I guarded Impel Down for a hundred years in the pirate world.

Marshal Ao was taken aback: "No way!"

He wasn't worried about weakening the navy, but rather said, "Is making Impel Down a direct agency of the World Government just to select more suitable and powerful slaves for the Celestial Dragons?!"

“This is a notification, not a discussion, Mr. O’Brien,” said Mendespin. “You should have already heard about the attack on Saint Casilla of Chambord yesterday.”

"As world nobles, the Celestial Dragons' safety must be better guaranteed, which is only natural. Impel Down's current strength is indeed insufficient to deal with the increasing number of pirates within it. After the pirate who attacked Saint Kasilia was captured, he couldn't be transferred to Impel Down prison because of concerns about the prison's insufficient strength. Isn't that a joke?"

That's true. The Ao family remained silent.

"In short, let's leave it at that. Oku family, you can also recommend a candidate for the Impel Down Warden. If there is no suitable one, the World Government can make an appointment," Mendesbin Saint instructed directly.

“…I understand.” Ao Jia knew that it would be useless for him to argue about this matter.

Not all Celestial Dragons are useless. All Celestial Dragons undergo selection and training from a young age. A small group of talented individuals receive a completely different education from the majority of useless ones, with top teachers in various fields providing one-on-one guidance. As adults, they occupy important positions in the World Government.

The Five Elders, the highest-ranking members of the World Government, are the five most outstanding individuals in each generation of Celestial Dragons. Naturally, they are tasked with consolidating the Celestial Dragons' position.

The Celestial Dragons are supreme, and this is the only thing that can never be broken. Their importance is completely different from that of human traffickers, nuns, or giants, and there is no possibility of bargaining with them.

Every time the Celestial Dragons are attacked by a daring and reckless individual, it causes a stir. If the Mad Laughing Pirates hadn't been discovered in advance due to their strength, yesterday's turmoil probably wouldn't have passed so easily.

dong dong dong.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door of the council chamber. After Mendesbin said "Come in," a CP0 intelligence officer wearing a strange mask entered the council chamber and knelt on one knee.

"Lord Five Elders, the group led by Saint Cassilia, who was supposed to return to the Holy Land this morning, has not yet returned. The golden Den Den Mushi that can communicate with Saint Cassilia's silver Den Den Mushi has also lost its effectiveness," he reported.

"what?!"

Mendespin frowned and stood up.

Marshal Oku, standing below, also changed his expression. Had Saint Casilla run into trouble again? Even the golden Den Den Mushi was malfunctioning; then it was highly likely…

"Please forgive our negligence; we only discovered the Den Den Mushi was malfunctioning at 4:00 AM, so we can only pinpoint the time of the malfunction to between midnight and 4:00 AM. We immediately dispatched CP1 armed forces by ship, but so far we have found no trace of the vessel that Saint Casilla was on. It is almost certain that Saint Casilla and her party have been murdered!"

Mendespen's face darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "Where are the clues?"

CP0 lowered his head: "No. We have contacted the personnel stationed in Sabaody Archipelago, as well as several nearby islands. No suspicious vessels could have appeared on the route that Casilla Saint would have taken at that time, and the exact location of Casilla Saint should not have been found."

Currently, we can only suspect that a certain fish-man race had been tailing Kaecilius's ship since Sabaody Archipelago, or that it was the work of a pirate with the ability of a flying Devil Fruit, or perhaps a slave revolt on board that led to the ship's self-destruction!

"A slave riot? They were attacked by pirates during the day, and now there's a slave riot at night? If they were going to riot, why didn't they do it during the pirate attack?" Mendesbin Saint immediately ruled out one possibility and snorted, "Investigate! Ou family, you return to headquarters immediately. The Navy will fully cooperate with CP0 in the investigation!"

The Oku family was unwilling to waste the Navy's time on a Celestial Dragon, but they couldn't refuse at this point.

"clear."

"Furthermore," Mendesbin said after a pause, "the Au family, check if any of your naval vessels sailed without permission last night. Also, compile a list of the movements of all marines with abilities such as flight or Devil Fruit-like powers last night!"

Auer opened his eyes wide: "Lord Mendespin, what are you doubting?!"

Mendespen looked at him indifferently, then sat back down in his chair: "O's family, if you still want to be this marshal, then obey orders!"

……

Just as the World Government was shaken by the mysterious death of a Celestial Dragon, Figo, the culprit who had gone home to sleep, was once again full of energy and knocked on the door of Vice Admiral Doug's house.

