Lloyd knew Shiryu was a traitor, and now that Shiryu had foolishly stepped into his crosshairs, a lesson had to be taught.
Shiryu finally grasped the difference in strength. With trembling resolve he lifted his head and met Lloyd's gaze.
In Lloyd's eyes — like twin voids of darkness — streaks of red lightning flickered. Shiryu felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down on him, not a trace of resentment, only pure fear.
It wasn't just Shiryu who felt this oppression. Everyone present, including the prison staff, trembled. For some who had been to the lowest reaches of Impel Down, this sensation was all too familiar — the pressure belonging only to the strongest.
With a single effortless motion, Lloyd tossed Shiryu aside and said coldly,
"Let us continue."
Magellan dared not speak further. He summoned two guards to support Shiryu and moved onward with Lloyd toward the prison's deeper levels.
Throughout the walk, the anguished screams of prisoners echoed without interruption, but Lloyd remained calm, advancing steadily until they reached the deepest tier, Infinite Hell.
Compared to the levels above, Infinite Hell was eerily quiet, populated by the fewest inmates.
Lloyd's arrival alone stirred the gloom into something livelier. Ahead, he noticed a familiar face, the Red Count, restrained by heavy Sea Stone chains of the highest grade.
Though not a Devil Fruit user, the hardness of Sea Stone exceeded steel. Wrapped in countless coils, even someone of the Red Count's stature could barely break free. His once‑formidable strength had been sapped further by the foul prison provisions unique to Infinite Hell, leaving him listless.
When Lloyd stopped before the Red Count's cell, the prisoner's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"It's you," Lloyd said quietly.
The Red Count struggled, chains clanking as he snorted back,
"So, you came to see my downfall?"
Lloyd offered a faint smile,
"I am not that bored."
Lloyd stepped aside and gestured to Garp, who had been silent behind him, now dressed in prison garb.
"Garp?" the Red Count said with hesitation.
Garp looked toward him with indifferent eyes, then turned away again.
Magellan cleared his throat and stepped forward,
"Red Count, from now on this place will be overseen by Warden Chief Garp. You would be wise to behave."
The Red Count froze, dumbfounded. Prisoners in nearby cells stared in shock and disbelief as well. A few shackled by Sea Stone struggled toward the bars, grimacing.
When they saw Garp in prison uniform, laughter erupted.
"Hahaha, is that Vice Admiral Garp? How did you end up in Impel Down?"
"Hey Garp! How are things after a few days? Tough life?"
"You must be working hard guarding us now! What a job!"
"Ha! Warden Chief, big deal! Hahaha!"
They had all once been captured by Garp and harbored deep hatred for him. Now, with his demotion, they seized the chance to mock him mercilessly.
Despite the derision, Garp remained unmoved, his face blank and expressionless.
The Red Count, however, observed quietly, interest creeping into his face.
Suddenly a spectrum of black blades shot from Lloyd's right hand, splitting and darting into the cells from which the taunts had come.
Before the blades reformed into Lloyd's palm, screams replaced the laughter.
Magellan and the prison staff turned in horror.
The prisoners lay writhing in pools of blood, arms and legs broken beyond recognition.
Even more terrifying, those who had once been in their prime now looked like white‑haired old men, their vitality drained as though decades had passed overnight.
Shiryu, still being supported upright, stared in disbelief. Fear rose clawing from deep within him. He turned his head, gazing at Lloyd, and saw the blade‑shaped tattoo on Lloyd's right hand shimmering with a strange red gleam.
This was the Demon Blade Muramasa integrated with Lloyd himself and empowered by his Devil Fruit ability.
Garp watched in stunned silence, then whispered,
"Why…"
Lloyd did not look back, voice calm and distant,
"These pests were annoying me, nothing more."
After a brief pause, Lloyd turned his head and met Garp's eyes directly, speaking slowly, word by word,
"Do not disgrace the Marines anymore."
Those words struck Garp like a heavy hammer to the heart. Shame washed over him. He lowered his head and clenched his fists tightly. After a long moment, he forced out,
"I understand."
Magellan and the others exchanged glances, not daring to utter a sound.
The Red Count tilted his head and asked,
"Black Dragon Admiral, might I know what Garp did wrong?"
His tone was not mere curiosity, but rather an interest born of boredom — even the prison's harsh silence allowed such thoughts. Garp's fall from grace was certainly notable.
Lloyd glanced sideways at him and said,
"If you wish to know, ask him yourself later. He will be here to accompany you for a long time."
The Red Count's expression sank a bit, disappointment tugging at his features.
"Well, it is truly boring here. Why not stay longer and converse with me?"
Lloyd folded his arms with a half‑smile.
"Redfield, this is the consequence of your actions. Do you now understand discomfort?"
The Red Count sneered,
"Oh, if I hadn't been in such poor condition back then, you wouldn't have captured me! And you said…"
He trailed off, eyeing the crowd around Lloyd, thoughtful and silent.
Lloyd smiled slightly, then walked forward. To the astonished eyes of Magellan and the others, he passed straight through the cell bars of Infinite Hell.
It was not unusual for a Logia user to pass through barriers, but what shocked everyone was that these cell doors were made of pure Sea Stone, designed to negate Devil Fruit powers.
Yet Lloyd stood there unscathed, completely unaffected by the Sea Stone around him.
Only Garp showed a calm expression. He had seen for himself: Lloyd had survived full immersion in the Sea and remained unhurt — a fact that had cost Garp dearly before.
Lloyd leaned toward the dumbfounded Red Count and whispered into his ear,
"Do not worry, I will grant you a chance to fight me. For now, remain here."
___
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