Wood Was Recalled to Marine Headquarters

Marine Headquarters, at the port of Marineford

Since coming here from Maple Leaf Island last time, this was his second return to Marine Headquarters.

Half a year had passed, and Marine Headquarters still hadn't changed much. If there was one difference, it was that there were a lot more Marines at the port than before.

Wood had been enjoying life in Impel Down. He got along well with several members of its management, and had made quite a name for himself there.

But yesterday, while he was on the fourth level, helping Sadi discipline the prisoners, he'd suddenly received a message from his squad leader telling him to return to Marine Headquarters.

When Wood first heard the order, he was clearly at a loss. But he quickly caught on, and looked excitedly at the squad leader, a Marine Captain.

The man had once said he'd recommend Wood to his superiors for his outstanding contributions. Wood had assumed he was just saying that, but it turned out he really hadn't been stringing him along!

Staying in Impel Down and using the prisoners to train himself was pretty nice, but Wood had always felt it would be too dangerous to be there when the Golden Lion escaped. He'd been trying to find a way out.

He'd heard Fleet Admiral Sengoku had ordered him back to Marine Headquarters. That could only mean a promotion!

A Marine warship arrived at Impel Down again today to escort prisoners, and Wood left aboard it.

As they watched the Marine warship sail farther and farther away, several Marines in the squad stationed at Impel Down grew rather disgruntled.

"Captain, did you really recommend that guy Wood to the higher-ups? What for? He's only been at Impel Down for a short time. I've been here for two years.

"If there's a chance to get promoted and leave this place, shouldn't we be considered first?"

More than one person was unhappy about it. Several were.

Work at Impel Down was easy, but it was also incredibly dull and tedious.

Impel Down was surrounded on all sides by the Calm Belt, and Sea Kings swarmed the waters around the island. There were no other places for entertainment, and Impel Down itself was full of nothing but prisoners and monsters like the Jailer Beasts.

For the Marines stationed here, wasn't this place their prison, too? The only difference was that they didn't have to be tortured every day or locked in iron cages.

Not everyone could get along with the inhuman Jailer Beasts like Wood, or find ways to enjoy himself by sparring with prisoners every day.

Wood's days at Impel Down were always full, but for everyone else, life there was numbingly dull.

"Shut up. If the higher-ups hadn't mentioned Wood this time, I'd have forgotten we even had someone like him here.

"If a few words of praise to the brass were enough to get you out of this hellhole, I'd have done it myself a long time ago. You think I want to stay in this godforsaken place?"

The other Marines stationed at Impel Down were stunned by the squad leader's words. So now the question was, if Wood hadn't been recalled because the squad leader had praised him, why had Marine Headquarters suddenly sent for him?

If they remembered correctly, Wood was only a third-class seaman. As far as rank went, he was no more than cannon fodder with a slightly higher grade.

Why would the Fleet Admiral remember someone so insignificant, let alone make a point of transferring him back to Marine Headquarters?

"Maybe he's secretly someone important, or maybe he's got connections at Marine Headquarters.

"Damn it. If I'd known Wood had such a powerful background, I should've gotten closer to him. Maybe I'd be getting promoted and leaving with him now."

The Marines at Impel Down all thought Wood was about to be promoted and leave. Even Wood himself thought so.

But when Wood realized that the Marine leading him wasn't taking him to the Fleet Admiral's office, but to the residential district for senior officers, he began to feel something was off.

"Hey, wasn't it Fleet Admiral Sengoku who ordered me back to Marine Headquarters?

"Why aren't we heading to the Marine Headquarters offices? Why are we going to the officers' residential district?"

Marineford was a large island, and to meet the daily needs of the Marines stationed there, it had markets and towns.

Aside from the towering walls and the Marine Headquarters fortress that stood out at the center, the island also had a number of residential districts.

The senior officers of Marine Headquarters and their families lived on the island.

The Marine leading the way had the same rank as Wood, but instead of taking him to the imposing fortress, he was guiding him toward the residential district. That was why Wood had asked.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku recalled you to Marine Headquarters because our colonel asked him to.

"So the person we're going to see is our colonel, not Fleet Admiral Sengoku."

Colonel? Hearing the man's title for his superior, Wood was once again left with a look of confusion.

He'd been a Marine for two or three years, and had even spent two years at Marine Headquarters. But he knew very few officers. Apart from Vice Admiral Garp and Admiral Zephyr, the only Marine Headquarters colonel he could think of was the officer who'd taught them their basic courses back then.

So had that man asked Fleet Admiral Sengoku to recall him to Marine Headquarters?

Leaving aside whether a Marine Headquarters colonel had enough clout to ask Fleet Admiral Sengoku for a favor, Wood remembered that the Captain Instructor hadn't thought highly of him back then.

Still full of questions, Wood was eventually led to an unremarkable-looking house. The Marine leading him announced from the doorway that Wood had arrived, then saluted and left.

Wood was still wondering whether he should announce himself before going inside to see who was waiting for him when a tall figure slowly emerged from the entryway.

Since it wasn't time for duty, the other person wasn't wearing a Marine uniform, but a one-piece knitted outfit.

The loose clothing did little to hide her striking curves, while a pair of long legs that could dazzle the eye—white as ivory—were left bare to the air.

"It's you! Only half a year has passed, and you've already become a Marine Headquarters colonel!"

Half a year wasn't a long time, but it wasn't short either. Still, it clearly wasn't enough to change someone's appearance much.

So as soon as she appeared, Wood recognized her as Gion, whom he hadn't seen in half a year.

He'd been wondering why Marine Headquarters had suddenly remembered a nobody like him after he'd spent six months lazing around in Impel Down. Turns out Gion had been behind the whole thing.