Aaron's Headquarters, Inside Aaron's Office
"Just a jumping clown," Aaron said with a faint smile after hearing the report from his intelligence unit. "As long as he stays quietly in the civilian district and doesn't stir up trouble, we can ignore him for now. Good work. Keep monitoring, stay safe."
If Getra and Jim were here to witness it, they would have been utterly shocked. The very conversation they had not long ago in the Flower Street district was being replayed word for word by the Transponder Snail on Aaron's desk, complete with tone and inflection.
"Yes, Lord Aaron," came a pleasant voice from the snail.
As Aaron's control over his territory grew stronger and his domain expanded, the Shining Gold Chamber of Commerce grew increasingly profitable. With Aaron's massive backing in manpower and resources, Shuma's intelligence network had also evolved into a formidable organization numbering in the hundreds.
Now under Shuma's leadership, the intelligence group's information-gathering ability was unmatched renowned not only in Vilia Port but throughout the entire Drum Kingdom. Its agents had infiltrated many of the kingdom's key towns, providing Aaron's faction with a constant stream of critical intelligence.
Aaron had named this organization "Shadow" (Kage)to symbolize how it existed everywhere, unseen like a shadow.
The Shadow organization had spies planted in every major power across the city, most notably within the Akio Gang. Thanks to Aaron's position, infiltrating the Akio Gang was effortless, and as a result, it was nearly impossible for anything happening inside the gang to escape his notice. The actions of key figures Getra, Jim, and Horton among them were all under his watch.
Only Akio and Reggie, both proficient in Observation Haki, were exempt from surveillance under Aaron's explicit orders.
Information was power. Without Shadow's early warnings and the detailed enemy intel Shuma's people provided, the recent ambush would have resulted in far heavier losses.
Although Aaron's faction was technically a part of the Akio Gang, a clear rift had formed between them.
That divide stemmed from the clash between old and new blood. Aaron's subordinates were almost all newcomers. Though they acknowledged themselves as members of the Akio Gang, their true loyalty lay solely with Aaron.
Within the gang, this faction had already earned a name: the Aaron Faction; a sign that Aaron had risen to become one of the gang's true power players.
There's a saying: "The strongest fortress often falls from within."
Aaron never expected help from other gang members. He only hoped they wouldn't become obstacles or, worse, enemies. To prevent trouble before it began, he had no choice but to keep Getra, Jim, and Horton under surveillance.
As for Akio and Reggie, the gang's leaders and Aaron's strongest backers, he wasn't foolish enough to provoke them.
Now, with Aaron's promotion to official gang officer and his defeat of Horton, one of the old guard, tensions between the new and old factions of the Akio Gang had finally surfaced.
It was inevitable.
For the new to rise, the old must fade.
Inside the room, aside from Aaron, stood Williams, Arina, and several squad leaders.
When Aaron hung up the call, Williams spoke up, frowning.
"These two old geezers are a pain to deal with especially Jim. He's been grumbling for a while about how all the rich folks and profitable businesses from his district have been flocking to ours. Now that you've taken out Horton, he's even more resentful. Wouldn't surprise me if he starts scheming behind our backs."
Vilia Port had grown increasingly chaotic lately, and Aaron's territory, being the only relatively safe zone had naturally attracted the city's middle and upper classes. Many major merchants had also abandoned their old shops to open new ones in Aaron's flourishing commercial district.
The conflict between Aaron and Jim ultimately boiled down to clashing interests.
Jim's district had lost most of its wealthy residents and big businesses, cutting deeply into his profits. Resentment toward Aaron, the one who benefited, was only natural.
"Williams is right," said Arina, who served as Aaron's secretary. "Last month alone, Jim's men caused multiple disturbances in our territory. No casualties yet, but the impact was terrible. Since they're also part of the Akio Gang, our people couldn't act freely against them."
Aaron listened silently for a moment, then shook his head.
"Jim's problem is just a potential risk for now. We'll set it aside. Our top priority is managing our sudden expansion. I've just been officially named a Akio Gang officer and given jurisdiction over the entire slum district. On paper, the slums are mine now.
"But remember our real territory remains as it is now. Don't touch the rest of the slums. If we move too quickly, we'll threaten too many people's interests. We're not yet strong enough to digest all that territory in one go.
"Slow and steady, just like before. Focus on building a solid foundation. No rushing.
"And another thing, our forces have taken heavy losses. We need time to recover. So, keep your subordinates in check. Don't let last night's victory go to their heads and start trouble all over the city.
"Jim actually said something true earlier: right now, I'm the only one among us strong enough to command real fear. The others still don't take you seriously. You know what that means."
Aaron's words cast a heavy silence over the room. The core members of the Aaron Faction, especially Arina, Victor, and Gabdon fell quiet, their faces grim.
They knew it was true.
If Aaron hadn't turned the tide in that last battle, their faction would have been wiped out by Winters and Yasika's gangs.
When it came to top combat power, the Aaron Faction was still lacking. Everything they had was held together by Aaron's strength alone. If he ever fell, their group would crumble and be devoured by rival forces.
"Don't look so discouraged," Aaron said with a smile. "You're all still young. For your age, your strength is already impressive. I'm just… a bit of a special case. Don't try to compare yourselves to me. Don't worry, I'll hold the line until you're all strong enough to stand beside me."
It was a kind reassurance, but it sounded so casually confident that Arina and the others couldn't help but look exasperated.
Still, Aaron's words reignited their spirits. Fighters like Victor and Els even shouted that they'd double their training and become Aaron's right- and left-hand men one day.
The heavy atmosphere in the room lightened once again.
"Oh, right Williams," Aaron said after a moment. "How's the situation in Snow Town coming along?"
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