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

Is this... the direction of a new world?

Will that girl end up becoming a pirate after all? Figo frowned slightly.

"What's wrong, teacher?"

Doug said, "Since six years ago, a blind female swordsman has been attacking the slave ships of the Celestial Dragons and slave traders. To date, she has destroyed 32 slave ships and rescued thousands of slaves."

Most of them were sent back to their hometowns by her, while a small number of powerful individuals chose to follow her. Her force continued to expand, gradually growing into a force to be reckoned with on the high seas. The World Government called her the Blind Witch, and she had a bounty of 800 million Berries!

Figo felt a slight jolt in his heart.

A blind female swordsman, really?

"The Navy launched two expeditions against her, and the World Government laid ambushes three times, but she detected them in advance, avoided battle, and escaped, returning empty-handed."

Gradually, the slaves she rescued began to call her 'Saintess', and six months ago they supported her in establishing an army called the Revolutionary Army, aiming to overthrow the World Government and the rule of the Celestial Dragons.

The World Government was furious and increased his bounty to 12 billion, breaking the previous record, and appointed me as the person in charge of eliminating the Revolutionary Army.

Revolutionary army? What revolutionary army?

Figo's first reaction was to wonder what he had done that had created a butterfly effect. Then he thought that even without him, Gerald would still be imprisoned in Impel Down, and might not be in his current situation.

Then it dawned on me that it wouldn't be surprising if a revolutionary army appeared in any generation in this world, right?

The only difference is that each generation of the Revolutionary Army has been dismantled by the World Government, while the one in the later storyline has a high probability of success in the end.

Revolutionary Army... Sapphire...

"I understand, teacher."

After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Figo stood silently for more than ten minutes before turning around and walking outside.

He stands tall and straight, his steps as firm as a mountain!

"I thought she was just an unfortunate version of Elsa from Skypiea, but I never expected her to be so amazing."

Chapter Thirty-Four: Coward

Two hours later, Figo met Doug's warship at the Zero Level platform of Impel Down as scheduled.

Seven years hadn't left many marks on Figo's face, but it had been less kind to Doug, who was now 78 years old.

His hair was completely white, and his once upright body was now slightly bent. However, for a martial arts expert, this should not be the case unless he was ill or nearing the end of his life. Figo could tell that it was weariness caused by worries.

"Teacher Doug!" It wasn't Figo who rushed to help, but the excited Kingie.

Four years older than Figo, Kingche was a recruit in the elite class earlier than Figo and Mia, and was also Doug's student.

The old man's arm was pulled by Kinche, and he looked clearly confused. He looked past Kinche and saw Figo bowing his head to greet him, and then he breathed a sigh of relief.

“I thought I’d forgotten what you looked like after seven years, Figo,” Doug said, then patted the arm that King was supporting him on, and asked, “What’s wrong? Do I look so old that I need help walking?”

"Ah, no, teacher." Jinqie quickly let go and said, "I'm just... I haven't seen you for almost twenty years, I'm so excited."

"Twenty years?" Doug looked at Kimchi more closely this time, then suddenly realized, "Oh, teacher still remembers you, you look like... Kim Gon!"

"...Teacher, it's Kinkiri."

"Ah, sorry, sorry." The old man apologized very readily and laughed, "I remember you, I remember you were very good at Iron Body, one of the best among that batch of marines, Little Gold."

Jinqie became even more agitated. "I was killed by Figo with an iron block 14 years ago!"

"Little Jin?" Figo suddenly asked. "Teacher Doug, do you remember Sister Mia's full name?"

"Xiaoya's full name?!" Doug took a half step back, clearly startled, afraid he wouldn't remember and Figo would tell Mia. He thought for several seconds before staring at Figo with wide eyes: "I just have a bad memory, not a bad brain!"

Figo laughed heartily.

Doug also burst into laughter, but quickly suppressed his laughter and shook his head, saying, "Don't try to make this old man happy. I'm not that fragile. Let's get down to business, Figo, Kim."

