Essel

"Aren't we coming together?" Teach asked with a smile as Rediat approached.

"He refused." Rediat shook his head slightly, not disappointed. He already knew what he wanted to know, and understood it even better, so he didn't stop him. Moreover, he believed in Redfield's ability to leave Impel Down Impel Down.

"That makes sense, that's typical of him." Teach wasn't surprised. For him, legends weren't that far away. He had seen both Whitebeard and Roger, especially that clash of titans, the strongest against the strongest, a clash of Conqueror's Haki that had been swirling in his mind.

Looking at Rediat, his eyes gleamed with curiosity and joy, "It seems you've acquired quite a few good things."

Teach could clearly sense that Rediat was different from before; his strength had improved to some extent, though not by much, but Rediat's aura was still slowly increasing.

I don't know what he received that caused such a drastic change in Rediat.

"Hmm." Rediat nodded. He had benefited greatly from Redfield's memories, which had influenced him to some extent. It was a huge treasure trove that was constantly being explored.

Swordsmanship, Haki, physical skills— Redfield's experience remained, lingering in Redfield mind, allowing Redfield, rapidly enhancing Redfield foundation.

Once fully digested and made what belonged to Redfield his own, Rediat's strength would definitely increase significantly.

Although Teach didn't know the details, he roughly guessed what was going on. This was a father giving his son a cheat code, but it was a unique way for the father and son to do it.

"Let's go, let's see that monster." Teach said with a smile. He could already sense the powerful aura of the approaching monster; it must be the warden of Impel Down, Essel.

He had arrived not long ago, but he hadn't found Teach and the others. Most people aren't that sensitive to auras; the main function of Observation Haki is to amplify the five senses and play a role in battle.

After all, Observation Haki is quite difficult to improve; it really requires talent.

When Teach and his companions arrived at the fifth level of the Extreme Cold Hell, they looked up and saw the same large hole above the Infinite Hell Scorching Hell.

It was also Bondy a's abilities that paved the way.

Those who were fast had already left for the third level. On the second level, with powerful individuals clearing the way, they moved extremely quickly.

The remaining prisoners could no longer move forward, as their path had been blocked.

Watching that strong figure swing his powerful fist, unleashing astonishing speed and strength, almost too fast for anyone to react, one prisoner after another was sent flying.

This is Essel, who has already arrived. No one can stop his power. The truly strong among these prisoners have already left for higher levels.

Essel was too late. Looking at the two large holes above and below, he roared angrily, venting his rage.

However, he knew he didn't need to worry about these prisoners; the real danger lay with the strong among them, some of whom had very special identities.

Magellan, on the other hand, was about to face these powerful individuals. Although his abilities were immense and could be further amplified within the confined space of Impel Down, he was not confident that Magellan could stop so many prisoners in the Infinite Hell.

Therefore, he needed to get to the higher levels as quickly as possible. The higher levels needed his strength, and those prisoners posed a greater threat. If they escaped, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Upon seeing Essel arrive, the other prisoners, realizing they couldn't break through, scattered to find other ways. They knew Essel's main target wasn't them, and many prisoners set their sights on the elevator on the fifth floor.

Others waited secretly, waiting for Essel to leave, because once Essel was gone, no one would stop them anymore.

Just as Essel was about to leave for the upper levels, Teach and his two companions emerged. Essel's gaze fell upon Teach. Unlike Redfield, who had vanished without a trace, Teach and his group made no attempt to conceal themselves. With the instincts of a powerful individual, Essel immediately Teach them.

He naturally knew who Teach and his two companions were, and it was precisely because of this that he finally found the mastermind and culprit behind the prison break he was looking for.

Unable to contain his anger, a powerful aura erupted from Essel as he clenched his fists so tightly that his bones cracked.

Teach smiled at Essel without saying a word, seemingly waiting for Essel to make the first move.

Finally, Essel could no longer suppress his anger. At this moment, he seemed to forget his previous thoughts and the vicious criminals who had risen to even higher ranks.

He had guarded Impel Down for many years, and yet such a huge change had occurred. This was his life's belief, his life's glory, and his life's work. At the same time, Teach's threat was no less than that of the criminals who had already reached the higher levels.

"Damn pirate, do you even know what you've done?!" Essel roared angrily, standing at the cave entrance, slightly bending his knees. The next moment, he burst forth like a cannonball, charging directly towards Teach at a speed invisible to the naked eye.

"This is really troublesome." Nelson rubbed his forehead, somewhat helplessly. "Looks like it won't end so easily, that powerful old man."

"Hehe, let the captain have some fun. You'll have very few chances to reach the New World and fight against powerful beings." Rediat chuckled.

As soon as they finished speaking, one of them instantly left the spot, while the other transformed into a shadow and appeared in the distance. They already knew what was going to happen next and had no intention of interfering, which also reflected their confidence in Teach.

Teach did not dodge when faced with Essel charging forward. As a master of physical combat, Essel was very fast and used all his strength.

The moment Nelson and Rediat left, Essel appeared in front of Teach, his teeth clenched. This was a punch of his anger, but also a testament to his respect for Teach and his reluctance to underestimate Teach strength.

This punch, a perfect combination of speed, power, and explosiveness, carried a white, impact-like force on the fist.

This is enough to illustrate the terror of this punch. Like Big Mom, she doesn't know swordsmanship, but she can unleash a strike comparable to Great Swordmaster simply by relying on her own powerful strength.

The saying "One force can overcome all methods" is not just a figure of speech.

In addition to the power of Essel's Connection Fruit, almost all the criminals in Impel Down could help him with his injuries, pain, and physical exertion.

The bizarre ability automatically disperses the damage it receives, meaning it weakens the damage countless times before it falls on Essel.

