Clang, clang, clang
The heavy footsteps of the Jailer Beasts, mixed with the dragging sound of Seastone chains on the ground, woke Ace from his slumber.
Impel Down's Level 6 daily toxic cat food greatly reduced the stamina of the prisoners on this level.
While keeping them alive, the cat food, mixed with special poison, left most of them feeling weak all over.
But that was mostly.
For the few truly top-tier great pirates in Level 6, the poison in the cat food couldn't affect them at all.
Ace's strength in Level 6 was neither high nor low.
There were those weaker than him, and most were stronger, but undoubtedly, as veterans of Level 6, their adaptation to the toxic cat food was much stronger than Ace's.
Trapped in this lightless place for months, Ace had spent almost all his time in this dazed state.
For the first two months, the prisoners would provoke him due to his identity as the Pirate King's son, but seeing that he showed little reaction, they eventually lost interest.
And today, Level 6, unexpectedly, sent another prisoner.
This was an extremely rare occurrence.
Level 6 rarely saw a new arrival in years, yet in just a few months, three waves of people had been sent in.
"Oh oh oh oh oh, new blood's here!!!!"
"Hahahahaha, who's the unlucky bastard this time?"
The prisoners were all excited to see the new arrivals.
After all, for those imprisoned in Level 6, new arrivals meant new entertainment.
What was even more unprecedented was that not just one, but a group of people were sent to Level 6.
No one in Level 6 recognized this group of young people plus a reindeer.
From their age, these bruised and unconscious guys must have just set sail, but to be caught and sent to Level 6 so soon after setting sail, it was hard to tell whether to admire their ability or mock their misfortune.
This group was divided into two.
One group, including the reindeer, was thrown into a cell by the Jailer Beasts, while the other, wearing a straw hat, was dragged by a Marine to Ace's cell.
"All of you shut up, you scum!!!"
A powerful roar instantly quieted the noisy prison.
After all, the person speaking was someone whom even the vicious inhabitants of Level 6 held in great awe.
Golden Lion and Red Count both opened their eyes.
Shiki looked at the white-haired old Marine and said sarcastically,
"Oh, isn't that Garp? What's the occasion for you to visit us-or your good grandson?"
"Shiki, I don't feel like arguing with you today."
Garp's voice was very deep, almost clearly revealing his low spirits.
Even Bullet felt curious now-what could make this carefree old man so sad?
"Get in there, you brat!"
Garp opened Ace's cell and directly threw the person he was holding inside.
Ace struggled to open his eyes, and what met them was a familiar face soundly sleeping with a huge snot bubble.
Ace was stunned.
He couldn't mistake that somewhat blank face, especially the characteristic of being able to sleep soundly no matter the circumstances-
"Lu, Luffy!!!"
Ace instantly cried out in surprise, suddenly looking up at Garp and roaring,
"Old Man! Why? Why could you lay a hand on Luffy!"
Garp sat down cross-legged without a word, and Ace, with countless words in his heart, suddenly fell silent, looking at the quiet Garp.
"This... is your choice," Garp said in a low voice.
"Luffy, Ace, I can't decide your lives. The path, you chose it yourselves..."
Garp's iron fist was quietly clenched, trembling.
This pair of fists, which had once defeated countless powerful enemies and had no rivals in the world, now, could only clench powerlessly.
Ace lowered his head in silence.
Garp was right; the path was theirs to choose, and they had to bear the consequences.
More than once, Garp had told them to become Marines, or not to go out to sea, and just live their lives in Foosha Village.
But they didn't listen to Garp.
Ace, Luffy, and even Sabo, not a single one of them was willing to live the way Garp suggested.
They all chose to go to sea, choosing to chase their dreams.
Given that, what right did he have to blame Garp?
"That bastard Roger, he told me to take care of his child before he died. I searched for a long time to find you and your mother, and then I brought you to Foosha Village."
Garp's low voice echoed in the unusually silent Level 6.
"Your father, Roger, he was a complete bastard, leaving so much trouble after his death... Ace, since you were little, I've hoped you'd live the way I told you, you should be a Marine, but you're still Roger's child after all..."
Some things are just like that.
