Chapter 103

On the sixth floor of Impel Down, at the farthest end of the corridor, a man was sitting in a solitary, cold cell. He was not very tall, because of the darkness of the place it was almost impossible to see him. Gray hair and a long beard covered almost all of his thin body, dressed in scraps of clothing. He was so skinny that it seemed as if he was not a grown man. Even his bones were very thin, so he did not cause any fear. The most ordinary, inconspicuous old man, nothing special ... The strangest thing was that there was someone else sitting next to him. But this was not a man, but a real cat. Big and red, with disheveled hair and long mustaches. His bright green eyes were very visible in the dark. The cat sat next to the old man, like his faithful guard, did not move, but simply looked into the distance, at the slowly approaching silhouette without taking his eyes off.

When the silhouette came close enough, the old man suddenly opened his eyes and slowly raised his head to see the new guest.

When More approached the camera, the old man smiled and said:

- Greetings, greetings, how can I help?

When I approached the cage with a strange atmosphere, I was slightly surprised. Inside was a thin old man, chained with a kairoseki to the wall, and next to him was a large ginger cat, who was constantly watching my every step. Is the cat in jail? How strange ...

When the old man greeted, I asked:

- Who you are?

He gave me mixed feelings, he did not look like the typical prisoner that I have seen here. In his eyes there was no desire to escape or some kind of insane aggression. They were vibrant and full of life. Even the dark cell in which he was, as if he did not care at all. But the next gesture of the old man just shocked me ...

He took his hand out of the handcuffs from the kairoseki as if nothing had happened, and stroked the cat. He purred, but his gaze did not take me away. Then he put his hand back in and smiled.

- My name is Sargon, Gryph D. Sargon, and you?

I gazed into the old man's green eyes and said:

- My name is James D. More.

- Wo-ho-ho, it's very nice Mor ... - The old man tilted his head to one side and looked behind me, then grinned:

- Ho, it looks like you've been here a long time ago, I'm sorry, I dozed off something and didn't see. Do you happen to have any sake?

When the old man asked me, I thought a little, and then ...

* Bam *

I broke down the cell door and entered, sat down opposite the old man, and then stretched out my hand.

* Hoo-oo-oo *

From the dark dimension he took out a bottle and three cups. I put one for myself, and two others for the old man and the cat. The cat looked at me strangely and meowed.

- Wo-ho-ho, it looks like he likes you, Loski is quite picky about the guests. But he loves sake as much as I do.

I poured the sake and raised the cup:

- To the dregs!

- Campai!

- Meow!

All three drank and I asked:

- What a strange cat, is he holding a cup?

The cat actually held the cup with its paws and slowly drank the sake.

- Yes, Loski is pretty smart for a cat, I found him as a kitten.

I poured another and said:

"Looks like the kairoseki are useless, so why didn't you run away?"

The old man drank and grinned:

- Look for yourself ... - Then he turned around a little and showed me part of his back. At first I didn't quite understand, but when I saw two huge hooks stuck in his back, it finally dawned on me ...

I don't know why, but it made me a little angry:

- Bastards ...

- Yes, at first I said the same, but over time I got used to it, now it doesn't even hurt. Probably my flesh has grown together with them, so we can say that I have grown to this place.

- Meow ... - The cat meowed pitifully.

- What have you done since they chained you in this way?

Sargon chuckled.

- Well, a lot of things ... Forty years ago, I sailed in the same team of pirates, we did a lot of things, which I'm not particularly proud of. Although, I'm not here for that ... Sometime in the past, the people of the World Government attacked the forest that was my home and homeland. There grew a special wood, from which my father and I created glorious ships. But the forest was cut down, and my old man ... In general, in my youth, through stupidity, I became a pirate and left the house and could not protect it, but when I returned ... - The old man looked at the cat with kindness and said: - But there I am met Loski ... Well, then, I went for reckoning. Our captain was bloodthirsty and ruthless, maybe he taught us something. So I made them pay full, but goddamn Kong caught me, since then I'm here.

I sighed and took a sip of sake, then asked:

- So you are a carpenter?

Sargon nodded.

- Yes, it was once in the past, the captain was killed almost at the same time when I got here, and everyone I knew ... In general, even if I could escape, what's the point?

I thought about it and asked:

- Hmm, since the forest has been cut down, there must be at least something left?

"Well, maybe I never went back there, so I'm not sure.

- Then why don't you come back? Maybe your house isn't completely destroyed yet?

The old man chuckled wryly:

- Boy, a house is not a bunch of trees or a warm bed, a house is ... - The old man looked at the cat and said: - Those whom you love and who are dear to you.

His words made me smile and remember a little of my past life, those who were dear to me once upon a time ... And then I remembered my nakamas, maybe we weren't as close as they were with Luffy. Still, I am far from his super power, which allows me to make friends everywhere and always. But for me they are also dear people, for a long time sailing with them, I became attached to them and we became no longer a simple pirate team. Therefore, we can say that for a pirate, a home is not a homeland, but his team ... Although, probably not all pirates are like that ...

I sighed and looked at the old man:

"You may feel good here, but definitely your friend. It is dark and damp here, and there is no sake, who wants to live in such conditions?

The old man looked at the cat, and then at me and asked with a grin:

- Yes? And what do you suggest?

I chuckled:

- Yes, nothing special, we do not have a carpenter on the ship, you would fit perfectly into this role. Besides, sitting here, you are simply wasting your lives, and you can find anything in the sea.

- The sea, yeah ... Hmm, well, I don't mind, do you? - The old man looked at the cat.

- Meow! - The cat meowed loudly and wagged its tail.

Sargon nodded.

- Okay, we agree, and now get these pieces of iron out of me, be so kind, you don't need a crippled carpenter, do you?