With Zephyr's arrival, Ross was finally able to receive systematic training.
Zephyr was the best instructor in the Marines, not to mention that he had now become a CP0 instructor and learned the CP0 training system.
One should know that the CP0 training program could turn Lucci into the first mate of an Emperor in 2 years, and Kaku could probably even go toe-to-toe with Jack.
All things considered, the CP0 training course was slightly inferior to Teacher Kai's crash course, but much better than Rayleigh and Garp's.
With such a good teaching team and an unlimited supply of cultivation resources, even an ordinary person could quickly become a powerful expert in a short period of time.
Ross already had a foundation provided by the system, which made his growth even more rapid.
After just one month of intensive combat training, Ross was no longer limited to his stats and truly possessed the combat power of a Rear Admiral.
This level of strength was certainly not considered strong, but it was enough to barely protect oneself.
"Master, the application for that fruit still hasn't been approved."
Stella stood somewhat dejectedly beside Ross. After a month of nourishment and care, she had fully blossomed, her beauty several times greater than before.
And as time went on, Ross became more and more adept at using her, and casually bestowed the Heal-Heal Fruit upon Stella.
After Stella obtained the Heal-Heal Fruit, she could not only provide Ross with medical assistance in his training, but also heal herself at night, allowing Ross to have even more fun.
Anyway, Ross felt that the fruit was definitely worth it.
"If I didn't get the application, so be it. Those old guys are deliberately blocking me. I'll wait until I make some progress on this Buster Call."
Ross chuckled coldly; the feeling of having his resources controlled still made him somewhat unhappy.
While browsing through the World Government's treasury, he saw a fruit that he really liked.
He had killed a lot of ability users recently, so it was basically certain that special rewards would not drop abilities; at most, killing someone would directly drop a Devil Fruit.
In that case, if he wanted to reap the rewards of his labor, he still had to rely on the World Government.
Unfortunately, because the fruit he wanted was too powerful, even his grandfather disagreed with giving it to him, let alone the other five elders.
Even Celestial Dragons must prove their strength before they could obtain a powerful Devil Fruit recognized by the Five Elders.
"Saint Ross, Sakazuki has arrived. The Buster Call preparations are complete, and we're just waiting for you to arrive so you can lead the team out."
Zephyr entered the palace at this moment, looking at Ross with a solemn tone.
The Buster Call on Ohara was fully prepared and was just waiting for Ross to set off.
"I understand, Zephyr, Zane, my safety is in your hands this time."
"No problem!" Zephyr readily agreed.
"I will obey your orders!" Zane bowed her head slightly, her eyes devoid of any emotion.
Ross nodded in satisfaction, then leisurely rose from the sofa and stretched out his arms.
Stella, being very considerate, walked behind him and gently took off his clothes.
Ross stood there almost without moving. In just one minute, Stella quickly helped him change into a well-tailored black suit and carefully draped a white cloak with the World Government logo over his shoulders.
"Master, everything is ready for you."
Stella spoke softly as she gently straightened Ross's collar, making sure everything was neat and tidy. Once finished, she bowed slightly and stepped aside.
"Now that everything is ready, let's set off!"
Ross laughed heartily, put his arm around Stella's slender waist, and strode towards the palace exit.
Zephyr and Zane followed behind him, one on each side.
...
The geography of the One Piece world was quite unique. The Red Line and the Grand Line divided the Four Seas—East, West, South, and North—by one horizontal and one vertical line, forming the current world order.
The Grand Line itself was also divided into the first half and the second half by the Red Line. The Marine Headquarters was located in the first half, while the New World was the general term for the second half.
The Grand Line and the Four Seas were connected by the Calm Belt, where winds were absent, preventing sails from propelling ships, and countless giant Sea Kings lived there, making it impossible for ordinary ships to pass.
Therefore, if one wanted to travel the world without crossing the Calm Belt, there were only two fastest routes.
Starting from Reverse Mountain, the starting point of the Grand Line, one sailed upstream back to the Four Seas.
Another option was to use the man-made shipping routes on the Red Line to directly connect to the Four Seas and the beginning and end of the Grand Line.
On the Red Line, the Holy Land of Mary Geoise was the only city, and it was also the headquarters of the World Government.
In other words, the entire Red Line was under the direct rule of the World Government, and this man-made sea route could only be used with the permission of the World Government.
As a Celestial Dragon, Ross and the Marines, as an organization subordinate to the World Government, were naturally qualified to use this route.
In the port of Mary Geoise, Ross met Sakazuki and his Vice Admiral.
"Commander!"
Sakazuki was a burly, tough man over three meters tall, wearing a Marine cap. Just by standing there, you could feel a wave of scorching heat emanating from him.
[Sakazuki]
Overall Rating: S-
Sakazuki didn't care at all about Ross's Celestial Dragon status, and simply nodded and addressed him as the Buster Call commander.
He was only in his early 30s, at the peak of his strength and energy, and the World Government and Marines had already regarded him as a candidate for the next Admiral.
"Let's get on the ship."
Ross nodded indifferently, showing no intention of exchanging further words with Sakazuki.
Sakazuki was a pure hawk in the Marines. He was willing to sacrifice most civilians as long as he could achieve his goal of wiping out all the pirates.
Such a person had no personal feelings whatsoever. No matter how good your relationship was with him, if you got in his way, he would get rid of you.
Conversely, you did not need to develop a strong emotional bond with him. As long as you could help him in the process of eliminating pirates, he would be your best ally.
Sakazuki was a decisive person; they had barely boarded the ship when it set off towards the West Blue.
At their speed, it was estimated they would reach Ohara in four days.
Inside the warship's command center, Ross sat in the main seat, with Stella and the female CP0 standing behind him, while Zephyr and Sakazuki sat below on either side.
He did not bring many people with him this time. Apart from Stella, who was in charge of his daily life, the only armed personnel protecting him were Zephyr and one CP0 officer.
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki, tell me the specific details of the Buster Call."
Ross was not involved in the internal discussions of the Buster Call; he only knew that the goal of the Buster Call was to destroy Ohara.
The Marines were clearly only planning to use him as a shield, and he did not need to be involved in the specific details. Now that he was on the ship, he naturally wanted to hear the details.
"This operation is commanded by Saint Ross, with former Admiral Zephyr as deputy commander. Vice Admiral Sakazuki, Vice Admiral Borsalino, Vice Admiral Kuzan, and Vice Admiral Yamakaji are accompanying him. The goal is to completely destroy Ohara, where the Tree of Knowledge is located, and at the same time eliminate all historians and insiders who may know the secrets of the World Government."
Sakazuki spoke expressionlessly, his tone devoid of any emotion.
It was like destroying an island and killing everyone on it—nothing more than crushing an ant.
"Zephyr, Kuzan, Borsalino, Sakazuki, Yamakaji..."
Upon hearing the lineup for this Buster Call, Ross inwardly sighed with admiration.
With four Admirals and one future veteran Vice Admiral, this lineup could easily wipe out Whitebeard.
However, he was well aware that this Buster Call was actually a large-scale obedience test.
Only by passing this test would Sakazuki and Kuzan be qualified to become Admirals.
The world had not gone haywire yet, and the most crucial thing for becoming a Marine Admiral was loyalty to the World Government.
But the World Government probably did not expect that the one who seemed to have contributed the most to this incident was actually a hidden traitor.