"And if he can truly make a great contribution in this battle," Magellan said in a deep voice, "then I will submit a report to the World Government recommending a special pardon for him!"
"Warden, is that guy really that terrifying?"
"I'm not entirely sure… but I will do everything in my power to stop him!"
Hearing Magellan speak so gravely, Domino understood that the situation in Impel Down was dire. She gave a solemn nod, then immediately turned and left the office, rushing toward Level Six of the underground prison.
Meanwhile, on Renji Kai's side—
As cheers erupted around him, Renji and the group of prisoners he had freed from Level Two descended into the Level Three prison—Hunger Hell.
This level held criminals with bounties exceeding fifty million Beli. The intense heat that rose from the Inferno Level below made Hunger Hell unbearably hot. Combined with severe starvation and dehydration, the prisoners here were all in a near-death state.
They had already heard the chaos erupting from the upper levels.
As soon as Renji's group burst into the level, the entire prison fell into a frenzy. To these prisoners, Renji Kai was nothing short of a savior descending from above.
Here, Renji encountered the Deputy Warden—Hannibal.
Compared to Magellan, Hannibal's strength was significantly inferior. Renji didn't even see him as a serious threat.
When Hannibal appeared, Renji gave a relaxed smile.
"Well, well, if it isn't our Deputy Warden. What's the matter? Couldn't Magellan make it, so he sent you to die in his place?"
"Hmph! What nonsense. This is a matter of grave importance—of course I came personally!" Hannibal shouted, slamming his trident into the ground.
The force from the weapon cracked the prison floor on impact.
Renji glanced at the prison guards behind Hannibal and smirked.
"They all look pretty scared to die, don't they?"
At this moment, the difference in morale between the two sides was glaring.
Renji's group of prisoners were fighting with nothing to lose. Having already lost all hope, death in this war wasn't something they feared—it was almost welcome.
But the guards were different. None of them wanted to die here.
And after seeing elite forces like Saldice and Little Sadie defeated, how could these ordinary guards stand a chance against Renji's growing army?
Hannibal also understood the unfavorable situation for the guards. He didn't want to drag this out any longer. With a determined yell, he lifted his trident and charged directly at Renji Kai.
Renji simply smiled—and vanished in an instant!
In a blink, he reappeared right beside Hannibal.
Despite being outmatched, Hannibal was still the Deputy Warden. He was far stronger than someone like Little Sadie.
Though Renji had closed the distance instantly, Hannibal managed to react just in time.
With a sharp movement, he swung his trident upward to block!
CLANG!
Renji's fist collided with the trident. Even with his enhanced physical strength and defense, the impact sent a numbing jolt through his arm.
But before Renji could follow up with another attack, a sudden, unwelcome sound echoed in his mind—
"Ding! 'Might Guy' Character Card duration has ended. Reverting host to original state. Please take caution!"
As soon as the system message finished, it was as if Renji's soul had been yanked out of his body. His strength drained, his body went limp.
Hannibal, sensing his chance, didn't hesitate. Seeing Renji motionless, he didn't care whether it was a trick—he launched a brutal kick straight into Renji's stomach.
BOOM!
With no defense, Renji was sent flying, tumbling through the air before crashing into the group of prisoners behind him.
The inmates were shocked, quickly moving to catch him before he hit the ground.
Despite being caught, Renji couldn't help but cough up a mouthful of blood. The kick had stirred a violent storm inside his body.
Hannibal hadn't expected his casual attack to land such a heavy blow. Given Renji's previous overwhelming performance, this sudden turn made a wicked grin crawl across Hannibal's face.
He glanced—intentionally—toward a nearby surveillance Den Den Mushi, clearly signaling to Magellan, who was overseeing operations from Level Four.
Now Hannibal's fighting spirit was fully ignited!
Originally, he had hoped that the chaos of this prison break would force Magellan to take the fall, possibly even resign, allowing Hannibal to claim the Warden's position.
But now everything had changed.
If he could personally defeat Renji Kai and suppress the uprising, he could just as easily use this victory to recommend himself as the next Warden to the World Government.
The thought alone made Hannibal grin darkly.
This single exchange had dramatically shifted the momentum of the entire battlefield.
The guards, whose morale had been in the gutter, suddenly roared in excitement after seeing Renji struck down. Meanwhile, the once-hopeful prisoners stood silent and shaken.
If even Renji Kai couldn't take down Hannibal, what hope did any of them have?
"You worthless punk," Hannibal sneered from where he stood. "That's all you've got? And here I thought you were trying to escape. Once I tie you up, I'll show you what real pain feels like!"
Renji gave a cold laugh in response. Then, with a thought, he activated the Might Guy Character Card once more.
"Ding! Successfully activated 'Might Guy' Character Card. Remaining uses: -1."
With the system's notification, Renji's strength surged back into his body like a flood. The exhaustion vanished, replaced by raw, overwhelming power.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth… and charged at Hannibal with blinding speed!