Kuzan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Suddenly realizing something, he fixed his eyes on Roy, his voice trembling. "No wonder I was wondering why Bullet and the others hadn't appeared..."
"They'd circled around behind us without us even noticing."
"I knew someone like you would never willingly serve as a pawn charging at the front. So this was your plan!"
Garp picked up where he left off, his voice low.
"I never imagined that the so-called Seventh Level, or rather, the Rift, would have a passage leading straight to Level 1."
"You stayed out of sight earlier so you could sneak back to Level 1, release the criminals on the first and second levels, and surround us instead..."
"What a vicious scheme!"
At this point, Roy no longer needed to say anything. Kuzan and Garp understood everything.
They had originally thought Roy was merely a pawn charging ahead, never imagining that he was the true mastermind.
He had sent Bullet and the others silently back to Level 1 through the Rift to release large numbers of criminals, then fight their way back to the second level and catch them off guard.
Both their top fighters and their ordinary soldiers had been surrounded and badly hit.
Clap, clap, clap!
Roy clapped his hands lightly, offering sincere praise.
"As expected of the Navy Hero and a Marine Admiral. You only needed a hint to understand. I'm truly impressed!"
But to Garp and Kuzan, those words were unbearably grating.
Roy was clearly finding another way to mock them.
They had already been outmaneuvered and surrounded, and he was impressed?
Roy changed tack, his gaze turning utterly cold.
"Gehehe, enough. There's no need for more pointless talk. I hear that since a certain pirate, no one has managed to kill a Marine Admiral."
"Today, why don't we see whether we can kill a Marine Admiral and a Navy Hero? If we succeed, it'll be a glorious achievement in our careers, a special medal!"
"Well then, you two, choose your opponents."
Kuzan and Garp looked grim.
Was Roy auctioning them off like merchandise?
He was far too arrogant, far too conceited!
Before they could respond, Bullet and Red sneered one after the other.
"Gehehe, trash like Magellan isn't interesting anymore. Why not leave him to old man Red? I'll take that old bastard Garp!"
As his words fell, Bullet roared. Ink-black Armament Haki wrapped around his fists as he charged at Garp, his eyes red.
Garp was furious too. "Bullet, you brat! Back then, you were just a brat I chased down! After being locked up for over a decade, you dare act so arrogant now?"
He met him with fists likewise flowing with pitch-black Armament Haki, and the two collided in an instant.
Bang! Bang!
Both were masters of hand-to-hand combat. Now every punch struck flesh as they fought with everything they had.
Before long, fist marks appeared on both their bodies. The surging waves of energy around them forced the nearby pirates and Marines fighting one another to retreat again and again.
Seeing the two begin fighting, Roy shifted his gaze to Red, then to Kuzan, the murderous intent in his eyes intensifying.
"What about you, Red? Is it really as Bullet said? Have you old-timers grown too old to move?"
"If you ask me, I'll leave trash like Magellan to you."
"As it happens, I have a personal score to settle with Kuzan. I'd like to handle it myself."
Magellan looked grim but said nothing more.
His old injuries had yet to heal, and now Roy's surprise attack had broken one of his arms. He truly had no strength left to fight.
Kuzan, who was in good condition, laughed in anger when he saw himself being singled out.
"Heh, Roy, you're truly arrogant."
"Who was it running away like a beaten dog just a few days ago? Do you really think there's nothing I can do to you?"
"Ice Ball!"
With those words, his Ice-Ice Fruit ability activated instantly, sending five pillars of ice straight at Roy.
Anyone would have been seething, let alone an Admiral like him.
Today, he intended to kill Roy here with his own hands.
But...
Just as the attack was about to strike Roy, a sword-wielding figure suddenly unleashed three flying slashes, blocking every pillar of ice.
Kuzan's expression tightened. "Red?"
Red's face darkened.
"Hey, you brats, Bullet, Roy. You keep going on about us old-timers. You really look down on people from the old era, don't you?"
Roy laughed wildly. "Hahaha! We never said the old era's powerhouses were no good. You said that yourself. It's got nothing to do with us!"
Red rolled his eyes and sneered, then charged at Kuzan.
"Damn it, you lot have no respect for your elders! If an old-timer like me doesn't show you a thing or two today, you'll really think I'm useless!"
That said, Red was no longer at his peak, nor had he obtained that Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit.
But with his swordsmanship, Haki, and Observation Haki that could anticipate people's thoughts, he remained a true top-tier powerhouse.
Kuzan had no choice but to fight.
As soon as they clashed, he used his Ice-Ice Fruit powers several times, only for his opponent to block them outright with terrifying Haki.
Even more troublesome was Red's ability to read minds with his Observation Haki. He saw through the intent behind every one of Kuzan's attacks in advance.
Bang! Bang!
With another tremendous crash, a sword strike sent Kuzan flying.
True to his standing as a powerhouse of the old era, Red showed no carelessness. He seized the opening and charged again, instantly locking Kuzan in another fierce exchange.
For the first time, this Marine Admiral had encountered such a formidable opponent and fallen completely on the defensive.
Seeing this, Roy paid them no further attention.
The old era's powerhouses really were becoming more and more impressive. The updates were coming too fast. They really couldn't get by without buffs anymore.
Then he turned to Magellan, whose expression had changed drastically, and smiled.
"Magellan, I told you. You're just an ordinary man born in an era without me."
"So, how would you like to die now?"
Magellan took a deep breath and roared.
"Roy, I know you're stronger than me. But as Impel Down's Chief Warden, even if I die today, I'll make you pay dearly!"
With that, he drove his Venom-Venom Fruit powers to their limit. There was no more testing the waters; he went straight for his ultimate move.
Red poison clouds surged around him. The ground beneath his feet turned into flowing venom, which rapidly spread over his entire body, finally forming a gigantic red venom giant.
Compared to last time, however, the venom giant's aura was no longer as powerful, and it was missing an arm.
"Roy..."
Roaring, he slammed his sole remaining enormous palm down.
"Magellan, you still never learn."
Faced with the enormous palm crashing down on him, Roy shook his head with a chuckle.
"But this works out perfectly. I can test the Haki Fusion I've developed over the past few days."
As he spoke, Roy's aura abruptly changed. He activated the Haki and Cursed Energy within him simultaneously, then raised that all-too-familiar finger.
"Haki Slash: Dismantle!"
Whoosh!
A slash swirling with black-and-blue petal-like patterns swept silently past.
Its terrifying fluctuations instantly drew everyone's attention.
Even powerhouses like Bullet and Garp could not help glancing over, their expressions shocked.
He had truly fused Haki and his slash into one.
Kuzan, in particular, felt it most keenly.
He remembered that even without Haki, Roy's slashes could kill many powerful fighters. He himself could only withstand them through Elementalization.
Now, in just a few short days, Roy had not only raised his Haki to an advanced level but also fused it completely with those bizarre slashes.
Such talent was terrifying.
"Magellan, dodge!"
Kuzan cried out in despair, trying to get Magellan to evade that slash capable of cutting through anything.
He even wanted to rush over to help, but Red kept him firmly pinned down. All he could do was watch that black-and-blue slash hurtle toward Magellan.
"Don't even think of leaving..."
At that moment, Magellan truly could no longer hold on.
He felt only his consciousness fading, as though a white light were rushing toward him.
In his daze, he even saw his loved ones beckoning to him.
[Guys, the Impel Down arc has dragged on a bit, but I can only grit my teeth and keep writing.]
[The review period is here. Please, guys, leave a rating and tap the update reminder.]
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