### **Chapter: The Blade That Pierces Hell**
The sunlight seemed dimmer these days—perhaps from the ever-growing number of **Sky Islands** blotting out the sky?
Nami would call this **pseudoscience**, of course. The real reason was her relentless climate research, which had dramatically altered Alubarna's weather patterns.
In the palace gardens, Ezekiel enjoyed afternoon tea by an artificial lake—Robin's aesthetic touch, now teeming with ornamental fish. His gaze drifted to the clouds. *"Nami's been gone too long..."*
**"Your Majesty,"** Fujitora's voice rumbled, **"was it wise to send him alone to such a dangerous place?"** He referred to the **Dragon-Slaying Swordsman Ryuma**, dispatched to **Impel Down**.
Ezekiel sipped his steaming tea. **"I foresee no issues... After all, *I* brought him back."**
Fujitora stiffened. The implication took a full ten seconds to register. *Of course* Ezekiel wouldn't let Ryuma die—but Impel Down wasn't just any prison. It was the **World Government's most fortified stronghold**, capable of summoning **Admiral reinforcements** at any moment!
Ryuma's skills defied imagination, but what could one man do against an **inescapable labyrinth**? Without backup, the mission seemed suicidal.
**"Fujitora-san,"** Ezekiel tapped his temple, **"turn off your brain."**
The blind swordsman groaned, then chuckled sheepishly. **"This old man's just a bodyguard. What do I know?"**
*"He's grown lazy,"* Ezekiel mused, amused. *"Not the same man he once was."*
Yet this **unquestioning trust** warmed him. Fujitora and Alabasta's people followed not just because of his **AI control**, but from genuine loyalty.
*"You'll understand soon enough, Fujitora-san."*
.....
**Impel Down – Level 4: Blazing Hell**
Guards swarmed the cloaked intruder—only for **invisible sword slashes** to drop them mid-charge. The attacker wielded a **stolen guard's blade** with terrifying precision.
**"No worthy opponents?"** Ryuma's voice cut through the silence.
Then—**footsteps**.
A man in a **blue-black warden's uniform** emerged, **Justice Coat** flaring. At his hip hung the prize Ryuma sought: **Raiu**, a blade rivaling even **Shusui**.
*"So His Majesty spoke true."*
Ryuma discarded his cloak, revealing pristine white robes. The warden—**Shiryu of the Rain**—had been released from solitary confinement specifically for this fight.
*Finally. A worthy duel.*
Black **Armament Haki** sheathed Ryuma's stolen sword. His **101 GB swordsmanship**—a threshold only Poseidon's power surpassed—made him **peerless**. That **+1 GB over the limit** placed him in a realm no other swordsman could touch.
Admiral-level strength, concentrated into a single slash.
**Impel Down was about to witness true devastation.**
**CLANG!**
The blades met—for **one second**.
**"Gh—?!"**
Shiryu's pupils shrank as a **gash split his chest**, blood fountaining. He collapsed.
**One strike.**
That's all it took.
The guards' faces whitened as if seeing a ghost.
*"He one-shot Warden Shiryu?!"*
*"Even Magellan couldn't—!"*
Panicked screams erupted:
*"Alert the Director!"*
*"Call Marine HQ!"*
Ryuma's blade—now bloodless from sheer speed—**shattered** from the strain. He tossed the hilt aside and claimed **Raiu**.
The cursed sword **flared blue**, demonic energy surging into Ryuma's veins. For a moment, he stood utterly still—
**BOOM!**
The corridor doors exploded.
A **colossal poison-dripping monstrosity** filled the doorway.
**Warden Magellan** had arrived.
-