Due to the shooting and artillery assessments, Wood and Gion had interacted quite a lot. Gion was a highly competitiave person, and after being completely defeated by Wood in both shooting and artillery scores, she made it a point to learn more about him.
For an ordinary person, obtaining detailed information about Wood might have been difficult, but for Gion, it was not a problem at all.
Vice Admiral Tsuru wasn't just a Vice Admiral of the Navy Headquarters; she was also the "Grand Strategist" of the entire Navy, one of the few high-ranking officers with substantial authority.
Although there was a significant age difference between Gion and Tsuru, they were as close as sisters.
With Tsuru's help, Gion was able to obtain very detailed information about Wood, which allowed her to understand this man much better.
Wood was born on Maple Leaf Island, located in the first half of the Grand Line. Until the age of 15, his life was quite ordinary, not much different from any other boy his age.
However, at the age of 15, After Wood killed the group of pirates who landed on Maple Leaf Island, he found himself unable to step back from the path of battle.
This marked the beginning of his relentless fight against every pirate crew that dared to set foot on his homeland as if he had been drawn into a role he could no longer avoid
Between the ages of 15 and 16, a total of eight pirate crews landed on Maple Leaf Island. Wood completely wiped out five of these crews, while the remaining three fled in disarray after their captains were killed.
Before coming to Navy Headquarters, Wood single-handedly slaughtered half of the Iron Arm Pirate Crew, even killing their captain, who had a bounty of 20 million berries.
On Maple Leaf Island, Wood was highly respected, not only widely loved by the islanders but also known as the "Guardian of Maple Leaf Island." The residents unanimously considered him a good kid.
Upon arriving at Navy Headquarters, Wood faced the overwhelming presence of Vice Admiral Garp. Both his willpower and character received praise from Vice Admiral Garp and Admiral Zephyr.
Gion was undoubtedly shocked when she read the information on Wood.
The Wood described in the report was completely different from the Wood she knew.
The Wood in the report was extraordinarily talented, with exceptional willpower and impeccable character for someone his age.
But the Wood she knew? His grades were mediocre at best, and he was extremely timid and cowardly. As for his character, calling him unethical wouldn't be too far off!
The gap between the report and reality was so large that Gion even considered the possibility of having the wrong person.
However, there was only one person named Wood in the entire Navy academy who matched the age and other details.
It was clear that a person couldn't have two completely different personalities. Either Wood had a split personality, or he was deliberately hiding his true self.
Wood had lived on Maple Leaf Island for over a decade, with little change in his personality during that time. It was only after arriving at Navy Headquarters that he became the way he was now.
So, the explanation was simple: Wood's mediocre grades and his lack of character were all part of an act he had carefully crafted.
Gion didn't know why Wood was doing this, but she understood that everyone has their own secrets. She didn't feel the need to pry into his motives, as long as his true nature wasn't malicious.
To verify the accuracy of the intelligence, Gion had secretly tested Wood several times, discovering that his strength, reflexes, and speed were all far beyond what she had expected.
And as a fellow swordsman, despite Wood's efforts to conceal his aura, Gion could still faintly sense the presence of a sword hidden within him.
When Gion first met Wood and saw him as a rival, it wasn't without reason.
Although Wood's shooting scores weren't the best at the time, Gion had still taken an interest in him. Now that she thought about it, it was probably due to the aura he emanated.
When one swordsman encounters another, no matter how well one of them hides their strength, there's no mistaking the feeling of having met a worthy opponent.
Gion didn't understand why Wood was hiding his true strength, but she believed that as long as Wood stayed at the Navy academy, they would eventually have a chance to face each other.
After all, the advanced training for Navy officers included combat courses. No matter how well Wood hid his abilities, Gion was confident that she could force him to reveal his true power.
That was her original plan, but as a year passed, even during the final assessment, Wood still only achieved average scores. He even submitted a graduation application, intending to become an ordinary Navy soldier. That was when Gion finally couldn't sit still anymore!
In her mind, Wood should have at least shown some of his strength during the final assessment and ended up being selected as an elite to stay for further training.
However, this guy, despite his considerable abilities, had chosen to become a mere Navy soldier with no ambition!
Since the anticipated swordsman duel hadn't happened yet, Gion wasn't about to let Wood escape. Moreover, she believed that with his strength, becoming an ordinary Navy soldier would be a waste of his talent, so she informed Tsuru about the situation and asked for her help.
This explained why the Navy captain had received orders from both Zephyr and Tsuru to ensure that Wood stayed.
"Gion, you really think too highly of me… Those three lying over there, their scores are far better than mine. If it's about shooting or artillery, I might have a bit of confidence. But if it's hand-to-hand combat, a weakling like me wouldn't stand a chance against even one of them, let alone all three."
Hearing Wood's words, Gion's expression was one of disdain. With his level of shooting and artillery skills, he still had the nerve to claim he was confident.
"There's no need to pretend to be an innocent little rabbit in front of me. If you didn't have the strength, I wouldn't have gone out of my way to ask someone to keep you here…"
"So it was you! I was wondering how, with my mediocre scores, I ended up being considered an elite and kept here. So it was your doing! We had no grudges in the past, and I just wanted to be a regular Navy soldier. Why did you have to make things difficult for me!"
Hearing Gion's words, Wood, who had been feigning innocence, suddenly looked enlightened and frustrated. It wasn't Zephyr after all—it was Gion who had caused his trouble.
"Because I haven't defeated you yet. And your strength is truly formidable, isn't it? Even before entering the Navy academy, you had already killed a pirate with a 20 million berry bounty. With such credentials, even if I hadn't intervened, do you think Admiral Zephyr would have let you become an ordinary Navy soldier?"
Gion's words were said without much intent, but they hit Wood deeply. His expression didn't change much, but the two youngsters next to him were already shocked.
Hina was one thing, but Smoker, with his bruised and swollen face, looked at Wood with an expression of disbelief. He simply couldn't fathom how someone so shameless could actually be such a powerful individual.