After the Paramount War, the Navy finally realized that figures like the "Four Emperors," who flaunted their overwhelming power openly, weren't necessarily the most dangerous threats.
It was individuals like Blackbeard, Buggy the Clown, and Wood—those who understood patience and the art of concealment—who posed the real danger.
Compared to the "Four Emperors," who wielded raw power but lacked cunning, the likes of Blackbeard, Buggy, and Wood, who combined brains with brawn, were far more threatening.
Take this Paramount War, for example. If not for Fleet Admiral Sengoku's foresight, Blackbeard might have succeeded in his grand plan, emerging as the ultimate victor of the war. With the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, he might have even replaced Whitebeard as one of the Four Emperors.
As for Buggy the Clown, who used to be an insignificant figure, who would have guessed that he had such astonishing connections—a former crew member of the Pirate King's ship and a sworn brother to Shanks, the Red-Haired Emperor?
First, he orchestrated the Impel Down breakout. Then, he exposed the Navy's dirty secrets, causing Sengoku's plans to falter and dealing a severe blow to the Navy's reputation.
Now, Buggy had successfully turned his fortunes around, rising from a small-time pirate in the East Blue with a bounty of just over ten million berries to becoming one of the Warlords of the Sea, known as the "Clown of a Thousand Berries."
But compared to Blackbeard and Buggy, the last figure—Wood, the so-called "Ancient Weapon"—was the one Akainu feared the most.
Wood possessed power and influence comparable to that of the Four Emperors, his personal strength ranked among the best in the world, and his connections were unrivaled. Yet, he kept a remarkably low profile, showing no overt signs of ambition.
Such an unusual lack of ambition was precisely why others suspected him.
Despite having the strength to compete for the title of Pirate King, he seemed content to remain low-key, quietly running his weapons business. Who would believe that?
If Wood lacked the power or influence to back his ambitions, it might be understandable. But during the Final Battle, he revealed a terrifying level of strength, forming a force capable of standing equal to the Navy and the Four Emperors' alliance, creating a three-way stalemate.
If Wood ever decided to act, he could instantly replace the Whitebeard Pirates as one of the Four Emperors. In fact, many already considered him an unofficial Emperor.
And yet, after that war, he neither expanded his territory nor used his newfound fame to recruit followers. Instead, he chose to live a seemingly idle life on his island. Who could believe that?
Given his power and influence, Wood could easily dominate a region or even become the strongest of the Four Emperors. Yet he remained a neutral party, navigating the various factions without aligning himself with any.
There were only two possibilities: either Wood truly had no grand ambitions, or his ambitions were so great that he deemed the current moment unfit for his rise.
Blackbeard, for instance, acted because he believed the time was ripe, exposing his true strength and goals during the Paramount War. But he ultimately failed.
Wood, whose strength and resources were already so vast, remained cautious and low-profile. This suggested that his ambitions were far greater than Blackbeard's—or that his patience far exceeded Blackbeard's.
In short, no one—neither the Navy nor the other Four Emperors—believed for a moment that Wood was just an unambitious bystander.
How could someone without vision build such an extensive network of relationships, amass such wealth, and become a wielder of Conqueror's Haki within twenty years?
Aokiji's objective this time was simple: infiltrate Wood's forces, gain his trust, and uncover his true motives.
"A former Marine Admiral of your stature wanting to join my weapons company? Naturally, I welcome you with open arms.
But our company has a rather unique structure. While we may technically be pirates, we primarily focus on business and rarely engage in violence.
So, strength isn't our top priority. What we value are experience and qualifications. Tell me, Aokiji—uh, Kuzan-san—how are your public speaking skills?"
Hearing Wood's easy acceptance and casual question, Aokiji froze for a moment before shaking his head in confusion.
Despite being a Marine Admiral, Aokiji had always been reserved by nature, speaking sparingly even among friends. Forget being eloquent—he wasn't much for conversation at all.
"In that case, you wouldn't do well in sales, as that requires strong communication skills.
Do you have any talent for research? Like building cannons or something?"
Aokiji: What the hell? I'm a Marine Admiral, not a scientist or blacksmith!
"Well, then, how much do you know about weapons? Or how's your swimming?"
Aokiji was speechless. If not for his mission to infiltrate Wood's forces—and his naturally aloof temperament—he might have already slapped Wood across the face.
As a Marine Admiral, he was the ultimate weapon. What did he need to know about weapons? And as for swimming... was Wood seriously asking a Devil Fruit user about swimming?
"Well, that's a bit tricky. You're not suited for sales, you lack the expertise for R&D, and swimming is out of the question.
Our transportation department is handled by Fish-Men. Some sea routes are too difficult for regular ships, so we rely on the strength of Fish-Men and Merfolk.
While human swimming can't compare to Fish-Men, I could use my connections to make you a transport officer. But as someone who can't swim, I'm afraid the Fish-Men might not take kindly to having you as their leader."
At first, Aokiji thought Wood was mocking him. But as Wood continued, he realized the man was genuinely trying to find him a suitable role.
And that made it even worse.
For a former Marine Admiral to retire and not even measure up to a Fish-Man in Wood's company... it was beyond humiliating.
"While I may lack those skills, I'm confident in my strength.
