Chapter 555
“Welcome, Vice Admiral Garp.”
The terrifying realm of sea kings, a large prison buried deep in the sea, is known as the prison of the h.e.l.l of the world, Impel Down.
A large group of marine soldiers, led by Magellan, the prison Chief Warden, and Hannyabal, the Vice Warden, came out to welcome Vice Admiral Garp.
On the dog-headed warship, Garp followed Koby and Helmeppo, who had become captains, and came to Magellan after pa.s.sing in front of the welcoming marines.
Facing Vice Admiral Garp, Magellan respectfully said: “Vice Admiral Garp, with the permission of Fleet Admiral Sengoku, you may meet Fire Fist Ace alone. We have prepared the room.”
A high-ranking marine official who has gone through the age of great voyages, was also a witness of the Garp era. Back then, Garp was a legend in the marine, and countless pirates had nightmares.
It is precisely because of the existence of strong people like Garp that the marine can stand in the Golden Age of Pirates and protect the justice of the marine. This is the treatment that Garp should accept.
Nodding his head, Garp stepped into the big prison, “No, I’m just going to talk, I don’t need any special rooms, let’s go directly to the Level 6.”
Following Garp’s entry, Magellan and the others led the large underwater prison, and then walked into the large prison, leaving teams of marine guards outside.
Through the elevator, Garp walked all the way, and he didn’t see the usual smiling face at all, only a serious face.
The elevator door opened, and Garp stepped out. Magellan and the others did not follow. Everyone knew about the relationship between Vice Admiral Garp and Ace the Fire Fist. This was a rare time for the grandfather and grandson to have a conversation.
Stepping into the Level 6, it is also the most important floor of the entire underwater prison. Compared with the upper five levels, the silence here is terrifying.
Because all the people detained here are extremely dangerous existences for the Marine Headquarters, arresting these people back then wasted a lot of the Marine’s strength.
Normally, except for the prison guards who deliver meals, no one comes here on the Level 6. Many prisoners have been in this dark cell for decades.
The sound of steady footsteps resounded throughout the Level 6 of the large underwater prison. Many strong men on the Level 6 who closed their eyes and meditated, opened their eyes at that moment.
It’s not a strange thing for someone to come. After all, there are people delivering food here every day, but they can all feel that the person who arrives is a strong person.
The aura of this strong man does not belong to Magellan, but the aura it exudes is much stronger than Magellan’s.
“Garp, you old b.a.s.t.a.r.d is still alive!”
Walking through the long corridor and pa.s.sing the door of a prison cell, a strange aura suddenly emanated from it, mixed with frightening darkness.
Hearing the yelling to himself, Garp suddenly stopped in his tracks, squinted at the prison cell, and said calmly, “Red Count, if you haven’t died in this big prison yet, how could I die?”
I saw that there was a man in the cell wearing a red cloak, with two clear blood-like marks on his face, he must be another strong man who dominated the Grand Line back then.
It’s a pity that he was still caught by the marine. Two hard towers and seastone chains were firmly fixed on the shoulders of the Red Count.
Slowly opening his eyes, the Red Count said, “Garp, I never thought I would see you, old fellow. You sent me to the big prison in that battle and let me stay there for more than ten years…”
Looking away from the Red Count, Garp stepped out and said at the same time: “This era has changed, and it is the best choice for you to stay here.”
It’s not just the Red Count. Along the way, Garp at least met many powerful pirates who woke up and greeted Garp.
Most of them were defeated by Garp, and then sent to the big prison, where they have been staying until now. Some of them have a lot of hatred to Garp.
Ignoring these people, Garp came directly to a cell, stopped his progress, and looked at the figure in the cell that was tightly imprisoned on the ground by seastone chains.
Sensing that someone was coming, the figure did not raise his head, but lowered his head and said, “Smelly old man, you’re here!”
The quiet Level 6 became noisy because of Garp’s arrival. How could the figure not know of Garp’s arrival, and at the same time understand that Garp came here to find himself.
“Ace, you brat!” Looking at the decadent figure in the cell, Garp cursed as usual.
It’s just that there is no such anger and teaching in the words, only a kind of helplessness and heart tiredness.
Raising his head, Ace looked at Garp with his haggard face, and said with a faint smile, “Smelly old man, you still scold us as always. Just like back then, the first thing Luffy and I heard every time was that you called us brats, and then you beat us up hard, and wanted us to become marine, but we all became pirates.” Speaking of Luffy, Ace showed a heartfelt smile on his face, “I heard that Luffy not only solved Crocodile, but also defeated CP9’s Lucci, and the kid who caused trouble gradually became famous.”
