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

Figo sheathed his knife, then, empty-handed, beckoned to Raul above him.

"Come on, he's not enough on his own."

If you have national treasures, bring them out! If Im is strong, step forward! This isn't enough!

Cherrolin frowned slightly, his grip on his sword tightening as he recalled Figo's intelligence.

As everyone knows, the knife Figo always carried at his waist was merely decorative and ornamental!

A continuous barrage of thunder soon enveloped the sky above Mary Geoise today!

……

……

A week later, a major news story sent shockwaves through the world.

A sudden earthquake struck the area surrounding the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, where the World Government is located, destroying a quarter of the Holy Land's buildings. Mendespin, one of the Five Elders, was severely injured in the earthquake and had to step down from the Five Elders early, with Raiola succeeding him!

The Celestial Dragons enjoy a privileged life, possessing treasures from all over the world, and the Five Elders are all exceptionally physically strong. Each generation of the Five Elders typically served from around 50 to over 90 years old, spanning a term of over 40 years. The number of those who retired midway, especially due to injury, is unprecedented!

An earthquake? Could an earthquake injure the Five Elders?

People didn't believe it, and the powerful figures on the seas began to investigate. However, neither the World Government nor the Navy Headquarters, which might know the truth, kept quiet, and no one knew what had actually happened that day.

Another two weeks later, a brand new big news story took over and attracted everyone's attention.

Vice Admiral Doug of the Navy Headquarters passed away at the age of 88. On the day of his death, thousands of marines at the Navy Headquarters wore black mourning clothes, and marines from naval branches around the world also spontaneously bowed in the direction of the Headquarters to bid farewell to Vice Admiral Doug!

The whole world now knows Doug's name, and he is known as the old navy man who dedicated his life to the navy and inspired and taught countless younger marines.

A small town on the Grand Line.

A boy holding a newspaper rushed into a house: "Jibek! Jibek! Look at this old man in the newspaper, isn't he the one from over nine years ago on the warship...? Hey, Jibek, what are you doing?"

The blond boy in front of me was packing his clothes, as if he was about to embark on a long journey: "Valenso, I saw it. He's just a fraud, spouting all that justice. They even kidnapped the saintess!"

Valenso hesitated and said, "Gibbek, don't believe Ah Huo and the others too much. The Holy Maiden said she was going to find her brother, but maybe she's reunited with him by now."

“Just words of comfort.” Gibeck touched the pendant around his neck and said, “Valenso, I’m setting sail. Do you want to come with me? You’re my best friend.”

"Set sail? Become pirates?!" Valentso exclaimed in surprise. "But we're only 12 years old, isn't that a bit too..."

Gibeck shook his head, his youthful face beaming with confidence: "I can't wait any longer, and the two of us are no weaker than anyone else!"

“Yes, that’s for sure…” Valenso hesitated for a few seconds, then gritted his teeth and said, “Fine, I’ll go with you, Gibeck!”

Gibeck laughed happily: "Then, don't call me Gibeck anymore."

Valensole was taken aback for a moment, then quickly responded loudly.

"Yes, Captain Rocks!"

In the year 1439 of the Sea Calendar, Rocks D. Giebeck, only 12 years old, set sail to become a pirate.

A new era has begun!

Rocks Pirates

Chapter 59 The Two Elders of Impel Down

In the year 1464 of the Sea Calendar, a warship slowly docked outside the zeroth level platform of Impel Down.

Young Navy Captain Monkey D. Garp, full of vigor, commanded his men to escort the notorious pirate with a bounty of 180 million Berries, whom he had just captured, off the warship.

"Be careful, this guy is no ordinary person. He can release strange electric currents from his body," a marine warned the jailer who was receiving the ship.

"Don't worry, this is Impel Down. We've imprisoned several Mink pirates here."

The jailers looked relaxed, and the marines said nothing more. Impel Down, the world's largest prison, was infamous and a forbidden zone feared by pirates worldwide. It had imprisoned many pirates with bounties of around one billion, so it seemed that the Mink Tribe was nothing new to them.

This was the first time Garp had escorted prisoners here. As he looked around at the layout of the zeroth floor, his gaze was suddenly drawn to two figures that appeared in front of him.

One of them, with graying hair, looked to be around 70 years old, and was extremely strong and robust. Yet, he was holding a cup in both hands, sipping the green liquid inside... Tea? A supplement?

The other one was younger, looking to be in his fifties, but his hands were shackled with the handcuffs that prisoners wear. Ironically, the jailers had handed over the notorious pirate who had been brought in.

"Let prisoners escort prisoners?"

Karp muttered something under his breath, then suddenly saw the middle-aged 'prisoner' hanging from the chains casually pull one hand out of the chains, scratch his head, and then put it back on. His eyes widened in surprise... A... ornament?!

What a strange hobby!

"Who are you calling a prisoner!" The jailer in front of him sneered upon hearing his words, "Is this your first time in Impel Down, you rude fellow! That's our Impel Down legend, the strongest man in the world, the first warden, Lord Figo!"

"The Director...is the strongest?"

"Hmph, the director's story could go on for three days and three nights, but since you, a young marine, want to hear it, I'll tell you!"

"I didn't mean to hear that." Garp chuckled awkwardly and scratched his head, but the marine beside him objected: "Hey, show some respect to Colonel Garp!"

"Um?!"

A large group of prison guards glared at them.

The marines felt a chill run down their spines.

Karp quickly laughed twice: "Haha, it's nothing. This first director... um, what was his name again? What's his story?"

His attitude slightly eased the guards' expressions.

"It's Warden Gaston Figg. He was among the first batch of jailers to be conscripted into Impel Down 50 years ago, when it was first built!"

