The scorching air of Level 4 was thick with the smell of burning.
The Straw Hat Boy and his crew had just dashed through the twisted iron passage when they were abruptly halted by a figure blocking the center of the stone bridge.
Sadi stood at the bridge's edge, gripping her long whip, her black leather gloves leisurely brushing against the metal clasp at its tip.
"Mmm~ Want to pass? You'll have to ask my whip first~" With a flick of her wrist, the whip lashed out like a living serpent, its metal clasp striking the stone wall with a sharp, ear-piercing crack, sending ripples of sound waves through the stifling air.
Luffy clenched his fists, his rubberized arms already coiled and ready to strike. Just as he was about to charge forward, a cold laugh suddenly echoed from behind.
"Little bitch, finally found you."
Bahr's figure had appeared at the other end of the bridge without warning, the Black Sword Autumn Water gleaming coldly at his back, its engraved sheath glowing under the heat. His gaze locked onto Sadi.
"Mmm!" Sadi whirled around, her excitement instantly shattered by fury. Her whip cracked against the ground. "Don't call me that! Call me Sadi!"
Bahr ignored her protest entirely. His fingers twitched slightly, and the power of the Space Fruit rippled through the air like an invisible wave from a stone tossed into water.
Sadi's vision blurred as the world spun around her. Before she could react, an unseen force seized her body, yanking her violently toward Bahr until her nose nearly collided with his chest.
Before she could even gasp, Bahr's fist, sheathed in pitch-black Armament Haki, slammed into her abdomen.
"Guh—!"
Sadi crumpled like a struck shrimp, her body curling into a tight ball as cold sweat drenched her uniform. She collapsed onto the bridge, writhing in agony.
"You go ahead," Bahr said without turning, his voice still laced with frost.
Luffy stared at Bahr, confusion evident beneath his Straw Hat. "You're not coming with us?"
"No. I have some unfinished business." Bahr looked down at Sadi, struggling on the ground, his lips curling into a cold smile devoid of warmth—only the long-suppressed desire for vengeance.
"Alright! Then we're off!" Luffy, never one to dwell on such things, turned and dashed across the bridge, his rubbery legs pounding against the stone.
As Crocodile passed by, he cast a thoughtful glance at Bahr.
There was something oddly familiar about the way Bahr had moved just now. But with the urgency of their escape, he merely frowned and quickened his pace to catch up with the others.
The stone bridge gradually fell silent as the group departed, leaving only Sadi's muffled groans echoing through the passage.
Bahr slowly crouched down, picking up the fallen whip. The metal clasp at its tip was still smeared with scorched earth.
"Now," he murmured, his voice soft yet laced with a bone-chilling cruelty, "it's my turn to repay you for all your 'hospitality' these past few days."
Sadi lifted her head, her blurred vision barely making out the icy glint in Bahr's eyes—pure, unadulterated cruelty, devoid of any mockery. It sliced through her defenses like a scalpel, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine, momentarily dulling even the searing pain in her abdomen.
Bahr grabbed Sadi by the collar, lifting her like a ragdoll. In the next instant, their figures vanished amidst spatial distortions, leaving only a ripple of twisted air behind.
When they landed again, they were already in Level 5.5.
The clamor of Newkama Land had long since faded, leaving only an empty stone chamber and scattered bottles in its wake. The torches in the corners flickered, casting their shadows in erratic stretches across the floor.
Sadi was thrown harshly onto the ground, her back slamming against the sharp edge of a stone step. A muffled groan escaped her as pain shot through her, her vision swimming with black spots.
"What do you think you're doing?!" She clutched her stomach, glaring up at him with fury, though the panic in her eyes was unmistakable. "I'm the Warden Chief of Impel Down! If you lay a hand on me, Magellan won't let you get away with this!"
"Just returning the favor." Bahr tugged at the long whip in his hand, its tip dragging across the ground with a grating sound. "Weren't you so proud of yourself when you lashed me with this before?"
Before she could respond, the whip sliced through the air with a sharp whistle, the sound alone enough to tighten one's chest.
Crack!
The crisp sound echoed through the stone chamber. The back of Sadi's uniform split open, revealing a red, swollen welt on her pale skin.
"You're dead!" she shrieked, her voice shrill with pain and rage. "A prisoner like you dares to act so recklessly? Just wait until I—Ah!"
Bahr didn't bother replying. The whip lashed down again and again, striking only where it wouldn't be fatal—the second blow landed on her arm, the third across her lower back, each strike heavier than the last, each welt more vivid than the one before.
Sadi curled in on herself like a cat battered by a storm, yet her words remained defiant. "Bastard... Do you even know who I am? When I get out—Ah!"
Another strike landed on the outside of her thigh. This time, she couldn't hold back her cry of pain—but halfway through, her voice abruptly cut off.
Bahr watched the shifting emotions on her face—anger, shock, and a trace of something unreadable—before twirling the whip in his hand, stirring the air. "You love hearing screams, don't you?"
"Madman! You're insane!" Sadi, furious and flustered, reached out to grab the whip, but Bahr kicked her square in the chest, sending her sprawling back onto the ground. The pain in her ribs made her vision blur.
The whip struck again—this time, it cracked against the stone beside her face, sending shards flying. One grazed her cheek, drawing a thin line of blood. Unwilling tears welled in her eyes.
But they weren't just from fear. Nor were they purely from pain.
It was a mix of humiliation, fury, and something unfamiliar—like an overturned spice jar, all the flavors muddled together, leaving her unsettled and inexplicably flustered.
Crack!
The tip of the whip brushed the tip of her ear, sending a stray curl of hair flying in a chaotic arc.
"Mmm..." She whimpered softly.
Sadi bit down hard on her lip, tasting blood.
She should hate this man—should want to whip him until he was covered in wounds. So why... as the burning pain on her back grew sharper, was her body trembling? Why, when she met Bahr's icy gaze, did her throat tighten and her breath turn uneven?
Bahr's whip came down again, this time grazing the edge of her open collar. The gust of wind it carried swept over her collarbone, raising a trail of goosebumps. Sadi shuddered, her nails digging deep into her palms, leaving bloody crescents in their wake.
It hurt—a piercing pain that sent waves of darkness flickering across her vision.
"Do you think this will make me yield?" she gritted out, though her voice had lost most of its strength. Her gaze involuntarily flickered to Bahr's face.
His impassive eyes reflected her disheveled state—tangled hair, torn clothes, blood at the corner of her lips. The sight that should have enraged her instead made her heart skip a beat.
The whip's tip grazed her arm a third time, revealing reddened skin beneath the split fabric of her uniform. Sadi's cry of pain carried an unmistakable note of panic.
"Didn't you always love hearing others scream?" Bahr's voice was mocking as he swung the whip faster, deliberately avoiding vital areas. "Now you can experience it firsthand. Isn't it different from what you imagined?"
"It's not..." Sadi's retort grew weaker.
The pain on her back became more distinct with each lash, sending heat coursing through her body until even her breathing grew unsteady.
"No... impossible..." she murmured, her gaze unfocused. "How could I..."
Why did this agony leave her so flustered?
Watching Bahr's cold, whip-wielding figure, the tension in his jawline, she found the ruthlessness in his eyes unbearably sharp—and yet... impossible to look away from.