This Is the Life of Someone with a Cheat

"Colonel Smoker, Chief Petty Officer Tashigi, how long was I unconscious?"

Wilton reflexively raised his arms to work his biceps, then got out of bed and did several stretches amid Smoker and Tashigi's bewildered stares.

Although his entire body ached, it no longer hindered his movements.

After this battle, his body had grown even tougher, and both his Armament Haki and Haki had improved.

Sure enough, combat was the fastest way to grow stronger.

That brutal beating had not been for nothing. The gains had been substantial.

The process just had not been very pleasant.

"Major General Wilton, you were unconscious for two days and two nights."

Smoker puffed on the three cigars in his mouth before continuing, "The Straw Hat Pirates were rescued by Dragon, but Clown Buggy, Iron Mace Alvida, Arlong, and Bartholomew are still locked in the cells."

"I understand."

He had seen it before pretending to lose consciousness.

"Chief Petty Officer Tashigi, could you prepare a hundred servings of food for me?"

Setting his thoughts aside,

Wilton was starving.

He felt like he could eat twice his usual amount.

"Yes!"

Tashigi gave a military salute and left to make the preparations.

"Colonel Smoker, please make the necessary arrangements. After I eat, I'll escort Arlong and the others to Impel Down."

"So soon? Major General, your body—"

"I'm fine. I can recuperate on the way."

Wilton shook his head. His fight with Dragon had already earned him the reputation he wanted. How could he waste time here? He might as well finish the mission sooner and head to the Grand Line or the New World to capture pirates.

He needed to improve his strength as much as possible through battle.

Very soon,

two hours later,

after finishing his meal, Wilton returned to the harbor. The harbor was being repaired now; the battle had caused considerable damage, and Smoker would handle the aftermath.

"Damn it."

"Still can't escape?"

"Damn Monkey D. Luffy."

"Why didn't that bastard rescue us too?!"

Once again, Buggy and the others, shackled in Seastone handcuffs, were escorted onto the warship. Every one of them wore expressions of despair and utter hopelessness. When Wilton had collapsed two days ago,

they had thought their chance to escape had arrived.

Who would have thought that the world's most dangerous man had no intention of rescuing them? He had simply taken the Straw Hat Pirates away without even harming the Marines.

Before they could even call for help, he had vanished.

Buggy and the others had been furious at the time, cursing endlessly with tears in their eyes.

What would it have cost him to save them? It was just a matter of convenience.

But on second thought, they had no relation to each other. In fact, they were enemies of Luffy. More importantly, rescuing them all might have caused Wilton's mission to fail, and then he would have kept chasing Luffy.

Dragon had absolutely no obligation to save them.

Nor was there any reason for him to invite unnecessary trouble.

"Set sail."

Still cursing, Buggy and the others were escorted into the cabin. At Wilton's command, the warship headed toward Enies Lobby. Only by passing through the Gate of Justice could they reach Impel Down faster and more safely.

"Yes!"

The sails were raised, and they set off.

In the eyes of Smoker, Tashigi, and the other Marines, the warship gradually disappeared beyond the horizon.

Inside the cabin's lounge, Wilton's face was still somewhat pale, and he still lacked strength throughout his body. His combat power had not recovered much, but Wilton was not worried in the slightest.

Because he had a cheat.

Before having one, he had mocked cheaters. Once he had one, he understood cheaters. After using one, he became addicted to being a cheater.

Sweet.

"Restore."

After two days, he could use his skills again.

With a wave of Restore, green light emerged from Wilton's body, and his complexion quickly improved. But it was not enough. He used Heal as well, and the entire lounge was instantly flooded with green light.

"That's enough!"

With his injuries seventy to eighty percent healed, Wilton stretched, practically restored to full health.

This was the life of someone with a cheat.

Plain, unpretentious, and utterly addictive.

If he wanted, he could even use his ultimate immediately, but there was no need. It was better to keep a trump card for emergencies.

For now, whether it was his ultimate, Justice Potential, or Restore, Heal, and Return, each could only be used once per day. Perhaps that would change once Wilton grew stronger.

"I still need to eat a Devil Fruit."

Wilton trained while thinking. Aside from Iron Body, he was not proficient in the other Six Powers, which severely limited his fighting style.

He would definitely be at a disadvantage against those truly well-rounded monsters.

So he needed another solution.

Devil Fruits were perfect. Some suitable Devil Fruits could not only make up for his weaknesses but also make him even stronger.

The question was,

what Zoan Devil Fruits still existed at this point? If he was choosing one, he had to choose the strongest, such as a Mythical Zoan.

Besides that,

Paramecia or Logia-type Fruits would work too, but they did not provide as comprehensive an enhancement as Zoans. They also could not mesh as perfectly with Iron Body and his Golden Finger abilities for maximum benefit.

