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That day, the Marine G-3 Branch welcomed a new swordsman recruit. His swordsmanship was strong enough to rival a Marine Headquarters Colonel. The only slight drawback was that he had not yet learned Haki.
After a personal test by the G-3 Base Commander, Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp, the recruit was immediately granted the rank of Lieutenant.
Garp even said to him, somewhat embarrassed, "I'm sorry, kid Aizen! My authority only goes this far! The appointment of commissioned officers requires accumulated merit and approval from Headquarters! You'll have to put up with this for now!"
After all, this was not the special period of the World Conscription. Even talented individuals had to build their resume first. Otherwise, it would demoralize the veterans.
Sōsuke Aizen smiled humbly.
"Vice Admiral Garp, you flatter me! It is enough to be recognized by the Marines! Besides, regarding merit, I believe that as long as one is willing to work in the Grand Line, merit will not be lacking!"
"Hahaha! You're a great kid!" Garp slapped Aizen's shoulder hard.
"Then, as compensation, I will personally mentor you for a while! With your swordsmanship, once you learn the two types of Haki, your strength will surely soar to the next level! You'll accumulate merit even faster!"
Garp had an excellent impression of Aizen. Since Garp was naturally a careless person, the G-3 Branch was mostly filled with roughnecks, leading to a backlog of miscellaneous tasks.
Aizen had only been there for a few days but had effortlessly cleared these tasks. This almost brought tears of joy to the G-3 Branch's mid-to-high-level officers. Finally, a reliable person has arrived after all these years!
Garp naturally wanted to find a way to keep Aizen firmly rooted in the G-3 Branch!
Aizen, of course, couldn't have asked for more. He was very curious about Haki.
Watching Garp's retreating back, Aizen's face held a look of solemnity.
"Lord Soul King was right! Vice Admiral Garp is indeed a difficult character to deal with!"
When he initially chose to infiltrate the Marine branch, Auguro had actually advised him against the G-3 Branch. This was because Vice Admiral Garp was not only incredibly powerful but also a person with uncanny intuition.
Although he seemed rough and clumsy, his judgment in critical matters was rarely wrong. Even though Aizen's disguise could fool almost everyone, the risk posed by Garp's irrational intuition was still very high.
Yet, Aizen had still come. Besides the confidence of a genius, Garp was undoubtedly the fastest way to achieve his goals.
The current Marine factions were clearly defined, and the situation was stable. For Aizen to attain a high rank, he desperately needed the backing of a powerful figure.
Otherwise, even if his merits were sufficient, the higher-ups might overlook him. Garp was the most suitable choice.
As the Hero of the Marines, his influence and strength were unparalleled. He also had a close relationship with the Fleet Admiral. Achieving results under his command would ensure he was noticed by the top echelons quickly.
Once he entered Headquarters, he could begin looking for targets to subvert and establish his own power base.
The situation after his arrival was exactly as Auguro had described. Since Aizen joined the G-3 Branch, Garp maintained a considerable level of wariness toward him, even though Aizen acted harmlessly.
This wariness was completely unfounded. It only subsided somewhat after Aizen made friends with many Marines and diligently handled numerous branch affairs, earning widespread praise.
"It seems an extra layer of security is necessary," Aizen's glasses flashed with a sharp light, but it was gone in an instant, as if it had never been there.
Water Seven. Auguro received another call from Doflamingo.
"Fufufu... Auguro, you've caused another major incident without a sound!"
Auguro frowned, annoyed. Did this flamingo have nothing better to do? Why does he keep focusing on me!
Doflamingo, completely unselfconscious, continued to ramble.
"Although the Furant Kingdom's location isn't great, it's a decent exporter of grain."
"By taking that nation, you no longer have problems with food supply. Hehe! You held back for a few months, and now you can't contain yourself anymore, can you?"
"Do you need my help? I have some connections in the World Government, you know!"
"No need!" Auguro hung up the Den Den Mushi without another word. He was afraid that if he listened any longer, he would start believing he was a meticulously plotting villain himself.
Feeling slightly frustrated, Auguro walked out onto the streets. At the dock, many people were busy loading and unloading cargo. These were firearms destined for various locations. Auguro was about to leave after a quick glance.
Suddenly, his Observation Haki detected a faint anomaly. In a small boat nearby, several weak and despairing auras were hidden. Auguro frowned and focused his Haki on the area.
The next second, Auguro's face turned incredibly grim as he realized the truth. He strode quickly toward the small boat.
Two sailors were loading supplies onto the boat. Seeing Auguro approach, they immediately stepped forward to stop him.
"Stop! This is a private vessel! No trespassing!"
Auguro said nothing, simply kicking both men away.
Bang! Bang!
The two men were sent flying into the water. Auguro walked unimpeded to a concealed corner in the cabin.
Crack!
Auguro punched straight through the hidden door. Upon seeing the scene inside, an overwhelming killing intent instantly erupted, shooting into the sky.
At that moment, the Soul Reapers stationed in Water Seven all looked up.
"That's the Lord Soul King's aura!"
"Someone has angered the Lord Soul King!"
"Everyone prepare for battle!"
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Dozens of figures flashed out from all parts of Water Seven, heading toward the dock.
In the cabin, Auguro saw six small cages, roughly one meter square, stacked on top of each other. In every cage, without exception, a living person was imprisoned!
Most were young men and women, but there was also a child of about seven or eight!
The people were huddled together, squeezed into the narrow space. From this angle, they looked like mere cargo, casually placed on a shelf!
"A slave ship indeed!"
Auguro's eyes were filled with killing intent. The people were covered in scars, and their eyes showed no reaction when they saw Auguro.
It seemed they had suffered terrifying torture and had completely given up hope of survival.
Clang!
Auguro broke the iron lock on a cage with a slash. He said softly, "I'm here to rescue you! Come out with me!"
Hearing this, the people looked at each other, but did not move. They feared this was another one of the bastards' tricks. If they walked out of the cabin, they would only be subjected to another round of terrible torture, ensuring they would never again think of escaping.
"Who dares to trespass on my ship! Get out of here!"
At that moment, an angry roar came from the deck. The victims shuddered, their faces showing intense fear.