Silence—nothing but silence. Whether it was Magellan emerging from the washroom or the guards standing watch in the office, everyone was enveloped in an eerie quiet.
"Phew..."
Magellan let out a long sigh before speaking. "Go ahead and laugh if you want."
His earlier appearance had been witnessed by these subordinates, effectively making it a social death.
But Magellan couldn't say much—after all, it was his own fault.
At this point, he had practically given up trying to salvage his dignity.
Hearing his words, the guards visibly relaxed.
At the very least, their warden hadn't been crushed by the humiliation.
Then, with fervent expressions, they declared:
"Warden, how could we ever laugh at you?!"
"That's right! You fought so hard despite the difficulties—why would we mock you?"
"It's all that damned Blood-Eyed Ninja's fault! We have to kill him!"
"Kill him!"
The guards seethed with rage, itching to hunt down that cursed Blood-Eyed Ninja right then and there.
Seeing their reaction, a flicker of emotion stirred in Magellan's eyes.
"Warden, give us the order!"
"Yes! Even if it costs our lives, we'll make sure those bastards never leave Impel Down!" one guard shouted passionately.
That bastard had dared to humiliate their respected warden—he had to die!
"Capturing him won't be easy now," Magellan said after calming down, pausing briefly before continuing. "He possesses the Earth Release Technique, allowing him to burrow underground and move freely."
"Without strong Observation Haki, tracking his location is impossible."
Though he didn't understand how the ninja's Earth Release worked in solid rock, the fact that he could tunnel underground meant catching him would be extremely difficult.
"Then what do we do?" a guard asked. "Are we just going to let them go?"
According to surveillance footage from the spiral staircase, the intruder had already reached the fifth level.
If left unchecked, who knew what might happen?
"Of course we won't!" Magellan snapped. "But right now, there's something more important to handle."
Confusion flashed across the guards' faces—they didn't understand their warden's meaning.
Magellan didn't explain further, simply instructing them to assist their comrades in treating the wounded and summoning Hannyabal.
Once the guards had all left, Magellan frowned. "Who knows if any of them have been hypnotized by that Blood-Eyed Ninja?"
During their battle, the intruder had split off a clone—one that could have easily hypnotized a guard along the way.
This was precisely why he hadn't revealed his plan—to avoid exposing his true intentions!
Returning to his desk, Magellan muttered grimly, "Earth Release and Hypnosis Technique... truly troublesome abilities."
"With this, he could reach the sixth level at any moment!"
Magellan had no idea the limits of the ninja's hypnosis. If he could control Sadie or Saldeath...
He might learn that Fire Fist Ace was imprisoned on the sixth floor!
Although Saldeath had mentioned never facing the Blood-Eyed Ninja directly, Sadie had encountered that man before!
"He might have hypnotized Sadie before I even reached her," Magellan thought to himself.
If that were the case, there was a chance the enemy already knew Fire Fist Ace's location!
Coupled with the Blood-Eyed Ninja's Earth Release Technique...
At this realization, Magellan became even more resolute in his decision.
He then pulled open his desk drawer, retrieved a special Den Den Mushi, and dialed Fleet Admiral Sengoku's number.
"Buro buro buro~"
"Buro buro buro~"
"Buro buro buro~"
"Click~"
"This is Sengoku!"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, this is Magellan," he said.
"Magellan?"
Sengoku was visibly taken aback before frowning. "For you to contact me suddenly... it must mean something has happened at Impel Down."
Could it be that the Blood-Eyed Ninja had already rescued Fire Fist Ace and escaped?
The thought made Sengoku's heart sink.
"You could say that."
"You could...?" Sengoku questioned, puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"You must still remember the intel on the Blood-Eyed Ninja, right?"
"Of course."
As he spoke, Sengoku mentally reviewed the information about the Blood-Eyed Ninja before asking, "Don't tell me even your poison can't break his Undying Body?"
"That's correct." Magellan took a deep breath. "I fought him for hours, killing him multiple times, but each time he reappeared elsewhere."
