Chapter 203: Dignity and Freedom, Sneaky Moves.

Ten days later:

Impel Down, Level 6.

"Hey, hey, am I seeing things?"

"No, I see it too..."

"Hahaha, this is a once-in-a-millennium sight!"

With the clattering of chains, a group of ferocious pirates rushed to the cage, watching Roman, who was led by Magellan, riding a cloaked slave and wearing a bubble helmet, strutting arrogantly.

This look, this face, definitely a Celestial Dragon!

"Fufufufu, to see a World Noble here? Do these gutless guys think this is the Sabaody slave market?"

"This is a great opportunity to teach this young master a lesson—"

In an instant, overwhelming killing intent and hostility surged towards Roman from all directions! Although imprisoned and tortured, the pirates in Level 6 were all worth billions. Even through the cages, their aura could instantly turn ordinary people into idiots! But:

"Warden Magellan,"

Roman nonchalantly turned to the tall figure on his left.

"The food in Impel Down is pretty good, these scum still have the energy to glare. — Should I report to cut Impel Down's military budget?"

"Please don't do that, Saint Roman."

The tall warden replied calmly, then turned and opened his mouth:

Pfft!

A mouthful of venom sprayed into the nearby cage, instantly covering a fierce-looking criminal's face with the world's deadliest poison, causing terrifying screams to echo from the cage.

"Ahhh, Magellan, you lapdog of the World Government~~~"

"Cough cough... antidote... give me the antidote..."

"Listen up, scum!"

"I have the right and the ability to execute you on the spot, so you'd better remember that."

The tall warden scanned the room, and a large group of pirates with bounties starting in the hundreds of millions immediately felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over them. After all:

Magellan's poison... even top-tier fighters wouldn't want to face it head-on. Especially since they were all wearing Seastone handcuffs, their Haki and Devil Fruit abilities were greatly diminished. Continuing to talk back would only bring more suffering upon themselves.

"This is where Ace is being held, Saint Roman."

Amidst the silent fury of the pirates and the thoughtful gazes of the top fighters, Roman rode his cloaked mount to a cage.

"Ace, someone wants to see you."

"This is the Celestial Dragon, Saint Torkovich-Roman."

At Magellan's words, the man inside, with his arms chained by Seastone and sitting cross-legged on the ground, slowly raised his head.

"I don't know any Celest—??!!"

"It's you!?"

Facing the shocked Ace, Roman dismounted and took a step forward.

"We meet again,"

"Son of the Pirate King."

Roman raised a hand and gestured to Magellan.

"Warden, could you open the cell door?"

"...That's against the rules, Saint Roman."

"Warden, I'm asking you now. You wouldn't want us to have to use 'orders' to communicate, would you?"

...

Click,

As the Seastone cell door opened, Roman looked at the scowling Magellan again.

"Then, could you give us some time to talk alone?"

!

"You're crossing the line, Saint Roman."

Magellan lowered his eyes, and a dragon-like aura mixed with bubbling liquid began to rise from his body! At this distance, he could kill Roman with a single move if he wanted to. But Roman remained unfazed:

"I know my limits, Warden Magellan! Or should I say—"

Roman raised his chin.

"Do you want to be the first warden to kill a Celestial Dragon?"

!!

"Fine,"

Seeing Roman's unwavering stance, Magellan turned and left with a dark expression. As for the surrounding pirates in their cells, none dared to provoke him at this moment.

With Magellan disappearing around the corner, Roman and the cloaked figure behind him entered the cell.

"You... you're a Celestial Dragon..."

Ace, coming back to his senses, still couldn't believe it as he looked at Roman, his brother's crewmate.

The Devil Fruit user who had warned him in Alabasta and let him escape on Banaro Island... turned out to be... and judging by Magellan's submissive attitude, he was definitely not an ordinary Celestial Dragon!

"My identity doesn't matter,"

Roman sighed as he looked at the scarred man before him.