Even with one leg, if I were tasked with escorting your goods, I could guarantee their safety," Aokiji said, forcing himself to remain composed.
His mission was to infiltrate Wood's organization and gain his trust as quickly as possible. If he could become a high-ranking officer, he'd have access to more sensitive information.
Frankly, Aokiji had assumed that his status as a former Marine Admiral would immediately earn him a leadership position, even with his current handicap.
When Aokiji first arrived at Dark Abyss Island, he quickly realized that things at Wood's weapons company weren't as straightforward as he'd imagined.
As a former Marine Admiral, one of the strongest in Marine Headquarters, Aokiji thought his status alone would earn him a place of importance. Yet, even for the sake of his mission, he found himself needing to fight for a respectable position. Reluctantly, he spoke up again.
"But the role of ensuring transport security has always been handled by Ruth. He's one of our veterans, after all.
Plus, our shipments typically fly the weapons company's flag, and most people on the sea give us enough respect to avoid trouble. For years now, there's never been a major issue."
Ruth, a former Marine captain, was now the vice-captain of the Nirvana Pirates and the third-ranking figure in Wood's company. A Zoan-type user of the Ancient Model Sea Dragon Fruit, Ruth's reputation skyrocketed after the Paramount War, where he fought off both King and Queen of the Beast Pirates. His bounty had since soared to 1.2 billion berries.
As much as Aokiji wanted to secure a significant role, even he knew it was unrealistic to immediately replace someone like Ruth. With no better option, he pressed further.
"Isn't there any other position where my strength could be of use?"
Aokiji couldn't believe how competitive the job market had become. He felt like a former CEO of one of the top three global companies who had switched industries, only to find he couldn't even land a department manager role.
"Other roles? Well, most of the open positions are for general crew members or staff—entry-level jobs, essentially.
Given your status as a former Marine Admiral, it would seem unfair to relegate you to something so low. Perhaps you'd have better luck applying elsewhere?
With your credentials, I'm sure the Big Mom Pirates could make you one of their new Sweet Commanders, or maybe the Beast Pirates could take you in as one of their new Disasters."
Even Wood felt a little bad about suggesting such low-level roles for a former Marine Admiral, so he subtly hinted that Aokiji might want to explore opportunities with other factions.
"It's fine," Aokiji replied firmly. "If I don't know anything, I'll start from scratch. Just let me join your weapons company."
Aokiji was determined. If Wood had outright rejected him, he might have given up, but now that he saw a chance to infiltrate Wood's organization, he refused to let it slip away.
After all, if enduring some humiliation was the price to protect ordinary people and expose Wood's true motives, it was a small price to pay. Aokiji had worked his way up from a new recruit to Marine Admiral—why couldn't he start over as a pirate underling?
Wood was stunned. Anyone could see he was deliberately making things difficult for Aokiji to discourage him. But to his surprise, Aokiji was so stubborn that he was willing to endure humiliation just to stay.
Wood, being a Marine undercover himself, knew exactly what Aokiji was up to. The former Admiral clearly viewed him as a dangerous threat and was determined to uncover his plans.
Still, Wood was a man of his word. Having agreed to let Aokiji join, it would damage his reputation to backtrack now. After a moment of hesitation, Wood spoke again.
"Well, since Kuzan-san values our weapons company so highly, you're welcome to stay.
As for your role, I suggest you start by shadowing Robin.
She's our company's top expert in public relations, business operations, and financial management.
If you're serious about starting from scratch, learning from her would be the best option. Besides, one of Robin's hobbies happens to be... mentoring new recruits."
Knowing Aokiji was determined to stay, and having already made a promise, Wood figured Robin was the safest option. She would be able to keep Aokiji in check, and Wood doubted Aokiji, with his aloof demeanor, could outmaneuver someone as cunning as Robin.
"Work under Nico Robin?" Aokiji's usually calm face showed visible hesitation. "If possible, could I train under someone else instead?"
Though he had prepared himself mentally for a subordinate role, the idea of working under Nico Robin left him deeply conflicted.
Everyone knew about the personal grudge between Aokiji and Robin stemming from the Ohara incident.
If it were anyone else, Aokiji might have been fine. But working under Robin? Forget climbing the ranks—he'd be lucky if she didn't make his life miserable.
"Kuzan-san, I'm starting to doubt your sincerity and commitment.
You can't keep saying no to everything. You're no longer a Marine Admiral—you're an unemployed vagabond now, and worse, a disabled one at that.
I've gone out of my way to assign you the best mentor on the island. If you keep being picky, don't blame me for showing you the door."
Hearing Wood's words, Aokiji's face flushed with embarrassment and anger.
Unemployed vagabond? Disabled?!
Sure, he was missing a leg, but he could still take down 99% of the people on the sea. And yet, here, he was being treated like a jobless cripple struggling to find work.
"Fine," Aokiji said through gritted teeth. "I'll work under Nico Robin. But you need to ensure she doesn't treat me unfairly!"
He wanted nothing more than to storm off. But the weight of his mission—to uncover Wood's true intentions and protect the innocent—kept him rooted.
No matter how humiliating or challenging, Aokiji resolved to endure.
After all, even if Robin gave him a hard time, he was confident that he could handle it. In terms of raw strength, Robin wasn't his match. A little petty mistreatment? Aokiji would endure it for the greater good.
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