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Because he knew that information spread extremely fast within the gang, Aaron never discussed sensitive topics with anyone inside.
And the question of whether the Frosthorn Gang and the Dars Gang would go to full-scale war was, without a doubt, one of the most sensitive topics of all.
Even though it was Victor who brought up the question this time, Aaron had no intention of giving a direct answer. He brushed it off with a casual "I don't know."
But deep down, Aaron already had his answer — the Frosthorn Gang and the Dar Gang were on the verge of an all-out war. All that was missing now was a spark.
The emergence of the Munch Munch Fruit and the deadly drug had certainly divided Aaron's focus, but he knew his foundation still lay within the Frosthorn Gang. Even if he failed to obtain the Munch Munch Fruit, he had to continue building and expanding his power here. That meant closely watching every development within the Frosthorn Gang.
To that end, he had even compiled an intelligence dossier focused specifically on the Frosthorn Gang, documenting every clash between Akio's territory and the other gangs in the city. These incidents were easy to investigate — a small intelligence team dispatched by Shuma could gather the data without much trouble.
With this dossier, Aaron could clearly see that the number of conflicts involving the Frosthorn Gang this month was more than double that of last month. The majority of these incidents had erupted in the slum districts and the harbor area.
The slums, in particular, saw the most frequent clashes — and the highest death toll.
Moreover, casualties this month had already surpassed previous records. Nearly two hundred members of the Frosthorn Gang had been killed.
While it was true that the Frosthorn Gang was the most powerful gang in Velia Port, its total membership was barely over a thousand. Losing nearly two hundred members in one month — even if most were low-level grunts who could be replaced — was enough to make the Frosthorn Gang feel the pressure.
And there was another shocking statistic that showed just how surrounded the Frosthorn Gang now was.
Aaron noticed that other gangs had experienced very few conflicts lately. Even when they did clash, the results were usually just injuries — there were no fatalities at all. Deaths only occurred when those gangs fought against the Frosthorn Gang.
This made it clear that the Frosthorn Gang's enemies weren't limited to the Dars Gang. Yes, the Dars Gang — the city's second-largest — was the main force, but the other gangs were clearly lending a hand from behind the scenes.
The Frosthorn Gang's territory was simply too vast, its profits too great. Unless the others joined forces to take the Frosthorn Gang down, how else could they expand, grow stronger, and survive more securely in this chaotic world?
As the conflicts increased, so too did the tensions between the Frosthorn Gang and the other local gangs. Even though Akio's leaders tried to restrain their subordinates, the growing number of hardliners within the gang meant that an all-out war was only a matter of time.
"In the end, it all comes down to profit. And the old Wolf King hasn't bared his fangs in too long. The young wolves have grown larger and bolder, and now they circle the old pack. Meanwhile, a powerful predator watches from the shadows, waiting to strike the moment a weakness is shown… An old power like this is destined to face a decisive battle."
Standing on the bustling docks, Aaron narrowed his eyes — a faint red glint flashing in them — as he watched a Dars Gang patrol unit march toward him, full of hostile intent. A cold sneer tugged at the corner of his lips.
It was just like the small corner of the docks he managed now — barely a month had passed, and already those men across from him had lost their fear of him in pursuit of profit. They wanted to snatch back the territory he had taken from them.
Seeing the Dars Gang patrol approach aggressively, Aaron's subordinates immediately formed ranks behind him.
After taking full command of this 31-man patrol unit, Aaron had begun leading them his way — and that meant introducing a degree of military discipline.
The first thing he addressed was discipline itself. The patrol unit had been completely undisciplined and disorganized before — typical for gang members, who were basically street thugs. Expecting them to become as orderly as Marines was impossible.
Aaron never expected them to become proper soldiers. All he asked was that they could march in formation and follow unified commands.
To balance the unit's combat power, he had even requested five gunmen from Hoffman, forming a 10-man firearms squad. The remaining 20 swordsmen were split into two melee teams.
Aaron then personally paid for the firearms squad to be equipped with identical repeating rifles — fitted with bayonets — and drilled them in volley fire.
The two melee teams, meanwhile, were trained in coordinated group attacks — simple cooperative tactics. Their training target was Aaron himself, who sparred against both squads one after another.
This way, Aaron was training both himself and his men at the same time.
Fighting ten opponents at once — each at least possessing basic swordsmanship — was no easy feat, even for him.
But with his Observation Haki, Aaron managed to hold his own. Over time, he adapted to group combat, and as his Observation Haki improved, handling ten opponents simultaneously became much easier.
Through these real battles, the patrol members witnessed firsthand just how formidable Aaron was in close combat, and their respect and fear for him deepened further.
After a month of training, their combat capabilities had improved significantly. The firearms squad had mastered coordinated volleys, and the melee teams, after repeatedly fighting their monstrous captain, had learned the fundamentals of cooperative tactics.
"Aaron, I suggest you don't pick a fight with us Dars Gang today. Hand over the protection fee for this area peacefully."
Somehow mustering enormous courage today, Gures — the Dars Gang patrol leader who used to grin nervously every time he saw Aaron — pointed at him and barked the words arrogantly. Of course, he did so from a safe distance of ten meters away.
It was obvious that Gures's choice to shout from so far away betrayed his lingering fear of Aaron.
For a moment, the onlookers around them watched him like he was a clown.
Seeing their captain act so cowardly, the morale of the Dars Gang patrol — which had arrived full of swagger — plummeted instantly. Meanwhile, the Frosthorn Gang members behind Aaron burst out laughing, mocking Gures for not daring to speak loudly in front of their leader.
Aaron didn't laugh. His gaze stayed fixed on the Dars Gang patrol — more precisely, on two individuals among them.
Since the Dars Gang was destined to become his enemy on his path to power, Aaron made it a point to gather as much information about them as possible, paying special attention to their stronger members.
Through his Observation Haki just now, he had identified two names already recorded in his Dars Gang Personnel Ledger.
He hadn't expected that, just to reclaim this small slice of territory and its protection fee, the Dars Gang would dispatch two notable figures — both disguised as ordinary members — to ambush him.
Twin-Gun Harrett.
Swiftblade Clark.
These two were among the Dars Gang's elite — figures on the level of Hoffman within the Frosthorn Gang.
"Looks like I've been performing too well lately. The Dars Gang must be desperate to eliminate this rising star of the Frosthorn Gang. Two of their top lieutenants at once — how flattering. I wonder… if I kill them here, will that push me even higher?"
Aaron's eyes lit up with excitement as he stared at Harrett and Clark within the enemy ranks.
The reason he had chosen the docks in the first place was to use the frequent clashes here as stepping stones, climbing upward over the corpses of rival gang members. He had expected that after becoming patrol captain, he'd need time to build his reputation before challenging Hoffman, that gambling dog. But now, the opportunity had come to him.
Now it all depended on whether he had the strength to seize it.
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