They all turned to look, and they recognized the man. Smoker, in particular, gritted his teeth in anger.
"It's that Corrupt King. Why is he still at headquarters?" Smoker muttered to himself.
Vic was also somewhat surprised. This guy should be a dangerous individual, so why had he been detained at headquarters for so long?
"Teacher, what's going on?" Vic asked, pointing to the dejected Pizarro as Zephyr approached.
"This guy is dangerous. Without a suitable escort to Impel Down, there's a risk of something going wrong along the way. He's Mythical Zoan, just like Kaido. Sakazuki and Kuzan went straight to the New World, so they didn't have a reliable escort. Knowing we were setting sail, Sengoku entrusted this task to us. With you and me, everything will be absolutely safe!" Zephyr explained.
Vic nodded. Pizarro had been wearing Seastone handcuffs for so long that he was in poor spirits. Even when faced with his enemy who had captured him, he had no interest in making any threats.
"Let's go, board the ship, let's set off! Smoker and Hina's training can't be neglected!" Zephyr said to his previous students.
After saying this, he led the soldiers escorting Pizarro onto the ship, and Smoker and Hina quickly agreed.
" Smoker, Hina, we're leaving too. Take care! This is a letter for an informant in Sabaody. It has an address on it. Could you deliver it for me if you have time?" Vic said goodbye to the two of them and then handed a letter to Smoker.
"Yes, I'll deliver it."
" Smoker, Hina, goodbye!" the two women said in farewell.
"Okay, goodbye!" Hina was a little sad. There weren't many female soldiers in the Navy to begin with, and even fewer who could come to headquarters. She had never had many friends before, mostly just admirers. Now that her friends were leaving, and she didn't know when she would see them again, she was really reluctant to part with them.
Smoker, on the other hand, was much more oblivious. He didn't think that much about it and was just focused on getting the wine out later.
Vic led the two women onto the warship. The warship's deck was indeed made of steel plates. Vic looked back at the bustling port and the iconic headquarters building, feeling somewhat emotional. Seven years had passed since he came to this world. He had gained some ability to protect himself, which was a small step towards freedom. Rebecca had also embarked on the path of the strong. Things would be even better in the future, right?
The warship left the port, Vic waved to Smoker and Hina, who were still there, before sailing away into the distance under the sunlight.
This time, we went to the Impel Down through a special passage of the World Government, the Gate of Justice.
There are three Gate of Justice, and between them is a whirlpool Gate of Justice. Ships that enter the current can reach the three major agencies of the World Government more quickly.
The Gate of Justice was very close to headquarters, and the warship quickly arrived in front of it. The upper part of the Gate of Justice was not clearly visible, hidden in the clouds and mist. The students were all amazed by the magnificent Gate of Justice.
"Is this the Gate of Justice? It's so huge!"
"How was this built? It's unimaginable!"
"I can't see the top at all. It can't be as high as the Red Line, can it?"
The warship was communicating with the soldiers guarding the Gate of Justice about opening it. Vic looked at the towering Gate of Justice, somewhat doubting whether it was something that could be done by human power.
With Zephyr present, the communication ended quickly, and the Gate of Justice were slowly opening. Although they were only slightly ajar, it was enough for the warships to pass through.
Once the warship entered, its speed increased, and it rode the swirling currents, propelling itself forward at a rapid pace, almost touching the Gate of Justice.
"Teacher, where are we headed this time?" Vic asked Zephyr.
"My first stop is Water 7. It's a shipbuilding mecca, and there are many pirates there, so it'll be more effective for training!" Zephyr told Vic directly about the destination. Normally, this shouldn't be revealed; only the highest-ranking officer on a warship would know the destination, as it might cause unforeseen circumstances if others knew. But he trusted Vic's information.
" Water 7? Tom and his two apprentices are probably still researching the Sea Train. It's a shame that such a magical Sea Train hasn't appeared yet. If it did, I could take Rebecca and Wendy for a ride; that would be a great experience!"
" Water 7 is said to be the island where Pluton was built. Tom still has the blueprints. Should we go and get them? Franky will destroy it anyway, so it's good to get them. Hand them over to the World Government? That's impossible. They're already a domineering dictator who takes whatever they want from the world. If Pluton comes along, it will only make things worse!" Vic thought to himself.
