51 The Gates of Justice #51

Turning away from the rapidly shrinking port of Foosah Village, I raised an eyebrow and turned to Bogard, who was standing beside me on the quarter deck. "You still haven't told me why we're in such a hurry...? I thought we'd stay for a week at least..." I inquired.

It's been two days since we first arrived on the island. Though my time here was hectic, it was still fun, as I spent most of it with Luffy and Ace, whose antics never failed to get a chuckle out of me.

I was ready to enjoy another couple of days in peace here, but Bogard suddenly showed up at Dadan's house and said HQ needed Garp to return as soon as possible, and here we are.

"That was the plan..." Bogard replied with a sigh. "But the meeting was moved several days earlier... the vice admiral's presence is essential to enforce the peace..." He explained.

"The meeting?" I asked, scratching my head.

"The annual meeting of the seven warlords of the sea..." Bogard replied with a sigh. "It's more of a farce than anything else since those damned pirates rarely show up, but a deterrent is still necessary to ensure they behave should any of them choose to attend the meeting..." He added with a scoff.

"Damn... I picked a horrible time to join the Marines, didn't I...?" I said to no one in particular, feeling the urge to jump ship and swim away. "Whelp, it's not like I'll have to be anywhere near those crazy pirates, so it should be okay..." I added with a chuckle as I prepared to walk away, only to halt my steps as Bogard flashed me a strange smile.

"What's with the funny face?" I asked with a frown, and Bogard merely shrugged as he walked past me, his amused expression giving me a horribly foreboding feeling. "No, I refuse to believe it... you're just trying to pull my leg, aren't you...?" I went on as I watched the vice admiral's aid leisurely stroll away.

"I guess you'll find out once we get to HQ..."

...

Several days later

"What the fuck is it now...?" I muttered, slowly opening my eyes as I felt the bed shake under me. I looked around and found no one to answer, prompting me to sigh as I reluctantly removed myself from the bed and stood up.

'It's probably Garp trying to eat another sea king, but I better check it out just in case...' I mused, yawning as I headed for the upper deck.

I quickly reached the hatch and climbed the ladder, only to freeze as I poked my head out of it and noticed the gigantic fortress-like structure ahead of the ship.

'I guess we're already at Impel Down...' I quickly gathered my bearings and climbed up to the upper deck to take at the exterior of the prison island.

From outside, Imper Down looked like a towering, vertical fortress rising several hundred feet over the seawater. It had a dark and ominous appearance, emphasized by the treacherous waters and the thick mists surrounding its walls.

The prison's walls were made of a rough, dark stone that was weathered and scarred, with spikes jutting from its surface. They were decorated with small, barred windows, allowing for limited visibility into the inner workings of the prison.

At the top of the prison is a massive, imposing tower made of iron that stood several stories tall, surrounded by a wide moat filled with boiling water, making it difficult for anyone to approach.

The entrance to the prison was located on the first level, marked by a large iron gate with bars, heavily patrolled by marine soldiers and battleships. The prison's exterior was generally devoid of any and all decorative features, emphasizing its function as a place of confinement and punishment.

Overall, the exterior of Impel Down prison was a formidable, intimidating sight, a symbol of the World Government's power and the harsh justice it enforced.

"Don't be too surprised now, Cedric," Bogard said, instantly snapping me out of my daze as he walked up to me once he noticed my presence and awed expression. "You've yet to see the Gates of Justice and HQ..." He added with a smile, patting me on the shoulder.

"We just need to contact the people in Impel Down and have them open the gates so we can ride the Tarai current all the way to HQ..." He added as he headed for the ship's bows, waving for me to follow.

"The vice admiral is already talking to them," He concluded, gesturing toward Vice Admiral Garp, who was already standing there with a transponder snail in hand.

"This is vice admiral Garp. I require access to the Gates of Justice..." The vice admiral said, speaking into the transponder snail's microphone and sounding more professional than I thought he could ever be.

"I'm afraid that's impossible at this specific time, sir..." The operator's voice sounded from the transponder snail's mouth, causing the vice admiral and his aide to frown in confusion.

"A dangerous criminal sentenced to the sixth lever has managed to take over his battleship escort and is currently attempting to escape..." The operator went on. "Until he is subdued, the gates of justice will remain closed... Chief Warden Magellan's orders..." He concluded.

"It's just some pirate trying to escape, eh...?" Garp said with a grin. "I'm in a hurry, so I'll just take him down myself.." He added, his grin widening as he looked up and noticed a marine battleship approaching us. "You'll open the gates once he's back in cuffs, right?"

"Well, yes. However, this specific criminal is especially dangerous--" The operator said, stopping halfway through his sentence as the vice admiral impatiently cut him off.

"It doesn't matter," Vice Admiral Garp said as he took off his marine coat and threw it toward Bogard, who caught it with a sigh. "Just be sure to open those gates once he's down, or I'll have to break them open," He added as he cracked his neck and knuckles in anticipation.

"Well, it looks like you'll be getting a show too..." Bogard remarked as he slowly walked to the railing and hung the vice admiral's coat. "Looks like you chose the best time to join the Marines..." He added, grinning as he watched Garp leap off the ship, causing it to shake and almost capsize as he flew toward the approaching vessel.

...

Avalo Pizarro stood at the helm of the marine battleship, his eyes locked on the horizon. He knew he needed to escape - and the only way to do that was by steering the ship he stole away from Impel Down.

Once he was at a safe distance, the corrupt king intended to use the soldiers he captured, his escort crew, as a bargaining chip to make the Marines open the gates for him.

"Hmm?" Avalo intoned with a grin as he noticed another marine Battleship approach from a distance. "More leverage-Nya!" He happily remarked in a gruff, gravelly voice, intent on the crew of the approaching vessel as hostages.

However, as the battleship drew closer and Avalo noticed the vice admiral standing on the brow, he couldn't help but frown, his grin receding ever so slightly. "A vice admiral... how troublesome-Nya..." He muttered, and his frown deepened as the man suddenly jumped into the air.

Appearing faster than lightning, the vice admiral made the considerably tall leap look trifling as he landed on Avalo's ship, causing it to sink several feet into the water before bouncing back.

The ship rocking beneath his feet, Avalo grimaced as he recognized the man standing before him. "Vice Admiral Garp... I'm flattered-Nya..." He said, maintaining his grin as he drew his sword.

"I don't know who you are or what you're trying to accomplish, but you better give up and quietly go back to Impel Down..." Garp said as he rolled back his sleeves. "I'm in a hurry, and you're getting in the way..." He added with a scowl as he prepared to fight.

"I'm afraid I can't do that-Nya..." Avalo said as he brandished the sword in his hand. "Freedom is just around the corner, and I can't have you stop me here-Nya..." He added, shaking his head.

"The way I see it... a hero of the marines would make a far better hostage than a punch of--" The corruput king said, seemingly intent to go with a long-winded self-absorbed speech only to pause as he heard loud snoring.

"He fell asleap...Nya?"

...

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