Deciding to Join the Navy

A Marine Headquarters admiral personally extending an invitation to a nobody like himself—even Wood, as a transmigrator, couldn't help but feel a surge of flattery.

In the Pirate World, the main factions were the Marines, pirates, the Revolutionary Army, and bounty hunters.

After witnessing what real pirates in this world were like, Wood had abandoned any thought of becoming one of them.

The Revolutionary Army hadn't risen yet, and its leader, Monkey D. Dragon, might still be at Marine Headquarters for all he knew.

Wood had originally planned to be a bounty hunter, but the life simulation he'd done earlier, with its vivid memories of sailing alone, still lingered in his mind...

When watching the anime, since the protagonist's perspective was that of a pirate, most people would cast the Marines as the villains.

But was that really the case? Obviously not.

Only through personal experience did one understand that pirates like Luffy were few and far between in this world.

Most pirates were as vicious and evil as common knowledge suggested. Perhaps the World Government the Marines served, and the Celestial Dragons above them, weren't good people either.

But there was no denying that without the Marines holding back the pirates on the seas, this world would only descend into greater chaos.

Having completed his first life simulation, with the second mission's deadline approaching in a few days, Wood had roughly two paths for his future.

One was to lie low on the island for a few more years, building up his strength before setting sail.

The other was to wait for the Marine warship that would otherwise pass him by and seize the chance to join the Marines.

He'd already been leaning toward joining the Marines, and now with an admiral personally recruiting him, Wood wasn't about to be ungrateful. After a moment's hesitation, he agreed to join Zephyr's ranks.

Both Zephyr and Wood were quite pleased with this outcome.

Wood's happiness came from the fact that being personally recruited by a Marine admiral was a far cry from the treatment he'd get if he'd volunteered on his own.

No matter the world, connections mattered. Just look at that Straw Hat kid who always wanted to be the Pirate King—half the sea was filled with his relatives and friends.

No matter how recklessly he acted, he never died. Besides the protagonist's halo, the key was that his network was wild enough.

Zephyr's expression was equally pleased to see Wood willing to join the Marines. This recruitment trip had finally netted him someone he was satisfied with.

He'd thought he'd need to do more persuading, given that Wood's earlier actions showed a deep bond with Maple Leaf Island and its people.

But Wood's quick agreement suggested that the justice he upheld might be stronger than Zephyr had imagined.

The Marines couldn't stay long on Maple Leaf Island, especially Zephyr, a Headquarters admiral who had no business lingering in a small place like this.

Due to his fierce battle with Iron Arm Cook, even by the Pirate World's absurd standards of recovery, Wood would need at least ten days to half a month in bed.

"Mr. Zephyr, can't you stay a little longer? Wood's injuries are so severe—can he handle the rocking at sea?

Why not let him recover on the island first, then report to Marine Headquarters? You could send a warship for him later, and in the meantime, he can properly say goodbye to everyone."

Watching Wood, his left arm and leg wrapped in bandages, being roughly carried onto the warship, Stia couldn't help but show worry and pain.

In Stia's view, Zephyr's ship was full of rough men who wouldn't know how to care for someone, especially an injured Wood. She really couldn't rest easy.

"Madam, rest assured. Our ship has the finest doctors. Your child will receive better care aboard."

Hearing Stia's words, Rear Admiral Kadaru's expression twitched, but he patiently offered this reassurance.

Send a warship over? Did this woman think Marine warships were cabbages? Or that her son was a Headquarters admiral?

Even he, a Headquarters rear admiral, couldn't necessarily get a warship from Headquarters to come pick him up if he wanted to go there. And Wood wasn't even a recruit yet—how could he deserve such treatment?

Of course, Kadaru kept these thoughts to himself and didn't voice them.

He knew his current boss, Admiral Zephyr, thought highly of this Maple Leaf Island youth, had personally recruited him, and had specifically ordered them to take good care of Wood.

He had to admit, having solid connections was a nice thing sometimes.

Warship rooms were limited. Aside from Marine officers with ranks who had private quarters, most Marines crammed several people into one cabin.

Because Wood was injured and Zephyr had intentionally looked out for him, he ended up with a private room, just like the Marine officers on board.

But this also meant that as soon as Wood boarded the ship, his reputation was thoroughly ruined.

No matter where you go, people resent those with special backgrounds. Unless the one getting special treatment is yourself, human nature drives the crowd to reject such individuals.

Unfortunately, in the eyes of most Marines, Wood was now exactly that kind of privileged guy.

By the time Kadaru and his men arrived at Maple Leaf Island, the remaining Iron Arm Pirates had already been crushed by Zephyr.

Naturally, including Kadaru, all the Marines assumed this was all Admiral Zephyr's doing.

As for Wood's achievements, Zephyr hadn't bothered to explain them to the crew.

The reason was simple: Zephyr was the ship's highest commander. He had no reason or obligation to report to anyone.

He also worried that excessive praise might give Wood an unnecessary sense of pride. After all, Wood was still a half-grown kid, and too much adulation could easily make him conceited.

So Zephyr's silence and special treatment led most Marines on the warship to believe Wood was a backdoor connection.

The Marines who'd originally served at Headquarters were fine—they knew Admiral Zephyr's character.

But the new recruits gathered from various places were now feeling unbalanced.

They were all new recruits, so why were they crammed a dozen to a cabin while Wood got his own?

When recruiting, Zephyr had been picky and stern with them, so why was a half-crippled brat like Wood getting such preferential treatment?