"You filthy rats should've died long ago! We spared your lives, and you dare rebel?" Little Sadi's vicious voice tore through the hall.
"Hey, chick, your tone's got weight. Guess you've been down here too long and started believing your own hype. Saludes and Sphinx were just as confident. Wonder if they're still breathing. If you're lucky enough to live, go pay your respects," Qin Chuan said as he stepped forward. The prisoners parted instinctively, clearing his path.
Little Sadi's expression turned grim. She knew the truth—Qin Chuan wouldn't be here if he hadn't crushed both Saludes and Sphinx. Her grip on her trident tightened.
This man wasn't just some pirate. His presence screamed danger.
"You think you can stop me with just that?" Qin Chuan whispered coldly before vanishing in a blur.
Little Sadi's eyes widened. She hadn't even registered the movement when he appeared beside her.
She raised her trident on reflex, but his fist was already there.
Boom!
The blow landed clean on her face. Bone cracked as her body was hurled into the side wall.
Ding. Congratulations, host. You have defeated the enemy. Reputation gained: 10,000.
Though Little Sadi had strength, it wasn't enough to withstand that kind of blow. Her defeat shocked even the guards watching from the surveillance room. Especially Magellan, who leapt from his seat in disbelief.
One moment, Qin Chuan was on the far side of the screen, and the next, Little Sadi was airborne. The speed and power he displayed were frightening. Little Sadi wasn't the strongest in the prison, but she wasn't someone who could be taken down so effortlessly.
On the screen, Qin Chuan walked over to the unconscious woman. He grabbed her by the hair, lifted her head, and looked directly into the surveillance Den Den Mushi.
"Magellan, are you really going to make me fight my way through this hell? I've got a short fuse, and if this turns into a slaughter, don't expect anyone to walk out alive."
With that, he released her, letting her face crash to the cold floor again.
She wouldn't die, not yet, but the injuries she sustained would likely end her combat days for good.
Inside the office, a bloated man in a pharaoh's headdress muttered, "Director Magellan, you're screwed. He's provoking you. When you lose, I'll gladly take your position as warden. Heh... uh, I mean, sorry, sir, just worried you might lose and doom us all."
It was Hannibal, the deputy warden, always scheming and dreaming of replacing Magellan.
"Idiot!" Magellan snapped. "You're the deputy warden! You should be figuring out how to stop the riot! If this place falls and the World Government comes knocking, you think they'll spare you?"
"Well, you're the warden, I'm just the deputy. Doesn't seem like my head's on the block," Hannibal muttered under his breath.
Hannibal's ambition was no secret. He'd always wanted Magellan's post and constantly tried to shift blame when things went south. Even now, with Qin Chuan bulldozing through the prison staff, he wasn't taking it seriously.
"I'm ordering you to take the main forces and intercept them on the third level. Refuse and I'll treat it as insubordination!" Magellan barked.
Normally, he wouldn't waste time arguing, but with the prison facing collapse, his patience was gone.
Though Hannibal craved Magellan's seat, he feared his strength even more. Grumbling, he gave a stiff salute and dashed out with his trident.
The moment he left, a tall, elegant woman stepped forward. Her blond curls peeked from under a tilted hat covering one eye. She wore reddish-brown shades, a brown coat with matching shorts, a crisp white shirt with a black tie, and dark red boots and gloves.
"Warden, let me accompany Deputy Warden Hannibal. I'll help suppress the riot."
This was Domino, the new Chief Warden, who had replaced Shiliew of the Rain after his imprisonment on Level Six.
Magellan turned toward her solemnly. "Domino, I have a critical task for you. This mission could decide the fate of Impel Down. You must proceed with utmost caution."
"Understood. What's the mission?"
"Go to Level Six. Monitor the surveillance feed from Level Four. If I fall in battle, release Shiliew of the Rain."
"What? Release him? That's a serious risk!" Domino was stunned.
Shiliew of the Rain, once one of Impel Down's twin monsters alongside Magellan, had been imprisoned for indiscriminate prisoner slaughter. His bloodlust was too dangerous, and he'd been sentenced to death with a temporary stay of execution. Ever since, he'd been rotting at the bottom of the prison.
Now Magellan wanted to free him.
"I know it's dangerous. But Shiliew was once one of ours. He killed prisoners, yes—but always within these walls. I believe that when the fate of Impel Down hangs in the balance, he will choose what's right."