One week later.
Early morning at the G-17 Branch was no longer lifeless like before.
When the first sunlight hit the tall iron fortress, the metal walls reflected a cold light. Down at the military harbor, the docks were already full of noise.
"Team Three! What are you doing?! Our Team Two applied for that route first!"
"Bullshit! It belongs to whoever gets it first! Your Team Two ran into pirates twice last week. This week, it's our turn!"
"Move! Get out of the way! The boiler is already hot! If anyone stops me from going out to make money, I'll lose it!"
On the dock, the captains of several patrol ships did not care about how they looked. Their faces were red as they shouted at each other, spit flying everywhere.
Behind them, the soldiers who used to be too lazy to even clean their guns were now full of energy. Their eyes were full of greed as they hurried to load ammunition and supplies onto the ships.
Their movements were rough and hurried. It was as if they were not carrying cannonballs, but gold.
Over the past week, the whole G-17 Branch seemed to have gone crazy for money.
Aiden's simple and brutal bounty system had produced results right away. As long as they caught pirates, the base would pay an extra reward on top of the full bounty from Marine Headquarters.
For the low-ranking soldiers who were tired of being poor and used by others, pirates were no longer scary enemies. They were walking gold mines.
Colonel Moore held a thick stack of duty applications, sweating as he moved through the crowd to coordinate.
But his face showed both pain and happiness.
"Don't push! Don't push! Everyone gets a turn!"
Looking at his shouting subordinates, he could not help admiring the young captain's methods.
Moral education and a sense of honor were useless in this rotten place. Only Berries could turn these sheep into hungry wolves.
Near noon, the first batch of patrol teams finally returned from their "hunt."
"We got him! 'Iron Fist' Buck, bounty of 8 million! And two subordinates with bounties over a million!"
As the patrol ship docked, the excited shouts of the soldiers spread throughout the harbor.
A dozen pirates, covered in wounds, were tied up and marched off the ship. They looked at the Marine soldiers around them, whose eyes were glowing with greed.
The pirates were full of fear. Were these really Marines? They looked more like bandits than the pirates did.
In the past, these prisoners would have gone through a long process of registration, interrogation, and imprisonment.
Eventually, they would wait for a transport ship to Impel Down or Enies Lobby.
But now, those procedures were completely ignored by the soldiers of G-17.
Without needing any order, the escorting soldiers skillfully dragged the pirates straight toward the black square in the center of the base.
That place had already become the final stop for all pirates brought to G-17.
"Hurry up! Don't slow down!"
"Take them to the square! Don't keep the captain waiting!"
The soldiers pushed the captives roughly, their faces showing an excited rush to collect their rewards.
In their eyes, these were not criminals waiting for a trial. They were finished jobs, just waiting for the last step: the captain's inspection.
Ten minutes later, the Steel Square.
The noon sun beat down on the black metal floor, and the air smelled of heat.
A dozen pirate captains and officers were forced to their knees. Behind them stood Marine soldiers holding sharp blades.
A crowd of onlookers surrounded them, everyone excitedly talking about how much money they would get this time.
Tap, tap, tap.
The sound of footsteps rang out, and the crowd automatically opened a path.
Aiden wore his crisp Colonel uniform. He did not wear his coat. His sleeves were rolled up, showing his strong forearms.
In his hand, he carried the sword that had been with him for a long time.
He walked to the row of pirates and calmly looked over these outlaws, who showed either fierce looks or pure terror.
"Is this all of them?" Aiden asked.
"Yes! Reporting to the Captain! The Iron Fist Pirates. The total bounty is over 10 million Berries!" Colonel Moore immediately stepped forward to report, his tone extremely respectful.
"Mm, not bad."
Aiden nodded and even showed a satisfied smile.
Then, he slowly drew his long sword. The bright blade reflected cold light in the sun, showing Aiden's calm eyes.
Only Aiden knew how happy he was at this moment.
Ever since leaving Loguetown, killing often came with trouble. It was either to silence someone or to show authority, and every swing of his sword brought a mess to clean up.
But now it was different.
These small fry in front of him only had bounties of ten or twenty million. Each one was only worth a few thousand Sin Points, and their abilities were barely worth mentioning.
Aiden calculated silently in his mind, and the pleasant curve of his lips would not go away.
"It adds up. I don't have to run all over the world myself.
My subordinates bring the trash back, and I just need to deliver the final blow to get the rewards. This feels great."
This was the captain's life he wanted.
Rule a territory and wait for experience to come to him. Eat and drink every day, come out once in a while to cut down a few pirates, and watch the numbers on the system panel slowly rise.
This was the best reward for his years of hard work to get stronger.
"Spare, spare my life! I am..."
One pirate captain saw Aiden's strange smile and broke down. He was about to beg for mercy.
Squelch!
A flash of sword light.
The head that was still begging flew off. Blood sprayed onto the black metal floor, looking very bright.
[Judgment successful! Obtained Sin Points: 4,200 points.]
Hearing the wonderful system notification in his mind, Aiden's smile grew wider.
He did not stop. Like he was pruning branches, he walked to the next one.
Squelch!
+800
Squelch!
+1,500
In just one minute, all dozen pirates were dead.
Aiden stood in the pool of blood. He took out a clean white handkerchief and slowly wiped the blood off his blade.
