performance on Level 6 was something Magellan will surely report to Fleet Admiral Sengoku. And after that, Sengoku will almost certainly pass it on to the World Government. At that point, I believe the Marines and the World Government will be very eager to send more people to Ikki for training."
"In other words, they would be delighted to have you at his side. The more troublesome part will be getting the deputy warden's sword. We'll need to think carefully about that."
At that very moment, the deputy warden of Impel Down had no idea that the famous sword in his own possession was already being coveted by people within the very walls of the prison.
At the same time, elsewhere in Impel Down. Magellan's office.
Magellan sat behind his desk. He had spent the better part of the day sorting out the aftermath of Bullet's attempted prison break, and only now did he finally have the time to report what had occurred to his superiors.
Under ordinary circumstances, he was capable of managing the affairs of Impel Down on his own and had little need to involve those above him. But the situation on Level 6 had been far too significant to handle quietly. It involved Bullet, the Demon Heir from the late Pirate King Roger's crew, and the formidable strength that Sadi-chan had displayed under Ikki's tutelage.
Some decisions were simply beyond his authority to make alone. He picked up the Den Den Mushi.
"Moshi moshi, this is Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
The line connected quickly, and the familiar voice came through from the other end.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, this is Magellan, calling from Impel Down. I have something to report." His tone was grave.
"Magellan, huh? What is it? You sound unusually serious." There was a faint note of amusement in Sengoku's voice. "Speaking of which, Sadi-chan just returned to your place from training, didn't she? Don't tell me she went and showed off some remarkable power."
Sengoku allowed himself a small smile. He already had some understanding of Sadi-chan's situation and knew her strength had grown considerably. He also knew that if it had not, Ikki would not have considered his agreement with the Marines fulfilled.
That Sadi-chan had returned to Impel Down at all was evidence enough that she had met the standard.
"What I need to report is indeed related to Sadi-chan's power, Fleet Admiral Sengoku," Magellan said. "To be candid, what she displayed genuinely surprised me. Even Bullet, the Demon Heir, was unable to defeat her while she fought at full strength."
"Hmm? Bullet, the Demon Heir?" Sengoku's tone sharpened instantly. "Magellan, are you referring to the man who served on Roger's ship? The same Bullet who caused chaos at sea after Roger's execution?"
His brow furrowed. He could already tell that something had gone seriously wrong, and the lightness in his voice was gone.
"That is correct, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. I am speaking about Bullet," Magellan confirmed.
"Magellan, is that man not confined to Level 6 of Impel Down?" Sengoku asked, his confusion evident. "Why would Sadi-chan be dueling with him? You must be mistaken."
Had it been Ikki inside Impel Down requesting a duel with some sword-wielding pirate, Sengoku could have understood it. Ikki's strength was more than sufficient to deal with such opponents, and he had precedent for it. But Sadi-chan was a different matter entirely.
She had only recently been at Ikki's side. It was inconceivable that she would return to Impel Down and immediately seek out Bullet for a fight. And even if she had wanted to fight someone, she should have chosen a swordsman, not a brawler like Bullet.