Sengoku fell silent. He hadn't expected the man to be so formidable that even a natural predator like Magellan couldn't overcome his Undying Body.
Damn it, could that guy truly be immortal?
The moment this thought surfaced, Sengoku dismissed it.
In his view, a truly undying body couldn't possibly exist in this world.
Magellan's inability to kill him was likely just because the ninja still had stamina to keep using his ability.
If the battle dragged on for days, perhaps he could be worn down to death!
But considering Magellan's physical condition, Sengoku hesitated.
"That guy spends ten hours a day with diarrhea—there's no way he can last that long."
With this in mind, Sengoku said, "In that case, I'll dispatch an Admiral to reinforce you."
Though the risk was great, Impel Down couldn't afford to fall.
"No!" Magellan shook his head. "The Whitebeard Pirates could launch a surprise attack on Marine Headquarters at any moment. Losing even one Admiral would be too significant a variable."
Magellan understood clearly—to kill the Blood-Eyed Ninja, they had to grind him down over time!
Only by exhausting all his stamina could they finally break his Undying Body.
But that would require an extended battle.
What if the Whitebeard Pirates attacked Marine Headquarters while an Admiral was tied up here?
"Are you certain?"
"I am." Magellan nodded firmly. "I'll find a way to hold him off."
"But you..."
Sengoku hesitated, wanting to say that fighting through severe stomach pain could lead to...
But such words would be too harsh, so he held his tongue.
Perhaps sensing what Sengoku wanted to say, Magellan closed his eyes and spoke with visible pain, "That condition has already manifested."
Sengoku: "..."
Even without Magellan spelling it out, Sengoku immediately understood his meaning.
After all... as Magellan had mentioned earlier, the two had been fighting for several hours. Those hours could have pushed Magellan's physical condition to its limit, leading to...
At this thought, Sengoku sighed and said, "You've endured much."
"It's fine. I've accepted reality," Magellan shook his head before solemnly adding, "I will stake everything to stop them, Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
"But there's one matter that requires your approval."
After a brief silence, Sengoku asked, "What is it?"
"I need you to take Fire Fist Ace back to Marine Headquarters immediately!" Magellan stated firmly.
"Now?" Sengoku frowned. "Why?"
"Because the Blood-Eyed Ninja's Earth Release Technique can be used on the rocky floors of Impel Down!" Magellan explained. "Even though Impel Down's flooring is made of layered materials, he can still burrow underground!"
Sengoku: "!!!"
Hearing this, Sengoku's pupils constricted sharply. "His Earth Release Technique has reached that level?!"
During the incident at Sabaody Archipelago, the ninja had demonstrated his Earth Release ability before Borsalino and Sakazuki. They had assumed it only worked on soil—but even rock was no obstacle?
This was beyond absurd!
No wonder they infiltrated Impel Down without detection, Sengoku thought grimly.
The Water Release Technique allowed movement across the sea, enabling silent approach to Impel Down. Meanwhile, Earth Release permitted undetected infiltration into the prison itself.
Damn it—their abilities were terrifyingly comprehensive.
"Exactly," Magellan confirmed. "His Earth Release defies all logic."
"Combined with his Hypnosis Technique... I suspect he may already know Fire Fist Ace's location."
"He could be searching for him as we speak!!"
This was precisely why Magellan insisted on evacuating Ace ahead of schedule.
"In that case, relocation is indeed necessary," Sengoku said with a darkened expression.
If the Blood-Eyed Ninja rescued Fire Fist Ace prematurely, the public execution would collapse—and the Marines would suffer an irreparable loss of face.
This was unacceptable to Sengoku.
"Then dispatch someone to retrieve him," Magellan said, rising to his feet. "I'll prepare him for transfer immediately."
"Agreed. I'll send Borsalino to Impel Down," Sengoku decided. "He'll reach you at maximum speed."
"An Admiral?"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I told you—"
"Understood!" Sengoku interrupted. "But transporting Fire Fist Ace is no trivial matter. His involvement ensures both security and speed."
After a pause, Sengoku added gravely, "Though this will place tremendous pressure on you."