“Okay.” Figo and Kingcheetah led Doug into Impel Down, one on each side, and guided him toward the interrogation room on the first floor.

On the way, Figo asked, "Teacher, is it confirmed that the Revolutionary Army Saintess with a bounty of 12 billion is Gerald's sister, the sapphire from the story we heard back then? In just a few years, she has broken the bounty limit at sea?"

“I’ve already corrected you. Although she’s a little girl in the story, she’s actually the same age as you, 35 this year.” Doug shook his head and said, “She’s just like you, a first-rate genius in the world. No, judging purely by talent, she might be even stronger than you.”

“If she had joined the Navy when she was young, she could definitely have become an Admiral,” Doug said regretfully. “No, maybe she wouldn’t have grown to where she is today without going through those hardships.”

She escaped several ambushes, and the World Government has confirmed that her Observation Haki has reached an extremely rare level—the ability to foresee the future.

She also obtained the Snow-Snow Fruit, a Logia-type Devil Fruit, and its power awakened, allowing her to influence celestial phenomena over a wide area. Most importantly, she was able to grow wings on her back, enabling her to fly at extremely high speeds and making her difficult to capture.

Of course, in terms of individual strength, she is probably not as powerful as the original two giants of the sea—the Hellman with a bounty of 965 million and the Gluttonous King with a bounty of 999 million. However, considering her dangerousness and potential, and the fact that the World Government suspects she was also responsible for the murder of Saint Kasilia seven years ago, they made an exception and set a bounty of 12 billion.

Figo paused for a moment, then led Doug into the interrogation room: "Teacher, may I sit in on the proceedings?"

Doug nodded: "Of course, you are the warden of Impel Down, which is a step above my position, and Impel Down is your territory. But... let's leave Kim aside. There are some things that are better left unknown than known."

Jin Qie stayed outside, feeling wronged.

Inside the interrogation room, Gerald, who had been in a state of extreme tension ever since being brought in for questioning, clenched his fists tightly as Figo entered with a lieutenant general, his sense of foreboding deepening.

Doug glanced at him a few times, sat down in a chair, and said, "You look even fatter than in the wanted poster. You're doing well?"

“We have rice and meat at every meal,” Figo said.

"Really?" Doug: "He doesn't have to worry about anything, he doesn't have to care about anything, he eats well and sleeps soundly. This guy is really lucky. He's living a much more comfortable life than that girl Sapphire."

Clang! In an instant, the chains binding Gerald were pulled to their longest length, his wide eyes were bloodshot, and a terrifying Conqueror's Haki emanated from him as he roared!

"What's wrong with the sapphire?!"

Doug didn't even flinch: "So she really has the makings of a king? Don't bite. Sapphire is fine, at least for now, she's doing very well."

As Doug recounted his story, the fierce glint in Gerald's eyes gradually faded, and he slowly sat back down on the ground, lost in thought, feeling as if the world had become unreal.

The little girl who once needed his care has unknowingly surpassed his achievements and become an object of concern and vigilance for world governments? Number one in bounty?

and also……

"That bastard Celestial Dragon is dead? When?" Gerald asked in a hoarse voice.

"On the night you were arrested, you were ambushed and killed at sea while returning to port late at night. The entire ship was sunk to the bottom of the sea, and the killer is unknown," Doug replied.

Gerald paused, then shook his head and said, "It couldn't be Sapphire. She didn't eat any Snow-Snow Fruit at that time."

“That’s no longer important. Jellal, the World Government has proposed to lure witches into the Net by publicly executing you. Do you think Sapphire will come to your rescue?” Doug asked.

Figo, who was leaning against the wall, changed his posture.

Gerald's eyes widened again, and he pulled the chains to their limit, gritting his teeth as he approached Doug, forcing out a crazed, mocking smile: "Ha, this is the Navy that prides itself on justice?! Are you the Navy, or the World Government's lackeys?! You actually want to use such despicable means to deal with her?!"

Bang! !

Suddenly, Doug threw a punch! His fist, the size of a sandbag, slammed into Gerald's face, spraying blood as Gerald crashed against the wall!

