At Garp's upward nod, Wood turned around in confusion.
The sight before him finally made Wood understand why Garp had said that.
Before testing Wood, Garp had also been standing among a sizable crowd. Many of them were Marine officers who had gone to sea with Zephyr on this trip.
Rear Admiral Kadaru held the highest rank among them, and he had also been the one standing closest to Wood just moments ago.
As a rear admiral at Marine Headquarters, Kadaru was nowhere near as strong as Garp, but he was still a capable fighter.
In a fight, Kadaru would have no chance at all. But when it came to the pressure of Garp's presence, it had barely affected him. He was standing there as calmly as ever.
The other Marine officers, however, weren't faring nearly as well as Rear Admiral Kadaru.
Garp might not have been serious, but the title of Marine Hero wasn't just for show. Someone who had driven the Pirate King to the brink time and again was no ordinary figure.
The Marine officers with command-level ranks could just barely remain standing, but their breathing was badly disturbed. Clearly, resisting such killing intent wasn't easy for them.
As for the Marine officers with lieutenant-level ranks, they were in about the same state as Wood. They were all sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath.
When one of them saw Wood turn to look their way, a captain, unwilling to lose face in front of the new recruits, tried to force himself to his feet.
But as soon as he managed to straighten up, his legs gave out beneath him, and he fell right back down.
If even the Marine captains were in such a state, the sergeants and ordinary soldiers were naturally worse off.
But they had no way of knowing whether they'd embarrassed themselves, since they'd all passed out.
Comparing the two sides, Wood understood why Garp was satisfied with his performance.
Wood was still a green new recruit, but in sheer willpower, he already measured up to a Marine captain at Marine Headquarters. And because of the distance between them, he'd even done better.
If he still said he wasn't good enough after this, he'd be showing the other captains far too little respect.
Thanks to Garp's personal antics, this year's Marine induction ceremony had certainly been one of a kind.
And a young man who had meant to keep a low profile had, against all odds, become the most eye-catching recruit of the year.
Gold shone wherever it went. And when someone was too handsome, the same thing happened.
After picking up his new-recruit uniform from the supply department, Wood went to find the room he'd been assigned.
New recruits gathered from all over weren't immediately placed into the Marine ranks. Instead, they were first assembled together for several years of systematic training.
Wood had received three uniforms in all. They were white with blue trim, not much different from the clothes worn by ordinary Marines.
As a proud new Marine recruit, he'd be wearing these three uniforms for the next several years.
Since he was just a nobody, he wasn't allowed to wear anything special. The white-and-blue uniform was standard issue. The Marine Academy's rules stated that, apart from regular days off, recruits had to wear it for both their daily activities and training.
Don't ask how three uniforms were supposed to last for years. Wood had already asked the supply department: if his clothes got damaged, he could buy replacements out of his own pocket.
Wood had also checked the price. They were quite expensive. Judging by the allowance new recruits received, he could barely afford one a month.
Looking at the standard-issue nobody clothes in his hands, Wood couldn't understand why this shoddy stuff cost so much.
"Sure, it's standard Marine attire, but the Fleet Admiral personally hired a famous Grand Line designer to create it.
"Don't let the plain look fool you. It's actually full of gravitas, and the fabric was carefully selected. It keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer. The artistic value alone is enough to reach two or three stories high..."
Seeing the disdain on Wood's face, the supply officer immediately launched into a long explanation of what made the uniform special.
The guy went on about everything from the uniform's artistic value to its symbolism as a Marine emblem. Wood had to admit that the man was wasted in this job. In the world he'd come from, with a sales pitch like that, he'd have been a top salesman anywhere.
After hearing the man's analysis, Wood even began to wonder if he'd misjudged the uniform. Maybe those background-character clothes weren't as simple as he'd thought. So he took out his own money and bought another set.
The supply guy swiftly took Wood's cash, then handed him a brand-new "background character" uniform, his face wearing an expression of approval.
But after Wood examined the clothes from every angle and still couldn't find anything "special" about them, he was just about to go back and discuss it with the supply guy when he noticed the man giving another new recruit the exact same sales pitch.
That guy got carried away and spent his entire fortune on ten sets of uniforms.
"Excellent. You've got a sharp eye. You bought so many uniforms that symbolize the Marines. That shows how strong your sense of belonging is.
"I believe in you. In ten years, you could be the next Marine Admiral."
After smiling as he saw the excited recruit leave with an armful of uniforms, the supply guy noticed Wood returning. His expression immediately fell.
"These Marine uniforms are specially made. All sales are final!"
The Marine Academy had been around for a long time. Garp, Sengoku, and Zephyr had all been students there before graduating.
Most Marine soldiers were ordinary people when they first joined, and Marine Headquarters couldn't exactly send them off to fight vicious pirates right away.
If Marines performed too poorly in battle, it would only damage their reputation and embolden the pirates.
Besides, untrained Marines fighting pirates who were used to causing havoc across the seas would basically be throwing their lives away. They'd be in no position to carry out justice.
And a high casualty rate wouldn't just harm the Marines' authority. It would also make ordinary people think that being a Marine was a job with an extremely high death rate, discouraging future recruits.
After retiring from the front lines, Zephyr had taken on the role of head instructor at the Marine Academy.
Akainu and Kizaru had been in Zephyr's first class, while Aokiji had been in his third.
By the time of Wood's class, it was already the fifth.
Before you continue