"Gwah—"

Shiki, under the corrosion of the poison, did not die on the spot.

After the venomous giant dissipated, he violently spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

Then, enduring the excruciating pain of the venom's corrosion, he struggled to lift his head and looked toward Redfield and Catarina Devon not far away, his eyes filled with intense unwillingness.

Summoning his last breath, he rose unsteadily to his feet.

"What are you all waiting for? For that Fleet Admiral to suddenly show mercy and spare your lives? Don't be naive. His appearance at Impel Down this time is an opportunity to purge all criminals who still cling to hope. Since death is inevitable either way, summon the courage you once wielded to conquer the seas and fight them with everything you've got!"

Watching Shiki rise with his final breath, Pizarro and Catarina Devon exchanged a glance across the distance.

They knew full well that death was unavoidable today, yet a sliver of delusion still lingered in their hearts.

After all, during their years imprisoned in Level 6, the World Government had never indicated any intention to execute them.

They believed that Orion would not go so far as to exterminate them completely—at most, he would simply return them to the confines of Level 6.

"Jihahaha! Truly, the old era was the most glorious one! You… are unworthy of being called pirates! All that remains in you is the label of criminals!"

Observing the reactions of Pizarro and the others, Shiki's eyes held no anger, only contempt.

"Do you know how many criminals Orion has executed since becoming Fleet Admiral? And you still cling to the delusion that he won't kill you? How naive. Orion doesn't seek imprisonment—he aims to purge every last criminal!"

"Just wait to be led to the execution platform by him, jeehaha!"

After a burst of wild laughter, Shiki suddenly turned his gaze toward the Fleet Admiral standing calmly in the distance, sheathing his sword.

Dragging his venom-corroded body, which could collapse at any moment, he took a step forward, then slowly straightened his posture.

His long golden hair whipped wildly in the cold wind blowing through the cavern entrance as he summoned the overwhelming presence that had once dominated the Grand Line and aspired to conquer the world.

With unyielding dominance, he raised his voice and shouted.

"Orion, this is your era."

"But I… refuse to accept it!"

Before his words faded, Shiki launched himself forward, burning his life force for one final, ultimate strike.

The twin swords attached to his severed feet swept upward, unleashing two dazzling arcs of sword energy, carrying a terrifying pressure capable of severing everything as they shot straight toward Orion.

"You want me, the Fleet Admiral, to grant a fitting end to a remnant of the old era like you?"

Watching the sword rays magnify instantly in his pupils, Orion narrowed his eyes.

The Supreme Grade Sword was drawn once more, surging with terrifying Conqueror's Haki.

"Very well, I shall grant your wish."

As his words fell, a black-and-red sword energy erupted.

Severely wounded and poisoned, Shiki was in no condition to withstand Orion's strike.

The moment their attacks collided, the black-and-red sword energy shattered the two sword rays Shiki had launched from a distance, then continued unabated, piercing through Shiki's body with a sickening crunch.

A spray of blood mist erupted from his back as the energy shot out the other side.

Immediately, Shiki was sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground dozens of meters away.

The moment his body hit the floor, Shiki uncontrollably spat out a mouthful of blackened blood, tainted by the venom.

Yet, he did not die instantly.

After expelling the dark blood, he grinned, revealing his signature sinister smile, his breaths coming in ragged, faltering gasps as if he might expire at any moment.

"Jiha…haha…hahaha."

The intermittent laughter had just faded when Shiki suddenly took a deep breath, then sprang up like a carp leaping out of water.

The twin swords attached to his severed legs plunged deep into the frozen ground of Absolute Hell, supporting his body so he wouldn't collapse.

"Orion... to die by your blade... is not... a disgrace... to the name of Golden Lion."

After uttering these words, Shiki, who had just used his twin swords to support himself by stabbing them into the ground, slowly lowered his head, his life force completely extinguished.

At that very moment, the cold wind rushed in through the hole, whipping his long golden hair behind him, making him look just like a scarecrow standing in a field.

Thus fell a legendary figure.

...

...

The purge of Impel Down's prisoners concluded with the successive executions of Bullett and Shiki.

Although Catarina Devon and the others had given up resistance, Orion showed no mercy.

He executed them all in Absolute Hell, keeping his word and turning Absolute Hell into their grave.

During this process, an unexpected situation arose.

Apart from Catarina Devon and the others from Level 6 who had escaped with Shiki, only a few dozen prisoners from the fourth level, Scorching Hell, attempted to take advantage of the chaos to flee.

In the other prison levels, even with cell doors wide open, not a single prisoner chose to escape.

This gave Orion a feeling of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, especially since he had mobilized dozens of Navy warships to surround Impel Down as a precaution against unexpected incidents.

Of course, the prisoners' decision not to escape during the chaos wasn't entirely bad.

At least it prevented any casualties among the Navy soldiers who had come with the warships during the suppression of escaping prisoners.

Since the prisoners in Impel Down chose to remain docile, Orion granted their wish, allowing them to continue serving their sentences and undergoing reformation in Impel Down.

They would later be punished according to the crimes they had committed.

However, what surprised him the most was Redfield, the legend who had once stood shoulder to shoulder with Roger and Whitebeard single-handedly.

After Catarina Devon, Pizarro, San Juan, and the others were executed one after another, realizing that escape from Impel Down was hopeless and with his body deteriorating, Redfield chose to end his own life.

His final wish was for Borsalino to inscribe the epitaph he had prepared on his tombstone.

After handing over the cleanup work at Impel Down to Magellan, Orion didn't linger.

He returned to the sea-level entrance of Impel Down overnight, accompanied by Gion, Hancock, Kujaku, and others.

As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, Gion looked toward the hole that ran through Impel Down from Absolute Hell and said softly.

"Fleet Admiral, Impel Down has suffered severe damage. Repairing it will take at least a week! During this time, the prison guards alone won't be able to maintain stability across the prison levels. I suggest keeping the Navy warships surrounding Impel Down stationed here until the repairs are completed!"

"No need!"

Orion waved his hand dismissively.

"Leave the repairs to the prisoners from each level. During this period, one warship stationed at the entrance of Impel Down will be sufficient."

"Which warship should we leave behind?" Gion asked.

Orion thought for a moment and said, "Katakuri."

"His performance has been quite good lately. If no disturbances occur during the repairs, it's time for his rank to be promoted."

Pausing briefly, Orion glanced around and said decisively.

"Let's go. There's still much work to be done."