The midday sun was very bright, and the sea shone.
With a long, heavy horn sound, the large warship of Marine Headquarters slowly sailed into the military port of the G-17 branch.
Aiden stood at the bow, looking down at the base that was about to belong to him.
He had to admit that even though that fat pig Nelson was a coward and useless, he really knew how to enjoy luxury.
No matter when he looked at it, the G-17 branch fortress in front of him looked very different.
It did not look like a military fortress guarding the Grand Line at all. Instead, it looked more like a white palace by the sea.
The white outer walls shone in the sun. The building style looked noble, and even the edges of the gun battery had extra decoration.
"Tch."
Smoker stood beside Aiden. Looking at the glowing white fortress, he blew out a ring of smoke with disgust. "No matter how many times I see it, this damn place makes me angry. How does this look like a Marine base? It's basically a resort built for royalty."
Gion walked over as well. She held a cup of black tea and looked calm. "Nelson spent all the funds on these showy projects over the last few years. Although the outside looks bright and clean, the inside is already rotten, just as we saw. What you're taking over is a complete mess."
"A mess?"
That fat pig Nelson was dead, but the Berries he had gathered over the years had not disappeared with him. His "secret" vault was like an open door in front of Aiden's Observation Haki. He had found it with ease.
Those hundreds of millions of Berries had already been moved into his Storage Ring during the earlier chaos, and they were sitting there quietly.
With that huge sum of money in hand, even the worst mess would not be a problem.
Aiden straightened his brand-new Colonel coat. A small smile appeared on his face. "It's fine if it's rotten. Only when it's completely rotten can it be torn down and rebuilt from scratch."
The warship docked, and the gangplank was lowered.
Colonel Moore, the Acting Base Commander who had been waiting for a long time, immediately led a group of officers and ran over to meet them.
"Salute—!!"
Moore shouted at the top of his lungs. The row of officers immediately straightened their backs, their movements perfectly lined up.
Under their feet, a bright red carpet was rolled out again, stretching from the dock to Aiden's feet.
It was even longer and wider than the one Nelson had laid out last time.
"Welcome, Base CAPTAIN Aiden, to the G-17 branch!!"
Moore was all smiles, with fine beads of sweat on his forehead. He bowed low and made a humble "please" gesture, trying to use that flattering attitude to hide the panic in his heart.
Although the group of officers behind him kept their heads down, their eyes kept moving.
Nelson was dead, and Victor was dead. The old umbrella had fallen, but the golden sea route was still there. Every day, countless merchant ships loaded with wealth still passed through here. This was a gold mine.
In their eyes, although the new commander had a fierce reputation, he was still just an 18-year-old young man.
As long as they gave him enough face and enough money, everyone could just find a new umbrella. As long as the higher-ups turned a blind eye, their days of making a fortune could continue as usual.
Aiden stood on the gangplank and did not move.
He looked at the red carpet stretching far ahead, then looked at the flattering Moore, and let out a soft sigh.
"Colonel Moore."
Aiden's voice was not loud, but it clearly spread across the silent dock.
"It seems Nelson died too quickly. There are some things you still haven't understood."
Moore was stunned, not yet realizing what Aiden meant.
Snap.
Aiden raised his hand and gave a crisp snap of his fingers.
Bzzzt!!
A tiny but blazing blue current instantly shot from his fingertip and landed on that expensive wool carpet.
Boom—!
Flames rose at once!
Pushed by the sea breeze, the hundred-meter-long red carpet caught fire at once. The officers standing on both sides quickly backed away, and the line instantly fell apart.
"Ah! Fire! It's on fire!!"
Moore was so scared he fell flat on his butt. He looked in terror as the "welcoming ceremony" quickly turned to ash in the fire.
Aiden was expressionless. After the fire went out, he stepped on the still-smoking ashes and walked down the gangplank step by step until he stood in front of the trembling Moore.
He looked down at the cowardly Colonel and spoke plainly. "This is a Marine branch. It's a fortress meant for fighting, not an opera house on the sea."
Aiden patted the dust off Moore's shoulder. "I don't want to see this kind of sickening show a second time. Do you understand?"
"I—I understand!! I understand, sir!!" Moore nodded like a woodpecker, cold sweat instantly soaking his back.
"Let's go. Take me to the conference room."
Aiden stopped looking at him and walked quickly into the fortress.
The original Captain's office was too luxurious. Aiden was too lazy to use it and directly took over the largest conference room.
Right now, the long conference table was filled with the powerful officers of the G-17 branch.
The atmosphere was so heavy it was hard to breathe.
Aiden sat in the main seat and did not rush to speak. He took the sword from his waist and laid it across his knees. He took out a clean white cloth and slowly wiped the patterns on the scabbard.
As the "Inspector," Gion sat on a nearby sofa, holding a magazine as if she were just an outsider watching. Smoker crossed his arms and stood behind Aiden like a guard, the cigars in his mouth giving off thick smoke.
"That... Captain."
A middle-aged Major with a greasy face finally could not take it anymore and stood up. He was the head of base logistics and had been one of Nelson's trusted men.
He held a small box in both hands, walked to Aiden with a smile, and placed the box on the table.
"You've had a long trip. This is a small gift from all of us to welcome you."
The Major lowered his voice. "There is also a financial report for the base inside. It shows how we handled some... ahem, old accounts before. Please take a look. If there's no problem, should we keep doing it the same way from now on?"
The box opened a little, showing a thick stack of Berry checks and an accounting book.
This was a test.
They were testing what the new captain wanted and what he would allow.
Everyone in the conference room looked at Aiden and waited.
Aiden stopped wiping his sword.
He looked up at the smiling Major, then at the officers sitting there.
Suddenly, he smiled.
"Rules?"
Aiden leaned forward slightly, his fingers lightly tapping the scabbard. "Do you think I came all this way just for this?"
The Major was stunned, and his smile froze. "This... what do you mean, sir?"
Did he think it was too little?
"You seem to have misunderstood one thing."
The smile on Aiden's face disappeared at once, replaced by a cold look.
"I didn't come here to share anything with you."
Bzzzt—Boom!!!
Before he finished speaking, a bright bolt of lightning shot from Aiden's fingertip without warning!
The small box, along with the checks and accounting book inside, was completely pierced and burned away in an instant!
"Aaah!!"
The Major screamed in terror and fell back into his seat. He looked in horror at the black mark on the table. The lightning had been very precise. It had not even damaged the table, but it had completely erased the box.
Aiden stood up and looked across the room. "Put away your pathetic little tricks. I have plenty of money."
"From today on, the G-17 branch doesn't need businessmen. It only needs real Marines."