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Inside Impel Down, the clash paused for a brief moment.
After testing their strength, Marshall D. Teach didn't continue the fight.
He looked at Monkey D. Luffy… then at Sonic.
Instead of pushing further, he stepped back slightly.
"Heh… not now."
There was no fear in his voice—just calculation.
He had already confirmed what he needed.
Sonic stayed still, watching him carefully.
"…He's backing off?"
That didn't make him relax.
If anything, it made him more cautious.
"He's not retreating… he just doesn't see a reason to fight."
Blackbeard turned away, his focus shifting back to his own goal inside the prison.
For him, this wasn't the right moment.
For Sonic, that was more dangerous than a direct fight.
"…That kind of enemy is worse," he muttered.
Because it meant one thing:
Blackbeard only fights when it benefits him.
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The escape from Impel Down turned into pure chaos.
Monkey D. Luffy, Sonic, Jinbe, Emporio Ivankov, and the freed prisoners pushed forward while avoiding the deadly poison of Magellan closing in behind them.
The path to escape was almost sealed—
until Bentham made his choice.
He stayed behind.
To open the Gates of Justice.
From the ship, Sonic looked back for a brief second.
"…He's not coming."
He understood immediately.
This wasn't hesitation.
This wasn't delay.
It was a decision.
The gates slowly opened, allowing their ship to move forward and escape.
Sonic's expression tightened slightly.
"…He did it anyway."
No dramatic reaction.
But something changed.
His respect for Bon Clay rose even higher than before.
Not just loyalty.
Not just bravery.
This was absolute commitment.
Sonic looked forward again as the ship moved out.
"…We don't waste that."
For him, that sacrifice wasn't something to mourn in the moment
it was something to honor by moving forward.