As the city advanced, an unexpected figure emerged—Geng Silang.

The next day, under the blazing sun, the boundless sea swelled with rolling waves. Fully prepared and ready to depart, several massive battleships—nearly half the naval force—were assembled here. Without a doubt, with such a display of power, the navy could roam the seas unchallenged.

“Well, isn’t this grand? Nearly half the navy just to escort a single man—how terrifying,” drawled Kizaru, leaning lazily against the dock, his posture casual and indifferent.

The clinking of chains dragging on the ground echoed harshly. In the distance, a group of rear admirals escorted a man, drawing closer with each step. Approaching them was a wide, calm, and composed smile.

“I’m truly honored. For my sake, you’ve mobilized an admiral, Hero Garp, the four young monsters, five vice admirals, and over a dozen rear admirals. You really think highly of me,” said the man, his coarse voice carrying no offense. Shackled at both hands and feet with seastone, he walked with steady, unhurried steps, like a natural-born king, fearless and undaunted.

“Roger, you’re no ordinary pirate. As the Pirate King, you’re worth the navy’s full caution,” Sengoku replied, arms folded, his expression calm.

“Haha… haha…” Roger laughed heartily. “It’s truly an honor, Sengoku, Garp. To have had opponents like you in my lifetime, I have no regrets.”

“It’s a pity I can’t fight you anymore, and you can’t chase me anymore, either. Haha… haha…” His laughter was full, unclouded by the fear or anxiety one might expect from a man facing prison or even death.

“Why?” Garp’s sigh was heavy with complicated emotion. For all the years they had crossed paths, he could not understand why Roger had chosen to turn himself in. If not for Roger’s surrender, Garp was certain that, in his prime, no one in the world—himself included—could have captured Roger.

“Garp, you have your convictions, and I have mine. Thank you for being with me all these years. Sometimes I think, if you hadn’t been chasing me, my journey would have been terribly dull,” Roger said with a shrug and an easy grin, utterly unconcerned with his predicament.

“Hmph, Pirate King or not, you’re still being dragged here like a dog,” came a mocking voice, full of disdain.

“Haha… haha… that’s what makes you navy monsters,” Roger replied, still laughing, his face betraying no other emotion.

“Enough,” Garp said, turning away, his tone cold.

“Hmph!” With a snort, Akainu strode toward the battleship.

“The age to come will be exciting, though I won’t be there to see it. That’s a bit of a pity,” Roger said nonchalantly, striding confidently toward the ship.

“The will of Huaxia grows ever stronger, doesn’t it?” A voice sounded suddenly in Xuanye’s mind as he watched that calm, unhurried figure walk by.

Startled, Xuanye looked up, his eyes fixed on the departing figure, his whole body trembling slightly.

A heavy slap landed on his shoulder. “What’s wrong?” Aokiji asked, puzzled.

“Nothing. Let’s go!” Xuanye shook his head, pushing aside his doubts, and boarded the battleship.

“What a strange guy,” Aokiji muttered, shrugging and slipping his hands into his pockets as he strolled casually onto the ship.

Once everyone was aboard, Sengoku waved his hand, and the mighty fleet surged forward, cutting through the waves toward their destination under the blazing sun.

“Everyone, stay alert! Until we reach Impel Down, I want vigilance at all times!” Sengoku ordered sternly from the deck.

“Yes, sir!”

“Are we passing straight through the Gates of Justice?” Xuanye asked, standing at the rail, gazing out at the endless sea, then turning to the languid face of Aokiji.

“Seems like it,” Aokiji replied with a yawn and a wave.

“I don’t know why I bother asking you.”

“How can you say that? You asked anyway, didn’t you?” Aokiji retorted with a look of disdain.

“So, where have you been slacking off this past year?”

“It wasn’t slacking—I was training,” Xuanye said, biting off the words, looking at Aokiji with some annoyance.

“Tch, you’re no fun at all. Nothing but training, training, training—what a bleak life,” Aokiji sighed, rolling his eyes.