“Ace, don’t you really know?” Garp’s silent voice sounded, it was indeed a question, “Luffy is like you, the more famous you are, the easier it is for the marine to top you, maybe one day, Luffy will be like you.”
Shaking his head, Ace said firmly, “No, Luffy is the man who will become the Pirate King. How could he be caught by the marine? Old man, do you know? Both of us went to sea with the goal of becoming pirates, but our starting points are indeed different. Luffy wants to be the freest existence on the sea and experience all kinds of interesting adventures, but I want to walk on that man’s path. I want to see that part of the road, the reason that is enough for him to abandon his family.
When it comes to that man, Ace no longer has the excitement, anger, and hatred that he showed so easily when he was young, but only calm.
Pursing his lips, Garp asked, “In the end, did you find the answer you needed?”
“No.” lowering his head, Ace did not find the answer when he went to sea that year, but suddenly changed the subject, “However, I found a real family relationship, one that allows me to experience the feeling of family.”
“Family love?” There was a soft murmur in his mouth, and Garp had the feeling that he always understood.
Regarding this grandson, Garp has always understood in his heart. When Ace was young, he heard countless people around him tell him that his father was a big villain, and Ace was considered by the village to be the culprit who killed his own mother. What he lacked in his heart was a very real affection.
After a pause, Ace continued: “Dad gave me responsibilities and things that man never gave. For me, I only have one dad.”
This time, Garp didn’t speak, but opened the cell door, walked in, came to Ace, looked down at Ace, raised his palm and slapped him down mercilessly.
Snapped!
Loud applause echoed throughout the prison cell. Looking at Ace with blood on the corner of his mouth, Garp cursed angrily: “You know what? Twenty years ago, that man was also in the cell on the first floor, the only thing that man asked me to do was one thing: to let me help you be born into this world safely.”
“Really?” Ace let out a disdain, looked up at Garp, and shouted excitedly: “But where was that man when I was born, where was that man when my mother died, when I could only watch countless people of my age return home, but I don’t even have a basic home. So where was he?!”
As if he had finished venting his anger, Ace’s tone slowly relaxed, “Actually, sometimes, I envy Luffy very much. Although he doesn’t know who his parents are, he has countless people who care about him in Windmill Village.”
Hearing this, Garp wanted to slap him angrily, but he didn’t have the strength to slap him anymore.
Why!
Sighing deeply, Garp sat down cross-legged, and said slowly, “Did you know, your mother endured twenty months to give birth to you in order to keep you from being hunted by the marine? …During that time, I often observed your mother secretly. She was a terrible woman and mother. It was a miracle that she delayed your birth for ten months. Back then, when she handed you over to me, in addition to asking me to take care of you, she also asked me to let you understand that he was a real father! But now it seems that I haven’t done a good job.”
Hearing this, the excited Ace quieted down. After a long silence, he shook his head and said, “Smelly old man, you did nothing wrong. You did a good job, but I only have one father, and that is Whitebeard!”
Silence, the cell suddenly fell into a strange silence, neither of the father and son spoke, just fell silent.
Until finally Garp came out of this silence, clenched his fists, his body trembling slightly, even a man like Garp would tremble.
It is conceivable how Garp struggled in his heart at this time, “Why? Ace, why can’t you just follow what I said and become a marine instead? Why?”
Looking at the trembling old man with his head bowed in front of him, Ace could vaguely see a gleam of light appearing in the corner of the old man’s eyes, struggle, remorse, and pain all appeared together on the face of the old man who had gone through countless years of vicissitudes.
Ace suddenly understood at this moment that the old man in front of him was facing a choice of how to struggle. On the one hand, his grandson was on the one hand, and on the other hand, he insisted on the justice and belief of the marine. Why should this old man bear these burdens?
“Ace, you know, there are countless people in this world who worry about you. Now that you are captured by the marine, how many people will be affected, and how many will go on the road to rescue you without hesitation.”
“Your mother used her life to let you land on this world. Lin Tian told me that he tried to stop you in Arabasta. Why don’t you cherish your life? Why did you go?”
For more than ten years, Ace felt that it was the first time for him to look at Garp so closely and quietly, and the corners of his eyes couldn’t help but twitch.
Ace propped his hands up from the ground, knelt down slowly, and kowtowed his head to Garp who was sitting in front of him.
“…I’m sorry, Grandpa!”