"Haha, Fitz, you're here. Come in, come in." Lieutenant General Doug's hearty laughter rang out again, showing no trace of yesterday's anger.

“…Teacher, I am Figo.”

"Ah, yes, yes, I'm sorry." Lieutenant General Doug apologized crisply: "Figo, I lost my temper yesterday and didn't have time to find out more about you. What are your plans for the future?"

After being awarded the rank of Vice Admiral, you can choose to remain at headquarters, leading a giant warship and patrolling the Grand Line periodically. Alternatively, you can choose to become one of the Four Seas, serving as the highest-ranking naval commander for a particular sea area. Or you can go directly to the New World to command a branch, battling the great pirates and capturing those villains!

Each of the three options has its advantages and disadvantages, but with your talent, I believe you will be able to grow rapidly no matter which one you choose! In ten years, or even less, you will become an admiral candidate, and then an admiral, etched in naval history!

I, Doug, firmly believe this!

Encourage the power of the fruit.

Figo laughed and said, "Teacher, what you said has really gotten me excited."

So, which one do you plan to choose?

"I want to go back to Impel Down."

Doug was stunned: "...Huh?"

Chapter Twenty-Seven: I Want to Go Back to Impel Down

My blood was boiling, but then you chose none of the three options and wanted to go back to Impel Down. I suspect you're humiliating my Encouragement Fruit, but I have no proof.

Lieutenant General Doug pushed up his glasses and stared intently at Figo.

Figo explained, “A real man doesn’t necessarily have to aspire to the sea. If everyone yearns for the vast ocean, who will do the job of a jailer?”

For the past eight years, I was indeed afraid of the loneliness and isolation of Impel Down, and I deserted from Impel Down. I don't think that was right.

This sounds familiar, doesn't it? Doug looked slightly confused: "So..."

"Even the captain of the Mad Laughing Pirates couldn't escort them to Impel Down. Impel Down's reputation as the world's number one underwater prison is somewhat undeserved. I'm more familiar with and suited to guard it. Besides, Impel Down is a good place to calmly improve my strength. So after careful consideration, I've decided to go back for a few more years!"

Doug was speechless.

Figo's desire to return to Impel Down was indeed a well-considered decision, but the reason was certainly not the one he gave Doug.

While capturing the escaped giants on Hoshino Island, Figo discovered that the prison files could be used to supplement participation in a second capture. This made him consider returning. He felt that Impel Down had a lot of room for maneuver in this regard. The scope was too small before, so Impel Down was still the most convenient place for him to improve his strength.

However, he had been feeling a bit stifled in Impel Down for eight years. With his current strength, catching pirates outside wouldn't be too dangerous, and his progress wouldn't be too slow, so he had been hesitant before.

In the early hours of the morning, he discovered that the Celestial Dragons were actually 'Pirate Emperors,' a treasure waiting to be unearthed by Figo, which strengthened his resolve to return.

Figo wasn't someone who couldn't tolerate any wrongdoing. All three CP9 members had a crime index of over ten points, but he didn't think they had to die. After all, their status was what it was. Figo, who had served as a prison guard in Impel Down for eight years, couldn't guarantee that he didn't have a crime index himself.

He might only intervene if he witnessed the three of them doing something disgusting.

It's a bit like "out of sight, out of mind."

But the Celestial Dragons are different. Their existence goes against Figo's bottom line of values. Whether it's their own brutality and stupidity or the slave trade that arose because of them, countless sapphires appear in the pirate world every day!

Once someone acts out of anger, there's always a second time. And given the enormous profits they possess, Figo knew he'd find it difficult to resist the urge to take advantage of them.

If you hunt geese all day long, you'll eventually get pecked in the eye by one.

He might be undetectable once or twice, thanks to his disguise, alibi, and the unique power of the merman.

But when institutions like world governments mobilize fully, their power is immense.

Even the Celestial Dragons, who have maintained their supreme status for seven hundred years, couldn't possibly be without trump cards, otherwise they would have been secretly wiped out by the lawless pirates long ago.

Figo couldn't even guarantee that he could defeat the slave groups surrounding each Celestial Dragon.

One mistake and Figo is in almost certain death! Going straight to the Holy Land to dig for treasure is utterly absurd!

Figo needs even greater power!

The power of an Admiral! Power that would allow him to secretly kill Celestial Dragons without much concern! Power that would allow him to escape unscathed even if his disguise were exposed!

