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Wood had calculated that with his current rank, if he continued working in Impel Down according to standard procedures, it would take at least twenty years to be promoted to the rank of major in the Navy headquarters!
And that was an optimistic estimate. If any problems arose in Impel Down, or if they made any mistakes, this timeframe could be even longer.
Opportunities to return to the Navy headquarters were rare, and opportunities for rapid promotion were even rarer.
"Promotion or not isn't the most important thing; the point is, I'm someone who values loyalty above all."
"We've known each other for two years now. Our relationship may not be that close, but as former classmates, if Gion needs help, I, Wood, will naturally offer my full support!"
Wood's words were spoken with such enthusiasm that if Gion didn't already know what kind of person Wood was, she might have believed him.
Navy Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's Office
"Gion, are you sure that only the two of you are needed for this mission?"
"There are plenty of idle captains at the Navy headquarters. As long as I officially appoint you as the squad leader, even if their ranks are the same, they would still follow your commands."
The old man with the goatee asked Gion again, confirming whether sending just the two of them for the mission was too rash.
After Gion had accepted the mission, she had made no moves for two whole days. Sengoku had assumed that Gion was taking the mission very seriously and was being extremely careful in selecting personnel.
However, after two days, Gion had chosen a "private" who wasn't even at the level of a non-commissioned officer out of the tens of thousands of outstanding Navy officers.
"Yes, Fleet Admiral. This is a decision I made after careful consideration."
"This mission doesn't require many personnel. If we bring too many people, it might attract the attention of those with ulterior motives and risk alerting the enemy."
"Don't be fooled by Wood's seemingly unreliable nature. As his former classmate, I can vouch for his strength. There will be absolutely no problems."
"And to maintain the Navy's reputation, I ask that Fleet Admiral Sengoku allow us to conceal our Navy identities during this mission."
"The Celestial Dragons don't care who is responsible for transporting them, as long as the slaves are successfully delivered to Mary Geoise."
"Concealing our Navy identities benefits us in two ways: it facilitates our actions and keeps us from tarnishing the Navy's reputation by participating in the transport of slaves—a task that is far from just."
Before Gion could finish speaking, Sengoku nodded in understanding and looked at her with admiration.
If someone else had been assigned to interact with the Celestial Dragons, Sengoku would have worried about potential conflicts between them and the Celestial Dragons.
But Gion had even considered the potential negative impact on the Navy, displaying such meticulous thought and smooth handling that Sengoku had no reason to believe she would act rashly. After a moment of hesitation, he ultimately approved all of Gion's requests, including their actions and the concealment of their identities.
After leaving the Fleet Admiral's office, Wood gave Gion a disdainful look.
"A dirty deal right before my eyes. You're helping the Celestial Dragons with human trafficking, yet you're afraid of tainting the cloak of justice, so you plan to act discreetly by hiding your identity?"
"I never realized that the seemingly pure Gion is quite skilled at playing politics and intrigue."
Gion had discussed the mission of transporting with Wood earlier but hadn't mentioned that they would be transporting the Celestial Dragons' slaves.
If Wood had known the true nature of the mission, he would rather spend his life stuck in Impel Down than agree to assist Gion.
In the entire "One Piece" series, the existence that disgusted and repulsed Wood the most was the so-called World Nobles, the Celestial Dragons.
Some pirates committed heinous crimes, pillaging and killing wherever they went, but their evil deeds paled in comparison to those of the World Nobles.
The Celestial Dragons were, without a doubt, the root of evil in this world.
Wood didn't consider himself a particularly kind person, but he had his limits.
He couldn't bring himself to risk his life to eliminate the Celestial Dragons for the people, but he certainly couldn't bring himself to help them carry out their vile deeds!
"You think I like those swine-like beings? Even if we don't do this mission, Fleet Admiral Sengoku would still send others to carry it out."
"The Navy is still part of the World Government, and not even Fleet Admiral Sengoku can refuse this mandatory task."
"And compared to someone else taking on this mission, why shouldn't it be us? Maybe we can do a better job."
Hearing Wood's sarcastic remarks, Gion didn't get angry. Instead, she responded with a subtle expression.
Since this was an important mission, the more combat power, the better. So why did Gion, after rejecting numerous capable captains, insist on taking only herself and Wood?
Was the request to conceal their Navy identities merely for the sake of the Navy's reputation?
Wood wasn't an idiot. After hearing Gion's suggestive words, he finally showed a relieved expression.
He didn't know Gion's exact plan, but as a private, he couldn't defy the orders of the Fleet Admiral and the Navy captains. Since he was already on this "pirate ship," he could only see it through to the end.
After Gion and Wood left the room, Sengoku took out another file to continue working. However, he soon showed a troubled expression.
"Let's hope that girl Gion doesn't go overboard..."
Sengoku, known as the "Strategist," was no fool. He could see through things more clearly than anyone else.
He could even guess what Gion was planning after she made those strange requests.
There was no doubt that Gion had a Navy "justice" in her heart, and like Tsuru, she was cautious and thorough in her actions.
Sengoku now worried that Gion might go too far, forcing him to clean up their mess later.
Sengoku then looked at another file on his desk, which contained Wood's detailed personal information.
"She didn't choose to act alone but instead picked a private. It seems that girl Gion has a lot of trust in this kid named Wood."