Senior Cannon Fodder Heads to Impel Down for Work

Of the hundreds who participated in the non-commissioned officer training, only a little more than half remained after a year.

The majority of the other half had died in combat against pirates during practical training.

Another portion had been expelled from the Marines for showing cowardice and fleeing when first confronted by fierce pirates in battle.

Wood's performance in Marine Academy was mediocre, earning him the rank of Third Class Private upon graduation.

Strictly speaking, this rank wasn't even considered "non-commissioned officer" – at best, it was slightly more than cannon fodder.

What made Wood uneasy was his assignment: perimeter patrol for Impel Down!

Impel Down was where the World Government imprisoned criminals, most of whom were held there before their execution.

The inmates weren't just pirates; they included other heinous offenders.

Impel Down did not fall under the jurisdiction of Marine Headquarters, and had its own internal staff for guarding prisoners.

The prison was divided into six levels. The first level held ordinary criminals, while the sixth level was rumored to house extremely dangerous criminals capable of threatening the world.

The legendary pirate Roger, before his execution, had been imprisoned on the sixth level of Impel Down.

Impel Down possessed its own defense mechanisms, and its location on a secluded island made escape impossible for any prisoner.

For any Marine lacking ambition, content with a life of idleness, working at Impel Down was undoubtedly the best sinecure.

After all, centuries had passed without a single successful escape, rendering patrols a mere formality.

If it were in the past, Wood would have been perfectly content with such a job that allowed him to eat and wait for death.

However, after undergoing his second life simulation, Wood knew all too well that Impel Down, which hadn't had a problem in centuries, was about to be disgraced!

The captain of the Flying Pirates, the great pirate Shiki the Golden Lion, imprisoned on the sixth level, would soon break his own legs and escape!

In his second life simulation, he had died at the hands of the escaping Shiki the Golden Lion. Now, he was a patrol Marine – this was clearly history repeating itself!

Although Wood's current strength was far beyond what it was in his second life simulation, he still lacked the qualifications to challenge a figure like Shiki the Golden Lion.

He wanted to warn Zephyr and Karp that the Golden Lion would escape in the future, but he couldn't explain how he knew.

After all, the event hadn't happened yet. Whether Zephyr and the others would believe him was one thing, but even if they did, how would he explain his foresight?

Wood had gone to great lengths to hide his strength, wanting to be a nobody. Such conspicuous behavior was entirely against his usual style.

Furthermore, not all Marines were benevolent. Possessing foresight might not be a good thing; he could wake up one day to find himself on a mad scientist's operating table.

Since alerting the high command was not an option, Wood could only try to change himself and improve the future.

So, when he took his transfer request to the only person he could find, the great Zephyr, hoping to be reassigned to a different unit, even as ordinary cannon fodder, he was refused.

Zephyr was stubborn. He believed that as a Marine, obeying orders from superiors was a sacred duty.

He also felt that Wood's personality was too lax, that he possessed great talent but always wasted his time.

Impel Down was where the world's criminals were imprisoned, and every inmate was a heinous individual.

Zephyr also believed this was a good opportunity. Only by witnessing the world's wickedness firsthand would Wood find his inner justice and understand that the people he needed to protect were not just those on Maple Leaf Island.

Zephyr sternly rejected his request to change posts. Wood was now left with only two choices.

Either he obediently accepted his new assignment or he defied the orders and deserted the Marines.

Desertion was out of the question. He was a nobody now, without protagonist plot armor. He couldn't be like that rubber-limbed kid who trashed Impel Down and Marine Headquarters and left without a scratch.

Compared to facing all the big shots at Marine Headquarters, Wood felt facing Shiki the Golden Lion alone was a safer bet.

Moreover, although history was eerily similar, subtle changes had occurred.

In his second life simulation, Wood had died at the hands of Shiki the Golden Lion while serving as support. This time, however, he was a guard directly in Impel Down.

Besides the change in his post, Wood's own strength was now vastly different.

According to the results of his second life simulation, Wood should have been casually killed by the escaping Shiki the Golden Lion, who likely wouldn't even have known who he was.

With the strength he had in the simulation, he was indeed no match for the Golden Lion. However, Wood now was far stronger than he was in that second simulation.

Unless he deliberately provoked Shiki the Golden Lion or was specifically targeted, he shouldn't be casually killed like an ordinary extra.

Thinking about the details eased his mind considerably. At worst, he could feign effort and, if he truly encountered Shiki the Golden Lion, simply lie down.

Graduating from Marine Headquarters school, being Zephyr's student, and having prior experience killing pirates – if he served a few years at Impel Down, he could then apply to transfer to other Marine branches.

The Maple Leaf Island Marine branch would be his first choice. It was his hometown, and he was used to living there. Moreover, as the first half of the Grand Line, any pirates he encountered would likely be rookies.

To put it bluntly, if Wood didn't deliberately hide his strength now, he would be a solid Captain level Marine, and not just an ordinary one, but a true Headquarters Captain level.

With Navy Six Forms, Kenbunshoku Haki, and Swordsman level swordsmanship, if he encountered the "Iron Arm Cook" from back then, Wood could easily defeat him with his hands and feet tied!