Impel Down is the fastest place to help Figo cross the huge hurdle between Vice Admiral and General!

Anyway, the power of the giants he gained on this trip at least extended his life by ten years, even if he spent those ten years in Impel Down.

Figo can wait; this can't be rushed.

Doug had no idea what Figo was thinking. He hesitated, wanting to offer some advice, but then suddenly remembered something and said, "Figo, is it because of what Xiaoya said yesterday...?"

Figo shook his head: "No, teacher, I was indeed very angry because of what happened to that little girl, but I'm not so disheartened as to be transferred back to Impel Down. At worst, I can choose to go to the New World or the Four Seas and stay away from those disgusting Celestial Dragons."

“She’s not some little girl. If she were still alive, she’d be about your age.” Lieutenant General Doug corrected him first, then added, “I can see that this wasn’t an impulsive decision. Your teacher can only choose to support you and believe in you.”

When you emerge from Impel Down again, you will surely become an even more powerful Marine, etching your name into the history of the Navy!

I, Doug, firmly believe this!

As was his habit, he offered a word of encouragement, but the old man's expression fell again: "Really not going to reconsider?"

……

The following morning, Doug arrived at Marshal Auer's office with a heavy heart.

"The Ao family, what do you need me for?"

Marshal Dioge, who had just returned from the Holy Land, asked Doug: "Doug, the day before yesterday afternoon, you inexplicably mobilized warships, preparing to set sail, but ultimately did not. What were you doing?"

"You need to meddle in this kind of thing? What's wrong with me rehearsing my departure preparations?"

"It's a good thing you didn't actually set sail," said Oga. "That very night, Celestial Dragon Saint Kasilia was murdered on his way back to the Holy Land, and the true culprit has yet to be found. The World Government is furious!"

Doug's eyes widened, then he suddenly burst into laughter: "Good riddance! It must have been those guys from the Mad Laughing Pirates who did it, good riddance!"

"Keep your voice down," Ou Jia frowned and reminded them, "It wasn't the Mad Laughing Pirates; they've already been defeated. If this matter isn't investigated thoroughly, it probably won't be over anytime soon."

If they can attack a Celestial Dragon once without anyone noticing, they can attack them a second and a third time. For the foreseeable future, all Celestial Dragons' outings will be monitored by CP0 intelligence personnel, requiring our navy's resources to protect them both overtly and covertly!

"Tch." Doug snorted in dissatisfaction, then quickly burst into laughter, laughing until tears almost streamed down his face. He took off his glasses, wiped them, and said, "O's family, you have no idea what that Celestial Dragon did. Let me tell you the truth, O's family, the reason I mobilized the warships that day was to personally take him down!"

Ao Jia exclaimed in shock, "Are you crazy?!"

"I almost went crazy." Douglas pulled up a chair and sat down. "I never imagined that someone would do what I ultimately didn't dare to do. If I knew who it was, I would definitely thank him properly!"

Auer frowned deeply, glanced at the tightly closed door, and then scrutinized Doug's expression.

"What did that Celestial Dragon do?"

"I don't want to relive how this cowardly coward managed to calm himself down with the Encouragement Fruit and remind himself of his identity as a Vice Admiral," Doug said.

"So that's why you looked so preoccupied just now?" the Ao family asked again.

“No, that’s not it,” Doug said. “It’s my student who just came out of Impel Down, and now he wants to go back to Impel Down.”

"Figo?" The O's family was taken aback.

"Hmm." Doug explained Figo's reasons for wanting to return to Impel Down, and sighed, "That kid has indeed grown a lot. His mind is firm, and my Encouragement Fruit is almost ineffective. I can't persuade him. Can you help me persuade him? The Otto family, with his talent, it's a waste for him to stay in Impel Down."

“No.” Auja laughed. “In fact, I’m still struggling with how to persuade Figo to return to Impel Down for a few more years…”

He told Doug about Impel Down's plan to separate from the Navy and establish a warden position: "This position is very important. We can't let the World Government take it, or Impel Down will become a market for the Celestial Dragons to select slaves!"

Doug hissed, looking troubled, and finally waved his hand and left: "Forget it, I can't persuade him anyway, you talk to him."

"Wait a few days. You can mention to him the changes that will happen in Impel Down. Even if it's just for show these few days, I will fully cooperate with the investigation into the death of Celestial Dragon Saint Casilla."

"Ah, don't take the investigation too seriously." Doug paused at the door, then added, "Please!"

Please? The Ao family frowned.

Why is this old man acting so strangely?