[Impel down·LEVEL 6·Eternal Hell·Between the broken tiles]
The moment Rogge conquered Shiryu with the combined power of the Air Fruit and Conqueror's Haki, the air in all of Hell seemed to freeze.
The broken cage twisted and collapsed, the iron pillars were charred and broken, and the Haki impact left over from the battle lingered for a long time like the roar of a ferocious beast.
At the end of the dark dungeon, dozens of sitting figures slowly opened their eyes amidst the shock.
"...It's Rogge..." A giant man said in a low voice, his fingers gripping the cold iron bars, his knuckles turning white. "Xuanlin Rogge, the Marine's strongest Vice Admiral."
"He single-handedly killed the third-in-command and crippled the Red-Haired right in front of the Red-Haired Group..." another voice cracked. "That madman actually came to Impel Down."
"Even Shiryu was beaten down, so if we go out...are we seeking death?"
A death row inmate who had tortured soldiers from many countries laughed bitterly.
"...The rules of the sea have changed."
The heavy atmosphere seeped into the bones of all the prisoners like fog.
They had once wanted to escape for revenge and dominance, but for the first time they felt:
——Impel down to the sixth floor, perhaps it is the safest place.
New World Channel G-5 Flagship "Judgment"
Night is approaching and the sea breeze is fierce.
Ian was practicing swordsmanship on the deck, but the long sword in her hand moved hesitantly. Although her swing was accurate, there was no killing intent in it.
Every time he retreated, he showed a hesitation of "just enough".
"Clean movements."
On the other side of the deck, Shiryu leaned against the mast and spoke in a cold tone, "But it's too gentle, not like a murderous sword."
Aien stopped and looked at him warily: "You want to teach me?"
"Not that I think."
Shiryu slowly approached, holding the Thunderstorm in a reverse grip. "It was your lunatic commander who asked me to teach you. He said it was the 'first lesson,' teaching you how to strike the Pirates without mercy."
Ai En frowned slightly: "Don't take advantage of this opportunity to do anything wrong."
Shiryu chuckled, a hint of ferocity in his tone: "There's no point in messing around now. I'm still observing whether you're worthy of my serious attack."
"...Then let's compare."
Ain's eyes narrowed, the blade was raised, and Haki fluttered like the wind.
The next second, the knife flashed through the air, and sparks flew everywhere!
This class is not about aesthetics, it only teaches murderous intent.
[Marineford Strategic Conference Hall]
Sengoku took off his reading glasses, frowned for a long time, and finally uttered only one sentence:
"...and he actually took Shiryu away?"
The atmosphere at the table suddenly froze.
Vice Admiral He sighed softly and frowned, "Rogge, that brat... he really dares to touch anything."
"Hmm..." Kizaru put on his sunglasses, his tone still slow.
"Do you think he really has no ideas?"
"This kind of knife is indeed sharp... and it does cut hands."
Aokiji stood against the wall, arms folded, expression unusually serious: "...Can he really suppress Shiryu?"
Sengoku remained silent, but elsewhere in the conference room, a man who had remained silent until then finally spoke:
"If it's Rogge," Akainu Sakazuki whispered, his tone as firm as a burning rock, "then it can be suppressed."
His voice was not loud, but it was powerful.
"In this world, no one is more suitable than him to turn 'danger' into the flame of 'justice'."
[The next day, New World, Reef Zone 87 in the Triangle of Terror]
Dark clouds were looming, thick fog was everywhere, the damp wind blew the bird carcasses on the broken reefs, and the lifeless sea seemed to have swallowed up time.
A Madara barge with a faded purple sail was drifting slowly in the fog.
The fox logo on the bow was still funny, and obscene laughter came from the deck.
"Hehehe... God is really helping me. This sea is just the right shade of gloom. No one's disturbing us while we're doing our little 'program recording'..."
Silver Fox Foxy put his hands on his hips, sucking guava juice and laughing wildly.
But just as he finished speaking, a roar like a hammer hitting a bell suddenly came from the sky:
"boom--!!!"
The G-5 battleship, as black as the night, was like a dragon emerging from the fog in the sea. The white pattern "Blade of Rectification" and the number "G-5" on the bow stood majestically, and a murderous aura filled the deck!
"Oh my god!!!"
Foxy instinctively splashed the juice into his mouth and fell to his knees. "Turn around! Turn around! Those lunatics from G-5 are coming—I, I'm not a Pirate! I'm a comedian!!"
But the next moment——
A figure leaped into the air from the bow of the ship, his cloak like wings and his murderous aura like a raging tide:
Silence.
He stroked the knife with one hand and held the wine jug with the other, his red eyes revealing a long-unsatisfied desire and hunger.
I lightly touched the sea surface with my toes, but there was no ripple or trace.
"Hmm... It's been a while since I felt the sensation of chopping someone down."
He whispered, and suddenly paused in mid-air.
"...Um?"
Shiryu's eyes moved slightly, and he felt his body become slightly stiff, and the rhythm of his sword movement slowed down by a half second.
"Is this...sluggish? Is the body's reaction disturbed?"
He caught a glimpse of the funny finger gestures in Foxy's hands and immediately understood.
"So it's your fruit ability... that can actually affect my level of physical reaction?"
A flash of knife!
Five minutes later, the sea surged in the thick fog, half of the slow-moving ship broke into charcoal, and corpses floated in the wreckage.
After clearing out the stragglers from the other side, Ian and the second squad of G-5 rushed to the main battlefield, only to see:
——Corpses were chopped to pieces on the ground, and the deck still had traces of the sword's shock. The silver fox Foxy was huddled under the wooden board like a charred dead mole, twitching slightly.
Ai En was silent for a moment, and whispered:
"...He didn't even kill the 'rat'."
Rogge walked over from the deck, his cloak fluttering in the wind, but with a strange smile on his face.
"Ready."
There was a hint of teasing in his tone, "Did you make a mistake? That's not like you."
Shiryu was pouring wine into the wine flask and shrugged. "This kid's fruit... is a little interesting. My body was actually slowed down by 0.5 seconds."
He shook his head. "This is the first time someone has made me feel dull, so it's worth something."
Hearing this, Rogge's eyes fell on Foxy, who was already unconscious.
His eyes lit up, and he curled the corners of his lips as if he had discovered something precious:
"The Slow-Slow Fruit...it's a rare find."
"Controlling time perception, reflexes, and delays in movement command signals—the tactical applications are extremely valuable."
After saying that, he took out the Den Den Mushi.
Chirp—click.
"CP0, G-5 Branch Chief Rogge."
"I have a Pirates who uses the Slow Fruit."
"Come and take him away and send him to Future Island for incarceration."
"Leave it to Vegapunk personally."
He paused, his tone suddenly becoming more amused, "Tell him that this fruit deserves a 'battle' design template."
"Yes, yes! Send someone immediately! Immediately dispatch a dedicated air transport unit—"
The person on the other end of the Den Den Mushi was talking very fast.
After hanging up, Rogge looked at Foxy, who had fainted and drooled, and kicked him back into the wooden box.
"You are lucky."
He smiled and said, "If I had been a few seconds later... I wouldn't even have been able to collect the body."
As Ai En arranged for his men to pack up the target, he whispered to Shiryu, "...You really didn't kill him?"
"Um."
Shiryu licked the scabbard, "This fruit ability is worth keeping."
"Didn't you say I can only kill the damned? Then I'll give you some 'experimental materials'."
Rogge nodded: "Not bad, you know the limits."
"The more I look at your knife, the better it looks to me."