The great underwater prison, Impel Down-Upper Ground Level.
Morning light filtered through thick clouds, casting dappled light and shadow over the enormous complex.
The soaring towers, heavy walls, and densely packed gun batteries all declared the same fact: this was the world's most heavily guarded prison, the end of the road for countless villains of the seas.
Boer dispelled the soundproof barrier and turned toward the two children behind him.
"Impel Down prison."
His voice was calm, as though he were introducing an ordinary tourist attraction:
"Known as the world's impregnable fortress, it's where countless villains of the seas end up."
Standing nearby, Magellan finally relaxed the tense lines of his face at those words. A barely perceptible smile even appeared-the pride of a Chief Warden in the place under his jurisdiction.
But Boer paused.
"Or rather, where losers end up."
His tone remained calm, but the content of that sentence froze the smile on Magellan's face.
"Because the criminals locked up here were all defeated by the World Government and the Marines. If you two really do head out to sea to become Pirate King someday, and don't perish out there..."
He lowered his head and looked at the two children listening with their faces tilted up.
"Try your best not to get caught. Otherwise, escaping will be extremely difficult."
Magellan's expression eased somewhat-though those words were hardly pleasant, they were at least true.
He crouched down, trying to make his face, twisted by years of constipation, look a little more approachable:
"That's right, so forget that unrealistic fantasy."
His gaze swept over the two children's faces:
"If you're not interested in joining the Marines, you can work here instead. Not only is the work easy, but the food is very good."
Luffy's eyes instantly lit up.
"Then if