Dig, Dig, Dig

"This time, Sakazuki will be responsible for arranging the Buster Call. I'll appear when needed."

Ross nodded at Sakazuki, making his stance clear as well.

He had only come to have some fun and pick up a couple of targets he fancied.

As for what happened to Ohara, he did not care in the slightest.

Those historians were not studying history. They were studying the World Government's taboos.

No matter what that period of history had been like, the World Government had explicitly forbidden research into it. Studying it so openly in secret was no different from rebellion.

No regime would allow such a group to exist. The only difference was whether its methods were conciliatory or radical.

After giving Sakazuki a few instructions, he left the command room with Stella and CP0.

He left Zephyr behind to handle the handover with Sakazuki.

Since he had agreed to help the Navy, Ross would still complete this Buster Call properly. It counted as an achievement for him, after all.

If he had never destroyed an island or a country, he would be too embarrassed to call himself an Elite Celestial Dragon among the Celestial Dragons. Forget about getting that Devil Fruit.

"Commander!"

Just as he stepped out of the command room, a man and a woman approached and respectfully gave Ross a military salute.

Gion

Overall Rating: C+

Chaton

Overall Rating: C+

"I'm Gion."

"I'm Chaton."

The two introduced themselves somewhat nervously. Gion in particular had gone a little pale, while Chaton was faring somewhat better.

After learning that a Celestial Dragon had specifically requested them to board the ship, anyone would have felt uneasy. Especially since they were not future Admiral Candidates, merely two rookies who had just graduated from Zephyr's Elite Training Camp.

In terms of strength, they were only at the level of Marine Headquarters rear admirals. Zany's mere presence put immense pressure on them.

Moreover, even their teacher Zephyr had submitted. How could two insignificant people like them resist?

Ross glanced at the deeply uneasy pair and headed straight into the ship's quarters.

"Come in to see me one at a time. Decide among yourselves who goes first."

With that, he entered the quarters Sakazuki had arranged for him, accompanied by Stella and Zany.

Twenty years later, both Chaton and Gion would become Admiral Candidates through their own strength and the Navy's training.

Anyone who became an Admiral Candidate could at the very least rival a Yonko Commander. The stronger ones could even contend with the Four Emperors for a short time.

Existences of that level could already be called powerhouses on the seas.

There were as many Vice Admiral-level powerhouses as hairs on an ox, but above them, those who could reach the level of Yonko Commander or Admiral Candidate were few and far between. In every era, only a few dozen people could attain that standard.

Chaton and Gion could reach Admiral Candidate strength solely through the Navy's system of training.

If Ross were willing to invest some resources, he could quickly turn them into powerhouses.

Naturally, Ross intended to keep such promising talents in his grasp, whether through threats or temptation.

Knock, knock, knock!

Gion and Chaton did not keep Ross waiting long. Gion soon knocked and entered.

Ross was not surprised to see Gion come in first. He merely looked her over from head to toe.

Gion had an excellent figure. She was even slightly taller than Ross, and her long legs, standing at a full 1.8 meters, were slender and fair. Years of training had made them all the more supple. The spider tattoo on her left thigh added a touch of charm, while her peach-colored dress barely contained her upper body, exposing large swathes of snowy skin and a deep, unfathomable cleavage.

"Did you volunteer to come in first, or did you decide after discussing it?"

Ross sat in his chair, looking with great interest at the somewhat awkward Gion.

"I volunteered to come in first. I didn't discuss it with Chaton."

Gion took a deep breath and tried her best to calm down.

The Celestial Dragon before her could decide her life and death at will. She could not afford to be careless.

As a Navy elite, she had heard what Celestial Dragons were like. Before knocking and entering, she had already prepared herself for the worst.

If Ross tried to force her, she would resist with violence. Even though Zany put tremendous pressure on her, she would still choose to resist.

Some things were ultimately more important than life.

"Let's chat. Sit wherever you like."

Ross smiled and pointed to a seat beside him. His behavior made Gion even more nervous. This was not quite like the Celestial Dragons she had imagined.

"What? Are you afraid I'll eat you?" Ross asked with a smile.

"No! Of course not!"

Gion hurriedly shook her head and sat as far away from Ross as possible. She lowered her head, not daring to look at Ross teasing Stella.

Ross's foppish manner of bullying Stella right in front of her matched Gion's impression of Celestial Dragons perfectly. Yet his relatively gentle tone toward her made her feel deeply uneasy.

Celestial Dragons were not supposed to be like this, were they?

"Tell me about yourself. After Zephyr became a CP0 instructor, I started paying attention to you all. You seem to be from the Land of Wano?" Ross asked.

Gion was far too guarded, which was not conducive to what came next.

There were many ways to conquer a woman. Forcing her to bow her head was the lowest, yet most efficient method.

If other methods did not work, Ross did not mind playing the villain.

Gion's current strength was probably below that of a Headquarters Vice Admiral. The female CP0 behind him could easily keep her under control, which was why Ross had brought a female CP0 along on this trip.

But if he truly did that, Zephyr's goodwill toward him would drop considerably. Unless he had no other choice, he still did not want to use force.

"Yes."

Gion nodded lightly. Her background was no secret.

"Actually, I've never stayed in the Land of Wano. It's just that my family came from there, so I was influenced by their customs."

"You're a swordswoman? Roughly how strong are you now? A swordsman?"

Ross glanced at the blade hanging at Gion's waist. In the pirate world, weapons were famously not clearly distinguished. As long as the weapon had an edge, its user could be considered a swordsman.

However, Gion's blade was not Kompira, one of the 21 Great Grade Blades. It was merely a long sword used by Marine officers.

"I learned Iron Cutting three years ago. I can barely be considered a swordsman, but I'm still far behind the Great Swordsmen of the seas," Gion explained seriously.

Ross's questions made her feel as though she had returned to the time before entering the Elite Training Camp, when Zephyr's adjutant had asked about her strength and experience.

Because she had gone through something similar before, and because Ross was asking only simple questions, Gion gradually relaxed completely.

"You want to become a Great Swordsman?"

"Yes! My goal is to become a Great Swordsman within five years!" Gion answered honestly.

"A Devil Fruit should be able to speed up that process. Haven't you considered getting one?"

"Not particularly. It would naturally be best if I could obtain a good Devil Fruit, but if I can't, then swordsmanship alone will do."

"Female powerhouses are at a disadvantage physically. What do you think?"

"Though there aren't many female powerhouses, there are still a few. I believe that through my own efforts, I can secure a place in the future. At the very least, I'm stronger than Chaton and the male Marine soldiers from my class."

"If I remember correctly, the Training Camp mainly taught the Marine Rokushiki. How are you doing with them?"

"The Marine Rokushiki? I'm more proficient with Soru, Paper Art, Geppo, and Rankyaku. I'm not very good at Shigan or Iron Body."

"You're bad at Iron Body because you don't want it affecting your body, right?"

"Wouldn't Iron Body make your muscles hard? Ah... if you practiced it for a long time, it definitely would a little. That absolutely isn't why I'm bad at Iron Body."

"..."

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