"Beyond the Gate of Justice is Enies Lobby, so let's skip it. We'll contact them to Impel Down, otherwise we'll just end up back at headquarters," Zephyr said to the liaison officer beside him.
The vortexes within the three Gates of Gate of Justice all point in one direction: from Marine Headquarters to Enies Lobby, then to Impel Down, and finally back to Marine Headquarters.
Therefore, to get to Impel Down from headquarters, you must pass through Enies Lobby. Behind the Gate of Justice in Impel Down is the Calm Belt. It's not impossible to bypass the Gate of Justice and go directly to Impel Down; the possibility is very small. You would have to enter through the Calm Belt.
The Empress took King Luffy Impel Down via the Calm Belt, using a ship pulled by two Orochi.
The Calm Belt Calm Belt two main problems: first, boats have no power and must be propelled by human power or have powered ships; second, it is inhabited by many giant Sea Kings, making it very dangerous.
Who would go to Impel Down for no reason? That's why only one person, Golden Lion, has successfully escaped over the years. He relied on the flying ability of the Float-Float Fruit to get away. If it were someone else, the outcome would be very different.
Soon another enormous Gate of Justice appeared in front of the warship, and the trainees were once again amazed. The whirlpool of ocean currents crashed into the Gate of Justice and bounced back, and the warship turned sixty degrees with the current and continued to sail at high speed.
" Vic, that's amazing! How did you do that?" Rebecca asked, her face full of curiosity.
"I guess there's a huge whirlpool in the middle of this sea area, constantly spinning. The Marine Headquarters was probably established first, and then this whirlpool flowed through Enies Lobby."
The World Government World Government wanted to take advantage of this terrain. They used the convenience of the Great Whirlpool and the safety of the Calm Belt to build Impel Down and Enies Lobby Courthouse. These three locations form an equilateral triangle.
"With the Gate of Justice blocking the way, the whirlpool current can circulate. Once the Gate of Justice is opened, the warships can follow the seawater flowing out of the Gate of Justice into these three places," Vic explained based on the information he knew.
The principle is as described, but the reasons and order of events are purely speculative. It is estimated that this structure was built seven or eight hundred years ago, and its current condition is unverifiable. It is estimated that only the high-ranking officials of the World Government would know about it.
"What a magnificent project!" Rebecca exclaimed.
"I don't know if it's great or not, but it's definitely a huge project!" Vic replied.
He thought of that bridge that had been under construction for over seven hundred years. An entire nation was dragged along to build it, generation after generation, migrating as they built. What a colossal mistake that nation had made! It was a massive project, but could you call it a great one? As for the Gate of Justice, who knows if it was truly just or not!
The world is far more cruel than it appears. Can't the World Government truly eliminate all pirates? Or is it that if there are no pirates, they can't use the pretext of capturing pirates to collect money and engage in all sorts of dirty deeds?
This is what they call "nurturing pirates to enhance one's own power," isn't it? I've been trying to find ways to deal with pirates and protect everyone, so of course you have to give something in return, right? It's not unreasonable for us to have some privileges to make things easier, is it? We've been fighting pirates for so many years, can't we Celestial Dragons enjoy ourselves a little? Buying people of various races as slaves isn't too much to ask, is it?
Many people in the Navy may genuinely be dedicated to fighting pirates, but the Navy is merely a tool of the World Government. We can only cut down whomever the World Government tells us to cut down. If we don't, who will give us the funding? Want to do it ourselves? Do you think the World Government only has the Navy? You can try and see if we can wipe you out. Want a piece of our pie? That's our number one enemy; I have to put pirates aside for now.
Therefore, Vic doesn't really have any goodwill towards the World Government. The future will bring huge changes, and he wants to see if he can control the massive Navy. He knows that at his age, he probably won't have much hope, but wouldn't it be better to put one of his own in charge, like Aokiji? Wouldn't it be a pleasant surprise if his blade ate its master?
Vic had many thoughts on his mind, and feeling somewhat disheartened, he lost interest in watching. He immediately sat cross-legged and began to cultivate his Observation Haki.