Terrified

"Newgate, if I were younger, maybe I would go to Marineford and have a fight with you."

"But now... I am old."

Ryder slowly raised his head, revealing an old face beneath the faint firelight. The sharp and confident gaze he once had was now clouded with weariness. Besides his deteriorated body, he appeared as an old and wounded lone wolf, far from the fearless Ryder of his youth.

As he spoke, Ryder conveyed the sentiment that, had his body remained young, he might have gone to Marineford without Whitebeard's invitation, ready to create havoc.

However, with his body aging, the once unshakable Ryder was no longer the same. He lacked the courage to face everything as he once did.

"Goo la la la~"

Whitebeard chuckled, seemingly not disappointed. It was as if he had anticipated Ryder's response. He continued, "What if I were to give you the Bat Fruit?"

Before coming to Impel Down, Whitebeard had done his homework. He knew that some prisoners wouldn't be easy to convince or subdue. For instance, the Red Earl in front of him had a deep-seated desire to regain his youth.

The Bat Fruit, which could restore youth, was the key to winning him over.

"What?"

"How do you know?!"

Ryder trembled, his head snapping up to fix Whitebeard with a shocked gaze. His face showed disbelief, and his cloudy eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Whitebeard's words had revealed knowledge of his intentions. Ryder had indeed considered the idea of escaping after seeing Whitebeard's arrival. He had made up his mind that once he left Impel Down, he would search for the Bat Fruit capable of restoring his youth.

But he never expected...

Whitebeard to articulate his thoughts with a single word.

This revelation both surprised him and made him panic. He didn't understand how Whitebeard knew about his desire for the Bat Fruit.

"I know the location of the Eudemons species Bat Fruit, and I have the means to obtain it."

"Ryder... Do you grasp the implications of what I'm saying?"

Whitebeard's voice took on a somber tone.

"..."

Ryder fell silent.

He was the formidable Ryder, a man who despised forming alliances without coercion. Even in the face of death, he would not compromise his pride.

But...

That was the mindset of his youth.

Now that he was old, he had lost his faith. His sole obsession was to regain his youth.

So, he couldn't refuse Whitebeard's proposition.

Clang clang~

The sound of broken chains resonated.

Ryder slowly rose to his feet, wearing a complex expression as he looked at Whitebeard.

"You've won... Newgate."

"Goo la la la~"

Whitebeard erupted in laughter upon hearing Ryder's response, then turned his gaze toward a cell adjacent to them.

"World, how long do you plan to play dead?"

At Whitebeard's words, all eyes turned toward the cell.

Inside, a lifeless corpse lay on the floor, encased in a colossal block of ice, preserving the person within.

"Hey~"

"Is this old man still alive, World?" Crocodile sneered while puffing on a cigar as he observed the frozen World.

"He's not the type to die easily," replied Whitebeard, facing Kaido.

He then raised his fist and struck the air with tremendous force.

Boom!

A thunderous roar echoed through the area as the punch shattered the air, sending shockwaves toward the ice block containing World.

With a resounding click, the ice broke, and World tumbled to the ground. However, he lay motionless, seemingly lifeless.

"Is he really alive, Father?" Jinbei asked, expressing doubt.

The others shared similar skepticism because, at first glance, the figure before them appeared lifeless and beyond resuscitation.

"World, how long are you planning to feign death?" Whitebeard showed no mercy this time.

His arm muscles bulged, and with tremendous force, he thrust his fist into the air.

Boom!

A terrifying roar resonated as the punch ruptured the air.

The powerful shockwave surged toward World, who was lying on the ground, like a raging tsunami.

"Whitebeard, are you trying to kill me!" World, who had been feigning death, suddenly leaped up in shock. Instinctively, he raised his arms and crossed them in front of him, shrouding himself in Armament Haki.

Boom!

The two collided with a deafening clash, creating shockwaves that enveloped World, sending him hurtling through the air.

He crashed against the cell's iron bars, producing a loud clang, before plummeting to the ground.

"Cough, White...Whitebeard, you scoundrel..." World coughed heavily. However, his gaze toward Whitebeard was filled with astonishment and bewilderment.

He couldn't comprehend it. Why did Whitebeard, who was roughly his age, still possess such strength? The punch he had just endured seemed unstoppable, even when he had employed Armament Haki to cover his entire body.

That overwhelming and terrifying vibration had made him feel as though he was confronting Whitebeard at the height of his prime.

"This old man must be in his seventies by now, right? Logically speaking, like me, his body should have deteriorated to some extent. So why does he still possess this kind of power?" World wore an expression of surprise.

After pondering for a long while, he, genuinely perplexed, began to feel that Whitebeard was shrouded in an aura of mystery.

This enigma made him feel a hint of trepidation.

"My body hasn't fully recovered yet, so I'll refrain from provoking Whitebeard for now!" World decided to play it safe. Given his current state, provoking Whitebeard might result in another punch that could leave him coughing up blood.