The banquet began.
Nelson kept urging Gion to drink. He talked without stopping, bragging about his "achievements" at G-17 Branch.
"I'm not bragging. Ever since I took over these waters five years ago, they've become a real safe zone!"
Nelson cut off a piece of fatty roast meat and stuffed it into his greasy mouth. He chewed as he spoke, his words muffled by the food. "Pirates? Hmph. Those filthy rats hear the name Nelson and run with their tails between their legs! Within hundreds of nautical miles, people don't even bother picking up things dropped in the street, and nobody locks their doors at night! Merchant ships never have to worry about being robbed!"
He talked with spit flying, his face flushed red.
Gion only took a polite sip of wine. Her eyes grew colder.
People don't steal things dropped in the street?
Before coming here, she had already reviewed the records of G-17 Branch. They were too perfect. So perfect that they had no flaws at all, and not a single sudden pirate attack had ever been recorded.
However, in this chaotic Great Age of Pirates, especially along a shipping route where gold flowed, how could there be no pirates eyeing it greedily?
When there are no problems, that is often the biggest problem.
At the far end of the table,
Aiden and Smoker, seated as subordinates, had been placed in the most distant corner.
Smoker stabbed a bone-in piece of meat with his fork as if he were stabbing Nelson in the head. Lowering his voice, he muttered through gritted teeth, "This pig... how much did this meal cost? And 'no one steals things dropped in the street'? When I came through the gate earlier, I clearly saw several soldiers secretly collecting 'passage fees' from merchant ships. How are they any different from bandits?!"
"Just eat. Isn't it a good thing when someone else is paying?"
Aiden's voice was very quiet. He was slowly peeling a giant sea lobster.
His movements were neat and smooth as he removed the shell cleanly, revealing the crystal-clear meat inside.
However, he was in no hurry to taste it.
In truth, from the moment he stepped onto the island's dock, his Observation Haki had instinctively picked up a very faint sense that something was wrong.
It was an extremely subtle electrical disturbance mixed into the sea breeze.
Now that he was inside the upper level of the base, that feeling had grown even stronger.
The power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit made his mind work like a precise radar receiver. It picked up every abnormal vibration in the air.
In his perception, the world lost its color. Only lines and sound remained.
Nelson's bragging, the clinking of wine glasses, the quiet whispers of the soldiers. He filtered out those layers of noise one by one.
Aiden's perception spread across the banquet hall and the luxurious hallways around it.
Deep beneath the banquet hall, under the heavy foundation, a huge underground space was hidden.
There, countless objects were piled up. Crystal statues.
Through the feedback of electromagnetic waves, Aiden traced the texture of those objects.
Hard and cold.
Dozens of crystal-clear statues stood packed together in the underground warehouse.
Some looked as if they were running away. Some looked as if they were begging for mercy. Others were clutching each other.
For some reason, when he faced these cold "works of art," Aiden felt a strange sense of disgust.
It was an instinctive revulsion. It warned him that behind these beautiful crystals lay a sickening truth.
Aiden slowly opened his eyes.
A spark of lightning flashed through his dark eyes for the briefest moment.
He put the peeled lobster meat into his mouth. He chewed slowly, but the meat that should have tasted sweet now felt completely flavorless.
The banquet lasted until late at night.
Commodore Nelson was red-faced from drink. Supported by several adjutants, he reeked of alcohol. Even so, his words carried a clear urgency to send the guests away.
"Commodore Gion, as for your ship's supplies and maintenance, I have already given strict orders! We will work through the night. Everything will be loaded and serviced by tomorrow morning at the latest! It definitely won't delay your important mission of patrolling these waters!"
Nelson let out a burp. His face was full of smiles. His small eyes, narrowed into slits by the fat on his face, stayed fixed on Gion. "Tomorrow morning, you can weigh anchor and set sail to continue upholding justice at sea! Although I would hate to see you go, I wouldn't dare keep you any longer and risk delaying important military matters."
