One Piece: Impel Down's Guard - Chapter 29

At the platform of Impel Down’s Level Zero.

“He’s coming, I see the ship!”

“Is Warden Figo on board?”

“I can’t tell…”

“No, we can’t call him Warden anymore. We have to call him Director now!”

“Right, right. By the way, what level is a Director? If Impel Down is now directly under the World Government, does that mean the Director is like a Fleet Admiral?”

“Wow, really?”

“Director Figo is amazing!”

The guards waiting to welcome Figo were excited, but Kimchi stood in the corner with a slightly sour face, finding their chatter annoying.

Figo had left him in charge for seven years before leaving. He had just gotten used to being in charge for a month!

He was supposed to be transferred away!

Oh, you’re playing with me, letting me enjoy being in charge for a month, and now you come back with a new Director position?

Still one rank higher than me, making my promotion to Warden pointless!

As he fumed, the guards erupted in louder cheers, indicating that they had seen Figo on the deck as the ship approached.

The guards, who had cried when Figo left a month ago, were once again shedding exaggerated tears.

Seeing this, Figo didn’t wait for the ship to dock. He leaped high from the ship, stepping lightly in mid-air, producing a sharp sound as he reversed gravity, rising again. Repeating this several times, he used Moonwalk from the Six Powers to ‘fly’ to the platform.

“Everyone, long time no see.”

“Waaah, Lord Figo!”

“So cool!”

“We missed you so much… We thought we wouldn’t see you for years…”

“You must have missed us…”

“Indeed, I missed everyone, so I came back,” Figo laughed heartily. He then waved at Kimchi, saying, “Old Kim, have those guys in the fifth and sixth levels behaved while I was gone for this month?”

O-old Kim?

A month of absence and this guy gives me such a lousy nickname.

Kimchi was stunned, but a straightforward guard answered, “Lord Kimchi couldn’t manage it. Although we didn’t see it firsthand, he’s always taking out his anger on the training area’s stones!”

“Couldn’t even catch a sea king…”

“Yeah, totally incapable…”

You bastards are incapable. Your whole family is incapable! Kimchi’s face darkened further. His intimidation of the inmates in the fifth and sixth levels wasn’t as effective as Figo’s, but that was due to the short time he had been in charge! How could a short duration be used to say he was incapable?

As for catching sea kings…

That’s because I don’t like eating them!

“No worries, lads. Is the water heated? Inform the kitchen to get ready. We’ll baptize the new prisoners and then I’ll take Old Kim down to the lower levels for a round. After that, we’ll catch a big one for everyone to feast on, and have a banquet!”

“Yeah!” Cheers erupted.

After the cheers subsided, Figo pointed to the approaching warship. “This time, the prisoner being transported here is a big deal. He’s a pirate with a bounty of 640 million Berry, the infamous Laughing Gerard. He’s a major pirate with the legendary Haoshoku Haki. Don’t be scared.”

“No way!”

“With Lord Figo here, even a pirate with a bounty of a billion Berry wouldn’t be a problem!”

Boasting, just pure boasting, Kimchi thought silently. While Figo was indeed stronger than him, he doubted that Gerard, a notorious pirate famous even before Figo joined Impel Down, could be subdued by Figo.

A billion Berry?

That would wipe out Impel Down!

Soon, Gerard was escorted down, and the guards crowded around curiously, making comments.

“So, this is a pirate worth 640 million Berry? Doesn’t seem different.”

“Quite disappointing…”

Hmph,

You’ll see the difference once his shackles are loosened during the baptism. Unlike the guards, Kimchi’s muscles tensed slightly upon seeing Gerard, like a cat bristling. He then watched Gerard obediently let Figo strip him, hang him on a pole, and drop him into boiling water.

“Hey, this is the big pirate? He’s not as fierce as the guys on the first level…”

“Doesn’t look any different…”

“You don’t understand, do you? He’s definitely subdued by Lord Figo’s aura!”

“I see!”

“Lord Figo is the best!”

“?” A question mark slowly appeared above Kimchi’s head. Is this really Gerard?

When Gerard was pulled out of the water, without a single burn after a baptism in boiling water, just a clean bath that made him look even more handsome, Kimchi had to accept it.

Why?! What did I miss?

Ignoring the guards’ chatter, Kimchi pondered deeply until Figo pulled Gerard, now in prison garb, in front of him.

“Let’s go, Old Kim. What are you thinking about?”

Kimchi snapped back, forcing a smile as he followed Figo into Impel Down. Opening the special transport passage and heading down, the guards’ noise faded, and Kimchi regained his calm.

“Figo, what’s the deal with Impel Down being placed directly under the World Government? The Fleet Admiral told me to follow your lead. What’s our current situation?” he asked.

