The Navy Admiral himself extending an invitation to a nobody like him—Wood, even as a transmigrator, couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed.
In the world of pirates, there are several major factions: the Navy, the Pirates, the Revolutionary Army, and bounty hunters.
Having witnessed the reality of pirates in this world, Wood had already given up on the idea of becoming one of them.
The Revolutionary Army had not yet risen to prominence, and its leader, Monkey D. Dragon, was likely still within the Navy at this point.
Wood had initially thought about becoming a bounty hunter, but the experience from his previous life simulation, where he ventured out to sea alone, was still fresh in his memory…
When watching the series, because the main characters are pirates, most people tend to see the Navy as the antagonists.
But is that really the case? Obviously not.
It's only after experiencing it firsthand that one realizes how rare pirates like Luffy and his crew are in this world.
Most pirates are exactly as feared: ruthless and evil. While the Navy follows the orders of the World Government and the "Celestial Dragons," who aren't exactly good people, there's no denying that without the Navy keeping these pirates in check, the world would be even more chaotic.
Having completed his first life simulation, with the second mission nearing its end, Wood's plans for the future had boiled down to two options.
One was to stay on the island for a few more years, building up his strength before venturing out to sea.
The other was to wait for the Navy ship he would have originally missed and join the Navy.
He had already planned to join the Navy, and now that a Navy Admiral had personally invited him, Wood was not foolish enough to decline. After a brief hesitation, he accepted Zephyr's invitation to join the Navy.
Both Zephyr and Wood were very pleased with this outcome.
Wood was happy because being personally invited by a Navy Admiral was a far cry from joining the Navy on his own initiative—there was no comparison in the treatment he would receive.
In any world, connections matter. Just look at a certain man who dreams of becoming the Pirate King; the entire sea is practically filled with his friends and family.
No matter how recklessly he behaves, he survives, not just because of the protagonist's plot armor, but also because his connections are so vast.
Zephyr was equally pleased to see Wood willing to join the Navy. After all, during this recruitment mission, he had finally found someone who met his expectations.
He had thought it would take more effort to persuade Wood, especially given how deeply he seemed to care about Red Leaf Island and its people.
But Wood had agreed so readily, which made Zephyr think that Wood's commitment to justice might be even stronger than he had imagined.
The Navy couldn't stay on Red Leaf Island for long, especially with Zephyr being an Admiral of the Navy Headquarters; he couldn't possibly linger in such a small place.
Wood, after his fierce battle with Iron Arm Cook, despite the extraordinary recovery abilities typical in the pirate world, would still need to lie in bed for at least ten days or half a month.
"Mr. Zephyr, can't you stay a little longer? Wood is so badly injured—can he really handle the roughness of the sea?
Why not let Wood recover here on the island and then report to Navy Headquarters? You could send a ship for him later, and in the meantime, he can properly say his goodbyes to everyone."
Seeing Wood, his left arm and leg wrapped in bandages, being roughly carried onto the warship, Astia couldn't help but express her concern and distress.
In Astia's view, the ship was full of rough men who wouldn't know how to take care of someone, let alone an injured person like Wood, so she was understandably worried.
"Madam, please rest assured. We have the best ship's doctor on board. Your child will receive even better care on the ship."
Hearing Astia's words, Rear Admiral Kadaru couldn't help but feel a slight twitch in his expression, but he still patiently offered his reassurance.
Send a warship back later? Did this woman think the Navy's warships were as plentiful as cabbages? Or did she think her child was an Admiral of the Headquarters?
As a Rear Admiral himself, if he wanted to go to Navy Headquarters, he couldn't just request a ship to be sent for him, and Wood, who wasn't even officially a recruit yet, could hardly expect such treatment.
Of course, these thoughts stayed in Kadaru's head; he didn't say them out loud.
He knew his current superior, Admiral Zephyr, had taken a keen interest in this boy from Red Leaf Island, personally recruiting him and instructing them to take good care of Wood.
It has to be said, sometimes having the right connections is truly advantageous.
Navy warships have limited space, and aside from high-ranking officers who have their own cabins, most of the crew is crammed into shared quarters.
But because Wood was injured and Zephyr had taken a personal interest in him, he was assigned a private room, just like the Navy officers.
However, this special treatment also made Wood's reputation take a nosedive the moment he boarded the ship.
People tend to dislike those with special privileges unless they themselves are the ones being favored. Otherwise, due to human nature, the general public tends to reject such individuals.
Unfortunately, Wood was now seen by most of the Navy personnel as someone receiving special treatment.
When Kadaru and the others arrived at Red Leaf Island, the remaining Iron Arm Pirates had already been taken down by Zephyr.
Naturally, all the Navy personnel, including Kadaru, assumed that everything was handled by Admiral Zephyr.
As for Wood's achievements, Zephyr didn't go out of his way to explain them to the crew.
The reason was simple: Zephyr was the highest-ranking officer on the ship and didn't need to report anything to anyone.
He was also concerned that overly praising Wood might lead the boy to develop unnecessary pride and arrogance. After all, Wood was still just a teenager, and it was normal for someone that age to get carried away with too much attention.
So Zephyr's silence and special treatment led to most of the Navy personnel on the ship believing that Wood was a connected insider.
The veteran Navy personnel from Headquarters were unfazed; they knew Zephyr well and understood what kind of person he was.
But the new recruits who had just been drafted were starting to feel a little resentful.
They were all new recruits—so why were they packed ten to a room while Wood got a private cabin?
During recruitment, Zephyr had been extremely picky and stern with them, so why was this half-crippled kid getting such special treatment?