Inside the Prison

Rock watched Hannyabal walk ahead of him.

The Vice Warden of Impel Down led the way, gesturing wildly as he went.

Every so often, he glanced back to make sure Rock was following.

He looked so nervous and eager, as though he feared the "legendary Marine" might suddenly get lost.

"This way! Vice Admiral Rock, please come this way!"

Hannyabal spoke with an exaggerated sweep of his arm.

Rock said nothing. He simply followed at an unhurried pace.

His gaze calmly took in the structure of Impel Down.

But inwardly, he found himself paying more attention to the man.

Hannyabal was ambitious.

That much was clear from his earlier muttering about becoming warden.

He also had a loose tongue.

Whatever was on his mind often slipped right out.

Most people might have considered him unreliable.

But Rock thought fairly highly of him, because he knew the man had another side.

A sense of responsibility.

If a real emergency struck Impel Down,

even against an enemy far stronger than himself, this seemingly ridiculous man would never run.

He would be the first to step forward and fight with everything he had.

Not for the World Government, or for any honor.

For one simple reason.

He could not let the pirates escape.

Because if the monsters imprisoned in Impel Down got out,

ordinary civilians would always be the first to suffer.

A scene from another timeline surfaced in Rock's mind.

Luffy had beaten Hannyabal bloody. The man could barely stand.

Yet he had dragged himself up again and again to block the passage.

Even knowing he stood no chance, he had held his ground.

All because of one conviction: "I can't let the pirates escape and prey on civilians."

At the thought, Rock's lips curved slightly.

He had a lot of respect