Men with freedom flowing in their blood will never accept the shackles and responsibilities of the word 'justice' on their cloaks.
Even if Garp knew that only by becoming a Marine could Ace possibly wash away the 'original sin' of his bloodline, even so, Garp couldn't forcibly change Ace's life.
"Old Man, I don't care, but at least Luffy... Luffy is different!"
Ace clenched his fists, pleading in a low voice.
"I'm Roger's descendant, my execution is nothing. But Luffy is different, he just... just wants to adventure at sea!"
"His father is Monkey D. Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army, the most dangerous man recognized by the World Government."
Golden Lion, who had been quietly listening, suddenly interjected.
Shiki, who had been enjoying the show for a while, now scoffed maliciously,
"Garp, how do you teach people? Your own son became a Revolutionary, and your two grandsons became pirates. Your whole family is rebelling against the World Government. Why don't you just release all of us, and we can oppose the World Government together?"
"Shut up, Shiki!" Garp said in a low, unseeing voice.
"Otherwise, I'll go in there and punch you right now!"
Golden Lion didn't continue speaking.
His eyes flickered with a strange light, but the malicious smile on his face didn't diminish in the slightest.
"Ah, where am I?"
Luffy woke up, looking around blankly.
Seeing Ace imprisoned, he excitedly moved closer.
"Ace, I came to save you!"
"Save your head! You're locked up yourself now, you idiot!"
Ace immediately gave Luffy a headbutt, fiercely saying,
"Why did you come here to die, and drag your crew with you? Don't you know what Impel Down is like? Why did you come to save me!"
"Crew?"
Luffy was stunned for a moment.
He only remembered that he and his crew had broken into Level 4 of Impel Down.
In a place full of flames and burning blood, they encountered a jailer with bat wings on his back.
Just as they were about to make their move, Luffy felt a familiar pain in the back of his head, then passed out, only to wake up here.
"Grandpa, was it you who captured us?" Luffy's eyes widened, looking incredulously at the silent Garp outside the cell door, and said loudly,
"Grandpa, quickly let Ace and me out!"
"You'll be safer here." Garp said grimly.
This was Impel Down, with unimaginable dangers lurking everywhere.
Even Garp wasn't confident he could fight his way through Impel Down and rescue someone.
In fact, after receiving news from the Five Elders that his grandson had forcibly entered Impel Down to rescue Ace, Garp immediately rushed here.
And his 'promising' grandson had already fought his way to Level 4, confronting Impel Down's warden, Magellan.
Garp preemptively knocked out Luffy and his crew before Magellan could act, because any further, and it would only be death.
The warden of Impel Down was not as easy to talk to as the Marines.
In fact, for forcibly entering Impel Down and fighting all the way to Level 4, Magellan would have been completely justified in killing them on the spot.
"You two just stay here quietly. Probably not long... you'll be able to get out."
Garp left his last words and walked away from Level 6 with heavy steps.
After Garp left, the entire Level 6 was filled with the sharp, ear-piercing laughter of the pirate prisoners.
"Hahahahaha, Old Man Garp locked up another one of his grandsons, both of his grandsons are pirates hahahahaha!!!"
"What's called karma? The grandpa is a Marine hero, but his son and grandsons are all rebelling against the World Government, and now he personally sent both his grandsons in!"
"I thought he'd smash through the cell and save his grandson. In the end, he's still a coward who doesn't dare to defy the World Government!"
The incessant, piercing laughter continued, and would likely last for a very long time.
Ace looked at Luffy, his heart full of despair, his arms trembling slightly.
"Brat, do you hate your grandpa?"
Golden Lion asked Luffy, who was at one end of the cell, with full malice.
Luffy was stunned for a moment, then shook his head resolutely.
"No, Grandpa is a Marine, I'm a pirate. It's normal for him to catch me."
"Hmph, your personality... is nothing like Roger's. I really don't know why that brat Shanks would lose an arm for someone like you. Is this the kind of person Roger was waiting for?"
Golden Lion snorted, closed his eyes, and said no more.
Luffy, however, looked at him strangely.
It seemed... he had never talked about Shanks with this person before.
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