"Fool! Is this the only way you can ask our navy for help now? Why should we help you, pirate!"

You think you love Sapphire? Besides adopting her and saving her life, what else have you done for her?! You let her be tricked by human traffickers? You got arrested and dragged her down with you? Get your facts straight, you madman Gerald, you're a complete idiot!

"If you weren't so stupid, you would have planned more carefully when you attacked the Celestial Dragons! You would have been more cautious! You wouldn't have been so arrogant and conceited as to hide the sapphire! You might have succeeded, and none of what happened afterward would have occurred!"

As if he were burning with anger, Doug's chest heaved as he breathed heavily. It wasn't pure anger, but rather a feeling of disappointment that his son was not living up to his potential.

His words were somewhat inappropriate for his status. Figo had never seen Lieutenant General Doug display such ferocity and anger before. His anger was somewhat inexplicable and sudden, yet it also rendered Geral, whose face was covered in blood, limp to the ground.

The interrogation room remained silent for a long time.

Gerald said slowly, "Please, kill me... I can see that you are different, you are good people... Kill me, or help me... give me the ability to commit suicide."

Doug plopped back down: "I wouldn't dare! I'm not a good man, I'm a coward."

Gerald looked up at him.

"I'm a coward." Doug repeated, "Seven years ago that afternoon, after hearing your story, I mobilized warships, intending to kill the Celestial Dragons who had tarnished justice, but in the end I didn't have the courage and chose to endure."

I've endured it my whole life!

Whenever I feel impulsive, I tell myself: Doug, you are a Marine, you carry the weight of justice, you have trained thousands of Marines, and your actions will set an example for them!

You can't do anything reckless. You developed and refined the Six Styles, and you're already over seventy years old. You can't leave a stain on your reputation, and you can't ruin your old age. Your name will be engraved in the history of the Navy!

The Navy's purpose is to maintain the World Government's rule. Where there is light, there is darkness; it exists everywhere. You must firmly believe this!

He chuckled, his back bending even more: "The Encouragement Fruit, what a wonderful fruit indeed. Ever since I received the order to hunt down Sapphire, I've encouraged myself every morning when I wake up: Although she's not a pirate, and although she's saved many people and many slaves, she may very well be a greater threat than the greatest pirates."

If left unchecked, the revolutionary army will escalate, and conspirators and ambitious individuals will emerge within its ranks, or perhaps they already are. This will unleash chaos that will sweep the world, causing innocent deaths and injuries!

So this time, I'll choose to be a coward again... and follow the World Government's arrangements to take you away... for public execution!

Gerald stopped roaring and said nothing more.

The old man in front of me was smiling, but his eyes were bloodshot and his whole body was trembling.

For some reason, Gerald felt that at this moment, the old man, the lieutenant general, was probably in even more pain than he was.

A conflict between justice and duty?

The conflict between one's conscience and one's sense of responsibility?

Gerald lowered his head: "I'm sorry, it's my fault... I messed everything up."

"Good to know." Doug wiped his eyes with his arm and turned to look at Figo: "You've really gotten old. You're definitely more fragile than before. If I had known you would lose your composure, I wouldn't have let you come in. I didn't want you to see your teacher's cowardly side."

“That won’t do. You said this is my territory, I’m the boss,” Figo said.

Doug smiled, but couldn't hide his weariness.

Figo then said, "Since I am the eldest, whether you can take him away is up to me. Now I say... no."

Doug paused, staring blankly.

Chapter Thirty-Five: Figo, I'll handle it.

Doug never figured out what Figo was thinking.

She was inspired by his words to return to Impel Down back then, and now she's using them to reject him—it's all perfectly reasonable and well-founded, but…

"You don't agree to me taking him away???"

"Yes, I'm the warden of Impel Down."

"But...I...this..."

“You’re not as high-ranking as me, but I’m in charge of Impel Down. I’m just not letting you take him away. What can you do about it?” Figo chuckled.

Gerald looked up at him blankly.