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"Sigh, Domino, you've really got me figured out."
Sadi-chan let out a helpless sigh.
"Fine, I admit it. I do have a favorable impression of Lord Ikki."
Since she couldn't hide it from Domino anyway, Sadi-chan didn't mind revealing a little more. Of course, she had no intention of admitting just how much she liked him.
"You understand, Domino. Lord Ikki is incredibly capable and exceptionally good at teaching others. Under his guidance, I improved at an unbelievable rate. The progress I made during this short period exceeded everything I'd achieved through more than ten years of training."
She clasped her hands together dreamily.
"And he's handsome. Tell me, what woman wouldn't be attracted to a man like that? Believe me, Domino. If you'd spent that time learning under Lord Ikki instead of me, you'd probably like him too."
"It may sound selfish, but I'm truly grateful that the Marines allowed me to study under him. And I'm even more grateful that Lord Ikki chose me from Impel Down."
"Is... is that so?"
Domino laughed awkwardly.
As a woman who had spent more than twenty years single, she honestly didn't understand what it felt like to fall in love. Because of that, Sadi-chan's behavior left her somewhat bewildered.
"Then tell me what you learned from him. And that sword at your waist..." Domino pointed toward it. "Was it really a gift from Lord Ikki? Does it have some special ability?"
"Of course!"
Sadi-chan's eyes lit up immediately.
"I normally don't tell people the secret of this sword. But if it's you, Domino, I don't mind."
Then she grinned excitedly.
"Actually, words alone won't do it justice. Let's find a prisoner and demonstrate it."
"Find a prisoner?" Domino wiped away a bead of cold sweat. "That doesn't sound very appropriate."
"It's fine." Sadi-chan waved dismissively. "Don't worry. I'm not going to execute prisoners like Shiryu used to. I'm just going to discipline them a little."
"Besides, doesn't Impel Down already have plenty of methods for disciplining prisoners? Even Chief Warden Magellan occasionally uses his Devil Fruit abilities on dangerous criminals. What I'm doing is nothing compared to that."
She patted the sword at her waist.
"Come on. Let's head down to Level 6 and I'll show you the power of my Noble Phantasm."
Even before meeting Ikki, Sadi-chan had always enjoyed disciplining prisoners. It was one of the few things that genuinely excited her. Now that she had finally returned to Impel Down after being away for so long, her first instinct was naturally to find someone to test her newfound strength on.
And if she was going to choose a target, she preferred someone strong.
Domino quickly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away the growing sweat on her forehead. Just as she was about to continue protesting, Sadi-chan grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the passage leading to Level 6.
Domino instinctively tried to pull free.
She failed.
No matter how hard she tugged, Sadi's grip didn't budge.
Her eyes widened in shock.
What incredible strength.
Just what kind of training did Lord Ikki put her through?
Domino couldn't help wondering.
Even now, she still assumed Sadi's increase in power was the result of some brutal training regimen.
What she didn't know was that, while Ikki's training was time-consuming, it wasn't especially harsh compared to the strength it granted.
Level 6 of Impel Down.
"Listen carefully, Domino."
As the two walked through the prison corridors, Sadi-chan proudly drew Vulcano Caligorante from her waist.
"Vulcano Caligorante may look like an ordinary sword, but once you release its true power, it can be used like a whip."
"And Lord Ikki taught me Love Breathing. The swordsmanship of Love Breathing is designed around a blade that moves like a whip."
She smiled proudly.
"You could say that the combination of Love Breathing and Vulcano Caligorante elevated my strength to an entirely new level."
Her voice echoed throughout the dark corridors of Level 6.
The prison, which had previously been silent, immediately stirred. One prisoner after another raised their heads.
Among them was Shiryu.
The former Chief Jailer's eyes narrowed instantly.
That woman is back?
And she claims she's become stronger?
A dangerous glint flashed through his gaze.
Interesting.
Ever since Ikki had taken Raiu away from him, Shiryu had struggled to find peace.
His confinement hadn't bothered him much at first. Over time, he had grown accustomed to the cramped solitary cell.
But losing Raiu was different.
The sword had become an obsession.
Now, hearing that Sadi-chan had gained tremendous power because of a weapon connected to Ikki caused a surge of irritation to rise within him.
When Sadi-chan and Domino finally stepped out of the shadows and into view, Shiryu's expression had already become gloomy.
"Used like a whip?" Domino adjusted her sunglasses and stared at the sword. "How is that even possible?"
Even under the dim light of the prison torches, the blade reflected a cold and extraordinary brilliance.
Despite not being particularly knowledgeable about famous swords, Domino could tell immediately that the weapon in Sadi-chan's hand was far from ordinary.
That was only natural.
Unlike many of Ikki's other weapons, Vulcano Caligorante had not been created using a famous sword from the world of One Piece as a vessel. Instead, it had manifested directly in its original form.
As a Noble Phantasm imbued with mystery, its quality far surpassed even the Supreme Grade Blades of this world.
In terms of sheer mystery, Vulcano Caligorante was even more extraordinary than Boa Hancock's Aestus Estus.
Of course, mystery alone didn't determine the outcome of a clash between Noble Phantasms.
If the original wielders behind those weapons were to fight, the result wouldn't necessarily favor one over the other. After all, Heroic Spirits possessed different strengths and specialties.
"Well..." Sadi pressed a finger against her lips and smiled mischievously. "I'm sorry, Domino, but I'll have to keep the details a secret for now."
Truthfully, she wanted nothing more than to explain everything and enjoy Domino's astonished reaction. However, she felt it wouldn't be appropriate to reveal the secrets of a Noble Phantasm without Ikki's permission.
What Sadi didn't realize was that there was no real need for such caution.
Ikki had already spoken about Heroic Spirits, ancient heroes, and legendary swordsmen with people like Gion. And Gion had naturally shared portions of that information with Sengoku and Tsuru.
Still, Sadi remained blissfully unaware of that fact.
Domino simply nodded and continued following her deeper into the prison.
Meanwhile, Sadi was already considering which unfortunate prisoner would become the first test subject for her demonstration.
Without realizing it, the two women had already arrived outside the solitary confinement cell located at the outermost edge of Level 6.
The cell that held Shiryu.