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"Sadi-chan, what's wrong?!"
Domino finally couldn't hold back any longer. Frowning, she stepped forward and asked.
"Hm? It's you, Domino. Don't worry, I'm fine. I was just thinking about a few things."
Then Sadi-chan tilted her head curiously.
"By the way, where's the Chief Warden?"
"The Chief Warden is currently fighting a fierce battle in the restroom. You can see him later, Sadi-chan."
Hannyabal rubbed his hands together and edged closer.
"Speaking of which, you've become even prettier these past few days."
However, the moment he approached, Sadi-chan frowned and instinctively slapped him across the face.
Smack!
"W-What was that for, Sadi-chan?!"
Hannyabal covered his cheek and stared at her in confusion.
"Sorry, that was just a subconscious reaction." She waved her hand dismissively. "You're simply too ugly. To avoid losing control and hitting you again, Vice Chief Warden, please stay farther away from me."
Hannyabal froze.
"I don't understand. You were never like this before."
"That was before. Anyway, just remember what I said."
Sadi-chan shook her head and unconsciously glanced at the famous sword Kessui hanging at Hannyabal's waist.
If I gave that sword to Lord Ikki, he'd definitely be pleased. Maybe he'd even reward me...
The thought appeared suddenly and immediately rooted itself in her mind.
Hannyabal shivered.
"Strange. Why do I suddenly feel cold? Did the weather change?"
Domino blinked.
"The temperature is exactly the same as usual."
"Anyway, welcome back, Sadi-chan."
Hannyabal scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
At that moment, Magellan emerged from the direction of the prison gates.
"Chief Warden Magellan, weren't you in the restroom?"
Sadi-chan looked at him curiously.
"Ahem." Magellan coughed. "I just finished my battle with the toilet. I heard you were back, so I came to see you."
His gaze swept across her.
"I heard you've become much stronger under Ikki's training. Is that true?"
As he spoke, his eyes narrowed slightly when they landed on the sword at her waist. Based on the reports he had received from Marine Headquarters, he immediately recognized it as the special weapon Sengoku had mentioned—the sword Ikki had given her.
"It's true." Sadi-chan nodded with a smile. "Lord Ikki helped me tremendously. I'm much stronger than before."
Then she deliberately looked toward Hannyabal.
"Speaking of which, if Vice Chief Warden Hannyabal had been willing to hand over his famous sword back then, perhaps more people in Impel Down would have had the chance to become stronger."
"Uh..."
Hannyabal immediately tightened his grip on Kessui.
"Is Ikki really that incredible? Can a famous sword really make someone stronger?"
"Let's test it." Magellan crossed his arms. "The more we understand your current strength, the easier it will be to arrange your future duties."
"Hannyabal, you'll fight Sadi-chan."
"What?!"
Hannyabal's eyes widened.
"Why me?!"
"Because you're the most suitable candidate." Magellan shrugged. "You know perfectly well that my abilities aren't appropriate for sparring."
"Still, asking me to hit a woman..."
Hannyabal looked reluctant.
Before he could finish speaking, Sadi-chan moved.
Bang!
Her fist shot forward without warning.
The speed was so fast that Hannyabal barely had time to react. Acting purely on instinct, he tried to dodge.
Unfortunately, after training under Ikki, Sadi-chan's combat instincts had improved dramatically. She adjusted the angle of her strike at the last second, and her fist slammed directly into Hannyabal's abdomen.
The punch, reinforced with Armament Haki, immediately caused the Vice Chief Warden to clutch his stomach and collapse to one knee.
"Well?" Sadi-chan gave Magellan a thumbs-up and grinned. "My strength is pretty good, right?"
"Not bad." Magellan nodded approvingly. "You've truly become much stronger, Sadi-chan."
With his experience, he could naturally see how extraordinary that attack had been. If she was already this strong with her fists, then she would be even more dangerous with a sword in hand.
"Hehe, thank you for the praise, Chief Warden Magellan."
Then Sadi-chan looked toward Hannyabal with a playful smile.
"By the way, it seems I'm stronger than the Vice Chief Warden now. How about giving me his position?"
"W-What?!"
Hannyabal immediately jumped to his feet despite the pain.
"No! The Vice Chief Warden position belongs to me!"
"Tch." Sadi-chan clicked her tongue. "What a shame."
Then she glanced once more at Kessui before turning toward the entrance of Impel Down.
"Alright, let's go inside."
Magellan, Domino, and Hannyabal followed behind her.
As they walked, Sadi-chan suddenly asked, "Chief Warden Magellan, is Fire Fist Ace still being held here?"
"He's already gone." Magellan shook his head. "The execution date at Marine Headquarters is approaching. There was no reason to keep him here any longer."
"I see..."
Sadi-chan looked up toward the ceiling.
I hope Lord Ikki is doing well.
"You seem quite concerned about Ikki, Sadi-chan."
"After all, he guided me sincerely, Chief Warden Magellan. In a sense, he's my teacher."
"I see." Magellan nodded. "That man isn't bad. If I ever get the chance, I'd like to have a proper conversation with him."
Once the topic shifted to Ikki, Magellan continued asking questions throughout the walk. Sadi-chan answered calmly and naturally, careful not to reveal just how much she admired him. She didn't want anyone to think she was too closely tied to a pirate. That could negatively affect her future prospects within Impel Down.
Ten minutes later, the group arrived at Magellan's office.
"That's enough for now, Sadi-chan. You can stay with Domino."
"You've been away for several days, so there are probably things you don't know yet. If you have any questions, ask her."
The moment he finished speaking, Magellan's stomach rumbled ominously.
His expression changed instantly.
Without another word, he clutched his stomach, pushed open the office door, and rushed toward the restroom.
Neither Domino nor Sadi-chan seemed surprised. The two women simply turned and walked away together.
Although Hannyabal wanted to follow them, it was obvious neither woman intended to let him join their conversation.
Before long, they disappeared from his sight.
After walking for a while, Domino suddenly spoke.
"Sadi-chan... have you fallen for Ikki?"
"Hm?"
Sadi-chan's shoulders twitched slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.
"Why would you ask that, Domino?"
"Because I know you too well." Domino smiled knowingly. "The Sadi-chan of today is completely different from the one I knew before."
"You used to flaunt your charm everywhere you went. But now you've become much more restrained."
"And every time Ikki's name comes up, your expression remains calm, yet your face turns slightly red."
Domino glanced at her companion.
"We're both women, so my guess is simple."
"You've fallen for Ikki."