Cold wind whistled up from the gaping hole that connected Blazing Hell to Frozen Hell below, carrying with it the sounds of intense battle.
Jin stiffened abruptly.
"Damn it—
I can't keep wasting time with this bastard!"
With a violent beat of his massive pteranodon wings, he tried to repeat his earlier tactic—
smash through the "ceiling" and flee straight into Level 3, Starvation Hell.
"Escaping in front of me isn't that simple."
Longinus's Observation Haki had never left Jin's body.
With a single Geppo step, he shot upward—
landing firmly on Jin's back.
"Get off me!"
Jin roared.
With Longinus clinging to him, there was no hope of a clean escape.
What if Longinus attacked mid-flight?
The consequences were unimaginable.
Jin twisted, flipped, dove, rolled—
but Longinus clung to his back like he had taken root there.
Even plunging into the sea of fire failed to shake him off.
"Damn you! How are you so good at this?!"
"Looks like aside from being bigger and stronger than the golden eagle I fought before, there's really not much difference,"
Longinus commented casually—
and jabbed a Shigan straight into Jin's back with practiced ease.
The massive pteranodon screeched in pain, hot blood raining down like sparks—
but he still refused to revert to human form.
"Bastard—
burn to ashes!"
Fire burst across Jin's body, swallowing both him and the man on his back.
Longinus had nowhere to dodge; the flames washed over him completely.
"Perfect.
Let's see who lasts longer."
Teeth gritted, Longinus endured the scorching heat, his fingertips like blades—
thrusting again and again into Jin's back, carving bloody holes one after another.
If not for the several powerful presences he sensed rapidly approaching,
he would have already drawn the Seven-Star Sword and ended this in an instant.
But exposure was a far greater danger.
So he reluctantly gave up the "feast" beneath him.
Unaware he had just narrowly escaped death, Jin continued circling madly, occasionally diving into the flames with Longinus for another burning "bath."
Suddenly—
A battered, staggering figure burst out from Frozen Hell.
He spared the fighting duo only a brief glance—
then immediately flew upward toward Starvation Hell without hesitation.
"Red Count… Ledfield!"
Longinus's heart tensed.
That man was supposed to be severely injured…
and under heavy surveillance.
How did he escape?
What were Yarvis and the others doing?
Longinus knew—the Red Count wouldn't deliberately hunt him down.
He hadn't offended him deeply enough.
But if they crossed paths by chance…
Ledfield would absolutely "tidy him up" without a second thought.
Still—
Longinus remained calm.
Plans always encounter turbulence.
No path unfolds perfectly.
And any choice he made—
he would bear the cost.
Besides…
Ledfield wasn't invincible anymore.
He was heavily wounded.
He must have used some desperate method to escape.
Once outside, his injuries would only worsen.
Unless he found a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit,
he wouldn't recover for years.
And a few years from now…
Who would be hunting whom was no longer certain.
Jin, seeing Ledfield flee without a glance, shrieked with outrage.
All his struggle—
and someone else was stealing his reward.
The humiliation was unbearable.
(ノ˃̩̩Δ˂̩̩)ノ
So when Jin sensed another presence approaching—
he acted instantly.
Without even checking who it was—
he flew straight at the newcomer to drag them into the fight.
Longinus let out a tiny sigh.
Decisive. Very Jin.
He knew exactly why Jin did it.
If the next arrival was anyone from Impel Down's side,
Jin had zero chance of escaping while entangled with Longinus.
So instead—
he would forcefully involve that person in the battle,
just like Ledfield hadn't done.
"Hahahaha! Yarvis, thank you for ten years of hospitality! I'll be sure to—
What the—?!"
The rising figure, kicking off the air toward Blazing Hell, was suddenly met by a massive flaming pteranodon diving toward him.
He reacted instinctively.
"Momo—Tenfold Speed!"
Man and beast ricocheted off each other violently.
Longinus, however, still clung tightly to Jin's back.
"World Destroyer…
Bundy Waldo!"
Jin's voice trembled with a hint of delight.
Waldo—another legendary pirate once imprisoned in Infinite Hell.
If not for ten years of being frozen,
he would have been no weaker than the Red Count.
"Impel Down personnel?"
Waldo's expression turned dark.
Even after being frozen a decade,
he recognized the scent of Impel Down instantly.
Combined with the earlier ambush—
he naturally saw Jin and Longinus as allies.
"I don't have time to deal with any of you—
so die fo—"
"Wait, Waldo!"
Jin cut him off at lightning speed.
"I'm not your enemy! If you still remember, I'm the one who freed you from the ice!"
Waldo paused.
"…That scent.
You are the person I sensed when I woke."
A slow grin spread across his face.
"No wonder Infinite Hell started rioting.
So it was an inside betrayal.
But your situation looks… disastrous, doesn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
"Even if you freed me, I have zero obligation to be your shield."
Waldo snorted coldly.
"You'd better disappear from my sight while you still can.
Otherwise… you know the consequences."
Jin sneered.
"Hmph. I never expected pirates like you to show gratitude."
Blood dripped continuously from the pteranodon's beak.
Even with Armament covering his back,
Longinus's repeated strikes sent violent shockwaves into his organs.
If not for Zoan endurance,
he would have fallen long ago.
Stamina he had in abundance—
life force he did not.
He was already at the edge.
"So listen carefully."
Jin growled.
"I'm not asking for your help.
I'm threatening you."
"If you try to flee—
even if it costs my life—
I'll drag you down with me.
And don't doubt it.
I absolutely can."
Waldo hesitated for half a heartbeat.
He planned to escape the instant Jin was distracted—
but Jin didn't give him the chance.
He suddenly folded his flaming wings—
and dove straight down at Waldo.
Waldo barely dodged—
but instead of fury, his eyes gleamed sharply.
"…Good.
You really are ruthless."
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