The plot had already begun. If he proceeded step by step, it would be difficult to become an Admiral after the Summit War.

Because his strength was not enough.

As for achievements and contributions, he just needed to capture powerful pirates on a large scale during this time. Or he could capture major Revolutionary Army officers and eliminate capable subordinates of the Four Emperors.

Although seniority mattered in the Marines, this was ultimately a world of extraordinary power. The only true principles were strength and loyalty.

If he were as strong as, or stronger than, Fujitora and Ryokugyu, and showed the Holy Land sufficient unwavering loyalty, he would have a great chance of becoming an Admiral.

Therefore, he had to take an unconventional path and seek a Devil Fruit that could bring enormous short-term returns.

Something extreme, for example.

He was uniquely gifted in recovery and endurance, and he also had defense. If he pushed Iron Body and Armament Haki to their limits, he would inevitably achieve extreme defense. Looking at it that way, the only thing he lacked was extreme destructive power. To make up for that, he had to set his sights on Paramecia Fruits.

And they had to be the simple, brutal, straightforward kind.

Like the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, Paw-Paw Fruit, Weapon-Weapon Fruit, Press-Press Fruit, Ton-Ton Fruit, Heat-Heat Fruit, Explode-Explode Fruit, Power-Power Fruit, DEX-DEX Fruit, and so on.

Zoans offered long-term returns, while Paramecias offered short-term returns. Unfortunately, there were too few Logia-types, and all of them already had owners. Still, he could hunt them down and take a gamble.

Anyone who had watched Pirate King knew that the method of stealing Devil Fruits was actually simple. As long as some fruit was placed nearby before killing the original user, there was a certain chance that, after the user died, the Devil Fruit would reincarnate in the nearest fruit.

He had to become an Admiral in this generation if possible, even if the chance was slim. Otherwise, Sakazuki would become Fleet Admiral, while Issho and Aramaki would become Admirals, all of them in their prime. There was no telling how many years they would hold their positions.

That would waste too much time, unless Sakazuki, Borsalino, Issho, or Aramaki died prematurely.

But killing such talents would be too wasteful.

And he might not necessarily have the strength to do it.

Once he became an Admiral of this generation, he could wait one or two years before making Sakazuki step down and yield his position. The sooner he became an Admiral and Fleet Admiral, the sooner the world would be unified.

His ambitions could also be realized sooner.

In that process, necessary killing and sacrifice were unavoidable.

So he needed to take an unconventional path and fight for that slim chance. Besides, who said a person could only eat one Devil Fruit?

"Sand-Sand Fruit, Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Paw-Paw Fruit, Weapon-Weapon Fruit, Ton-Ton Fruit, Heat-Heat Fruit, Explode-Explode Fruit, Power-Power Fruit. I'll start with these."

At that moment,

Wilton set his sights on certain people.

He had a strong chance of obtaining these Fruits. Not only did he know their whereabouts, but he also had opportunities to kill their current users or pick up the spoils.

He did not have much time left.

Elsewhere,

not long after Wilton was defeated by Dragon, the Marine Headquarters Fleet Admiral's office and Vice Admiral Dalmatian, who was stationed in the New World, received the news.

"I had long heard that Vice Admiral Dalmatian had an exceptionally brave officer under his command. I never expected that, even against the leader of the Revolutionary Army, he would not retreat in the slightest. He was knocked down time and again, yet kept getting back up. Though defeated, he was honorable."

Looking at the intelligence report in his hand, Sengoku became even more interested in the officer named Wilton.

He had heard about Dalmatian's fierce subordinate before. In battle, he always charged at the front and had risen from an unknown Marine to Major General in just five years.

He had fought his way back through barrages of gunfire and blood.

His illustrious achievements were all properly recorded, leaving no room for criticism. Officers like him were respected and trusted within the Marines, unlike those who cut corners or relied on connections.

"For the past two or three years, whenever Vice Admiral Dalmatian called, every word was filled with praise for Major General Wilton, along with an intense urge to show him off. It has made Vice Admirals Onigumo, Momonga, and the others rather miserable."

Sengoku was not the only one in the office. Tsuru was there as well.

Thinking of Momonga and the others complaining every time, Tsuru found it somewhat amusing. However, she quickly wiped the smile from her face and said seriously, "Still, Dragon appearing in the East Blue needs to be investigated."

"I've already arranged it."

"Also, contact Major General Wilton. After he completes the escort mission, have him return to Marineford. You should observe him personally."

"Alright."

Tsuru understood what Sengoku meant.

They had always kept an eye on talented Marines like him.

At the same time, in the New World,

after Dalmatian received the intelligence from Loguetown, half his face remained in beast form and half in human form, both wearing a proud, approving smile.

He could brag to his colleagues again.