Heading to Marine Headquarters

Ten days had passed since Wood bid farewell to everyone on Maple Leaf Island, and he was already aboard a Marine warship.

The so-called rule that injuries to the muscles and bones took a hundred days to heal clearly did not apply in this world.

He did not know whether Wood himself had an exceptional constitution or whether the ship's doctor simply had remarkable medical skills. In any case, after only ten days, Wood was already able to get out of bed and move around.

During those ten days, their several warships had also traveled through most of the first half of the Grand Line.

Perhaps because he was quite satisfied with Wood, Zephyr had been unusually undemanding about the subsequent recruitment. Before they returned to Marine Headquarters, they had barely met the minimum recruitment quota, which allowed Rear Admiral Kadaru to breathe a sigh of relief.

Since he had recovered his mobility, Wood had no intention of receiving special treatment, so he applied to move out of the private cabin.

However, the rumors that had spread aboard the ship over the past several days had clearly caused the new recruits to ostracize Wood. He did not seem to care much about it, nor did he bother explaining anything.

Because Marine warships could use the special route through the Gates of Justice, they did not waste much time on the return journey before arriving at Marine Headquarters, "Marineford."

At the enormous harbor, one warship after another followed the instructions and docked at its designated position.

Unlike most islands, Marineford was also an island, but it had been completely developed into the Marines' headquarters.

As soon as Wood and the group of rookies stepped off the warship, their attention was drawn to the enormous building before them.

A multi-tiered, tower-shaped building rose above the thick walls on all four sides. The massive walls were emblazoned with the large characters for "Marines," along with the emblem of a seagull holding a balance in its beak.

There were many nations along the Grand Line, but when it came to the scale of their buildings, few could compare with Marine Headquarters.

At the same time, amid the magnificent architecture, the thick gun barrels mounted along the walls and the guards stationed every ten paces seemed to proclaim that this sea fortress was far more than an ordinary facade.

Steel, uniforms, guns, and cannons were objects of admiration in the hearts of most men. When most of the newly recruited soldiers saw the magnificent Marine Headquarters before them, along with the Marine soldiers drilling there, their hearts could not help but surge with excitement.

Most of these people had joined the Marines with nothing more than the intention of earning a living.

Yet after seeing the elite Marine soldiers passing by and the spirited officers directing military exercises, many of them could not help showing longing on their faces and beginning to imagine themselves becoming one of them in the future.

Just as Zephyr and the others disembarked, another warship happened to dock as well. A tall, powerfully built man in a white uniform and a dog-head hat saw Zephyr from a distance and strode over with a hearty laugh.

The man appeared to be about the same age as Zephyr. Like Zephyr, he wore a suit vest as part of his uniform, with a Justice cloak draped over his back. From his attire, it was not difficult to tell that he was also a Marine commander of "Admiral" rank.

"I was wondering why the harbor was so much livelier than usual today. So it turns out that you old bastard brought the new recruits back.

"Look at these cannons. Every single one has been polished until it gleams. I've never even seen them fired once before, but today they've all been brought out.

"Sengoku was complaining to me just the other day that the Marines had been short on funds lately. Yet today, to put on a show for these new recruits, they've clearly spared no expense on this military exercise."

As the burly man approached Zephyr and the others, he stuffed rice crackers into his mouth with one hand and held the bag in the other. He did not even forget to expose the shortcomings of his former employer, leaving the accompanying Marines speechless.

The Marine Headquarters of the past had indeed been heavily guarded, but only relatively speaking. After all, this was Marineford, where the Marine Admirals and the Fleet Admiral—the Marines' greatest combat powers—were stationed. Surely no pirate would be foolish enough to attack Marine Headquarters head-on.

Therefore, the military equipment and various exercises that Wood and the new recruits were witnessing had clearly been arranged deliberately.

In fact, Zephyr and the others, who were familiar with the Marines' internal affairs, knew without much thought who was responsible for arranging and managing it.

They also knew why Marine Headquarters was doing this. Besides displaying the Marines' mighty strength, they wanted to inspire the new recruits and give them a stronger sense of belonging.

But knowing was one thing. None of those in the know would choose to expose the ruse so directly.

It could be predicted that because of this man's interference, the results of Marine Headquarters' efforts would undoubtedly be greatly diminished.

The expenditure of manpower aside, the shells fired during the military exercise and the other costs would not produce the expected results. The current Marine Admiral in charge would probably come looking for trouble with this big-mouthed fellow again tomorrow.

"Karp, if you keep speaking without restraint like that, Sengoku will probably come looking for trouble with you soon."

Watching the burly man approach, a rare smile appeared on Zephyr's stern face.

From the way he addressed the man, the group of rookie Marines finally learned that the old man in the dog-head hat before them was none other than the legendary Marine Hero, Garp!

Among the commanders at Marine Headquarters, Zephyr undoubtedly had the best relationships. Most of the officers here were his students, and Zephyr had always devoted himself wholeheartedly to them.

However, when it came to fame, the most renowned was neither Zephyr nor the so-called Fleet Admiral. It was the Marine Hero before them—Monkey D. Karp!

This great figure was not only the hero of the entire Marines; he was also fairly famous among ordinary people outside. After all, he was the man who had repeatedly made the pirate known as the One Piece suffer setbacks.

"Going by past practice, I suppose those things really shouldn't be said out in the open... But since I've already said them, there's nothing I can do about it.

"To keep that fellow Sengoku from giving me trouble, just pretend you didn't hear what I said earlier. Hahahahahaha."

Hearing Zephyr's words, Karp seemed to realize only belatedly that he had once again "accidentally" undermined his good friend Sengoku.

Apologizing was impossible. Karp had his pride, so all he could do now was laugh shamelessly and tell Wood and the other new recruits to forget what had just happened.

"You've been in the Marines for decades, and you hold a high position. Can't you think about the consequences before you act?"

Watching Karp laugh without the slightest sense of guilt, Zephyr covered his face helplessly. In terms of age, Karp was actually several years older than him, but his personality was sometimes as childish as a little boy's—and he was incredibly reckless...

However, when Rear Admiral Kadaru heard Zephyr criticize Karp, his expression also turned constipated. He genuinely wanted to say: "Compared with Vice Admiral Garp's willfulness, Admiral Zephyr really isn't any better..."