Military Draft Assessment

New World, New Marine Headquarters.

At this moment, nearly all of the Marine high command had gathered together.

Seated at the head was Sakazuki, dressed in a dark red suit, wearing a Marine cap and black leather gloves, with an admiral's coat draped behind him. His gaze was sharp as he asked in a deep voice, "How is the World Military Draft progressing?"

One Marine replied, "The various powerhouses recruited through the World Military Draft are currently making their way to Marine Headquarters."

"When will Fujitora and Ryokugyu arrive?" Sakazuki asked. These two were Marine newcomers already confirmed to receive exceptional appointments as admirals, so he paid them close attention.

"Based on our communications with Admiral Issho and the others, they should reach the designated islands in less than two days."

Sakazuki nodded. It was only after the Paramount War that the Marine high command had unanimously approved this recruitment decision.

It was also the only time the Five Elders had offered no objections after he became Fleet Admiral, directly giving their tacit approval.

This World Military Draft would affect the entire world's balance of power. Absolute Justice had to be carried through!

Hina, Wuli, and the others had finally arrived at Marine Headquarters.

They headed together to the headquarters' parade ground. On one side stood orderly ranks of Marines in uniform, and most eye-catching of all were the coats draped over their shoulders, bearing the large word "Justice."

On the other side stood people dressed in all manner of clothing. They lacked any sense of order, but many among them radiated powerful presences.

These were the various powerhouses recruited through the World Military Draft. Standing on the raised platform were the Marine higher-ups: Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, Admiral Kizaru, and vice admirals such as Sengoku and Garp.

There were also two people standing there without uniforms. Wuli could only vaguely make out striking green and purple on them, but he could not see their faces clearly.

Still, he had his guesses.

Wuli joined the ranks of those recruited through the World Military Draft, while Hina returned to her post.

"Those of you who came through the World Military Draft have passed through layer upon layer of recommendations and selection. But if you wish to become Marines and bear the burden of justice, you must still undergo the final recruitment assessment," Sakazuki declared loudly and majestically.

The moment his words fell, the World Military Draft recruits erupted into an uproar. They had not expected there to be one final assessment after arriving here.

"Quiet!" He paused and swept his gaze across the area, as though it had passed over every face, before shouting, "What I need is for you to prove with your strength whether you have the ability to defeat the rampant pirates and uphold the justice of the Marines!"

"From here on, what position you can obtain will depend on your performance in the assessment!"

Sakazuki turned to Kizaru and said, "Borsalino, you will be responsible for Ryokugyu's recruitment assessment. See whether his combat strength is worthy of an admiral's position."

"Oh my, what a headache. Giving me such a troublesome job." Kizaru complained out of habit, but when he saw Sakazuki's face darken, he waved a hand and said, "All right, all right, don't worry. Leave it to me. Since I'm collecting a salary, I ought to do some work."

As he spoke, he gave Sakazuki an extremely improper salute, looking just like the way pirates greeted one another.

Sakazuki kept a dark expression and did not look at him again. Having worked with this colleague for many years, he knew the man never looked serious, yet always carried out the tasks he accepted with meticulous precision.

"Prepare a warship. I'll be responsible for Fujitora's assessment."

Aside from Kizaru, there was currently no suitable high-ranking combatant available to assess someone at the admiral level.

Kuzan? After losing to Sakazuki in the battle for the Fleet Admiral position, he had left the Marines.

Garp? He certainly had the strength, but he still held a grudge over Sakazuki killing his adopted grandson, "Flame Fist" Ace, at Marineford. Their relationship had frozen to the extreme; how could Sakazuki possibly order him around?

Sengoku? Sengoku had stepped down as Fleet Admiral and retired to the second line to enjoy his old age. Even if Sakazuki could persuade him, Sengoku would not be able to bring himself to do it.

Not to mention those old men who had quite a few complaints about him.

Therefore, he could only personally step in to assess Fujitora, the new Marine recruit.