Over these past six months, a steady stream of rookie pirates provided Aiden with a wealth of nourishment.
Thanks to the beginning of this "Great Pirate Era," even though most of those appearing in the East Blue were weaklings, their sheer numbers were undeniable. During these six months, Aiden had luckily encountered a few individuals who knew the basics of Armament Haki.
After successfully unlocking Novice Armament Haki through executions, he didn't hesitate to use his Sin Points to upgrade it all the way to the limit his current [Physique] could support—[Top-tier]!
Relying on the influx of pirates over the half-year, he still had a surplus of over 150,000 Sin Points even after exchanging for Top-tier Armament Haki.
The only slight disappointment was his [Physical Level]. After reaching [Advanced], his progress had slowed to a crawl.
Aiden himself had lost count of how much C-rank and B -rank "nourishment" he had absorbed, including several A -ranks, but he had yet to achieve a breakthrough to the [Top-tier] level.
However, this six-month period of frantic growth had caused his height to skyrocket to a staggering 2.6 meters! This height was not far off from the "perfect" 3-meter standard commonly possessed by the top-tier powerhouses of the One Piece world.
"Even if I'm only at the [Advanced] level for now..."
Aiden felt the powerful strength within his body—now incomparable to what it was six months ago— and estimated silently:
"I should currently be roughly around the average level of a Headquarters Vice Admiral."
"But..." Figures from the original manga flashed through Aiden's mind. "I wonder what ranks guys like Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru hold right now."
"There's probably still a significant gap between myself and those true 'monsters'."
Thanks to Vice Admiral Tsuru's heroic narrative of "withstanding Haki to save the Marines' face," Aiden didn't receive any punishment for his hesitation after he recovered. On the contrary, he became a hero of the Loguetown Branch.
Before long, a symbolic commendation was issued from Headquarters, promoting his rank directly from Seaman Recruit to Sergeant.
However, at Aiden's own strong request, he was not transferred away from the executioner position, which others viewed as incredibly unlucky.
Aiden didn't have much of a pursuit for rank; the meager stipend of a Sergeant was just "pennies" in his eyes.
To him, nothing was more important than the legitimate and continuous "Judgment of Sin."
After all, executing criminals was a job that, while bloody, offered clear returns. Every time he acted, he was rewarded with "Sin Points" and "Selectable Rewards."
As for fishing...
At this thought, he lifted his fishing rod and looked at the empty bucket by his feet, letting out a somewhat frustrated sigh.
"As expected, I have zero talent for fishing."
He stood up and packed his gear, planning silently in his mind: I should keep an eye out and see if any pirate has the [Fishing] skill.
With such unrealistic thoughts, Aiden steered his small boat back to the Loguetown harbor.
In the very center of the harbor, at a berth usually reserved only for big shots from Headquarters, a massive Marine warship was quietly moored.
"A Headquarters ship? This size... which Vice Admiral has arrived?"
A hint of doubt flashed in Aiden's heart. But as his gaze traveled up the massive hull and finally landed on the iconic figurehead, his eyes widened.
It was a majestically carved, giant dog-head.
In the entire Marines, and across the entire sea, only one warship bore this mark.
It belonged to the man known as the "Marine Hero."
Aiden steered his boat closer to the port.
He noticed that every Marine soldier was looking at the dog-headed warship with a mix of "worship," "excitement," and "awe." Even their daily patrols were half-hearted, as if catching a glimpse of that ship was a supreme honor.
Aiden's confusion deepened. "Garp... what is he doing in Loguetown?"
He docked his boat in an inconspicuous corner and quietly returned to the base.
Just as he stepped through the main gate, his immediate superior, "Scar-face" Captain Stock, rushed out from the side, looking as if he'd seen a ghost.
"K-Kid! You... you're finally back!" Stock grabbed Aiden, his voice trembling. "Where have you been?! I've been looking for you for ages!"
Aiden pointed expressionlessly at the fishing rod in his hand. "Fishing."
"Fishing?!" Stock looked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on; he instantly flared up, snatched Aiden's rod, and slammed it onto the ground. "What time do you think it is?! You still have the damn mood to fish?! Quick! Come with me! Vice Admiral Garp... he specifically asked to see you!"
...
Under the envious and jealous gazes of countless Marines, Aiden walked alone onto the deck of the dog-headed warship.
He saw the legendary "Marine Hero" wearing a white suit, sitting cross-legged on the deck. He was munching loudly on rice crackers while waving him over impatiently.
"I've been waiting for you for half a day, Aiden!"
Garp's voice, like the man himself, was boisterous and informal.
"Reporting, Vice Admiral Garp! Loguetown Marine Branch Sergeant, Aiden, reporting for duty!"
"Ah... little Tsuru said you were an interesting brat," Garp waved a hand, let out a yawn, and said indistinctly, "Something about the Elite Camp starting up soon. She told me to pick you up on my way. Anyway, you're coming with me."
"Elite Camp? Vice Admiral Tsuru? So despite refusing that promotion, I was still 'arranged' in the end..." Aiden thought secretly.
