Cough, cough, cough—
Wilton fell to the ground again and again, yet he always stubbornly got back up, even though he was bruised and battered, drenched in blood.
Gradually, Dragon began taking punches and kicks as well.
Another earth-shattering collision rang out. Wilton crashed down from the sky, and the ground within a hundred meters rapidly sank, leaving him embedded in the dirt as he coughed up blood without end.
"I'm not here to kill anyone. I only want to save people."
Dragon landed at the edge of the crater, his vicious face perfectly calm. This man was even tougher than he had imagined.
He shouldn't be able to get up anymore, right?
With a trace of admiration, Dragon turned and headed for the warship. Buggy and the others aboard it stood on tiptoe, staring toward the massive crater.
"Major General Wilton!"
"Major General Wilton!"
"Major General Wilton!"
Tashigi, who had never been qualified to join the battle, watched the crater with tears in her eyes. Clenching her fists, she began to shout. Wilton's fearless bravery and his refusal to yield, even in the face of death, had moved her.
The large group of Marines behind her felt the same way.
They were all cheering Wilton on.
"He can't possibly..."
Dragon shook his head. He did not believe Wilton could still stand. He knew exactly how hard he had struck. While it would not kill Wilton, he would definitely be bedridden for ten days to half a month.
Before he could finish speaking, a steady, forceful set of footsteps came from the crater.
He turned around.
A sturdy figure entered his view, gasping heavily. Pain filled his eyes, while green motes of light drifted from his entire body. Though his face was swollen and bruised and he looked utterly miserable, he radiated soaring fighting spirit and utter fearlessness.
"Justice Potential!"
At that moment, Wilton went all out, unleashing his passion for justice. Life-light motes floated around his body. No matter how badly he was injured, as long as he still had one breath left, he could revive with half his health restored.
Once he grew stronger through later training, he could even revive at full health. It was like having the Phoenix Eye equipped, equivalent to a second life. Unfortunately, he could only use it once a day.
"He actually stood up again."
"What kind of monster is he? He was obviously injured so badly."
Buggy and the others were deeply shaken.
Anyone else would have been unable to get back up after the first time, yet Wilton had not only risen once, but a second and third time as well.
"Major General Wilton."
Tashigi and the Marines were flushed with excitement. In their eyes, Wilton's figure was incomparably towering, like a sun that never set, guiding justice and guiding the future.
This persistence was not stupidity, nor was it the act of a Clown. It was noble and heroic, worthy of admiration.
Whoosh—
As always, Wilton charged at Dragon with no regard for his own life after going all out. This time, he was even faster, because Justice Potential not only restored fifty percent of his health, but also increased his movement speed by thirty percent.
The air tore apart.
Dragon raised a hand to block the incoming fist. Just as he prepared to counterattack, his brows furrowed. Wilton swiftly swept out with a kick that struck him squarely in the waist.
In an instant, rolling smoke and explosions tore across five streets.
From the ruins,
Dragon walked out with a calm expression. Looking at Wilton's sharp gaze, he began to take him more seriously. This Marine gave him an unexpectedly troublesome feeling. Anyone unaware of the situation might have thought he was fighting an Admiral.
Though Dragon had always held the upper hand, even dominating him completely, Wilton's spirit and will were things that even some of the sea's top powerhouses might not possess.
It truly made people see him in a new light.
"Luffy, I hope you can gain something from this battle."
Dragon subconsciously looked toward the people on the warship. Every one of them wore expressions of shock and disbelief.
A strong person was not called strong merely because of great combat power. A truly strong person needed not only formidable strength, but also extraordinary will, spirit, ideals, and aspirations.
This was a silent lesson.
Descending from the sky,
Wilton transformed into a mountain-like dumbbell. With both hands clenched into fists, he swung them down heavily. That wide-open, overwhelmingly powerful attack carried a suffocating pressure before it had even arrived.
An earth-shattering explosion erupted.
Dragon's feet sank deep into the ground as he threw a punch, directly meeting Wilton's attack head-on. A shock wave instantly spread outward from the two of them. Wilton only held out for three seconds before being sent flying uncontrollably.
The gap between them had not narrowed by much.
"Feverish Spin."
"Dumbbell Charge."
In battle, Wilton spilled his blood as his fighting spirit rose higher and higher. At the same time, his condition grew more and more miserable, but he could still endure. That was how tough a real man was.
The effects of his mad focus on Iron Body and Armament Haki were finally showing. They had not disappointed him, nor had they betrayed his inexplicable confidence. Especially when paired with Recovery, Healing, the passive skill Self-Sacrifice, and his ultimate, Justice Potential.
If he ate another Zoan Devil Fruit, or perhaps a compatible Paramecia Devil Fruit, wouldn't he soar straight to the top?
Bang! Bang! Bang!
After a seamless combo, Wilton was being beaten like a punching bag. Every one of Dragon's punches was as heavy as a mountain. Even Wilton's defenses could not withstand them.
Blood continued to spray.
This was an unequal battle, yet Wilton showed everyone what persistence was, what a true tough guy was, and what justice was.
And stupidity, too.
"Stay down!"
Dragon drove a knee heavily into Wilton's abdomen. That immense force burst through his back, even blasting upward and scattering the sky filled with Lightning and Thunder.
It was like the last straw that broke the camel's back. Wilton, his face covered in blood, dropped to his knees. His hands uncontrollably clutched his stomach as he vomited blood in great mouthfuls, feeling all strength drain from his body.
He had exhausted every means at his disposal.
He was no match at all.
What he did not know was that, in the eyes of outsiders, a Major General lasting this long against the World's Most Evil Man was already a miracle. Even an Admiral might not be able to gain much of an advantage against him.
Helplessly,
Wilton watched Dragon take Luffy and his group away. There was nothing he could do.
He was only a Major General.
Besides, everyone had witnessed his efforts. Once Marine Headquarters received the full report, they surely would not say anything.
Unable to hold on any longer, Wilton collapsed into a pool of blood and lost consciousness.
The next day
The rising sun.
A ray of sunlight emerged from the horizon, illuminating all of Loguetown.
The Chop-Chop-damaged, wrecked harbor was being repaired. Fortunately, the battle had only damaged buildings and had not affected any innocent people.
Marine base.
In the infirmary, Wilton lay wrapped in bandages on a hospital bed. He suddenly opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, then abruptly sat up, unable to stop himself from baring his teeth in pain.
He had accidentally fallen asleep.
It seemed his body truly could not take it anymore.
"Major General Wilton."
Outside the door,
A Marine wore a respectful expression, his eyes filled with excitement. Hearing the movement, he opened the door and saw Wilton sitting on the hospital bed. He immediately turned around and shouted into the corridor.
"Major General Wilton is awake!"
"Hurry and notify Colonel Smoker and Chief Petty Officer Tashigi."
Not long after,
Smoker and Tashigi arrived together. Seeing Wilton awake, they both let out sighs of relief, though they were also surprised that he had woken up so quickly.
An ordinary person with injuries this severe would probably have remained unconscious for ten days to half a month.
Major General Wilton's physique was terrifying...
Before you continue