When the enormous captain told him this, Bill regretted that they never finished their duel. Bill believed that even if he had lost, after the mission to gather the South Bird, he would have still overcome Sentomaru, but he never got the chance and didn't pursue it.
Well, there's no point in complaining now, he thought. Bill wrote to his friends and hitched a ride on half a dozen Marine ships to meet them at Vallipo.
What did he plan to do once he arrived there?
He was going to find a crew and a ship! This would be hard to explain to the others because Bill's original plan involved a ship and a small crew. Since he wasn't sure how they were doing after two and a half years of service in the Marines, he arrived there only with dreams and promises.
The only thing Bill could certainly offer were ranks. Within the framework of the Scientific Division, his current authority allowed him to directly promote one commander, two lieutenant commanders, three lieutenants and junior lieutenants, as well as about two dozen additional officers, ranging from ensigns to midshipmen.
Being a separate branch within the Marines, the Scientific Division had its pros and cons. The biggest advantage was its independent structure of promotions and commissions, which allowed very little direct control from Marineford when it came to research, development, and laboratory structures.
The main control from Headquarters was the established limit on the number of officers who could be promoted.
The Captain was the highest-ranking officer in the division, and it was the only rank equivalent to their colleagues in Marineford. At every level below this, the officers of the Scientific Division were one rank lower compared to the Headquarters officers.
This still made them higher in rank than the Blue Sea officers, which was an important concession made by Marineford.
Overall, it was clear how much the Fleet Admiral needed the services of Doctor Vegapunk.
This information was contained in a book given by Sentomaru. As for Bill himself, he never met either the Fleet Admiral or any of the high-ranking Marines and thought it was for the best.
He saw how officers like his father, Sentomaru, and Hina behaved, and he didn't think about working for the Marines. They worked as best as they could, given the world they existed in.
Putting on his uniform, Bill knew the ship was approaching Vallipo and wondered if anyone would meet him. He tried not to be vain, but he also wanted to make a good impression on those he hadn't seen for many years.
Wearing his Cloak of Justice as usual, Bill did not drape it over his shoulders like others did. For him, the uniform was a symbol of status based on principles and duty; it was not for show.
Fully dressed, he finally picked up his bulky suitcase. At present, it and the papers inside were the only things he could truly call his own. Besides documents, the contents were modest, as despite being eighteen, Bill never received any money apart from his small lieutenant's salary of a hundred thousand Beli per month.
His salary did not include any danger allowances or other bonuses that a regular lieutenant received, and so his income was roughly enough to purchase one quality blade after a year of saving. On most major islands, this was barely sufficient to live independently, albeit modestly.
Going up to the deck, Bill nodded at the ship's commander, an officer from the Southern Blue Sea who dreamed of a great future but, as far as Bill could judge, lacked sufficient common sense.
He wouldn't say this out loud; instead, he simply thanked the man for the ride to Vallipo.
Standing on the deck, he watched as the island slowly came into view: first, the silhouette of an enormous fortress, and then the familiar Roman-style palace with the word "MARINES" carved between its columns.
Even though he was young again and a long life awaited him, some habits never went away. So, as the harbor grew larger and the ship slowly entered the port, Bill thought about Oliver and how he first learned about this world's existence. He recalled the giant Rear Admiral Lacroix and how he first witnessed superhuman strength.
Standing on the deck and looking at the harbor, Bill pondered how he would convince his friends to join him and simply indulged in memories of the place where he spent sixteen years of his life.
He even remembered the Foxy Pirates and wondered where those villains were now, surely having ventured into the Grand Line by this point.
It didn't take long for the ship to dock in the port. Vallipo was an island of shipbuilders and, therefore, had large deep-water docks.
Standing by the railing, Bill tried not to interfere with the sailors doing their work while attentively looking towards the pier