"50?!"

"How old is he this year?!"

"Haha, doesn't seem like it. The Director created a seventh technique in addition to the six, Life Return. His control over his body is extremely strong, and even the passage of life has been slowed down. No one can tell that the Director is already 70 years old this year!"

The creator of the life-restoring technique? 70 years old? Karp was very interested this time, and the way he listened attentively made the jailer more willing to talk to him.

"Let me tell you a few things, and you'll understand how powerful the director is."

"About 42 years ago, when the Director was 28 years old, he was on vacation when he happened to witness the World Government deceiving the Giants with despicable means. The Director was outraged and exposed it, which angered the World Government."

The World Government dispatched a Marine Admiral to capture the Director, but unexpectedly, the 28-year-old Director had already quietly acquired strength comparable to an Admiral. After a brief battle to a draw, and with the Director's mentor, then-Vice Admiral Doug of the Marine Headquarters, interceding on his behalf, the World Government had no choice but to reluctantly accept the situation and allow the Director to return to guard Impel Down.

At 28, he was evenly matched with a naval admiral? The marines were greatly shocked and listened intently.

The jailers became even more engrossed in their conversation.

"Now, when you mention Vice Admiral Doug, some young people don't even know his name. They only know that he created and organized the Six Styles when they learn about it, and they know about the grand gesture of thousands of marines seeing him off when he passed away. But Vice Admiral Doug's grandson is now very famous. He's the one who was promoted to admiral a few years ago, Kong the Steel Bone!"

"Steel-Bone General?"

"Ah, but few people know that Steelbone Kong was able to become a general entirely because of the warden's teachings when he was a child! The warden was Steelbone Kong's only teacher!" the jailer said proudly.

The marines were even more surprised. Such a person was hidden in Impel Down? How come they had never heard of him?

The jailer quickly explained to them: "The whole thing started when the Director sabotaged the World Government's operation against the Giants. The World Government failed to punish the Director, and consequently, they also held a grudge against Vice Admiral Doug for protecting him."

When Vice Admiral Doug was about to pass away, the World Government took another despicable action, refusing to allow the Commissioner and other students of Vice Admiral Doug to be by his side to bid him farewell... especially the Commissioner!

The warden was furious and left Impel Down on his own. After being questioned by the Five Elders, he even stormed Mary Geoise alone!

"...Amazing!"

"Really?!"

"……Then what?"

The jailer gave a nonchalant snort, looking quite proud: "The 28-year-old warden was able to fight a naval admiral to a draw. The Five Elders learned from that experience and directly dispatched three admirals to suppress the warden! But they didn't expect that the warden, who was already 45 years old and at the peak of all aspects, could fight three admirals all by himself!"

That battle was fierce, darkening the sky and tarnishing the sacred land. It lasted for ten days and ten nights without a clear victor! The Five Elders, left with no other option, could only request the Director to negotiate. The Director, due to the accumulation of these events, had become utterly disillusioned with the government!

"He didn't want to disrupt world peace, so since Vice Admiral Doug's death, he's been living in seclusion in Impel Down, only occasionally venturing out for a few days to seek justice for wrongfully imprisoned prisoners. And with the World Government deliberately downplaying his involvement, Marines like you are gradually forgetting the existence of the great warden!"

One man, fighting against three generals alone?!

Some of the marines couldn't digest it.

But I was deeply shocked.

Wow, that's amazing!

……

"How can these young prison guards be so easily convinced by your boasts?"

As they walked downstairs escorting the prisoners, Jinqie, holding a thermos, muttered something under his breath.

"Ah, am I bragging?" Figo took his right hand out of the chain, swung and twirled his left hand, tossing the chain aside, and said, "The truth is pretty much what the jailers said, isn't it?"

"Far from it!" King Cutter shouted, "Do you think we eyewitnesses have lost our memories? Fighting three admirals alone? Why don't you include the marshal? Confining yourself to Impel Down? Isn't that a condition for negotiation?!"

As he spoke, he laughed. Figo shook his head and chuckled as well. The prisoners they were escorting felt disrespected and decided to rebel!

A powerful electric current surged from his body, and the Seastone chains could not restrain him! He then charged straight at Figo, but his vision blurred, he felt a sharp pain on his cheek, and he was sent flying and fell unconscious, never having seen the source of the attack.

Jinqie lightly kicked the prisoner: "In recent years, quite a few Mink pirates have been arrested. Aren't they a rather rare race? There shouldn't be many of them appearing at sea and becoming pirates."

"Who knows? Maybe it's related to the Moon Hunter legend on the high seas?" Figo threw the minotaur he had knocked unconscious—a creature with a bull's head, horns, and fur, yet capable of standing upright—into a cell and locked it up.

[Benefit: Mink Tribe Power (Rare) +77 → 2755 (Level 3 Mink Tribe Youth)]

"I had no choice but to say that. The World Government didn't want people to know the truth, so I had to embellish my experiences a bit," Figo said.

Jinqie was speechless. The world government probably wouldn't want to hear your 'newly fabricated truth' even more.

"Haha, alright, alright, Old Jin, you're in charge of Impel Down from now on. I'm going out for a while," Figo said with a laugh.

"Going out again?" Jinqie asked in surprise.

"what."

Young Garp and future Garp look somewhat different, but Figo recognized him.

Unbeknownst to us, 50 years have already passed.

Figo said with some emotion, "Old Jin, this time I might not come back. The position of director will be yours from now on."

Jinqie rolled his eyes, too lazy to reply.

After Figo left, 74-year-old Kingche leisurely picked up his thermos and took a sip of the tonic inside—"You've been saying the same thing to me for almost 40 years, and I'm still the deputy director."

You're kidding me!