At that moment, a sharp rhythm of boots echoed from the staircase not far away. Hearing the sound, Domino swallowed hard, quickly stepped forward, and slid the key into the lock of Shiryu of the Rain's prison gate.
With a crisp click, the door swung open.
A tall man in Impel Down officer's uniform and an aviator cap stepped out, his gaze sharp and unyielding. It was Shiryu of the Rain, once the fearsome Head Jailer of Impel Down.
Now free, he curved his lips into a sinister grin.
"That guy is incredibly powerful, please remember—"
Before Domino could finish her warning, Shiryu's right hand shot forward and seized her neck in a flash.
"You... let go!" she gasped, completely caught off guard and unable to break free from his iron grip.
"Enough talking. Hand me Thunderstorm."
With a cold snort, Shiryu snatched the saber from Domino's waist—his infamous blade Thunderstorm, which had soaked in the blood of countless criminals.
"Hey hey, why are you turning on your own people already?"
Qin Chuan's voice suddenly cut through the tense atmosphere as he stepped into view.
Seeing Qin Chuan approach, Shiryu casually hurled Domino aside.
"So, you're the one who took down Magellan?"
"More or less. I'm just here to crush you all and walk out."
"Haha. Magellan? He relies too much on poison. Without it, he's just a sack of meat. But me—my sword doesn't forgive. One slash, and even your soul will split."
"Sure, that would be a problem—if my fists weren't harder than your blade."
Qin Chuan's thoughts triggered the Gold List system. He redeemed the Maitekai character card once again.
Ding. Host has successfully used the Maitekai character card. Remaining usage count: minus one.
With Chiyo's presence faded, Qin Chuan's body surged with the raw physical energy of Maitekai. Against someone like Shiryu, his puppets—no matter how masterfully crafted—were far too fragile. He needed raw taijutsu.
He needed Eight Gates.
"Come, show me what you've got!" Shiryu growled and lunged forward, blade in hand.
Qin Chuan activated his gates. "Eight Gates Released Formation—Gate of View, open!"
Green energy exploded from his body, flooding every cell with speed and strength, his limbs light as feathers.
Shiryu closed the distance in an instant.
"Die!"
With a roar, he swung Thunderstorm down toward Qin Chuan at terrifying speed, the blade humming with murderous intent.
Qin Chuan moved.
He twisted just in time, the saber grazing the edge of his sleeve. The blade's arc sliced through the air like lightning, its force carving a deep, jagged scar into the floor beneath them. Dust and stone erupted from the ground, and shards flew across the prison like shrapnel.
Even with the sixth gate open, Qin Chuan broke into a cold sweat. That strike could have torn him apart. His speed barely matched Shiryu's sword.
Across from him, Shiryu's eyes narrowed. If this had been a long-range exchange, he might have expected an evasion. But at point-blank, to slip from his blade—that was something rare. It unsettled him.
Before Shiryu could react further, Qin Chuan countered.
"Morning Peacock!"
It was a move exclusive to those who had opened the sixth gate—a blinding flurry of punches fueled by pure chakra. His fists ignited from sheer velocity, each strike producing fire through friction, painting the air with streaks of red and gold.
His blows lit the dark dungeon like sunrise. Trails of flame burst from each strike, trailing behind like brilliant peacock feathers, scattering sparks like a blazing meteor shower.
Caught unprepared, Shiryu was struck from all directions. Fist after burning fist hammered his body like rain. Even with his strength, he couldn't fully defend.
With a final impact, he staggered backward, his boots skidding across the stone floor. He barely managed to hold his ground after retreating over ten steps.
His black Impel Down uniform was scorched in multiple places, revealing singed skin beneath. His face was blackened and bruised, his figure disheveled and visibly damaged.
"Haha, Shiryu of the Rain, is this all you've got? Who would've thought the infamous twin blades of Impel Down would fall to a prisoner from Red Lotus Hell? What a joke!"
A mocking voice came from nearby.
Leaning lazily against a cell door was a man with a ridiculous hat, an oversized red nose, and perpetually drunken eyes—Basque Shot.
"You talk too damn much."
Enraged and humiliated, Shiryu's eyes darkened. It was bad enough to be beaten the moment he was released. Now he was being mocked by scum who hadn't even moved.
With a roar, he raised Thunderstorm and slashed violently toward Basque Shot, whose smug expression didn't falter as he continued to lean casually against the doorframe, savoring the chaos.