“Are you boasting about being promoted to vice admiral, or do you really think a guy who sleeps on the streets like you has the right to criticize me?”

Xuanye rubbed his forehead, feeling exasperated.

“It’s called napping, and I don’t sleep on the streets. Of course, if you’re jealous, I won’t argue,” Aokiji said smugly, grinning.

“You’ve really changed a lot over the past year,” Xuanye remarked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

“Forget it, I’m done talking. Want to train together?”

“No thanks, I think I’ll go take a nap,” Aokiji replied, waving him off with a dramatic face.

――――――――――――――

Impel Down, also known as Impelton, is the world’s greatest prison, famed for being impenetrable. Situated in the Calm Belt of the first half of the Grand Line, its security is unmatched. Only the most heinous criminals are imprisoned here, and its interior is dark and terrifying, filled with monstrous jailers and monitored by visual Den Den Mushi. The waters outside teem with giant sea kings.

To date, not a single prisoner has ever escaped this prison. Simply put, once you enter, it’s as if you’ve entered hell itself.

With a grinding clank, massive gears turned amid the thick sea mist. Two colossal gates, towering into the clouds, slowly swung open.

“Warden, Navy Headquarters’ escort fleet is passing through the Gates of Justice,” reported a prison guard at the Impel Down port, lowering his binoculars.

“Prepare to receive them,” said a middle-aged man at the front, long-haired, bespectacled, a sword at his waist, his aura peaceful and his face smiling.

“Magellan, Shiryu, Hannibal—prepare to escort Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King.”

“Tch, isn’t this a bit much? Once you pass through the Gates of Justice, not even a god could escape,” grumbled a man with a prison cap and a sword at his waist, puffing on a cigar.

“Shiryu, whatever the warden says, we do,” retorted a hulking man with two horns on his head and bat wings on his back.

“Magellan, you’re not the chief warden—just the deputy. What right do you have to order me?” Shiryu’s eyes grew cold as his hand drifted to his weapon.

“Exactly! The deputy warden position should have been mine!” Hannibal chimed in jealously.

“Hmph, do you want to spend a week bedridden?” Magellan’s massive form shifted, purple mist seeping from his body.

“Damn Venom-Venom Fruit,” Hannibal muttered resentfully, quickly backing down.

“Hmph, believe me, I’ll cut you down,” Shiryu threatened, drawing his blade, ready to strike Magellan.

“That’s enough. Don’t make a scene and embarrass us,” a calm voice interrupted at the critical moment.

“Yes, sir,” Magellan replied respectfully.

“Hmph,” Shiryu grunted, turning away.

“They’re here!” At that moment, the massive warships finally docked at the port.

One by one, Sengoku and his party disembarked.

Stepping off the ship, Xuanye looked up at the famed impregnable prison, his mind swirling with thoughts.

After studying the colossal fortress, Xuanye turned his gaze to the middle-aged man at the front, speaking with Sengoku.

His pupils contracted in surprise. He had never expected that the man who would become so gentle in a few years was now the chief warden of the world’s greatest prison.

What kind of place was this? It was where the most heinous and terrifying criminals were held. To be chief warden here required more than strength; it demanded ruthless methods as well.

Otherwise, there would be no way to intimidate such lawless prisoners.

“Koshiro,” Xuanye murmured inwardly, suppressing his shock and following alongside the group with a blank expression.

……

Koshiro as chief warden is entirely my own invention. Some say he was a member of Roger’s crew, others that he was an officer in the Revolutionary Army, but don’t take any of this seriously—it’s just a novel.

And as for the mention of Huaxia, Descendant of the Dragon, and the like—it’s simply because I, the author, enjoy those names and themes. I love the ancient word Huaxia and its mythology—I love my country.

All I can say is, please keep reading, and if you spot any mistakes, leave a comment. Of course, if you have praise or encouragement, that will inspire me even more. Please don’t abandon me—I’m begging you!