It is precisely because of this that Essel can use his power without restraint. He is also in excellent condition. Having eaten the Devil Fruit a long time ago, he has not suffered many hidden injuries over the years. Therefore, even though Essel is over sixty years old, his combat power remains at its peak. His slightly declining physical strength is not a concern at all due to his ability.

Teach could already sense the terrifying power in that punch, so he dared not underestimate it.

A black sphere appeared on his body, in front of Teach, and in the blink of an eye transformed into a hemispherical shield, blocking Essel's punch as it approached.

Teach used "Dark Jade," his strongest defensive technique, which was also developed to counter those skilled in physical combat.

A punch landed on the hard, Dark Jade. With a loud bang, the shockwave from the collision spread out like ocean waves, engulfing all directions.

The Dark Jade blocked their path, and they remained locked in a stalemate for a full three seconds.

Then, Teach's figure retreated, his legs scraping the ground as he slid backward, flying a full hundred meters away from Essel's punch.

However, Essel's expression was somewhat grim, because Teach had not suffered any damage whatsoever; in fact, even Teach's Dark Jade had not been broken, with only a few cracks appearing on it.

"Hehe, it just makes the sea more lively." Teach looked at Essel and explained with a smile, referring to his previous statement.

However, these words made Essel even angrier, and his body turned slightly red, as if he were burning with flames.

Teach's words were undoubtedly a desecration of the justice that Essel held in his heart. Essel was also a member of the Navy. He was a Navyman when he was young, and later came to Impel Down, where he dedicated his life to Impel Down.

However, he always upheld justice, and guarding Impel Down was part of his sense of justice.

Teach's actions will make the seas even more chaotic, greatly increase the pressure on the navy, cause immense suffering to civilians, and result in enormous losses.

The explanation given to him was that it would make the sea more "lively." This reason made him realize the extreme threat that Teach's ideology posed to the world, a threat that could cause global turmoil.

Teach has this power, and that's why Essel is even more determined not to let Teach leave Impel Down; he's determined to keep Teach here at all costs.

However, the two have different understandings of the world. Teach is not only thinking about himself; in his eyes, the world has always been in a state of chaos, in a state of change and breakthrough.

This is a pain, a cancer on the world, a process that must be experienced and is already underway; it is only intensifying, or even accelerating, this process.

Just as the existence of the World Government is meaningful, everyone in this world knows that overthrowing the World Government would bring enormous losses, death, and even injury; many people are aware of this.

However, the existence of the Celestial Dragons is unreasonable, and the corruption of the World Government is also a fact.

The existence of both the Revolutionary Army and the navy is driven by their own ideals and their efforts for the sake of the world.

However, it is clear that there are two factions: one is the reformists, who yearn for a new world and want to re-establish a new order.

The other group consists of conservatives or those who value stability. Compared to an uncertain future, they prefer to achieve their ideals through their own efforts.

Furthermore, it is a fact that the World Government is the ruler of the world, holding the reins and the hearts of the people. The World Government would not allow the Celestial Dragons to run around the world causing trouble for no reason; if that were the case, the World Government would have collapsed long ago. They also know that the Celestial Dragons' actions are wrong.

This is simply a difference in perspective. Teach understands Essel's insistence, but it's a difference in stance, and Teach doesn't need Essel to understand.

There's no point in talking about a pirate, the warden of Impel Down, or even a Marine. Let's let strength speak for itself.

"You damned pirate, let me break your shell!" Essel's voice rang out as he stared intently at Teach. The half-circle of Dark Jade was incomplete, and under Teach's control, it did not completely block Teach's figure.

Essel knew about Teach's intelligence, and he knew that Teach's move, which he called the strongest defense, was something that even the two Admiral candidates could not break through, and could not even leave a scratch on it.

But he didn't believe it, nor did he believe in such superstition. His combat strength was not on the same level as those two Marine Vice Admiral. Enraged, he had made Teach his primary target. As the main criminal, he could not let him go.

This threatening figure has not yet grown up, and this is also an opportunity for him to seize Teach's chance, since only three people have entered Impel Down.

"If you can break it, then give it a try," Teach laughed, seemingly unconcerned about Essel's words and not taking Essel seriously at all. He could easily guess Essel's thoughts. "I hope you can do it."

Just like he said, if you've got the guts, then come on, he's not afraid at all.

With his current strength, the only person in the entire Navy who could capture him, or even force him to escape, is the Navy Garp the Hero.

"Arrogant brat, don't underestimate the power of justice," Essel said in a deep voice, as a massive amount of power accumulated within him erupted in an instant.

The hard ground beneath their feet cracked; this punch was even more terrifying, its power far surpassing the previous one.

Essel vanished from his spot, but Teach sensed him rapidly approaching in less than a second.

Teach scoffed dismissively. Justice? He was tired of hearing about it; it was too abstract, or rather, too vague.

It's all about beliefs and dreams, can't we make them more tangible? Specific dreams: Big Mom's Whole Cake Island; Kaido's animal army, war; Whitebeard's paternal love, family affection.

However, the concept of justice is so deeply ingrained in people's minds that it also represents the Navy.

Teach has decided that from now on, he won't waste any more words with this guy and will have a proper fight.

A hemispherical shape formed from the Dark Jade blocked his way. Essel threw a Jab, a punch with extremely penetrating power, seemingly designed specifically to break through Teach's "Dark Jade" defense.

A substantial, Haki enveloped Essel's fist, transforming into a drill-like object.

Teach was somewhat surprised, as this was the first time he had seen someone use Haki in this way. However, he also imagined that in the future, someone might use Haki to change the form of their weapon.

He didn't train in that direction; it was truly a waste of his time.