His intention was obvious. He was clearly eager to send Gion away.
However, Gion did not follow his lead.
She lightly swirled the wine in her glass and said calmly, "Commodore Nelson's efficiency is indeed impressive. But there is no need to be in such a hurry."
"Huh?" The smile on Nelson's face froze. "No... no need to hurry?"
"That's right."
Gion set down her wine glass. Her tone was calm, but it carried a weight that left no room for argument. "Aside from patrolling these waters, I also need to evaluate the branches along the way. I intend to carry out a routine inspection within G-17 Branch's jurisdiction for the next few days. I also want to verify the sea chart data here."
She looked up at Nelson with a faint smile. "So I'm afraid I'll be troubling you for a few more days."
"Wh... What?!"
Nelson's voice suddenly rose.
His greasy red face twitched visibly. A faint flash of panic and malice crossed his eyes.
The next few days were supposed to be the time for his important trade. Now Gion refused to leave and even wanted to inspect the area?!
This was no different from cutting off his lifeline!
"This... this might not be a good idea..." Cold sweat broke out on Nelson's forehead. He forced out a smile uglier than a grimace. "Look at this place. It's calm and peaceful. We hardly ever see pirates. There's nothing to inspect... and you have official duties to attend to..."
"What?" Gion's eyes turned cold. The pressure around her suddenly sharpened. "Is Commodore Nelson unwilling to accept an inspection from Headquarters? Or is there something in this G-17 Branch that I am not allowed to see?"
"No! Absolutely not!"
Nelson was startled by the seriousness of the accusation. He waved his hands quickly, the fat on his face shaking. "You are welcome! Of course you are welcome! It is our honor!"
He gritted his teeth and accepted it. In his mind, he was already frantically calculating how to cover everything up.
"In that case, I will trouble Commodore Nelson to arrange our stay," Gion said, looking away.
"Yes... yes..." Nelson wiped the sweat from his face. He turned and shouted at his adjutants, "What are you standing there for?! Hurry up and prepare the 'Velvet Suite'! That is our most luxurious room, reserved specifically for... ahem... special guests!"
Then he pointed at Aiden and Smoker. He spoke casually, unable to hide his frustration. "As for these two subordinates, just put them in any officers' dormitory. Single rooms. Don't neglect them."
"Wait."
Gion suddenly spoke, stopping Nelson's arrangements.
She looked at Aiden, who was standing calmly beside her. She remembered Vice Admiral Tsuru's order: "Do not let him leave your sight."
"Commodore Nelson, there is no need for the officers' dormitory," Gion said firmly. "Sergeant Aiden must remain by my side at all times. Just arrange a suite with an outer room for me."
"Huh?" Nelson was stunned. His tiny eyes moved back and forth between Gion and Aiden.
The gloom in his eyes instantly turned sleazy.
"Oh! I see! I understand!"
Nelson looked as though he had stumbled onto some juicy secret. He put on a greasy smile that made his meaning obvious and nodded repeatedly. "Young people these days really do need... ahem... close protection. I'll arrange it right away! I'll make sure no one disturbs you!"
In his eyes, this might actually be a good opportunity. If he could get hold of some compromising secret about this Commodore from Headquarters, he might be able to force her to keep quiet and leave.
Gion looked at Nelson's disgusting face and frowned deeply. She wanted to snap at him and explain that this was "supervision," but then she realized that explaining anything to a man like him would only make things worse. She kept her face cold and said nothing.
As for Smoker:
"What about me?" Smoker asked, pointing at himself with the cigar between his teeth.
"You? You can just find a hallway and sleep there," Aiden said casually, sounding as natural as if he were talking about the weather.
Smoker froze.
"You...!"
The veins on Smoker's forehead instantly bulged. He was just about to fire back.
"Smoker will take the room next door," Gion cut in, ending their bickering with a direct order.