If that was his reason for provoking Teach, then he had truly chosen the wrong target.
This was Teach.
And yet this relic of a bygone era had dared to reach for Nelson right in front of him.
"You old fossil," Teach said evenly, his voice calm but edged with frost. "Are you the one the era threw away?"
It sounded like a question, but it was already a verdict.
The man stood not far from them, imprisoned in the deepest part of Impel Down. That alone proved his strength and the threat he once posed.
"Heh heh. Threw away?" The man chuckled lightly, showing no sign of panic despite being exposed. "When I walk out of here, it will still be my era."
Outwardly relaxed, he had already prepared himself.
From Teach, he felt overwhelming pressure. The Conqueror's Haki was suffocating, dense and tyrannical. He did not dare underestimate it. Still, as a powerhouse of the old generation, he had his pride. Facing a rising monster of the new era, he refused to appear weaker in spirit.
"I can't believe it's him. That devil is still alive…"
The other prisoners turned toward the commotion. In Infinite Hell, countless monsters were buried by history, their names erased by the World Government and the Marines.
Yet some names refused to fade.
"How is that devil, Geldzak the Puppet Master, still alive?" a pirate blurted out, unable to mask his fear.
He immediately clapped a hand over his mouth and stepped back, as if afraid the very act of speaking would draw attention.
Geldzak tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing with pleasure. "It's been a long time since I heard such a delightful sound."
He looked refined, almost gentlemanly. But anyone familiar with his past knew better. He was a devil wrapped in human skin.
Teach had not recognized him at first. But once the name was spoken, memories surfaced.
Geldzak.
A pirate whose notoriety eclipsed brute force. His strength was formidable, but it was his methods that made him infamous.
He had risen during the early years after the fall of the Rocks Pirates. In that chaotic transition, before Edward Newgate and Shiki fully established themselves, Geldzak's name spread terror across the seas.
He was the user of the Control-Control Fruit, a Paramecia of the highest tier.
Unlike the Float-Float Fruit of Shiki, which manipulated non-living matter, Geldzak's power was limited to living beings. But within that domain, it was horrifyingly absolute.
He could control bodies.
He could dominate minds.
He could manipulate the five senses, weaving illusions so complete that victims could not distinguish reality from fabrication.
He preferred physical domination. Forcing a person to move against their will while leaving their consciousness intact. Watching them struggle inside their own flesh. Savoring the despair.
He engineered tragedies.
Incited coups.
Toppled kingdoms.
Not for wealth. Not for power.
For amusement.
Teach remembered a particular article from over thirty years ago. It featured a Marine lieutenant commander and his wife in North Blue. The couple had died together, impaled by the same spear after repelling pirates.
At first glance, it looked like a tragic love story.
But another photograph, taken from a different angle, told the truth.
The wife's face was twisted in terror. Tears streamed from her eyes.
She had not chosen to die.
She had been controlled.
That had been one of the earliest hints of Geldzak's existence, though the world had not realized it at the time.
Eventually, the pattern emerged.
He was hunted.
Admiral Sengoku, the "Buddha," led the charge. Beside him were Zephyr and Vice Admiral Tsuru. Tsuru's Wash-Wash Fruit provided a rare counter, capable of purifying those under his control.
Geldzak had even dared to provoke a Celestial Dragon. The details were erased, the witnesses eliminated, but the retaliation was inevitable.
When he was finally captured and thrown into Impel Down, the world celebrated.
Now, decades later, he stood before Teach. In his fifties. Past his prime.
If he had never been imprisoned, he might have become one of today's Emperors.
But time was merciless.
And he had just made a fatal mistake.
Teach's gaze turned glacial.
"You chose poorly."
Geldzak smiled faintly. "Young man, you are strong. I admit it. But tell me, is your speed faster, or can I seize your subordinate first?"
His confidence was not baseless.
There were three primary modes of control.
First, physical domination.
Second, direct mental control, absolute and irresistible against those weaker.
Third, total sensory manipulation, creating flawless illusions that ensnared the victim in a fabricated reality.
He did not need to defeat Teach.
He only needed Nelson.
If he controlled Nelson's mind, he could force him to use his spatial ability and escape Impel Down in an instant.
Simple.
Efficient.
He had offended countless enemies already. One more pirate emperor candidate meant nothing.
"All I want," Geldzak thought, "is to leave."
Teach's lips curled slightly.
"You can try."
The air grew heavy. Conqueror's Haki surged outward in waves, pressing down like an ocean at crushing depth. Even the hardened criminals of Infinite Hell felt their bodies grow heavier.
Without further delay, Geldzak activated his ability.
Invisible power spread like a silent tide.
It latched onto Nelson instantly.
Nelson's eyes glazed over.
Success.
Geldzak laughed, unable to suppress his excitement. "At last! Leave this cage. Take me out!"
Seconds passed.
Nothing happened.
His smile stiffened.
Nelson stood motionless.
"What?" Geldzak frowned, irritation rising. He could feel the control was intact. Nelson's mind was seized. So why was he not acting?
Then he saw it.
Teach's hand rested firmly on Nelson's shoulder. Dense black energy flowed continuously from his palm.
Dark Water.
The gravity of darkness devoured Devil Fruit powers.
Nelson's ability was completely nullified.
Even if controlled, he could not activate it.
Moreover, Teach's raw physical strength and overwhelming presence pinned Nelson in place. Breaking free was impossible.
Geldzak's plan collapsed instantly.
He had seized the pawn.
But the board itself belonged to Teach.