His uniform was spotless. Only his sword had tasted the blood of the wicked.
Even though this was not the first public execution that week, the surrounding Marine soldiers were still silent.
They looked at the young captain on the high platform, smiling while wiping his sword. The fear in their eyes had not faded. If anything, it had grown stronger.
They had been talking privately over the last few days.
This new captain gave everyone money, so he did not care about wealth. Some pretty female soldiers tried to get close to him, but he ignored them, so he did not care about women.
A man who did not care about money or women, and had terrifying strength and power, what exactly did he want?
Looking at the scene before them, everyone felt they had found the answer.
"The captain..."
A recruit swallowed hard and whispered to the veteran next to him, "He really... really enjoys killing pirates..."
That kind of real joy could not be faked.
"Clean up the bodies."
Aiden sheathed his sword and tossed the bloody handkerchief onto the ground. He waved his hand, feeling great.
"Distribute the bounties. Everyone earned it."
In the afternoon, the captain's office.
Aiden had just washed his hands and changed into clean casual clothes. He was about to enjoy a quiet afternoon tea.
Knock, knock, knock.
The office door was knocked on carefully. Then, Colonel Moore walked in, sweating and holding a document tightly.
"Captain..."
Moore's voice trembled slightly. He walked to Aiden and placed the document on the expensive mahogany desk with both hands.
"This is... a casualty report."
Aiden was not angry about being interrupted. He simply put down his teacup and picked up the document.
Although the results of the first week were great, two pirate crews were wiped out, the Marine casualty numbers were also shocking.
Dead: 16 people.Heavy Injuries: 32 people.Light Injuries: 85 people.
For one week of patrol missions, this casualty rate was indeed a little high.
"Sir, isn't... isn't this loss a bit too big?"
Moore wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said worriedly, "The soldiers below are going crazy just to grab those bounties! They don't listen to orders at all.
There are no tactics or cover fire. They see a pirate ship and rush in like hungry wolves for a boarding battle!"
"Some soldiers don't even reload after they run out of bullets! They just charge with empty guns!
Others even blocked the friendly fire path just to steal the credit!"
Moore swallowed, his voice carrying a hint of fear. "If we keep fighting like this, our base's manpower will be cut in half in less than a month! Is this... is this really okay?"
He could not understand this madness. Under Nelson, everyone fought to stay alive.
Now, the soldiers acted like they did not care about their lives as long as they got money.
Aiden listened quietly to Moore's report, his eyes scanning the list of names.
But he did not show any sadness or anger.
"It's fair."
Aiden closed the folder and tossed it aside. His tone was calm.
"They risked their lives for money and died on the path to wealth. That was their own choice. They can't blame anyone else."
"But..." Moore wanted to say more.
"Moore." Aiden interrupted him and looked up. His black eyes were cold..
"Do you think people didn't die before because they were strong? No. It's because they didn't fight at all before."
Aiden stood up and walked to the window, looking down at the soldiers repairing the warships.
"The casualties look bad right now. But only by seeing blood, and only by watching their comrades fall, will the survivors understand.
If they want to live, they have to get stronger. If they want money, they have to learn to work together."
"This is a necessary price."
Aiden turned around and looked at Moore.
"Pay out the compensation money. Not a single Berry less. Let everyone see how much money the families of the dead get.
Then tell the survivors this: if you don't want to die, get to the training ground and train until you cough up blood every day."
Moore looked at him.
He opened his mouth but did not dare say anything. He only bowed deeply.
"Yes... I understand."
He took the heavy report and left the office.
It was not until he closed the door that Moore felt the cold sweat soaking through his shirt.
This young captain...
He was using blood and money to rebuild this branch.
Evening, top-floor suite.
Night came early to the iron fortress. The sea wind howled outside and hit the thick glass.
But in Aiden's room, the atmosphere was warm.
In the kitchen, Aiden had taken off his military uniform. He had changed into a white shirt and was wearing a gray apron.
He stood in front of the stove, cooking a large cut of Sea King meat.
The meat sizzled in the pan, and the rich smell filled the room.
Rear Admiral Gion sat at the bar of the open kitchen. She swirled half a glass of red wine and rested her chin on one hand.
Her eyes were a little hazy as she watched him.
"It's really unbelievable..."
Gion spoke with a teasing tone.
"The soldiers outside see you now and get nervous right away. Privately, they call you a 'bloodthirsty demon' and a 'cold-blooded tyrant.'
Who would have thought that this demon is now worrying about how to cook a good piece of meat?"
Sizzle.
Aiden placed the meat onto a plate and brought it to Gion.
"Medium-rare. Your favorite."
Aiden took off his apron, washed his hands, poured himself a glass of wine, and sat down across from Gion.
"Even a demon has to eat."
Aiden cut a piece of meat and put it in his mouth, looking satisfied.
"Killing pirates is work, but enjoying life... that's how I want to live."
He raised his wine glass and looked at Gion.
"I finally became the one in charge and no one is watching me. If I still lived a miserable life, wouldn't my promotion be a waste?"
"That's just an excuse."
Gion rolled her eyes at him, but she could not hide the smile on her face.
The two clinked glasses.
Clink.
The sound of glass touching echoed in the quiet room.
Outside was the cold iron fortress, the sea, and danger waiting in the dark.
But inside the room, there was good food, fine wine, and a rare moment of peace.