"Lord Wilton!"
After considerable effort, Sadi was dragged away, her wails and screams echoing beneath the sky.
The four Jailer Beasts followed behind with their heads drooping, sniffling through snot bubbles.
Back in Impel Down, he had considered taking the four Jailer Beasts with him, but Magellan would never have let them go. Now, though, an opportunity had presented itself.
They were four powerful fighting forces.
More importantly, they were obedient.
Though not particularly intelligent, they would strike wherever they were pointed. Now that he was a major general, with Marine Vice Admiral being his next step, it was time to start building his own team.
These four Jailer Beasts were a perfect fit.
Sadi was a pity, though. If she were not a sadist and masochist with those mental issues, she could have served as his assistant as well.
To become Impel Down's chief jailer, she had to possess not only a certain level of combat strength, but also considerable professional ability.
More importantly, she was easy on the eyes!
What a shame.
A plan formed in his mind.
When Wilton met Tsuru, he would try asking. It would not cost him anything, and perhaps Tsuru might agree.
"One thousand five hundred, one thousand eight hundred."
Before long.
Wilton began working out and training on the deck under full-body weights, maintaining his Iron Body state all the while.
His Armament Haki was also being constantly consumed.
To save time, he tried to focus on training every ability at once, including Observation Haki.
He had to adapt to training around the clock as much as possible.
He was not worried about his body or mind breaking down. After all, he had cheats.
The next day, a Recovery, Healing Technique, and Justice Potential would restore him to full health.
In truth, this kind of round-the-clock training was exhausting. His body and mind remained tense, drained, and overextended every moment of every day.
If anyone else trained like this, they might grow stronger quickly in the short term, but they were destined not to live long. That kind of strain consumed one's lifespan.
It caused irreversible damage to the body.
Around the clock.
It sounded simple, but to maintain it continuously until it became a habit, Wilton would need decades.
What a shame Cheng Yaojin was not the Vietnamese server's Cheng Yaojin. Otherwise, his cheat would have been insanely overpowered even among cheats.
Marineford.
The Marine's main headquarters, a major organization that safeguarded world peace in the name of "Absolute Justice." It fought day and night to eradicate all forms of evil, never overlooking even the slightest crime.
It was an island filled with majesty, symbolizing peace, justice, and light.
After more than three hours of sailing, the warship reached the harbor.
The place resembled a steel fortress, with enormous warships everywhere, along with elite Marines and officers of all ranks.
This was not Wilton's first time at Marine Headquarters either. A year ago, he had come here with Dalmatian when he was being promoted to major general.
Within the Marines, anyone reaching flag officer rank had to report to headquarters.
The purpose was simply to let officers stationed elsewhere experience the headquarters' strength and atmosphere, giving them a greater sense of belonging and justice.
Furthermore, not even a headquarters vice admiral had the authority to promote their subordinates to commodore or major general. That authority belonged only to admirals.
Vice admirals could only promote people as far as colonel.
As for vice admirals, they required personal appointment by the Fleet Admiral. A few especially promising major generals might also be personally appointed by the Fleet Admiral if they were lucky.
What a shame.
The last time Wilton was promoted, he had not met Sengoku. Dalmatian had taken him to the Marine assessment department to register, and only after passing the evaluation did he become a major general.
This time was somewhat unexpected. Since the legendary woman of the Marines had specifically requested to see him, it was not hard to guess that Sengoku might be involved behind the scenes. They simply wanted to assess him.
To see whether he possessed enough potential and value.
And whether there was anything wrong with his way of thinking.
If everything checked out, Wilton's path to promotion should be smooth from then on. Even though he had only recently become a major general, he could be promoted again as long as he possessed matching strength and accomplishments.
He might even become part of a legend—such as the fastest-promoted officer in Marine history.
"Major General Wilton."
After stepping off the deck and onto the harbor, Wilton saw plenty of officers at his rank among the crowds, and even vice admirals returning from missions.
Even the Marines working at the harbor were exceptionally spirited and possessed impressive combat strength.
A tall, powerfully built female major general with green explosive hair and sunglasses approached in a Justice Coat. She studied Wilton carefully, then greeted him once she confirmed he was the person she had been waiting for.
"The Great Staff Officer sent me."
Seeing Wilton look over, the female major general explained.
"Understood."
The headquarters building.
From the Fleet Admiral down to the other Marine officers, nearly everyone worked inside under normal circumstances. It was an exceptionally grand and imposing structure.
On the way, the female major general assigned to receive Wilton had asked whether he wanted to rest for the night and meet the Great Staff Officer the following morning.
Wilton refused.
He had no time to waste at headquarters. He planned to leave as soon as he met Tsuru. Rather than spend time here, he would rather fight more battles and capture more pirate criminals.
Before the Summit War ended, he needed enough strength and accomplishments.
After winding through the building.
They encountered no shortage of elite major generals and even headquarters vice admirals along the way. Wilton knew some of them and did not know others. Eventually, they arrived at the Staff Department.
In terms of rank, Tsuru was a headquarters vice admiral, but she also held the position of Great Staff Officer. Her authority and status far exceeded those of ordinary vice admirals.
Even admirals had to obey orders issued by Tsuru in her capacity as Great Staff Officer when necessary.
Such necessary moments generally occurred during wartime.
During those times, admirals were not the ones making plans. All they had to do was use their status as the highest combat power to win the war.
Put simply, they were enforcers.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Come in."
A kindly, gentle voice came from the office. The female major general pushed open the door, and Wilton followed behind her.
Sadi and the four Jailer Beasts came along as well.
Wilton intended to hand Sadi over to Tsuru. As for the Jailer Beasts, he would take as many as he could get.
The office was simple and tidy.
The first thing Wilton saw was an elderly woman seated behind a desk, handling official documents.
Her gray-white hair was tied into a simple ponytail that reached her shoulders, exposing her forehead. A pair of emerald-green earrings hung from her ears.
She wore a Marine Vice Admiral's coat over a light blue shirt, along with a purple tie patterned in white.
"Vice Admiral, Major General Wilton has arrived."
The female major general stood ramrod straight and gave a respectful military salute, her expression solemn.
Among female Marines, the Great Staff Officer was their guiding light. She was a symbol of faith.
"Vice Admiral, I am Wilton."
Wilton also gave a solemn salute. Behind him, Sadi and the four Jailer Beasts instinctively followed suit, not daring to make the slightest fuss.
"Mm. You may leave first. Prepare coffee and some pastries for Major General Wilton, Miss Sadi, and the Jailer Beasts."
"Yes, ma'am."
The female major general responded loudly, then left the office and closed the door.
Before you continue