Creeeak.
As soon as Ye Chen finished speaking, the gates of Impel Down swung open, and a crowd rushed out.
There were guards and stationed Marines. They split to either side, their ranks stretching forward like two long dragons. Before long, they had taken their positions, lining the road like trees.
They stood tall and straight, every one of them. But Ye Chen could hardly praise their discipline. Despite their numbers, the lines were crooked and loose. They scarcely looked like soldiers.
Besides, they came in every imaginable shape and size. Even standing at attention, they looked faintly ridiculous.
Since arriving in this world, Ye Chen had seen plenty of Marines, and every time, he felt as though he had walked into a zoo. Some were as thin as bamboo poles, others as fat as barrels. Some towered like trees, while others were short and squat. What a far cry they were from the soldiers he remembered.
Their heights alone were a jumble. Looking down the ranks was like watching a chaotic stock chart rise and fall.
What were the World Government's recruiters even doing? They must have been a bunch of useless fools, willing to take anyone who showed up.
Of course, it was a trivial distraction. At least it put Ye Chen in a better mood.
His gaze passed over the guards and Marines and settled on the men walking between them. His eyes lit up, and he burst out laughing. "I never thought Hannibal would come out to greet me. I bet he's added quite a few more picture books to his collection under the bed since I last saw him."
"Hello..."
Ye Chen greeted him with a broad, easy smile.
"Huh? Do I know you? Who are you saying hello to?"
Hannibal frowned and muttered in