Three months passed in the blink of an eye.
For the entire world, however, this period felt exceptionally long and oppressive.
First, the "Pirate King" Gol D. Roger surrendered to the Marines. Immediately after, "Golden Lion" Shiki caused a massive uproar at Marineford before being arrested and imprisoned.
The successive falls of two legends weighed heavily on the hearts of all pirates like a massive mountain.
It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over the pirates across the seas. Their arrogance was suppressed as never before, and the entire ocean unexpectedly entered a rare period of "calm."
While this was a blessing for the common citizens, for Aiden, it meant his greatest source of experience had been almost completely cut off.
In three whole months, the Loguetown Branch hadn't captured more than a handful of pirates worthy of execution.
Even though he lacked the support of the system for the time being, Aiden did not slack off.
On a deserted coastal cliff on the outskirts of Loguetown.
Aiden stood shirtless, beads of sweat clinging to his skin. Although he was not yet sixteen, he stood nearly two meters tall. His long, lean frame was covered in a layer of smooth, solid muscle, radiating a sense of power that belied his age.
He slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, then, as casually as if he were taking a post-meal stroll, he threw a straight punch forward.
There was no earth-shattering roar, only a short, muffled "thud," as if a fist had struck waterlogged leather.
Aiden slowly withdrew his fist. Looking at his knuckles, which didn't even have a red mark on them, he nodded in satisfaction.
The second after he pulled his fist back, a clear, deep fist print appeared on the incredibly hard reef before him. With the fist print as the center, a web of fine cracks spread silently, instantly covering the entire rock!
Whoosh—
A sea breeze blew past.
Clatter...
The entire reef, like a weathered sand sculpture, collapsed silently before him and turned into a pile of rubble.
"So... I can grow stronger even without the system."
As Aiden felt the powerful energy flowing ceaselessly within his body, he felt joy, but he also gained a deeper understanding of the system's strength. "It's just... too slow. Without the foundation laid by the system, it might have taken me five, or even ten years, to reach this current realm on my own."
With a thought, he opened his personal status panel to examine the overall changes from the last three months.
Name: Aiden
Age: 15
Rank: Seaman Apprentice
[Physical Level]: Advanced
[Talent]: None
[Skills]: Stealth (Intermediate), Swordsmanship (Intermediate), Marksmanship (Intermediate), Fighting Techniques (Intermediate), Cooking (Intermediate), Navigation (Intermediate)
[Points]: 220
He had added two non-combat skills—[Cooking] and [Navigation].
He had chosen them with a "better than nothing" mindset while executing pirates recently.
When he tried to upgrade these skills in the shop, he was pleasantly surprised to find that the upgrade price for non-combat skills was significantly cheaper than combat skills of the same level.
Though they were just two non-combat skills, Aiden felt the points were well spent.
He put on his Marine uniform jacket, which was draped nearby, moved his slightly sweaty body, and began walking toward the Marine base.
The closer he got to town, the more clearly he could sense the shift in the atmosphere.
Usually, this time of day was the liveliest in Loguetown. But now, pedestrians on the streets walked with hurried steps, their faces clouded with unease and fear.
The harbor was packed with all kinds of vessels, much more crowded than usual.
Aiden's gaze swept rapidly through the crowd.
He saw journalists from all over the world who had come following the news.
He saw bounty hunters with gazes as greedy as hyenas.
And then there were those pirates who made no effort to hide their violent auras!
"A storm is brewing..." Aiden remarked inwardly.
When he arrived at the gates of the Marine base, this tense atmosphere reached its peak.
The guards at the main gate had been replaced by a group of elite soldiers he didn't recognize at all. The chilling, murderous intent they radiated was far beyond anything the Marines of the Loguetown Branch could compare to.
"Halt! Password! Show your identification!"
Even though Aiden was wearing a Marine uniform, he was stopped unceremoniously.
Aiden expressionlessly gave the password and handed over his ID tag. After the lead guard checked it carefully, he gave a cold wave of his hand, signaling him to pass.
Aiden could clearly feel that the atmosphere of the entire Marine base had completely changed.
Patrolling soldiers had gone from two-man teams to five-man squads, everyone armed to the teeth with sharp, hawk-like gazes.
The entire base was like a precision war machine that had been switched to a wartime program—operating coldly and efficiently, every part radiating a dangerous "stay away" aura.
Aiden crossed the heavily guarded base and returned to his secluded dormitory. Before he could even sit down, an urgent knocking sounded at the door.
"Aiden! Captain Stock needs to see you, immediately!" The messenger's tone was tense.
"Stock?" Aiden raised an eyebrow. That was the scar-faced superior.
With a hint of curiosity, he followed the messenger to the Captain's office on the second floor of the base.
To his surprise, Captain Stock wasn't inside the office. Instead, he was standing as stiff as a wooden post outside his own door, with fine beads of sweat visible on his forehead.
Seeing Aiden arrive, Stock immediately pulled him aside and whispered in a voice more nervous than ever before:
"Kid, listen! There's a big shot from Headquarters inside! Once you go in, don't ask what shouldn't be asked, and don't say what shouldn't be said. When the big shot asks something, you answer it. Do you understand?!"
Countless thoughts flashed through Aiden's mind, but his face remained calm as he nodded.
"Understood."
Stock took a deep breath as if making a final resolution, stepped forward, and knocked respectfully on the door.
"Report! The person... has been brought here."
A gentle female voice came from inside.
"Let him in."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Stock snapped to attention, then carefully pushed the door open, giving Aiden a meaningful look.
Aiden walked inside.
The lights weren't on in the office, leaving it somewhat dim. Only one figure sat in the Captain's chair with her back to him, quietly watching the scenery of Loguetown outside the window.
As if sensing his arrival, the figure slowly turned around.
By the natural light from the window, Aiden saw her face—
She had short silver hair styled meticulously. Although there were traces left by the years on her face, her skin was still well-maintained.
The most impressive part was her eyes—sharp as a hawk's, as if they could see through every conspiracy and sin in the world.
Her back was perfectly straight, and her entire being radiated a unique aura that mixed intellect with authority.
It was the Great Staff Officer of Marine Headquarters, Vice Admiral—Tsuru.
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