“One reason is him,” Figo indicated Gerard. “He attacked a Celestial Dragon, leading the Five Elders to worry about the strength of the slaves around the Celestial Dragons. They placed Impel Down directly under the World Government to conveniently select suitable, obedient slaves from here.”

Gerard froze, fury rising in his eyes, the chains clinking as a bit of his pirate aura emerged.

Kimchi looked up, slightly wary. “Attacked a Celestial Dragon? Was an Admiral deployed? No wonder he was captured. Choosing slaves for the Celestial Dragons… So, the prisoners taken from Impel Down weren’t all executed. What did the Fleet Admiral say?”

“In a few days, they’ll send me a special Den Den Mushi to contact the Five Elders directly. From now on, I’ll follow their orders,” Figo said. “So, the important thing isn’t what the Fleet Admiral says but what we do.”

Kimchi observed Figo’s expression.

“I’ll always be a Marine.”

“Coincidentally, so am I.”

The two reached a mutual understanding, then Figo added, “Oh, and along with the Den Den Mushi, there will probably be a Deputy Director from the World Government. I don’t know who it is.”

Kimchi’s face darkened again.

So not only is Figo back over me, but there will also be a Deputy Director?!

“Old Kim, if I were you, I wouldn’t accept this. We’ve both been here for eight years. Why should he be Deputy Director and not you?” Figo laughed.

Kimchi clenched his fists, grunting, “If he’s stronger than me, fine. If not…”

As they spoke, they reached Level Six of Impel Down.

Located in the deepest part of the sea, it held only a dozen perilous pirates, eerily silent. As the chains on Gerard’s body clinked, pairs of deep eyes lit up in the cells, and seeing Figo, they all trembled slightly. That bastard… he’s back?

And that…

“Mad Dog Gerard?”

“You got caught too?”

Gerard ignored the old acquaintances.

Figo observed each one, saying, “It’s only been a month, and you all look pale and thin. Old Kim, how long have you been starving them?”

“Just five days. Seems it’s not enough. These guys still have the strength to talk. Another five days won’t hurt,” Kimchi said.

Instantly, murderous glares focused on Kimchi. Figo waved his hand, “Next time, perhaps. I’ve been promoted to Director; we should all celebrate. After our banquet, we’ll send the remaining Sea King meat down here. Let’s give everyone a hearty meal!”

Kimchi hesitated. Is this alright?

Surprisingly, the prisoners showed fear and anger instead of joy. Some tugged at their chains, shouting, “What are you up to, you bastard?!”

Starving them didn’t break them, but offering meat made them afraid. Kimchi was puzzled.

These pirates must be insane.

Figo shook his head in resignation, then noticed a deeply malicious glare. He turned and smiled, “Gildachack, you’ve become a spider. Still recovering your bones? Don’t grow them wrong. I’ll fix them in a few days.”

Gildachack, who had arrived ahead of Figo, lay limp on the ground, closing his eyes in hatred.

Receiving the disdainful glares of the inmates, Figo escorted Gerard to an empty cell and chained him up.

“Let’s go, Old Kim. Seeing everyone well is good. Let’s check the fifth level now.”

“Wait, Navy,” Gerard finally spoke up, “I… beg you…”

“Relax, I’m a Marine, not a pirate or scoundrel like you,” Figo waved without looking back. “Consider Impel Down your home. I’ll give you extra meals, with rice and meat. Soon, you’ll love it here.”

Gerard sighed in relief.

The inmates of Level Six felt deeper dread. Even Mad Dog Gerard… Damn it! That madman is back after only a month!

The fifth level housed many more prisoners, nearly a hundred. Seeing Figo back after a month, reactions varied.

Some turned pale, cowering in corners, hoping Figo wouldn’t notice them.

Others glared with fury.

There were also those who, fearless, spewed curses.

“The guys in Level Six are too good at judging situations. The fifth level still has some vitality, with a few idiots,” Figo told Kimchi, finding a familiar face in one cell.

The nun, now in prison garb, still had a beautiful, smooth face after the baptism. She looked at Figo with eyes alternating between hatred and confusion.

Figo asked, “Want a cigarette?”

The nun moved slightly. “Yes.”

“Heh, Impel Down is smoke-free. Still want one?” Figo’s brows furrowed. “Old Kim, starve her for a week!”

The nun: “…?”

The fifth level fell silent.

Here we go again! That lunatic is back!

Human traffickers deserve no mercy. Feeling satisfied after punishing the nun, Figo smiled, receiving the stares of the inmates, and continued walking down the long corridor with Kimchi.

Relaxed and carefree, it felt like coming home.

Or like a king inspecting his domain.

Seeing the inmates’ reactions, Kimchi recalled his own month in charge and sighed inwardly… It is different.

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