"This is the advantage of information," Teach said indifferently, looking at the increasingly flustered Geldzak. "Even if I tell you, it won't change anything. I am the bane of Devil Fruit users. I can nullify their powers."
Geldzak's expression finally cracked.
His confidence wavered. Panic seeped into his eyes.
He had never imagined such an ability could exist. Nullifying Devil Fruits? That was absurd. Unreasonable. Yet the evidence stood before him.
A murmur rippled through Infinite Hell.
Many of the prisoners were Devil Fruit users. They knew Teach's name and some of his feats, but only in broad strokes. The exact nature of his power had never been clear to them.
Now it was.
For the first time in a long while, Geldzak felt genuine unease.
In his current condition, how could he possibly contend with Teach? In his prime, perhaps the gap would not have been large. Now, the difference was crushing.
Geldzak had always been meticulous. He preferred to hide behind the curtain, gathering information before striking. Acting without preparation went against his nature.
This situation was completely unfavorable.
He had to escape.
But Teach would not allow it.
In an instant, Teach moved.
He ignored Nelson, who had only just regained his freedom after being touched by Dark Water. Though the nullification lasted merely a second or two, that was more than enough.
Teach exploded forward like a rampaging dragon.
His figure blurred. The air warped on either side of him.
Too fast.
Geldzak's expression changed. He had not expected such speed. He did not even have time to resort to his usual tactic of forcing Nelson to commit suicide as leverage.
Years of imprisonment had rusted his body. His combat instincts remained, but his physical condition could not keep up. He could not unleash even half of his former strength.
This attack was unavoidable in his current state.
So he used his ability.
In an instant, Geldzak seized control of his own body, forcing it to move beyond its natural limits.
Bones cracked.
"Crack! Crack!"
He stepped back sharply and twisted his torso, attempting to evade.
"My eyes have already seen the future, old man."
Teach's voice rang beside his ear.
Geldzak's pupils shrank. His mind reacted instantly, but his stiff body lagged behind. He forced his arms up with his ability, crossing them before his chest.
Teach closed the distance and drove his knee forward with devastating force.
Black Armament Haki coated Geldzak's arms in desperation. He sensed the overwhelming threat. Instinct screamed at him.
Teach's lips curved coldly.
Weak.
Geldzak's Armament Haki was decent, but it had not reached advanced internal destruction. Combined with his current decline, both quality and quantity were lacking.
The impact detonated like an explosion.
Shockwaves burst outward, rolling across Infinite Hell.
Geldzak gritted his teeth, muscles trembling. His arms shook violently. His legs were forced backward inch by inch under the crushing force.
"Is this all you've got?" Teach asked softly.
The next moment, Geldzak's arms buckled.
Cracks rang out as bone gave way.
Teach's knee smashed into his chest.
A sickening crunch echoed.
"Wah!"
Blood sprayed from Geldzak's mouth. His chest caved inward. Ribs shattered.
His body flew backward, smashing through the iron bars of the cell behind him before slamming violently into the wall.
Impel Down was built from incredibly durable materials, including Seastone and reinforced minerals. It stood in the Calm Belt, enduring attacks from Sea Kings without damage.
Yet even so, the wall dented deeply under the impact. Cracks spidered outward.
The surrounding prisoners felt a chill.
This was Teach's true strength.
They measured themselves against that blow and silently understood the answer.
Even the strongest among them grew solemn.
Geldzak was not dead.
That would have been too pitiful.
But he was grievously wounded.
Teach did not hesitate.
A man like this could not be allowed to live. Once freed, he would become a constant threat. Worse, Teach coveted the Control-Control Fruit.
Such a power was too valuable.
Geldzak realized it as well.
He felt the killing intent pouring from Teach. If he did not flee now, he would die.
He tried to move.
And then his body stopped responding.
An invisible force seized him.
He was dragged forward through the air against his will.
"What is this?" Cold sweat formed on his forehead.
For the first time in his life, the manipulator was being manipulated.
Teach stood with his right hand outstretched, black as ink. Strange darkness coiled around it.
His palm formed a claw.
Endless gravity surged outward.
"Dark Water."
Geldzak's body was yanked toward him. Teach's hand locked around his throat like iron.
Resistance was impossible.
Then came the most terrifying realization.
His Devil Fruit ability was gone.
Not erased, but sealed.
He could feel it, yet he could not access it.
The meaning of "bane of Devil Fruit users" struck him fully now.
Fear flashed in his eyes.
He opened his mouth, desperate to speak, to bargain, to beg.
No sound came out.
Teach's grip tightened.
Air vanished.
Behind them, Nelson blinked awake, confusion fading into understanding. He realized he had been controlled again. Had Teach not intervened, he might have remained a puppet forever.
"Damn that Geldzak!" someone roared nearby.
It was not only Nelson. Before targeting him, Geldzak had secretly controlled several prisoners.
Now that his ability was nullified, they had regained their senses.
Their gazes burned with hatred.
The infamous Puppet Master had fallen into someone else's grasp.
Everyone understood.
There would be no mercy.
Geldzak, weakened by time and now stripped of his power, stood no chance.
"Old man," Teach said coldly, "just die."
"No…"
The word barely left Geldzak's lips.
"Crack."
Teach twisted.
Geldzak's neck snapped violently to the side.
Even so, his inhuman physique clung to a thread of life. A faint breath lingered.
Then darkness surged.
Boundless black energy poured from Teach's palm, swallowing Geldzak whole.
Silence fell.
A monster who had once plunged the seas into terror had died without even leaving Impel Down.
Because he chose to provoke the wrong man.
The older prisoners felt a bitter chill.
Teach had called them remnants of a bygone era.
Now they understood.
"Werewolf" Mutou narrowed his eyes. Having lived long and roamed alone for decades, he had witnessed countless monsters. Teach's potential was undeniable. Even among the most terrifying figures he had known, Teach ranked near the top.
As a werewolf, Mutou sensed life force acutely. The vitality within Teach was terrifying.
Shi watched with equal caution.
As a former member of the Rocks Pirates, he had seen legends rise and fall. Geldzak had been a terror in that era.
Yet Teach had ended him decisively.
Shi's thoughts drifted to Edward Newgate. During his imprisonment, he had learned that Newgate had become one of the Three Legendary Pirates, known as the "Strongest Man in the World," an Emperor of the Sea.
Teach had once sailed under him.
Now he stood on his own.
Shi felt a flicker of anticipation. The possibility of seeing old comrades again stirred his heart. He was even grateful to Teach for creating this opportunity.
As for the others, they silently marked Teach as someone never to provoke.
Dying here, before even escaping, would be the ultimate humiliation.
They still needed Teach.
With so many strong figures gathered, escape felt possible. Even if not at full strength, combined they formed a terrifying force.
And Teach, as the instigator, would undoubtedly draw the focus of Impel Down's strongest combatant.
Warden Magellan would prioritize him.
That left the remaining high-level jailers for the rest.
The spectacle had ended.
Geldzak was dead.
But now came the real battle.
They had to leave.
Before Marine Headquarters reinforcements arrived.