Once the enemy realized Ace had been taken, retaliatory actions would become inevitable.
For example, releasing more prisoners, or... using the Water Release Technique to flood Impel Down with seawater!
At this thought, a shadow of gloom flickered in Sengoku's eyes.
"I know, I'm fully aware of what this will lead to," Magellan said. "But this must be done!"
Magellan understood clearly—from the moment he poisoned the Straw Hat Boy, there was no room for reconciliation between them. So there was nothing left to hesitate about.
The moment that guy reappeared, he would stake everything to keep him trapped in Impel Down!
"Alright, I understand. I'll send Borsalino immediately."
"Yes!"
Click—
Looking at the disconnected Den Den Mushi, Sengoku rubbed his temples with a headache.
"That damned Blood-Eyed Ninja."
Under normal circumstances, he would have simply sent an Admiral to eliminate him. But now, they had to guard against Whitebeard.
Thinking of this, Sengoku let out a deep sigh.
Then, he turned to the communications officer and said, "Go, summon Borsalino for me."
"Yes!"
Soon, Borsalino arrived after receiving the message, though his face still wore that same indifferent expression.
"Ohhh~"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, what brings you to call for me?" Borsalino asked.
"You're needed at Impel Down."
"Hmm?"
Borsalino paused, then asked curiously, "What happened there?"
He pondered for a moment—it couldn't be the Whitebeard Pirates raiding Impel Down, or else they wouldn't have dispatched just one Admiral.
But if it wasn't the Whitebeard Pirates, why would they need to send a Marine Admiral?
"The Blood-Eyed Ninja, Meiser, and the Straw Hat Boy have invaded Impel Down."
"Such a thing actually happened?"
Borsalino remarked, "These rookies nowadays are really... scary~"
He truly hadn't expected those who disappeared from Sabaody Archipelago to show up at Impel Down.
"Was it Kuma's doing?" Borsalino thought to himself. "Not impossible, I suppose."
But... for pirates to dare invade Impel Down—their guts were certainly something.
"That ninja kid's Earth Release Technique can be used on the rocky floors of Impel Down, which means there's a chance he could rescue Fire Fist Ace," Sengoku explained. "So I need you to go there and bring Fire Fist Ace back to Marine Headquarters."
"I see."
Borsalino nodded, then asked with some confusion, "No need for me to eliminate him?"
Although Sakazuki's report mentioned the guy had an ability resembling an Undying Body, as long as they killed him enough times, they could exhaust his stamina, right?
After all... abilities rely on stamina to activate!
Once his stamina was drained, they could kill or capture him!
"No, there's no time for that."
"What do you mean?"
"You know Magellan's abilities. He fought the Blood-Eyed Ninja for hours and still couldn't break his Undying Body," Sengoku said. "That means killing or capturing him would require even more time to wear down his stamina!"
"I see."
Borsalino frowned and said, "That really is a troublesome matter."
He was well aware of Magellan's capabilities.
Although Magellan wasn't as strong as him, within Impel Down, his effectiveness wasn't any less formidable.
After all... the man was practically made of toxins lethal to living beings!
Once Magellan fought at full strength, the battlefield would be saturated with deadly poison!
In such an environment, anyone could lose their lives at any moment!
'And yet that kid managed to survive for several hours under those conditions,' Borsalino thought to himself.
If that was the case, even he would find it difficult to kill that guy.
With that in mind, Borsalino abandoned any thought of fighting there.
After all... he truly couldn't afford to be away for too long.
"The Whitebeard Pirates could launch a surprise attack on Marine Headquarters at any moment. You don't have much time," Sengoku said, taking a deep breath. "So set off quickly and finish this swiftly."
"Understood. I'll depart immediately to bring back Fire Fist Ace."
Without hesitation, Borsalino left after saying this.
Watching Borsalino depart, Sengoku murmured, "I hope Magellan can retrieve him before that kid does."
Otherwise, the Marines would truly lose face.
At this thought, Sengoku sighed quietly.
-Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LegendaryTL
Thanks!