"Is that so? Even so, I still want to try. Lord Red Count, would you grant me that chance?"
Longinus pressed on relentlessly.
"Impossible. It is an inborn talent," Redfield refused without hesitation.
"To me, it functions like an instinct of the body. I couldn't explain it even if I wanted to—so how could I teach it to you?"
"If Lord Red Count is unwilling, I won't force you."
Sensing the faint ripple in Redfield's mind, Longinus deliberately showed disappointment mixed with unwavering resolve.
"But the days ahead are long. I won't give up that easily."
Seeing Longinus turn away, Redfield let out a quiet breath of relief.
Then he muttered darkly, "If hard work alone could bridge every gap, what need would there be for geniuses? Roger and I both prove it—this world was never fair."
Hands in his pockets, Longinus walked out in silence.
"Red Count… whether you say it or not doesn't matter."
A faint smile climbed Longinus's lips as he stepped out of the prison gate.
"What I want, no one can stop me from taking."
Reading memories… an ability not far from foreseeing the future.
If properly utilized, it could perfectly compensate for my final weakness—my lack of battle experience against true monsters.
"Red Count, you're absolutely right. If effort alone worked, what would the point of talent be? This world really is unfair…"
Longinus's expression eased. His thoughts drifted freely.
"I still haven't obtained Queen Otohime's 'Oratory'. But there's no hurry—'Oratory' only blossoms when one becomes a true figure of influence."
"After all, the same words spoken by a nobody are madness, but from the mouth of a great figure become guiding truths. This world is filled with such unfairness… which is exactly why one must climb high enough to enjoy it."
Late night. Silence blanketed Impel Down, broken only by the occasional muttering or wail.
In the torture chamber, the air still thick with blood, two silhouettes stretched against the wall under a dim lamp.
"No… I can't keep waiting like this!"
The speaker was a man covered in wounds, as if he'd just endured the harshest torture imaginable.
But strangely, not a hint of pain showed on his face—only twisted fury.
"That brat… I don't know what method he used, but he dug out nearly all my puppets. If this continues, I'll never rise again in this damned prison!"
"Shut up," a deep, muffled voice warned.
The fully-wrapped figure was unmistakably Chief Jailer Jin.
"It's easy for you to say," the pirate snarled through the puppet body he controlled.
"Even if the plan fails, you'll still be the great Chief Jailer. But I'll be left to rot and die here forever. Do you have any idea what that— mmph!"
Jin's fan-sized hand seized the puppet by the throat and lifted it into the air.
"Are you testing the limits of my patience?"
"L–Let go… I get it… I get it!"
Only when the puppet yielded did Jin release his grip.
Collapsed on the floor, the controlled body gasped for breath.
After a moment, it croaked, "That's a puppet I finally managed to control. You were one second away from killing it!"
"If I hadn't tortured him until his will collapsed, do you think your feeble mastery of the Mind-Mind Fruit could control him at all… Naiozu?"
"I'm locked away in Frozen Hell, you know!" Naiozu snapped through his puppet.
"Controlling someone on a different floor is already impressive!"
"Your Mind-Mind Fruit works on the weak… but against anyone remotely strong, it barely functions," Jin said coldly.
"Otherwise I wouldn't need to go through all this trouble."
"Heh! If it worked on the strong, I wouldn't need to cooperate with you in the first place!"
"Enough nonsense."
Jin's voice remained calm and ruthless.
"I admit I underestimated that new Marine. No wonder even Marine Headquarters calls him a monster among monsters. He saw through the Mimic-Mimic Fruit instantly."
"I originally intended to spark a riot when everyone gathered, but now we've only raised suspicion. Fortunately, at most they'll suspect the previous escapee had ties to me. Your identity, and the link between the other incidents—they shouldn't be able to deduce."
"What do we do now?" Naiozu asked through the puppet.
"No time for detailed planning."
Jin's tone sharpened.
"Tomorrow, you'll control as many prisoners on the first three levels as possible and start a riot. I will—"
"Wait!" Naiozu interrupted quickly.
"There are only four prisoners left on the first three levels who kept their abilities hidden well enough to avoid discovery. With just those four, we can't start a major riot!"
"Then control the rest into suicide attacks," Jin said flatly.
"They may not escape their cells, but a mass suicide—even just a few dozen—combined with your four puppets… that will divert attention."
"Even three minutes is enough for me to free you.
What you do afterward… has nothing to do with the Chief Jailer."
"You're going personally?"
Naiozu was visibly shocked.
"You're not afraid of exposing yourself?"
"Hmph. At this stage, hesitation only causes disaster. Since we've crossed the line, we put everything on the table."
"Hahahaha! Truly ruthless, Chief Jailer."
Naiozu fawned shamelessly.
"With Magellan losing his position after such a massive failure, the next Chief Warden of Impel Down will surely be you!"
"Chief Warden?" Jin snorted.
"I have zero interest in that."
"No need to lie to me," Naiozu said with a greasy smile.
"If you weren't interested, why bother scheming against Magellan? Don't tell me it's just personal hatred."
"Hatred? Ridiculous."
Jin's tone turned icy.
"I simply refuse to let a man who spends his life in the toilet stand above me."
The puppet's breath hitched.
This guy is a lunatic—no, he's always been a lunatic!
Just because of THAT? He'd risk everything to bring down Magellan? At this point the hatred explanation sounds more reasonable!
"One last reminder," Jin said, killing intent leaking through the wrappings.
"If you're caught… end yourself. Don't drag me down."
"Relax," Naiozu replied through the puppet with a fake grin.
"You've helped me a lot. If it comes to that, I'd never implicate you."
…At worst, I'll just report you instantly, he sneered silently.
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