As for Garp's joking remarks, Sengoku naturally didn't take them to heart. Just by looking at the damage report from the X3 Marine branch, they knew that the only person Wood was determined to kill was the Marine Captain of that branch.
This Marine Captain, named Rock, had been in the Marines longer than Wood. Moreover, being from the West Blue, it was impossible for him to have any connection with Wood, who hailed from the Red Leaf Island in the Grand Line.
In other words, the two had never met before, ruling out any possibility of a personal grudge.
The Marine Headquarters had its own intelligence network, so it didn't take long before another piece of information about Marine Captain Rock landed on Sengoku's desk.
The person delivering this report was none other than Rear Admiral Gion, who had recently emerged from the shadows.
The Marine Headquarters had informants stationed in branches all over the world, so information about Marine Captain Rock wasn't exactly a secret.
It's just that ordinarily, the big shots at Marine Headquarters wouldn't bother with information about a mere Marine Captain stationed at a branch.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, all the information on Marine Captain Rock of the X3 branch is here."
Gion handed over the intelligence report. Normally, a Rear Admiral like her wouldn't be doing such menial tasks.
However, since Vice Admiral Tsuru was in charge of intelligence at the time and Gion happened to be with her when the matter involving Wood came up, Gion took it upon herself to deliver the report.
She had already sneaked a peek at the report earlier, but now she wanted to hear any additional information that she might not have known.
Sengoku saw through Gion's little ploy but chose not to call her out on it. After all, Gion was already one of the few who were in the know.
"He's been the commanding officer of the X3 branch for only three years, yet he's already committed acts of bribery, cowardice, and even shielding pirates…"
Reading through the report on Marine Captain Rock, Fleet Admiral Sengoku frowned deeply.
If one were to take a closer look, they would find that besides the incident involving Asuka Island and the 'One-Eyed Pirate Crew,' this Marine Captain named Rock had committed many other heinous acts, making him a veritable scoundrel.
"This man had a poor reputation even when he was a Major at headquarters.
Knowing he had no chance of promotion, and with Asuka Island being in his home waters, the higher-ups approved his request to be stationed there as a commanding officer."
Gion, who despised evil even more than Wood, was furious when she learned that this Marine Captain Rock had ignored Asuka Island's pleas for help, allowing the 'One-Eyed Pirate Crew' to massacre the islanders. Her anger was palpable.
Without a doubt, if Gion had been there at the time, she would likely have done what Wood did.
After all, this person's actions were a disgrace to the Marines, completely unworthy of wearing the mantle of justice.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, a Marine scum like this deserves to die. If we let him continue, he'll only bring more harm to the islands around the X3 branch.
Moreover, his actions are tarnishing the reputation of the Marines in the West Blue, causing more people to lose faith in us."
As Gion passionately condemned the Marine Captain, Sengoku rubbed his temples, clearly exasperated.
"You're railing against this Marine Captain because you're worried we'll brand Wood as a traitor or that we'll punish him harshly, right?"
Gion, caught off guard by Sengoku's insight, felt a bit embarrassed. While she did despise the Marine Captain of the X3 branch, her primary motivation for speaking up was to defend Wood.
Gion couldn't quite understand why, but her feelings toward Wood had become rather complicated.
When she first met him at the Marine Academy, she undoubtedly disliked Wood, especially after he embarrassed her.
But over time, her dislike evolved into seeing him as a rival and opponent.
As they competed against each other, a friendship slowly formed between them.
Then, during the incident at Mary Geoise, they shared a secret, and Gion began to see the real Wood, finding herself drawn to his character beneath the playful facade.
From that moment on, Gion noticed that her feelings for Wood went beyond mere rivalry or friendship, and something more began to take root.
Unfortunately, before these feelings could fully blossom, Gion suddenly heard the news that Wood had defected from the Marines.
When she first heard of Wood's betrayal, Gion couldn't believe it. But after confirming the truth, she was filled with a profound sense of disappointment and sorrow.
The failed pursuit and the fact that Wood took away his life paper only deepened her sadness, leaving her in a state of melancholy for a long time.
Eventually, Vice Admiral Tsuru, unable to bear seeing Gion so dejected, revealed Wood's secret mission to her, with Sengoku's approval.
Learning that Wood had gone undercover and hadn't truly betrayed the Marines or her, Gion's spirits soared, as if she had been pulled from the depths of despair straight into heaven.
She quickly recovered from her depression, and her work efficiency increased significantly, driven by her desire to catch up to and surpass Wood.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, you're not really going to severely punish Wood, are you? I don't think he did anything wrong. He was just seeking justice for the people of Asuka Island."
Seeing Sengoku's stern, silent expression, Gion grew anxious.
"Whether he did wrong or not isn't for him to decide. Even if this Marine Captain Rock is a scoundrel, Wood should have reported it to Headquarters and let me handle it, rather than taking matters into his own hands.
Don't forget, he's now a pirate, and a pirate storming a Marine branch single-handedly and wiping it out is nothing short of a slap in the face for the Marines.
If this kind of news spreads, the pirates in the West Blue will only become more arrogant, and the Marines' deterrence in the region will plummet."
Hearing Sengoku's reasoning, Gion fell silent. She knew Wood was smart and usually mindful of the bigger picture.
But once his bottom line was crossed, Wood was the kind of person who wouldn't hesitate to stir up trouble, even against the highest authorities. Gion knew this all too well—the two dead Celestial Dragons at Mary Geoise were a testament to that.
"If that's the case, then send me to replace this Marine Captain at the X3 branch.
I'll use the swiftest and most decisive methods to subdue all the pirates in the West Blue, restoring the Marines' authority and regaining the trust of the islands in the region."
With Wood having eliminated the original Marine Captain of the X3 branch, the headquarters needed to send a new leader there, and it couldn't be just anyone; it had to be someone strong enough to keep the now emboldened pirates in check.
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Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 230+ at patreon.com/Betek.