In the center of the grand hall, Rorschach and Ivankov sat facing each other on a luxurious sofa.
On the coffee table before them lay a large assortment of fruits and vegetables, along with steaming hot meat dishes, pastries, and desserts.
Strangely enough, the fruit looked incredibly fresh, still glistening with droplets of water.
With his legs crossed, Rorschach grabbed a large, juicy watermelon without hesitation and took a big bite, crunching it noisily.
Across from him, Ivankov, however, had no appetite.
Pinching his brows together in frustration, he looked at the young Marine officer seated before him.
"Oh dear, this is really troublesome now. Say, Rorschach-boy, since you've already accepted our hospitality, isn't it unnecessary to keep your entire body covered in Armament Haki? That's quite a drain on stamina and energy, you know."
Across from him, the fruit-munching Rorschach was fully enveloped in a deep blue aura of Haki, appearing as though he was clad in an impenetrable suit of armor.
Anyone who saw this scene and understood the concept of Haki was left speechless with shock.
The sheer density of Haki on Rorschach's body was overwhelming—it seemed like he could maintain full-body coverage without breaking a sweat, even while eating.
It was unbelievable!
Even the flamboyant Ivankov, who had seen many things in his time, found himself at a loss.
Yes—he had a headache.
Rorschach's powerful Haki and the fact that he had defeated Shiryu of the Rain filled Ivankov with deep apprehension.
Now, with the young Marine sitting there devouring food at his leisure, Ivankov found himself in a dilemma.
Letting Rorschach leave could be risky, and trying to detain him might be impossible.
With Haki as thick as Rorschach's, he could easily hold out for ten minutes, long enough to cause a commotion that would surely alert the guards of Impel Down.
If that happened, it wouldn't just be Rorschach they'd have to deal with—the dreaded Warden Magellan would soon arrive, and he'd be more than capable of wiping them all out.
At the thought of this, Ivankov quickly reviewed everything he knew about the young officer from Marine reports.
Rorschach , Marine Headquarters Captain.
Born in the North Blue. In Marine Year 1516, he joined Marine Headquarters from the North Blue as a new recruit, showcasing extraordinary talent.
He was personally promoted by Fleet Admiral Sengoku, jumping six ranks from North Blue Ensign to Marine Headquarters Lieutenant Commander.
By the end of that year, he single-handedly killed the notorious pirate, "Bloody Avenger" Aristo, who had a bounty of 360 million berries, on the Sabaody Archipelago.
He also took down "Steel Plunderer" Daffrons, who had a bounty of 210 million berries.
Additionally, he apprehended the infamous twin supernova pirates, the Decalvan Brothers, each with a bounty of 150 million berries.
For his outstanding achievements, he was promoted to the rank of Captain.
However, after that, no further news of him surfaced for half a year—until now.
Now, this same young officer sat before him in Impel Down, having recently defeated Shiryu of the Rain, the second-in-command of the prison.
His rapid growth was nothing short of monstrous!
Suddenly, Rorschach spoke, his voice cutting through the tense atmosphere.
"Prince Ilya."
The unexpected mention of the name made Ivankov and the Revolutionary Army officer standing behind him, Inazuma, tense up immediately.
Ivankov furrowed his brows and asked cautiously, "You know Ilya?"
Rorschach stuffed an entire apple into his mouth, biting down and crushing it effortlessly.
The sweet juice filled his mouth, and he licked his lips with satisfaction.
"Judging by your reaction, it seems he wasn't lying. He really is a high-ranking strategist in the Revolutionary Army."
"You…!"
Ivankov's pupils contracted, his right hand clenching into a fist.
"How do you know this? Don't tell me—Ilya's identity has been exposed? What happened to him?"
Rorschach stretched lazily, sitting cross-legged on the sofa, and yawned.
"He's dead."
"What did you say?!"
Ivankov immediately stood up, his face filled with anger and shock as he stared at Rorschach.
"What happened in the outside world? Why did Ilya, such a kind and wise person, have to die? Tell me! Did the Navy do this? How do you know so much about it? Were you involved in Ilya's death too? Rorschach-boy! Answer me!"
"He committed suicide, and…"
A cold smile crept across Rorschach's lips as he stood up slowly. His gaze was sharp as a knife, directed at Ivankov, who was fuming with rage.
"Furthermore, the once kind and wise person, who lost his mind and led his own country to hell, colluded with pirates, causing the death of tens of thousands of innocent civilians."
"Impossible!"
Ivankov shouted vehemently, "Don't slander Ilya-boy! He's not that kind of person! Back in the North Blue, he used his talent to help over a hundred thousand innocent civilians find redemption and hope for survival. I won't allow you to tarnish the reputation of my comrade!"
"Slander?"
Rorschach's expression turned icy as he slowly stood up.
As he rose, a powerful, violent Haki aura, like a storm, burst outward and swept across the hundreds of people gathered on the other side.
In an instant, the sound of people falling to the ground echoed behind Ivankov.
The crowd, once tightly packed, was thrown into disarray, with ninety percent of them collapsing, leaving only a few standing in a daze.
"Conqueror's Haki! You!"
Ivankov's pupils contracted in horror.
This Marine youth possessed such a formidable and intense Conqueror's Haki!
And he could unleash it so effortlessly.
Even some of the stronger transvestites, comparable in power to Marine lieutenants, collapsed, their consciousness dissipating as they fell to the ground.
"Do I need to slander a dead man?"
"Especially one who indirectly caused my father's death?"
"What?"
Ivankov was shaken again.
This time, he believed most of what Rorschach had said.
Because a Marine monster of a boy with such powerful Conqueror's Haki wouldn't bother to lie.
However, he hadn't received any information about the Prince Kingdom of the North Blue.
Due to the involvement of the Elite Sword Team, the internal situation of the Prince Kingdom's coup was suppressed by the World Government's propaganda division and didn't spread widely.
Naturally, there had been no news about it in the newspapers inside Impel Down.
"Ivankov, I admire Revolutionary Army Commander Dragon, but I'm sorry…"
Rorschach unbuttoned his jacket and removed his military uniform, along with the cloak.
"I've made my decision. Impel Down cannot fall into chaos!"
"With this ticking time bomb that is the 'Tavern of the Beastmen,' I will never be at ease."
"So, to prevent the people you lead from disrupting the normal order of Impel Down and releasing those dangerous prisoners, I'm going to let this secret place that has lasted for over a hundred years disappear today."
His muscles, like coiled dragons, swelled up, and the blue scales expanded as his deep blue Haki enveloped the giant claws of a Qilin. He aimed them at Ivankov's horrified face.
"Blue Qilin Form!"
(End of Chapter)
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