For the G-17 Branch, one week felt both short and long.
Early in the morning, sea fog covered the harbor.
A patrol ship slowly docked. It was followed by the sound of heavy chains and the hurried footsteps of people carrying stretchers.
"Hey! Move faster! There are three badly injured men here!"
"Damn it! Don't push! Let the doctor through first! If this guy dies now, the paperwork for the compensation will be a huge pain!"
The deck was a mess.
Several bodies covered in white sheets were carried down first. The bright red blood soaking through the cloth stood out on the damp wooden planks.
In the soldiers' shouting, there was not much respect for life.
Instead, they sounded worried about losing assets. In their eyes, the men on the stretchers were no longer comrades they saw every day.
They were like expensive checks waiting to be cashed.
Smoker stood on the pier. His face was dark, and he had bitten the two cigars in his mouth out of shape.
"These idiots!!"
He looked at the bodies being carried down and finally could not hold back. His voice echoed across the dock.
"How many times have I said it?! Flank them! Don't just charge straight into cannon fire! Is your brain made of mush?!"
"Just to grab a few bounties, you don't even want your lives?!"
Facing Smoker's rage, the soldiers who had just gotten off the ship did not show much regret.
A few soldiers with light injuries sat on wooden crates nearby. While the medics wrapped their wounds, they were excitedly counting the loot they had taken from the pirate ship.
"Man, Old Jack was really unlucky. He got hit in the neck by a stray bullet."
One soldier had a cigarette in his mouth as he counted Berries. He did not sound very sad.
Instead, he spoke with the cold attitude of a gambler.
"But he didn't die for nothing. Between that pirate captain's bounty and the base's compensation money, his wife and kids have enough for the rest of their lives. This deal was not a loss."
"Yeah, we got a good share this time too. With this money, I can finally pay off the debts back home."
Another soldier agreed, his eyes shining with greed.
Under Aiden's simple and brutal bounty system, these "sheep" who used to be terrified of enemies had turned into bloodthirsty "wolves" in just one week.
But this change was unhealthy.
They were not fighting for justice, or even for survival. They were gambling their lives for money.
This reckless fighting style did wipe out many pirates, but their own casualty rate was terrifyingly high.
Captain's office.
Aiden sat behind the large desk, holding the latest casualty report.
"Twenty-three dead, forty-five heavily injured..."
He read the numbers quietly. His tone was calm, showing no emotion.
"Including the previous ones, we've lost nearly a tenth of our manpower in just half a month. Even though the compensation is being paid, this rate of loss is indeed a bit fast."
Smoker sat on the sofa opposite him, frustratedly rubbing his hair.
"These guys have no tactical discipline at all! They scream and charge when things are going well, but as soon as they hit a tough spot or need to coordinate, they turn into a mess."
"If this keeps up, they'll all be dead before I can even train them into elite soldiers."
Rear Admiral Gion, who had been watching the training ground from the window, turned around.
She held a cup of coffee with a serious expression.
"Aiden, the current G-17 is like a bloated giant. It looks fierce, but it's hollow inside. They need to settle down."
Aiden put down the report. His finger tapped on the desk in a steady rhythm.
"You're right."
He nodded.
"These soldiers were rotten under Nelson for too long. Just using money and killing can wake them up, but it can't rebuild them."
"They need a real ordeal."
Aiden looked a little melancholic, as if he was remembering something.
"Do you remember the deserted island survival test in the elite training camp? Since they can't learn to cooperate, let's create a desperate situation for them."
"Find a place with a harsh environment and many fierce beasts. Take away their heavy weapons and force out their survival instincts."
"That's a good idea," Smoker said, blowing out smoke.
"But is there a place like that nearby?"
Aiden stood up. He grabbed a casual jacket from the rack and tossed one to Smoker.
"Let's go, Smoker. If we're looking for a place, looking at maps in the office isn't enough."
A smile appeared on Aiden's lips.
"Let's go try our luck where the old sailors gather. Those guys who have spent their whole lives at sea know more than any sea chart."
The harbor district of Gold Crown Island had a noisy tavern that served sailors from visiting merchant ships.
Before, Nelson had cleared the inside of the fortress of any signs of poverty to make it look like a paradise.
But at the edge of this busy harbor, many rough sailors, laborers, and porters from all over the world still gathered.
This was the only place on the island where ugly things were allowed to exist.
It was also the best place for information. The air was thick with the smell of cheap rum and bad tobacco.
Aiden and Smoker wore plain clothes and sat at a corner table.
Smoker looked at the drunk and noisy sailors around them with disgust and pulled his hat down low.
Aiden, however, looked very relaxed. He called a waiter over, ordered two glasses of the strongest rum, and tossed a gold coin onto the table.
"I want to ask about something."
Aiden pointed at the gold coin spinning on the table. His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for the people nearby to hear.
