Everyone turned to look—they all recognized the man, and Smoker in particular gritted his teeth.
"That bastard Avalo Pizarro… Why is he still at Headquarters?" Smoker muttered to himself.
Victor was also surprised. This guy was supposed to be a dangerous criminal, right? How had he been kept at HQ for so long?
"Teacher, what's going on here?" Victor pointed at the exhausted-looking Pizarro as Zephyr approached.
"This man is extremely dangerous. There wasn't anyone suitable to escort him to Impel Down safely—too much risk of an incident during transport. He's a Mythical Zoan, just like Kaido! Since Sakazuki and Kuzan went straight to the New World, there was no one reliable enough to handle the job. When Fleet Admiral Sengoku learned we were setting sail, he assigned this mission to us. With you and me here, there's no way he'll escape!" Zephyr explained.
Victor nodded. Pizarro had been kept in Seastone cuffs for so long that his spirit was completely broken. Even when faced with the man who had captured him, he didn't have the energy to utter a single threat.
"Let's go. Board the ship—we set sail now! Smoker, Hina, don't slack off on your training!" Zephyr said to his former students.
With that, he led the soldiers escorting Pizarro onto the ship. Smoker and Hina quickly acknowledged his words.
"Smoker, Hina, we're off. Take care! Oh, and here's a letter for an informant on Sabaody—the address is on it. If you have time, could you deliver it for me?" Victor handed Smoker an envelope.
"Yeah, I'll get it to them."
"Smoker, Hina, goodbye!" Rebecca and Wendy also waved farewell.
"Mm… goodbye." Hina felt a pang of sadness. Female Marines were rare to begin with, and even fewer made it to Headquarters. She hadn't had many friends before—mostly just admirers. Now that her friends were leaving, with no telling when they'd meet again, she couldn't help but feel reluctant.
Smoker, on the other hand, was far less sentimental. His mind was already on digging up that bottle of booze he'd stashed away.
Victor and the two girls boarded the warship. The deck was indeed reinforced with steel plates. Looking back at the bustling harbor and the iconic Headquarters building, Victor felt a surge of emotion. Seven years in this world, and he had finally gained some strength to protect himself—one small step closer to true freedom. Rebecca, too, had embarked on the path of becoming a strong fighter. The future was looking brighter, wasn't it?
As the ship left the port, Victor waved at Smoker and Hina, who still stood on the dock. Under the golden sunlight, the warship gradually grew smaller in the distance.
This time, they were taking the World Government's special route to the underwater prison—through the Gates of Justice.
There were three Gates of Justice, with a whirlpool current flowing between them. Ships that entered the current could reach the three major World Government facilities much faster.
The Gates were close to Headquarters, and soon, the warship arrived before one. The upper portion of the massive gate was obscured by clouds, leaving the trainees in awe.
"Is this the Gates of Justice? It's huge!"
"How was this even built? It's unbelievable!"
"You can't even see the top—is it as tall as the Red Line?"
While the crew communicated with the gatekeepers to open the passage, Victor stared up at the towering structure, wondering if such a thing could truly be man-made.
With Zephyr present, negotiations concluded quickly. The Gates of Justice slowly creaked open—just a crack, but enough for the warship to pass through.
Once inside, the ship accelerated, riding the swirling current as it sped forward.
"Teacher, where exactly are we headed this time?" Victor asked Zephyr.
"Our first stop is Water 7. It's a shipbuilding hub with plenty of pirate activity—perfect for training!" Zephyr answered directly. Normally, the destination was kept secret, known only to the highest-ranking officer on board to prevent leaks. But he trusted Victor completely.
"Water 7, huh? Tom and his two apprentices must still be working on the Sea Train. It's a shame that incredible invention isn't finished yet—otherwise, I could've taken Rebecca and Wendy for a ride. That would've been a fun experience!"
