Not long after, a tall figure in a black cloak arrived at the scene.
"Shi… Shiryu."
Hannyabal's body was covered in severe burns.
He glanced weakly at Shiryu of the Rain, then pointed toward the corridor.
"H–He… he ran that way."
But Hannyabal's information didn't earn him mercy.
"Swish!"
A flash of steel carved through the air, and a deep bloody gash split open across Hannyabal's stomach.
"Wah—!"
Blood sprayed from his mouth.
With terror and confusion mixed in his eyes, he stared at Shiryu of the Rain.
"Trash."
Hannyabal struggled to hold himself upright.
"I… I'm not—"
Before he could finish, his massive body collapsed to the floor.
In the corridor, the voices of prisoners rose and fell chaotically.
Every one of them was curious about the man running freely through the Eternal Hell—Yujin.
How did this guy escape?
And without seastone shackles on him—completely unbelievable!
"Don't run! Can you let me out? I can give you anything in this world!"
Ahead of him, a sharp-faced woman squeezed her head out through the narrow bars, speaking in panic.
The moment Yujin saw her face, his escape plan suddenly felt much more complete.
She was Catarina Devon—Mythical Zoan, Dog-Dog Fruit, Nine-Tailed Fox form user.
She could transform into anyone in the world, the superior version of the Clone-Clone Fruit, flawless and impossible to detect.
Although her ability would be pretty useless in the Naruto world, in One Piece, it was insanely powerful.
Yujin gave his usual answer.
"A few days later."
Catarina Devon grew anxious.
"Let me out now!"
"I don't f***ing have a key, how do you expect me to let you out!?"
By the time he finished shouting, Yujin had already vanished from her sight.
Catarina was about to curse at him when she suddenly shrank her neck back in terror.
A blade cleaved through the cell door—almost slicing off her long nose!
"Damn it! Shiryu of the Rain! Why are you attacking me instead of chasing the fugitive!?"
Shiryu didn't bother explaining.
In his mind, anything alive near him deserved to be cut in half by his blade, Raiu—no exceptions.
Just as he stepped forward to continue the chase, Catarina shot a hand through the bars and grabbed his ankle.
"You want to die!?"
Cold light flashed in Shiryu's eyes as he stabbed straight through the cell toward Catarina Devon.
Far ahead, Yujin had no idea what was happening behind him, but he remained in a hurry.
He swung nails wildly at every surveillance Den Den Mushi he saw, trying to turn the entire corridor into an unexplored "fog of war."
He absolutely couldn't go back the same way he came.
If he did, the location of Level 5.5 would be exposed.
Since the last time Shiryu witnessed him leaving, and with today's incident where Inazuma was captured by Magellan, it was clear that the Impel Down had obtained some intelligence.
Yujin could not reveal the secrets of the 5.5th floor, or the prison guards would wipe out the entire Newkama Land.
But this also gave Shiryu an opportunity!
Just as Yujin finally destroyed the last surveillance bug under his Observation Haki and was about to turn back and return to the dark passage, Shiryu's figure struck!
He was still wearing that heavy black military coat, still that annoying man with a cigar clenched between his teeth.
"Shiryu has arrived!"
"This time, I won't let you escape."
Shiryu spoke calmly, but inside, he was anything but calm.
Yujin, who had escaped from his hands multiple times, frustrated him like a wild cat he had struggled to catch as a child.
Yujin stood in front of the secret passage, teeth grinding against one another.
It was that damn trench again!
If not for Shiryu, Yujin's recent escape attempts would have been at least five times easier.
Yet, there was nothing he could do.
Shiryu alone, relying solely on his swordsmanship, could go toe-to-toe with Magellan.
And that victory was only because the poison Magellan had the advantage of a narrow battlefield.
Outside, the outcome would have been uncertain.
This was a swordmaster capable of piercing even someone like Garp through and through!
Yujin immediately thought up a dozen battle plans, but he couldn't figure out which one would allow him to slip into the secret passage right under Shiryu's eyes.
Seeing Yujin frozen in place, Shiryu raised his blade and struck, giving him no time to react.
Swish!
The sword slash shot past, and Yujin's figure vanished!
Shiryu whipped around, slashing again, the blade grazing the top of Yujin's head.
Yujin, skilled and fearless, used his Clone Technique to distract Shiryu and slipped behind him.
He planned to lose the powerful enemy first and then head for the secret passage.
But escaping Shiryu was almost as difficult as defeating him directly.
Yujin ran frantically, each of Shiryu's strikes missing him by mere millimeters.
Without the Sharingan's assistance, relying solely on Observation Haki, he would have been split in two long ago.
Realizing he could not shake Shiryu, Yujin suddenly turned and spat a massive fireball!
Shiryu, however, was ready for this.
His blade glowed with a visible reddish-purple energy as he sliced through the fireball.
Yujin's eyes widened in surprise as the fireball split in half.
Shiryu surged through the gap, closing in!
This was a mid-level application of Armament Haki.
Imbuement!
Yujin didn't dare underestimate his opponent. He unleashed the Hidden Shadows Snake Hand to interfere with Shiryu!
The moment Shiryu's sword sliced through the serpent's head, Yujin's own Sharingan triggered its hypnotic power!
"Heh."
Through the illusion surrounding Shiryu, Yujin saw a faint smile curl at the corner of his mouth!
Not good!
The Sharingan spun at lightning speed, revealing the attack that was coming!
Yujin didn't have time to form a hand seal. He hastily deployed the fastest Iron Body, tilting his body slightly to the side.
"Pft!"
A sharp pain shot through his shoulder—Shiryu's thrown blade had pierced him, following the momentum of his swing!
Out of the corner of his eye, Yujin noticed the mask of Earth Grudge Fear on his shoulder, nearly shattered. He spun around in anger and snatched up the famed blade, Raiu!
Cleverness can backfire. Shiryu had been so intent on harming the person in front of him that he hadn't expected Yujin to seize the blade with such instinctive timing!
Yujin clutched the sword under his arm and ran, releasing a Water Dragon Bullet as he moved!
But this wasn't meant to attack Shiryu.
It was to wash away the bloodstains.
By the time Shiryu broke free from the Water Dragon Bullet's attack and awakened from the illusion…
In the corridor, aside from scattered drops of blood, Yujin's figure was nowhere to be seen.
Of course, Shiryu had lost more than just the chance to capture his target…
He had also lost his blade.
****
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