"In these nearby waters, is there an island that is especially dangerous? Somewhere people are afraid to go, ideally with fierce beasts?"
"A dangerous island?"
An old navigator at the next table, wearing a faded sailor uniform, heard this. His cloudy eyes instantly lit up.
He looked like a veteran from a merchant ship who had stopped for a drink during resupply.
He grabbed the gold coin without hesitation, wiped it on his clothes, and chuckled.
"Young man, looking for excitement? Places like that are everywhere on the Grand Line."
"I'm not interested in just any dangerous place."
Aiden shook his head calmly.
"I'm looking for a truly dangerous place, somewhere even pirates don't dare to enter."
The old navigator stared at Aiden for a moment, then grinned with his missing teeth.
"Then you asked the right person."
He picked up his glass and took a large gulp, then burped.
His expression suddenly turned serious as he lowered his voice.
"If you want the most cursed place around here, you have to head southeast."
"It's close to the edge of the Calm Belt. They say there's a sea area covered in fog all year round."
"I only went there once when I was young because our ship got caught in a storm."
As he remembered it, his hand shook so badly that he spilled half the rum.
"It was not something from this world at all. I saw it with my own eyes. A giant bird with wings that covered the sky came down from the mist!"
He made an exaggerated gesture, his pupils shrinking.
"In its talons, it was holding a Sea King over ten meters long! It was as easy as catching a worm!"
"Then another giant dinosaur with tusks charged out of the woods and bit the bird's neck in one bite!"
"It's a place of endless killing. The air is full of the smell of blood."
"You can hear the beasts roaring from ten miles away, and it's enough to break your eardrums."
The old man swallowed, his voice rough.
"Many people call it 'Abandoned Colosseum.' Because on that island, only the most brutal and mutated monsters can survive."
"Some even say the island itself is alive, and the plants there are just as vicious as the beasts."
"A giant bird? And dinosaurs?" Smoker frowned.
He clearly thought the old man was talking nonsense.
"Old man, you've had too much to drink. That kind of story is only good for fooling kids."
"I'm not drunk!!"
The old navigator's face turned red with anger, and he slammed the table.
"It's real! That place is cursed!"
After listening, the smile in Aiden's eyes grew stronger.
"Dinosaurs, giant birds, and vicious plants..."
He stood up, patted the old sailor's shoulder, and tossed two more gold coins onto the table.
"Thanks, old timer. Your story is worth a lot. I like it."
Half an hour later, the captain's office.
Colonel Moore ran in out of breath, still holding an unfinished document.
He saluted before he could even stand still.
"Captain! You called for me?"
"Moore."
Aiden sat in his chair, wiping his sword. He asked without looking up,
"To the southeast, at the edge of the Calm Belt... is there a very famous island?"
Moore froze, and his face instantly turned pale.
"How... how do you know about that hellhole?"
Moore wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. His voice trembled.
"There is such a place, at the edge of the Calm Belt. The environment is extremely harsh, and the magnetic field is a mess."
"They say countless prehistoric beasts with giant bodies and brutal tempers live there! Some brave pirates went in before looking for treasure, but no one ever came out."
"Sometimes, a few empty ships drift out with the current. There are giant claw marks all over them."
"That place is just too cursed."
"Sounds good."
Aiden sheathed his sword, a satisfied look on his face.
"A 'sparring partner' like that is perfect for our arrogant little brats. Only when facing real fear will they learn what discipline is."
He turned to Smoker and said with a smile,
"Alright, this is the place. Smoker, I'm leaving you in charge of this training mission."
"You're tough and a Logia user anyway, so you won't die even if you meet one of those big beasts."
"Me?" Smoker pointed at his own nose, looking annoyed.
"What about you? What are you going to do?"
"Me?"
Aiden leaned back in his chair naturally and pointed at the busy harbor outside.
"I'm going to stay at the base and coordinate the overall situation, of course. I'm very busy."
In reality, Aiden was thinking: I finally became an official and got some money. I should enjoy my life.
As for that harsh survival training, I'll leave it to you young people who need the exercise.
"Tch! Lazy bastard!" Smoker gave him the middle finger.
"Gion, you stay and help me too," Aiden said, looking at Gion.
Gion saw through Aiden's lazy plan, but she only shook her head helplessly and did not call him out.
"Alright, Moore, go prepare the ships and supplies."
Aiden waved his hand, signaling Moore to leave.
Moore felt like he had been pardoned. He quickly saluted and turned to escape the office.
"By the way."
Just as Moore's hand touched the doorknob, Aiden seemed to remember something and asked casually,
"Moore, what is the name of that island? Is it marked on the sea chart?"
Moore stopped.
He scratched his balding head, which was already losing more hair from recent stress, and tried to remember the rare word.
"The name... I think I saw it in a navigation log once..."
"I think it's called... Merveille?"