"There's no denying that the Navy, as the enforcers of justice, has effectively curbed the pirates on the seas.
But standing above the Navy's justice is an even uglier evil. As long as you're in the Navy, you can't resist the World Government, let alone punish the Celestial Dragons.
In that case, there's no point in staying in the Navy. If we can only punish pirates but turn a blind eye to even greater evils, then this justice is undoubtedly narrow-minded!"
Wood said these words partly to convince Gion, but also because they reflected his true thoughts.
Initially, Wood intended to join Monkey D. Dragon's Revolutionary Army, but unfortunately, when he first set out to sea, Dragon had just left the Navy.
And even if he had wanted to join the Revolutionary Army, Wood had no way of finding their base at the time.
Whether the Revolutionary Army is just or not is something Wood refrains from judging for now, but there's no denying that the Celestial Dragons are evil. And the only force in the world that dares to challenge them is Dragon's Revolutionary Army.
"But if I recall correctly, you once said you despised pirates the most.
If you defect from the Navy now, you won't be able to live as an ordinary person or even as a bounty hunter; you'll be labeled a pirate and be wanted by the headquarters."
"I heard from those who defected with you that all the prisoners you released from Impel Down were killed by you.
If that's the case, then there might still be room to salvage this situation. Come back to headquarters with me. If Fleet Admiral Sengoku understands the full story, there might be a chance to turn things around."
Wood's biggest crime right now was releasing over a hundred prisoners from Impel Down, but now that he had personally executed them all, there might be a way to mitigate the situation.
With the recent death of the Warden of Impel Down, if they could appeal to Fleet Admiral Sengoku and use Gion's connections at headquarters, there might be a way to spin the situation.
For instance, they could claim that Wood wasn't the criminal who released the prisoners; rather, the prisoners took advantage of the chaos caused by Shiki's escape, and Wood was responsible for hunting them down and eliminating them.
Though this excuse might seem far-fetched, Gion's influence could potentially make it work.
Gion had a close relationship with Vice Admiral Tsuru, and both she and Wood were former students of Zephyr, who was highly regarded by Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
Most of the decision-makers at Navy Headquarters had connections to Gion, making her a bona fide "second-generation" officer without question.
Gion believed that if Wood displayed his true strength before Fleet Admiral Sengoku and demonstrated his value, combined with her connections, there might still be a chance to resolve the situation as long as the bounty hadn't been issued.
"I won't return to the Navy. I will enforce justice in my own way. If you still consider me a friend, don't get in my way."
Faced with Gion's persuasion, Wood showed a determined expression.
To be a good undercover agent, he needed to act convincingly. If he couldn't even deceive his own people, how could he fool others?
"If that's the case, then I'll personally bring you back, even if it means breaking your limbs in the process!"
When reasoning failed, Gion drew her sword, Konpira, and her figure instantly disappeared from where she stood.
In response, Wood also drew his sword, Tenko, and vanished from his previous position simultaneously.
"Clang—!"
A crisp metallic sound echoed through the air as Wood and Gion, who had disappeared moments before, reappeared, clashing with each other.
Konpira's blade pressed against Tenko's, sparks flying from the friction between the two swords.
At the moment their blades collided, a massive shockwave erupted, causing the previously calm sea to surge violently.
The clash of blades didn't last long. Gion, who was not as strong as Wood in terms of raw power, was quickly forced back by Wood.
However, Gion soon regained her footing and slashed directly at the sea before her.
"One-Sword Style: Rabbit Tooth!"
A sharp wave of sword energy erupted from Konpira's blade, slicing into the sea before Gion.
The previously calm sea, under the force of Gion's slash, rose into a massive wave, forming a small-scale tsunami that surged toward Wood.
"One-Sword Style: Kamaitachi!"
With a swift strike, Wood unleashed a wind-infused slash that tore through the oncoming tsunami like a curtain, splitting it in two.
Compared to Shiki's earlier Lion's Threat: Sea Scroll, Gion's wave was far less formidable.
As the tsunami was split apart, the water lost its support and fell back into the sea as countless droplets, creating a massive splash upon impact.
For Wood and Gion, the earlier exchanges were just probing moves, but the dozens of Marines watching from two nearby ships were already stunned.
What kind of battle was this? One person raised a small tsunami with a single slash, while the other split it open!
Gion's subordinates weren't too surprised, as they were familiar with her strength after working with her for some time.
But for Rus and his group, seeing Wood slice through a tsunami and suppress a Marine Rear Admiral left their eyes almost popping out of their heads.
They hadn't witnessed Wood's fight with Shiki because they were too far away.
When he slaughtered the prisoners from Impel Down, the opponents were too weak for them to fully appreciate Wood's strength.
But this battle in front of them left the greatest impact.
Gion was a Marine Rear Admiral, a rising star within the Navy, and her terrifying strength was no surprise.
The real shock was that Wood, a mere Marine Commander who would have been a nobody at Navy Headquarters, possessed such immense power!
It was obvious to anyone watching that Rear Admiral Gion wasn't dominating the fight. In fact, Wood was clearly superior in both speed and strength.
As the water droplets rained down, Gion's figure moved at high speed, creating multiple afterimages around Wood, each one slashing at him from different angles.
"Blade Dance: Crafty Rabbit!"
Wood had seen this technique before during his training duels with Gion at the Navy Academy. It involved moving at extreme speed to create multiple afterimages, confusing the opponent and finding an opening for a fatal strike!