"Has Vice Admiral Garp visited you?"

"...Yes."

"Did he ask you to join the Marines?"

"...Yes."

"So... you refused?"

"...Yes."

Sighing again, Roman said, "Ace, I really don't know what to say to you."

"At this point, do you still naively believe that your death will solve everything?"

Facing the silent Ace, Roman rubbed his hair. This guy is really... stubborn and inflexible. I don't know how Luffy ended up with such a hard-headed brother.

Among the three brothers, Sabo is the most rational, Ace is the most reckless, and Luffy is right in the middle: flexible like rubber... thinking too far.

"I came here to ask if you regret it. But seeing you like this, I don't want to waste my time."

Snap,

With a snap of his fingers, a silent cloaked figure behind Roman removed the cloak, revealing:

A face identical to Ace's!

???

"Hey, hey, hey, no way..."

"Unbelievable, a Celestial Dragon openly 'breaking into prison'?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, as expected of the Pirate King's son, truly influential~~~"

Ignoring the voices around him, Roman quietly looked at Ace.

"Your fate is death! No matter how you struggle, it won't change Whitebeard stepping into the trap. So—"

"Why not stay alive? Whether it's atonement or compensation, at least you'll have a chance to regret."

Swish~~

A piece of white paper in Roman's hand quickly folded and transformed into a key. —It must be said, most locks in this world are still at the ancient three-lever lock stage, Roman can open them in seconds.

"Come with me."

Facing the key Roman handed over, Ace stubbornly turned his head away.

"Thank you, but—"

"Hahaha, the Pirate King's son becoming a dog? That's a world wonder~~"

"Ace, just go with this Celestial Dragon guy. He almost fell out with Magellan for you!"

"Oh, oh, oh, not bad, seeing the Pirate King... no, Whitebeard's 'son' being ridden out by a Celestial Dragon, it's worth it!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, I'm almost tempted, Celestial Dragon guy, look at my muscles—"

"Get lost! He clearly 'likes' the delicate type~~"

Amid the mocking jeers, time passed by. Facing the key Roman handed over, Ace stubbornly kept his head down. The blue-skinned fishman beside him, Sea Knight 'Jinbe', also sighed.

"Saint Roman."

A calm yet undeniable voice sounded from behind, Magellan had returned without anyone noticing.

"A futile attempt, do you think this man will bow to you Celestial Dragons?"

"No,"

Roman shook his head.

"I never expected him to bow to me."

Roman was just hoping Ace's sense of responsibility as a man would awaken.

Is freedom important? Is face important? Is Whitebeard's reputation important? —Then aren't the lives of the Whitebeard Pirates important? Isn't the kindness of Garp Vice Admiral, who raised and protected him for over a decade, important? Isn't the sacrifice of Rouge, who suppressed her pregnancy for two years and died, important? And isn't his bond with Luffy, his brother, important?

Does anyone among these people want Ace to stubbornly die here?

No! Absolutely not!!

As long as they could save Ace's life, they would gladly become Marines or even dogs for the Celestial Dragons! But Ace...

He was stubbornly focused on his own 'repayment', on his so-called 'dignity'... He wouldn't even bow his head for his family and friends. What kind of man is that!

Roman knew that when he awakened his Observation Haki and was injured and unconscious, and Nami was infected with a virus, Luffy didn't hesitate to kneel to the people of Drum Island for medical help, even though they were weaklings he could easily defeat.

"Ace, you don't deserve to be Luffy's brother!"

You're just a kid.

Clang—

The key in Roman's hand transformed into a long sword. In the moment of everyone's surprise, Roman suddenly turned and thrust it out!

Splat!

The long sword pierced through the chest of a man with black hair like a sparrow's feathers. He opened his mouth in confusion, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Roman had already pulled out the sword without hesitation and walked towards the cage door.

"Take me out, Warden Magellan."

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