One Piece: Impel Down's Guard - Chapter 22
“Figo? Figo?”
“Ah, sorry.” Figo returned to reality, explaining, “I was thinking about Impel Down. Impel Down has never held such a powerful pirate before. Plus, he possesses Conqueror’s Haki, which could put significant pressure on the prison.”
Ginche was already far less capable than him and Caesar. Staying in Impel Down for a few more years, even Ginche found it somewhat challenging to serve as the warden.
Mia said, “Yes, Admiral Mokar’s orders are to hold him at the headquarters prison first and wait for the Marshal’s decision. This level of pirate might be executed directly or perhaps used to capture other members of the Crazy Laugh Pirates.”
As she spoke, she looked up at Figo, taller than her by two heads, and said with some emotion, “Speaking of which, these past eight years… Figo, what have you been through in Impel Down?”
The old Figo was not taller than her.
Before Figo could answer, she laughed and said, “Vice Admiral Doug has mentioned you quite often these past few years. Every time you got promoted in Impel Down, he would remark that he was right about you back then.”
Her smile hinted at amusement, even a bit mischievous, and Figo could sense a touch of teasing.
The name Vice Admiral Doug was one Figo heard frequently. Doug was the creator of Tekkai, Kami-e, and Shigan, and he systematized other techniques predecessors had explored, creating the Rokushiki (Six Powers), making his reputation well-known.
He was also the chief instructor of the Navy’s recruit camp and one of the instructors of the elite camp, so Figo could call him a teacher. As Mia smiled, Figo’s last memory of Doug resurfaced… which also included Mia.
…
Eight years ago, a young Figo stood quietly outside Vice Admiral Doug’s office, listening to the enthusiastic voice from inside.
“What? Mia, you want to apply for a transfer to the newly established Impel Down? No, absolutely not!”
“You’re already a navy captain at just 22 years old, with limitless potential! Your future should be on the vast sea, fighting strong pirates, not working as some prison guard in an underwater prison!”
“You will become a strong naval officer! You will become a vice admiral, even an admiral, and carve your name into the history of the navy!”
“I, Doug, firmly believe in this!”
Soon, the young Mia left Doug’s office, looking extremely excited, clenching her fists and pumping them up and down as if cheering herself on.
Then it was Figo’s turn to go in.
“You want to transfer to Impel Down too? Hmm, Lieutenant, if I remember correctly… Figo?”
“Ha ha ha, good for you, truly my student! A real man doesn’t necessarily have to aspire to the sea. If everyone longs for the ocean, who would do the work of a jailer? You’re not afraid of loneliness and isolation, and you have the courage to go into the deep sea. As your teacher, I am immensely proud of you!”
“You will become a great jailer, leaving your mark on the history of Impel Down!”
“I, Doug, firmly believe in this!”
…
Oh, this.
Figo couldn’t help but laugh.
He shook his head, clenched his fists, brought them to his chest, and mimicked the cheering gesture, looking cute.
Imitating me… Mia’s smile faded a bit, but she wasn’t embarrassed. She was just surprised, “Eight years apart, you’ve become much more cheerful, Figo. You never used to joke like this.
Back then, it was the effect of the fruit. Vice Admiral Doug always misused his Inspirational Fruit, but he never had any bad intentions.”
“I know.”
A 22-year-old female captain transferring to Impel Down was indeed a waste of talent, but a 20-year-old lieutenant with potential could still grow steadily in Impel Down.
Thinking about it this way, Vice Admiral Doug’s refusals and approvals were reasonable.
It was just that because of his Inspirational Fruit, and his enthusiastic tone encouraging both of them,
the overall situation seemed a bit odd. Figo turned and said, “Mia, let’s continue catching up later. Someone has noticed the anomaly with our two warships.”
Over at headquarters, an officer responsible for guarding the dock had noticed the situation and approached them with a small warship and dozens of marines.
…
The two warships docked.
The marines who had been knocked unconscious by the Conqueror’s Haki and hadn’t woken up were settled.
With Mia, Figo escorted the seven giants, the Manipulative Demon, the nun, and Gerald to the Navy headquarters prison, which took nearly an hour.
Then Figo and Mia climbed the high tower of the Navy headquarters together to meet Marshal Oka. Along the way, he deeply felt how popular Mia was.
