As the massive steel gates symbolizing Absolute Justice slowly swung open, an island completely different from what Aiden had imagined unfolded before his eyes.
In his expectations, the Marine Headquarters, Marineford, should have been a giant military fortress—heavily guarded, bristling with turret batteries, and crawling with patrols at every turn.
But what greeted his eyes now was a vibrant, thriving city.
True, the outermost harbor and fortress zones still maintained the appearance of a war bulwark, thick with the scent of steel and gunpowder.
Within the harbor, dozens of massive warships, as large as mountains, were moored. On the docks, countless Marines were systematically carrying out supplies and drills; in the distance, one could even faintly hear the muffled roar of artillery training.
But once past this line of defense, the interior of the city was filled with a completely different, lively atmosphere.
On the broad, clean streets, those coming and going were not just Marines in uniform, but also young mothers pushing strollers, elderly couples taking walks hand-in-hand, and children playing and chasing each other.
There were residential areas where the families of Marines lived, marketplaces where the cries of street vendors rose and fell, restaurants, and even taverns...
"It's practically a paradise, perfectly protected from the outside world."
Aiden stood on the deck, watching all of this, unable to help but sigh in his heart. Because the Marine Headquarters was right next door, the public security here was outrageously good. It could be said that in this chaotic sea, this was the most livable city for an ordinary person.
"Hey, kid, don't just stand there like an idiot. Get ready to disembark!"
Garp, who at some point had started munching on another rice cracker, gave a muffled, indistinct urge before leading his group of subordinates off the ship first.
He casually pointed at a young Marine standing guard on the pier and shouted boisterously, "Hey! You! Take this new kid to the registration office for the Elite Camp!"
"Yes! Vice Admiral Garp!" The Marine was startled and hurriedly snapped to attention with a salute. He then ran quickly to Aiden and said nervously, "Please follow me."
Aiden nodded and followed behind the Marine. For the first time, his feet stepped onto the soil of Marineford.
Out of that damned caution rooted deep within a transmigrator's soul, Aiden's mind stirred, and he cautiously released his Observation Haki like an invisible radar, swiftly scanning the entire island.
Only a second later, he immediately retracted his perception. Fine beads of cold sweat were already seeping uncontrollably from his forehead.
"There are quite a few powerhouses here..."
This discovery further solidified his plan to honestly act as an "ordinary person" and not reveal his full strength.
He immediately lowered his head, reigning in all his emotions and making himself look like a teenage Marine who was somewhat nervous about arriving at Headquarters for the first time.
However, along the way, Aiden's height—which exceeded that of average people—still drew side-long glances from many passing Marines.
"Look, that's probably one of the recruits for the latest Elite Camp, right? He looks so young."
"I heard there's an incredible Logia user in this batch..."
Hearing these discussions, Aiden remained expressionless, but in his heart, he raised the priority of the word "low-key" by another level.
"The building ahead is the main Administrative Building of the Headquarters," the guide Marine said, seemingly noticing Aiden's tension. He took the initiative to introduce it, his tone carrying a hint of awe.
"The registration office for the Elite Camp is right here."
Aiden looked in the direction he pointed and nodded.
Just then, the young Marine's face suddenly changed. He abruptly pulled Aiden to the side of the road, snapped to attention, and gave an incredibly standard military salute.
Up ahead, a tall Marine officer draped in a "Justice" coat was walking toward them with a squad of subordinates. He had long, dark-purple curly hair tied in a high ponytail, wore a pair of sunglasses, and his expression was as cold as a ten-thousand-year-old glacier.
"It's Rear Admiral Onigumo!" the young Marine whispered, introducing him to Aiden.
Rear Admiral Onigumo walked past them without looking left or right, never even glancing at them the entire time, as if they were merely two stones by the side of the road.
Only after the other party was far away did the young Marine breathe a sigh of relief and wipe the sweat from his forehead.
Aiden remained silent, his understanding of how deep the waters were here growing by another layer.
Soon, they arrived at the registration office. Sitting inside was a somewhat lazy-looking Marine Chief Petty Officer clerk who was trimming his fingernails.
"Reporting! Elite Training Camp recruit reporting in!" the young Marine saluted.
"Name." The Chief Petty Officer didn't even lift his eyelids as he asked casually.
"Corvo Aiden."
"Aiden?" The Chief Petty Officer frowned, meticulously searching the list in his hand from top to bottom, then searched it again. Finally, he slapped the list on the table impatiently. "There's no such person. Kid, you got the wrong place, didn't you? The Elite Camp isn't a place just anyone can come to."
"This..." The guide Marine grew anxious, wanting to explain that this was someone Vice Admiral Garp had personally brought.
Aiden, however, remained calm. He knew Vice Admiral Tsuru wouldn't make a blunder in a matter like this.
Sure enough, the Chief Petty Officer seemed to remember something, muttering subconsciously, "Wait... I remember now. It seems Vice Admiral Tsuru added one to the end of the list a few days ago..."
He hurriedly flipped to the very last page of the list, and sure enough, he saw a handwritten name at the bottom. In the "Recommender" column behind it, the name "Tsuru" was clearly written.
He quickly found the corresponding ID tag and key from a drawer, handed them over, and used a flat tone to hide his internal shock:
"Found it. Corvo Aiden. You've arrived just in time; the Elite Camp officially begins tomorrow."
He handed the key and ID tag to Aiden, adding, "Gather at the Central Training Ground tomorrow morning at eight o'clock. Don't be late. Your dormitory is Room 307 on the third floor. Your roommate should have already arrived."
Aiden took the items and nodded. "Understood."
He didn't say anything more and turned to leave on his own.
The young Marine guide also left quickly after completing his mission, leaving only the clerk at the registration office. Watching Aiden's departing back, the clerk wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, secretly feeling relieved that he hadn't offended this boy with a mysterious background too much just now.
As Aiden walked toward the dormitory, he rapidly formulated a crystal-clear growth roadmap for his next year in the Elite Camp.
"Marineford is full of powerhouses, but conversely, it is also the safest place. It's almost impossible for any brainless pirates to show up for me to farm experience. This means that for at least the next year, the system's core [Sin Judgment] function will basically have no place to be used."
"In that case, I must invest all my energy into my own cultivation."
His gaze became incredibly determined.
"The primary goal is to master the [Navy Six Powers] completely, then use that as a foundation to master the Six Powers' ultimate secret technique—[Life Return]."
"Secondly, I must find a way to break through the bottleneck of my physique. Without the system's nourishment, I can only rely on the purest physical training to see if I can have a chance to push my physique into the [Top-tier] realm within this year!"
Having roughly planned his tasks for the coming year, Aiden instead gave a relieved smile, and his tense shoulders finally relaxed.
"Since I'm already here, I might as well make good use of this year's time.
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