Garp's Appreciation

"Mosen, what are you daydreaming about? Mr. Garp asked you a question!" Tokikake reminded the blank-faced Mosen.

"Sorry, Mr. Garp. I was just wondering who this Michael you mentioned was."

"So you don't know Michael?"

Mosen shook his head.

Tokikake's expression changed slightly when he saw Mosen shake his head. "Mosen, are you sure you've never heard the name Michael? There shouldn't be many prisoners in Extreme Cold Hell. Think carefully."

Garp's expression darkened as well. Even he would find this horribly harsh environment unbearable after staying here for a while, let alone Michael. Could Michael have frozen to death already?

Mosen discreetly watched their expressions and was basically certain that they bore Michael no ill will.

Michael was in the cabin right now, and there was no way to hide that, so Mosen decided to test them.

"Mr. Garp, Mr. Tokikake, do you need something from this prisoner named Michael?"

"Mosen, Michael used to be a Navy Major General. Once, while carrying out a mission, Michael happened to come across a Celestial Dragon slaughtering an innocent civilian family.

"Unable to stand by, Michael stepped in to stop the Celestial Dragon's evil deeds and took down all of his bodyguards.

"The Celestial Dragon was furious and shouted that Michael should be killed along with them, then fired at Michael.

"Michael was a little hot-headed at the time. After dodging the bullet, he rushed over and gave the Celestial Dragon a severe beating.

"You should know that assaulting a Celestial Dragon is a grave crime. Michael was expelled from the Navy because of it, and Marshal Kong even placed a bounty of 150 million Beli on him.

"After leaving the Navy, Michael didn't give in to despair and join up with pirates. Instead, he kept protecting civilians. One time, while he was fighting a group of pirates, he was spotted by passing Marines.

"The Marines waited until both sides had fought each other to a standstill before stepping in and capturing Michael.

"That was how Michael was escorted back to Marine Headquarters. At the time, there were two opinions within the Navy regarding how to deal with him. One side, led by Marshal Kong, wanted Michael executed outright. The other, led by Mr. Garp, believed that Michael had done nothing wrong by protecting civilians and should not be punished.

"The two sides argued fiercely, and Mr. Garp nearly came to blows with Marshal Kong.

"In the end, Mr. Sengoku stepped in to mediate. He said Michael's life could be spared, but the fact remained that he had assaulted a Celestial Dragon and had to be punished.

"So Sengoku proposed sending Michael to Impel Down and handling everything according to the procedures for pirates. Neither Marshal Kong nor Mr. Garp would be allowed to interfere in secret.

"Ultimately, under Mr. Sengoku's mediation, both sides took a step back, and Michael was sent to Impel Down."

After hearing Tokikake's explanation, Mosen basically understood why the two had come to Extreme Cold Hell.

He put on a hesitant expression, then finally gritted his teeth and said, "Mr. Garp, Mr. Tokikake, I don't know whether what you said is true or merely a test.

"But I'm willing to trust Mr. Garp, because you're a Marine hero, and your son saved my life.

"Actually, Michael isn't dead. I took him and his companions in."

"Kid, are you telling the truth?" Garp asked sternly.

"It's true. After learning that Michael had been sent here for assaulting a Celestial Dragon, I helped him because he did what I had always wanted to do but never had the chance to."

Garp burst into laughter at that. He patted Mosen on the shoulder and said, "You're a good kid! I hate those bastards too.

"That brat Dragon is usually unreliable, but the people he saves are pretty decent!

"Kid, are you interested in coming back to Marine Headquarters with me?"

"Mr. Garp, I'm sorry, but I can't leave this place yet. Look over there. Those little snow mounds are filled with Military Wolf bones. Some of the prisoners in Extreme Cold Hell have already adapted to this environment and gained the ability to hunt Military Wolves.

"Military Wolf meat can be eaten, and their fur can keep people warm. If left unchecked, they could easily cause major trouble. This is a serious hidden danger within Impel Down.

"Until that hidden danger is dealt with, I won't leave."

After hearing Mosen's words, Garp thought even more highly of the young man. He had remained calm even in the face of Garp's invitation. Back when Garp had invited Kuzan, Kuzan had been visibly excited.

Moreover, the kid had a strong sense of responsibility. In a place as harsh as Extreme Cold Hell, most people would follow without a second thought if they heard they had a chance to leave.

But Mosen was different. He insisted on eliminating every hidden danger in Extreme Cold Hell before even considering leaving. It was far too unfair for someone like him to spend his entire life in Impel Down just because he hated the Celestial Dragons.

Besides, the kid hadn't done anything wrong! The Celestial Dragons had killed his parents—it wasn't as if he had killed theirs. Wasn't it only natural for him to hate the Celestial Dragons?

"Then I won't try to persuade you. Once you've dealt with the trouble in Extreme Cold Hell, contact me whenever you like. I'll arrange for you to go to Marine Headquarters. For now, take us to see Michael!" Garp said, patting Mosen on the shoulder.

Mosen nodded and led Garp and Tokikake toward the cabin.

"Someone's coming from outside!" Mia, who had been warming herself by the stove, suddenly stood up.

"Someone's coming? Who is it? New prisoners?" Ian asked.

"Not prisoners. Of the two people outside, one has an incredibly powerful Life aura—stronger than even Paddy's, and not by a little.

"Even the Marine Admiral who captured our pirate crew before didn't have a Life aura as strong as his," Mia said, trembling.

Everyone's expressions changed drastically at her words. A Life aura even stronger than a Marine Admiral's—what kind of monster was that?

"I sensed it too. What a terrifying Life aura. I've never seen anyone this strong. Could it be Edward Newgate, Whitebeard, the man said to be the strongest in the world, charging into Impel Down?" Ian added.

"If Whitebeard were coming, he'd be going to the sixth level of Impel Down. Why would he come to the fifth? Speaking of which, Paddy, you're from the Flying Pirate Group. You should have seen Whitebeard before, right? Is that Life aura outside Whitebeard's?" Mia turned and asked.

Just as Paddy was about to speak, Michael suddenly stood up. "The person outside isn't Whitebeard. It's the Marine hero, Garp." With that, Michael pushed open the door and walked outside, just as Garp and Tokikake reached the entrance to the cabin.

"Hahaha! Michael, you really are all right! This kid didn't lie to us," Garp said with a laugh.

"Mr. Garp, why did you come to Extreme Cold Hell?"

"I came to see you. With this kid looking after you, you should be fine for the time being. Michael, hold on a little longer. Once things die down after some time, I'll find a way to rescue you," Garp said with a smile.

Not everyone in the Navy opposed the World Government or hated the Celestial Dragons. Marshal Kong and Sengoku, for example, were supporters of the World Government. Given Sengoku's position, it would have been impossible for him to allow the protagonist to go to Marine Headquarters when the protagonist had a grudge against the Celestial Dragons. That was why I arranged the Michael storyline, allowing the protagonist to connect with Garp and laying the groundwork for his eventual return to Marine Headquarters.