Fortunately, there wouldn’t be any jealous disputes in the world of One Piece, at least in the Navy headquarters.
The marines would just swoon, instantly mastering Kami-e like Sanji, twisting around with heart-shaped eyes, and shouting from afar, “Rear Admiral Mia!”
At most, they’d add, “Who’s that man next to Rear Admiral Mia not wearing a uniform? I’m so jealous!”
When they reached the top floor, the Marshal’s office, they were told, “The Marshal has gone to Mary Geoise and will be back in two days.”
They came up empty-handed.
‘The Marshal said he’d personally congratulate me for capturing the Manipulative Demon when I brought him back,’ Figo thought but also knew that the Marshal’s trip to Mary Geoise was likely related to his mission on Hor Island.
Who knows what the final outcome will be, and where the seven giants will go.
“Do you want to go to Vice Admiral Doug’s house together?” As they left the headquarters building, Mia suggested, “I meant what I said earlier. Vice Admiral Doug has mentioned you often these past few years. And since he’s gotten older, Vice Admiral Doug doesn’t lead fleets out much anymore. He loves it when we students visit and tell him about our experiences.
Capturing a villain like the Manipulative Demon will surely make him happy!”
Vice Admiral Doug was already 71 years old.
Figo didn’t hesitate much: “Sure.”
As a transmigrator, he started with the common orphan background, and his family was gone. He hadn’t been to his home in the Navy headquarters for eight years, so it didn’t matter if he returned later.
The families lived in the rear of the Navy headquarters, and Doug’s house, as one of the top vice admirals, was very close to the headquarters.
Mia probably visited often and quickly led Figo there, knocking on the door.
The door was opened by a sharp-looking boy, about three or four years old, who lit up when he saw Mia and ran off shouting, “Grandpa! Sister Mia is here! And she brought an unfamiliar man!”
Mia smiled and said to Figo, “This is Vice Admiral Doug’s grandson, Kong.”
Figo paused for a moment.
Soon, the tall, burly, white-haired elder from his memory walked out, laughing heartily, “You’re back, Mia? Has the pirate who attacked the Celestial Dragon been captured?”
Seeing Figo, he paused, adjusting his glasses, “Hmm, you’re… Fickler from Impel Down? I see, you’ve been transferred from Impel Down. How come you’re here with Mia? Ha ha ha, welcome, welcome!”
Mia’s expression turned a bit strange.
Figo glanced at her and said helplessly, “Vice Admiral Doug, I’m Figo.”
“Oh, right, Figo, Figo.”
Despite his muscular and robust appearance, Vice Admiral Doug had a gentle temperament. Even when he got the name wrong, he apologized to Figo: “Sorry, sorry. My memory isn’t what it used to be. Your name was on the tip of my tongue, but I just said it wrong.”
“It’s alright.” Figo smiled, glancing at the boy peeking from behind Doug, noting how the elder resembled the future Fleet Admiral Kong…
“Is this your grandson? It’s my first time meeting him. This child looks great; you can tell he’ll inherit your strength and spirit, becoming an outstanding marine, maybe even surpassing you to become an admiral, or even the Fleet Admiral, leaving his mark in the Navy’s history!” Figo said passionately.
“I, Figo, firmly believe in this!”
Mia burst out laughing.
Doug, however, was delighted: “Ha ha ha, really? I believe it too! Come in, come in, Mia, Fickler!”
—
PS: (There’s no official information on Kong’s age. There’s a theory that since Sengoku calls him big brother, Kong should be about ten years older than Sengoku, around eighty, which would mean he wasn’t grown up at this time.
But I think this theory doesn’t hold. I found a setting in a One Piece game that Oda participated in, stating that Kong faced the legendary pirate, the Scarlet Earl, at eighty years old as the Fleet Admiral.
Since he retired as Fleet Admiral after the Great Pirate Era began, adding over twenty years, he should be a bit over 100 during the story, likely another strong elder like Garp who doesn’t weaken with age.
As for Sengoku calling him big brother… a seventy-something-old man calling a hundred-plus-year-old man big brother, without blood relations, wouldn’t call him uncle, right? Calling him Big Brother doesn’t prove anything, and the Baidu entry saying they’re from the same era only means they were active in the same period. And Baidu entries have been wrong
more than once or twice. He should be from the same era as Rocks, right?
This book adopts this setting.)
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