But he reacted immediately, snapping to attention and saluting. He wore an expression of being both honored and resolute. "Reporting, Vice Admiral Garp! I am extremely grateful for the regard shown by you and Vice Admiral Tsuru! However, I feel I still need more training in Loguetown! I hope to continue contributing my efforts to the Marines here!"
Garp stopped picking his nose, glanced at him, and suddenly burst into a loud laugh.
"Cut the crap! Even I have to listen to little Tsuru's orders sometimes! If I tell you to go, you go! Pack your things quickly; we leave in ten minutes!"
The bellyful of excuses Aiden had prepared was instantly blocked by Garp's "doesn't follow common sense" response.
He looked at the Marine Hero before him—who was picking his nose and laughing heartlessly—and felt a wave of helplessness.
"It's over... I've met my natural enemy."
"My performance meant for smart people like Vice Admiral Tsuru is completely useless in front of this guy!"
"He doesn't reason with you, and he doesn't listen to your displays of loyalty. It's just one sentence—if he tells you to go, you go."
Aiden sighed in his heart, knowing he couldn't escape today.
"Yes, Vice Admiral Garp." He could only salute helplessly.
Unable to find a reason to refuse, Aiden returned to his dormitory to pack his bags.
Since his important items were already in the ring, he just casually grabbed a few pieces of clothing to pack for appearances. Then, under the envious gazes of the entire Loguetown Branch, he boarded the dog-headed warship.
The warship slowly set sail, leaving the Loguetown harbor.
Aiden stood alone by the railing, watching the "Town of the Beginning and the End" grow smaller. He felt no lingering attachment, only a sudden sense of unreality.
"With only an [Advanced] Physique, being suddenly dragged out of the starter village makes me feel really insecure."
He sighed internally, but then quickly suppressed the unease.
"Then again... looking at it from another angle, being forced into a 'job change' might not be all bad."
His [Physical Level] had been stuck at [Advanced] for a while. The pirates around Loguetown were almost entirely N-rank and R-rank small fry; even SR-ranks were rare. The nourishment they provided was negligible.
Staying in the East Blue was the real waste of time.
"Going to Marine Headquarters... the Elite Training Camp will let me systematically learn the Six Powers. Whether they're useful or not, learning them is a gain. More importantly, once I graduate, I'll likely be stationed at a branch in the Grand Line."
"When that time comes, the quality of the pirates I can execute will be on a completely different level."
Thinking of those powerhouses in the Grand Line with bounties in the tens of millions, Aiden's gaze became somewhat burning.
As Aiden was lost in thought, calculating his future "development path," Garp had appeared beside him at some point, wearing a faint smirk.
He patted Aiden's shoulder, seemingly making small talk: "Kid, little Tsuru told me you're an orphan?"
Aiden's internal alarm bells rang, but he immediately put on an expression of gratitude for the Marines. He stood at attention and answered, "Yes, Vice Admiral! The Marines took me in. Without the Marines, I wouldn't be who I am today!"
"Mm." Garp gave a noncommittal hum and didn't continue the topic.
He turned around and stood side-by-side with Aiden, looking out at the vast, calm sea.
"It's a peaceful sea." Garp spoke suddenly, his voice lacking its usual vitality, carrying instead a hint of complex sentiment. "But it's this weakest sea that produced that most troublesome fellow."
Aiden remained silent and didn't respond. He knew who Garp was talking about.
Garp seemed completely lost in memory, talking to himself: "That bastard... he spent his whole life causing me trouble. I didn't expect that even in death, he'd leave such a huge mess for me and this world."
His tone sounded like a complaint, but Aiden could hear a trace of mutual respect between powerhouses that Garp himself might not have realized.
"The whole world says I'm the hero who caught him," Garp's tone suddenly turned self-deprecating. "But honestly, I still haven't understood him even now."
"Kid," Garp suddenly changed his tone and asked a seemingly unrelated question. "When he died, you were the person closest to him. In your eyes, what kind of person was Gol D. Roger?"
This was a trap.
Calling him a hero would be betraying the Marines; calling him a villain would make himself seem shallow and foolish.
Aiden remained silent for a few seconds, seemingly organizing his words, then spoke slowly:
"Reporting, Vice Admiral Garp. I... cannot judge him."
"From a personal perspective, he might have been a successful adventurer who reached the end of his dreams."
"But looking at the results," Aiden paused, "He used his death to trigger an even more chaotic and evil era. His sin lies not in what he did during his life, but in... what he will trigger after his death."
After hearing this, Garp's face—which had been wearing a casual smile—turned serious for the first time.
He whipped his head around. His eyes, which usually looked drowsy, were now incredibly sharp, as if he wanted to see through Aiden from the inside out.
He finally understood why Tsuru said this kid was very interesting.
"Speaking of which, kid..."
Garp's expression became incredibly solemn.
"That fellow Roger... before his execution... actually, he didn't use Conqueror's Haki on you, did he?"
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Sorry, everyone — I had the posting schedule set up incorrectly over the last four days, which is why the latest chapters didn't go up. I apologize for the mistake, and thank you for your patience. The uploads should be back on track now
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50 early chapters are available here.