Chapter 7 - At a Crucial Moment, the System Vanishes
"If he truly proves himself in this battle," Magellan said grimly, "I'll submit a report to the World Government and request a full pardon on his behalf."
"Warden… is that man really that dangerous?" Domino asked.
"I can't say for sure… but I'll do everything I can to stop him."
Hearing this, Domino understood—Impel Down was facing an unprecedented crisis.
She nodded solemnly, then turned and quickly headed toward the Sixth Floor.
—
Meanwhile, in a storm of cheers and adrenaline, Nathan and the freed prisoners from Level Two made their way into Level Three—Starvation Hell.
This floor imprisoned criminals with bounties over 50 million Berries. Due to the blazing heat rising from Blazing Hell below, the entire level was unbearably hot. Combined with extreme food and water deprivation, the prisoners here were little more than walking corpses.
Yet even in their half-dead state, they'd heard the commotion above.
Now that Nathan had arrived, Starvation Hell erupted into chaos.
To these inmates, Nathan had become something like a savior.
But standing in his path was none other than Vice Warden Hannyabal.
Compared to Magellan, Hannyabal's strength was vastly inferior—so Nathan didn't even see him as a real threat.
When he spotted him, Nathan grinned. "Well, if it isn't our Vice Warden himself. Where's Magellan? Sent you to die in his place?"
"Hmph! Nonsense! This is far too important a matter—I insisted on coming myself!"
Hannyabal slammed his trident onto the ground, cracking the stone beneath.
Nathan glanced at the trembling jailers behind Hannyabal. "From the look of those guys, I'd say they're terrified of dying."
By now, the morale gap between both sides had become obvious.
Nathan's side was fighting with nothing to lose. These prisoners had no hope to begin with. If they died in this rebellion, at least they would die fighting.
But the jailers were different. They didn't want to die here.
And now, even elites like Saldeath and Sadie had been defeated. How could these common jailers possibly stop this rampaging force?
Hannyabal knew the situation was bad. He had no intention of dragging it out any further.
With a shout, he charged forward with his trident aimed at Nathan.
Nathan smiled faintly—and then vanished in a blur of motion.
Instant Body Technique.
He reappeared beside Hannyabal in the blink of an eye.
But unlike Sadie, Hannyabal had sharper instincts and knew beforehand what he was capable of. He was, after all, the Vice Warden—and a cut above the rest.
He spotted Nathan's movement just in time, raising his trident to block.
Clang!
Nathan's punch smashed into the weapon with a thunderous impact.
Despite his immense physical strength, Nathan felt his arm go numb from the blow.
But before he could strike again—
Ding! "Usage time for the 'Might Guy' character card has expired. Reverting host to original state. Please be advised."
The moment the system's voice rang out, it felt like Nathan's soul was sucked away.
His strength instantly vanished.
And Hannyabal, seeing that his opponent wasn't retaliating, didn't hesitate.
With a roar, he lashed out with a savage kick to Nathan's stomach.
Boom!
Caught completely off guard, Nathan flew backward and crashed into the crowd of prisoners behind him.
They rushed to catch him before he hit the ground, but Nathan still couldn't help coughing up a mouthful of blood.
The moment Hannyabal's kick had landed, it felt like his insides were being turned upside down.
Hannyabal blinked in surprise—he hadn't expected to injure Nathan so easily.
Recalling how ferocious Nathan had been just moments ago, Hannyabal's lips curled into a pleased grin.
Then he threw a wink toward the surveillance Den Den Mushi, clearly meant for Magellan, who was monitoring from Level Four.
Hannyabal's fighting spirit had fully ignited.
At first, he'd hoped this chaos would lead to Magellan being blamed and forced to resign—allowing Hannyabal to naturally take the Warden's position.
But now, things were different.
If he could defeat Nathan and suppress this rebellion, he could claim credit for saving Impel Down—and recommend himself for promotion to Warden.
The thought alone brought a twisted smile to his face.
With the tables turned, morale shifted instantly.
The jailers, who had been cowering with fear, now erupted in cheers. Seeing that Nathan could actually be beaten gave them hope.
On the other side, Nathan's camp fell silent.
If even he couldn't defeat Hannyabal… what chance did the rest of them have?
"Well, well… looks like you're not so tough after all,"
Hannyabal mocked. "Planning a prison break with that kind of power? Once I've got you bound and gagged, I'll show you what real pain feels like!"
Nathan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, then smirked coldly.
He activated the system again and redeemed another Might Guy character card.
Ding! Host has successfully used the 'Might Guy' character card. Possession uses remaining: 8.
A familiar surge of power flooded through his limbs.
Nathan stood up straight, fire returning to his gaze.
He clenched his fists, cracked his neck, and dashed straight at Hannyabal once more!