"Major General Wilton, we've arrived at Enies Lobby."
The voyage had been smooth and uneventful.
Before long, the warship reached Enies Lobby, the World Government's courthouse known as the Island Without Night, where daylight reigned year-round.
By passing through the Gate of Justice, one could quickly reach the World's Greatest Prison, Impel Down.
At the harbor,
a group of government officials was waiting.
They had come under Chief Spandam's orders to receive the Marine Rear Admiral escorting the criminals. Clearly, they had already received instructions from higher up.
The warship docked.
Squads of Marines disembarked, escorting Arlong, Buggy, and the others.
Wilton followed them ashore.
"Major General Wilton."
More than a dozen government officials saluted Wilton. Their ranks were lower than his, and they had heard that Major General Wilton had fought the World's Most Evil Man in Loguetown.
Though he had been defeated,
his unwavering resolve and fearless courage had already reached the ears of those above. Even the Fleet Admiral had remarked that, though defeated, he had fought with honor.
As expected of a Marine Tough Guy.
Even when facing the World's Most Evil Man, he had not retreated in the slightest. Instead, he had fought with the resolve to die, displaying the Marines' justice and spirit. Anyone with even a little social sense understood that the Fleet Admiral or an Admiral might already be taking notice of this rear admiral.
His future prospects were limitless.
At the very least, becoming a Headquarters vice admiral was a certainty.
"Mm. Let's proceed to the Gate of Justice!"
Wilton acted swiftly and decisively, with no intention of wasting time at Enies Lobby.
Moreover, Enies Lobby's institutions reported directly to the World Government. Strictly speaking, the Marines were another branch of the World Government. Only vice admirals had the authority to interfere to some extent, while admirals held even greater power.
As for the Fleet Admiral, he could issue orders directly.
"Yes!"
After winding through several paths,
the group crossed the Bridge of Hesitation and eventually arrived before an enormous steel gate at its end. Once they passed through it, the warship could ride the government's unique currents to Marine Headquarters or the Great Deep Sea Prison, Impel Down.
They changed ships.
The Gate of Justice opened a narrow crack, and the warship entered without obstruction. It then allowed the currents to carry it toward Impel Down, which had also received its orders.
As the World's Greatest Prison, Impel Down was located in the Calm Belt of the first half of the Grand Line, guarded with extraordinary strictness.
The prison held only major criminals. It was gloomy and terrifying, watched over by all manner of beastly jailers and visual Den Den Mushi. Beneath the sea outside the prison lurked countless massive Sea Kings, earning Impel Down its reputation as an impenetrable fortress.
It had six levels in total.
The entire structure was a colossal tower submerged beneath the sea, with its foundation resting on the ocean floor.
No one knew how it had been built.
It could only be called a marvel of craftsmanship.
Level Four underground, Boiling Hell.
A jailer wearing a gas mask pushed open an office door and found it empty. His gaze habitually shifted toward the restroom around the corner, where the sound of violent diarrhea was coming from.
Thick green toxic mist was also billowing out.
"Warden Magellan, Major General Wilton from the Marines has passed through the Gate of Justice and will arrive at Impel Down in ten minutes. Who should we send to receive him?"
Inside the restroom,
a massive man with the appearance of Satan sat on the squat toilet with a pained expression, struggling to expel the toxic gas in his abdomen. As a Venom-Venom Fruit User, the Devil Fruit had granted him terrifying strength, but it also caused him endless misery.
Because he was a poison human, even his breath was toxic. Food brought to his mouth was often contaminated by the fumes. Though it was unintentional, the poison was so potent that his own body could not endure it, resulting in diarrhea.
It would not kill him, but it was unbearable.
He spent ten hours a day with diarrhea.
"Have Vice Warden Domino receive him! The criminals Major General Wilton is escorting are connected to the Shichibukai."
Magellan held his breath. When the mass of toxic gas in his stomach finally came out, that demonic face was filled with bliss and satisfaction.
"Yes."
Very soon,
seven or eight minutes later, a slender and elegant woman wearing reddish-brown sunglasses and a slanted hat that covered her right eye arrived at the first-floor entrance above the sea with more than a dozen jailers. She had long, wavy golden hair.
She wore a brown jacket and brown shorts over a white shirt, with a black tie, dark red high boots, and dark red long gloves. Her face was stern as she waited.
She was Domino, Impel Down's Vice Warden, one of the prison's most beautiful women. Her popularity was extremely high among both jailers and prisoners.
The other was Chief Jailer Sadi, who had a severe sadistic streak.
"Whooo!"
A whistle sounded.
The warship docked at the designated harbor.
"Major General Wilton, I am Vice Warden Domino. Warden Magellan ordered me to receive these prisoners."
Domino looked Wilton over, confirming that he matched the photograph she had seen. Only then did she signal for the jailers behind her to lower their guard before stepping forward to greet him with elegance and courtesy.
"Warden Domino, this is the criminal Arlong. In addition, I happened to arrest several Devil Fruit User pirates in Loguetown."
Wilton nodded, his tone unchanged by Domino's beauty and sex appeal. This world never lacked beautiful women, and he was an absolute believer in equality between men and women.
"I heard about what happened in Loguetown. I never expected that Major General Wilton could remain so brave and fearless even when facing the World's Most Evil Man."
As she said this, Domino's expression turned solemn.
The impact of the Loguetown incident had not been limited to the Marines and the World Government. Other forces outside had also heard of it. It could only be said that the World's Most Evil Man carried tremendous weight.
That was why becoming famous in the pirate world was easy.
All one had to do was pick a renowned powerhouse and fight him. Even without gaining much of an advantage, as long as one survived, one would soon make the headlines and gain fame overnight.
"Everything is for justice."
"May I take a look around Impel Down?"
Wilton did not continue discussing the matter, instead changing the subject and expressing his desire to tour the World's Greatest Prison. In just a few months, with the arrival of the Summit War, this place would witness the greatest Prison Break in history.
"Of course."
Domino waved for the jailers to take custody of the prisoners and register them, then personally led Wilton through the gates to the first floor above the sea.
"Major General Wilton, Impel Down has six levels: Crimson Hell, Beast Hell, Hunger Hell, Boiling Hell, Extreme Cold Hell, and Infinite Hell."
"Ah—"
"Damn it, let me go!"
As Domino introduced the prison while walking, the screams and curses of Buggy, Alvida, Bartholomew, and Arlong came from not far to the left.
"This is the baptism every prisoner must undergo upon arriving at Impel Down."
Seeing Wilton look over, Domino spoke as though it were perfectly natural.
The so-called baptism involved throwing prisoners into boiling water at one hundred degrees for sterilization and disinfection. At that moment, Buggy and the others were howling in agony inside.
Quite a few jailers nearby laughed heartily, thoroughly enjoying the sight of them struggling.
Wilton's expression remained calm. This suffering was what Buggy and the others deserved. At the root of it, none of them were good people. As pirates, a racist, and an underworld boss, they all had the blood of countless innocents on their hands, directly or indirectly.
On these seas, apart from the true common people at the bottom, not a single person was innocent. Anyone who became a pirate was bound to have blood and sin on their hands.
Otherwise, they could never have become pirates.
If one day he fell on the road to realizing his ambitions and ended up like this as well, he would have no one to blame. It would be his own choice.
Before you continue