"Water 7 is said to be the island where Pluton was built. The blueprints are still in Tom's hands—should I try to get them? After all, Franky will just destroy them later. But handing them over to the World Government? No way. They're already tyrannical dictators, taking whatever they want from the world. If they got their hands on Pluton, things would only get worse!" Victor thought to himself.
"The next Gate of Justice leads to Enies Lobby, but we'll skip it. We'll contact them in advance to open the gate when we reach Impel Down—otherwise, we'd just circle back to Headquarters," Zephyr told the communications officer beside him.
The whirlpool current between the three Gates of Justice flowed in one continuous loop—from Marineford to Enies Lobby, then to Impel Down, and finally back to Marineford.
This meant that traveling from Headquarters to Impel Down required passing through Enies Lobby first. The Gate behind Impel Down led directly to the Calm Belt. Bypassing the Gates entirely and heading straight for Impel Down wasn't impossible, but it was highly impractical—unless one dared to sail through the Calm Belt.
Boa Hancock had taken Luffy to Impel Down via the Calm Belt, relying on her two giant serpents to pull the ship.
The Calm Belt posed two major dangers: first, ships lost all wind power, forcing crews to row manually or rely on paddle wheels; second, the area teemed with colossal Sea Kings.
Who in their right mind would go to Impel Down unless they had to? Over the years, only one man—Golden Lion Shiki—had ever successfully escaped. And even then, he'd only managed it thanks to his Fuwa-Fuwa no mi flight ability. Anyone else would've met a very different fate.
Soon, another massive Gate of Justice loomed ahead, drawing fresh gasps of amazement from the trainees. The whirlpool current crashed against the gate, rebounding and redirecting the ship at a sharp 60-degree angle as it continued its rapid journey.
"Victor, this is incredible! How does it even work?" Rebecca asked, eyes shining with curiosity.
"My guess? There's a massive whirlpool at the center of this sea, constantly spinning. Marineford was likely built first, followed by Enies Lobby, which also lies along the current's path. The World Government must've taken advantage of this natural phenomenon, using the whirlpool's flow and the Calm Belt's isolation to construct Impel Down and the Tower of Justice. The three locations form an equilateral triangle."
"With the Gates of Justice acting as barriers, the current flows in a controlled loop. By opening the gates, ships can ride the water's momentum to reach any of the three locations."
Victor gave a rough explanation based on what he knew. The general principle made sense, but the exact sequence of construction was pure speculation—after all, these structures had been built over 800 years ago. Only the highest echelons of the World Government likely knew the full truth.
"What an incredible feat of engineering!" Rebecca marveled.
"I don't know about 'incredible,' but it's definitely a massive project," Victor replied dryly.
His mind drifted to that bridge—the one that had taken over 700 years to build, with entire generations enslaved to its construction. What kind of unforgivable crime had that country committed to deserve such punishment? That, too, was a great project—but could anyone call it noble? And as for the Gates of Justice… who decided what was just in the first place?
This world was far crueler than it appeared. Could the World Government truly not eradicate all pirates? Or was it that without pirates, they'd lose their excuse to extort money and commit atrocities under the guise of justice?
"Keep the enemy alive to justify your own existence."
Many Marines might genuinely believe in fighting piracy, but the Marines were just a weapon in the World Government's hands—a blade that struck wherever its masters commanded. Refuse an order? Say goodbye to funding. Try to act independently? The World Government had more than just the Marines at its disposal. "You think we can't crush you? Try us."
And anyone who dared to challenge their authority? They became the primary target—pirates could wait.
Victor held no love for the World Government. He knew a great upheaval was coming, and he wondered if he could seize control of the Marines' vast machinery. Realistically, at his age, he'd never reach the very top—but pushing an ally into power (say, Kuzan) might work.
'Wouldn't it be poetic if their own weapon turned against them?'
Lost in thought, Victor suddenly lost interest in the spectacle around him. He sat cross-legged on the deck and began meditating, sharpening his Observation Haki.