"What a stupid bear, died just as he deserved."
In the Flower District, Getra listened in silence as his subordinates reported the latest news. After a pause, he sneered dismissively.
The story of Aaron killing Horton had spread through Vilia Port almost immediately after Aaron stepped out of Horton's base.
Most of the members of the Akio Gang shared Getra's opinion, Horton's death was hardly worth mourning.
After all, as the manager of the gang's slum territory, Horton's refusal to save his comrades had already left many within the gang deeply disappointed. Aaron had even given him a chance to live, for the sake of their leader, Akio but Horton had thrown that away. He'd chosen his own death.
Still, Horton's demise left a sour taste among the older members of the gang, who now viewed Aaron as ruthless and cold-hearted.
One of them, Jim, a fellow Akio Gang officer drinking beside Getra, couldn't hide his displeasure.
"This brat clearly just wanted to use Horton as a stepping stone," Jim grumbled. "All that talk about 'settling old scores' is just crap. Getra, my brother, if that kid really becomes the next boss, life won't be so easy for the likes of us. We'd better make our move soon before we end up like Horton. That kid's coming on strong."
Jim, Akio Gang's officer in charge of the common district was a burly man with a bright red face and a bulbous nose from years of heavy drinking. A skilled marksman, he specialized in shotguns and was well known across Vilia Port as both a sommelier and a master brewer.
"Jim, my brother," Getra said, his expression darkening, "it's fine to say that here with me but don't go spouting that outside. Our new officer isn't some lonely upstart. His power base is already huge, and it's stable. He's got a brother, Shuma, another Devil Fruit user, the one who stopped Winters and Yashika with that paper ability yesterday. Shuma's one of the city's top information brokers, commanding a network of hundreds. If you said that kind of thing out there, I guarantee Aaron would hear about it in minutes."
Jim snorted, clearly still clinging to the old hierarchy. He was used to being respected, believing that even if Aaron became boss, he'd need the support of veteran officers like them to keep the gang stable.
"You're too cautious, old man," Jim said dismissively. "Sure, the kid's got some muscle, but it's really just him. Regis and Dars are both stronger than him. Once Akio and Mr. Reggie are gone, it'll be up to us to keep things running. If that brat dares to disrespect us, the Akio Gang will crumble under him, and he'll go down with it."
He chuckled darkly at his own words, clearly entertaining some dangerous ideas.
"That may be," Getra conceded, "but still don't say things like that outside. Keep it between us."
Jim, now fully drunk and emboldened, slammed his cup down and barked, "What's there to be afraid of? He's not the boss yet. I'm just blowing off steam. What's he gonna do, kill me? When he's about to become boss, I'll just leave! I'm sick of this place anyway! Kahahaha!"
Getra sighed and dropped the matter, steering the conversation back to idle talk and more drinks.
When Jim finally left with a few men, Getra stood by the window, watching him disappear down the snowy street. "I hope you take my advice, Jim," he muttered under his breath. "The wind in Vilia Port is changing."
He turned back toward the room, his eyes falling on a quiet cleaning woman tidying up in the corner. His expression grew heavy.
As one of Akio's senior officers, Getra himself didn't much like Aaron either, especially after learning that Akio had chosen to give the Snow-Snow Fruit, a Logia-type Devil Fruit, to Aaron.
When Akio had confided that decision to him, it had been a clear message: You're not fit to be the next leader. Aaron was destined to inherit the gang.
Jealousy and resentment.
That's what Getra had felt when he learned the truth. If Reggie hadn't been there on the ship that day, he might've killed Aaron himself and pinned it on Horton, who'd hated Aaron just as much.
But all that changed the day Aaron took a hit meant for him, blocking Doflamingo's attack and then standing his ground in a fierce battle.
Getra was a man who remembered debts. Aaron had saved his life.
Even if Reggie's presence meant his life wasn't truly in danger, Doflamingo's strike had been aimed at his throat. Without Aaron's intervention, Getra would have been gravely injured possibly crippled for life.
And during that same battle, he'd seen with his own eyes what kind of monster Aaron really was.
When Getra later dug into Aaron's background, he was stunned by the young man's impossible growth rate. He'd once assumed Aaron's strength was still manageable, that killing him wouldn't be too hard. After all, Aaron didn't even know how to use Armament Haki at the time.
But the truth hit him hard: Aaron had already grown beyond his reach.
Even if Getra could still overpower him one-on-one, Aaron's speed, the same speed he'd shown fighting Doflamingo made him impossible to catch. And his Observation Haki was already sharp enough to detect any ambush. Without someone of equal perception, an assassination attempt was doomed to fail.
Observation Haki, the power Getra had dreamed of awakening all his life was far harder to master than Armament.
Armament Haki could be awakened through physical training and bodily stress; thanks to Akio and Reggie's experience, the gang even had a training method for it.
But Observation Haki? That required surviving the edge of death over and over again, forcing one's senses to the absolute limit. Most who tried died before they ever awakened it.
Getra didn't have the guts for that. That's why he only ever mastered Armament Haki.
In all of Vilia Port, fewer than five people could use Observation Haki and that was counting Aaron.
He knew Akio and Reggie would never teach him, and the other two users Dars and Regis were enemies. Asking them for help would be suicide.
He couldn't match Aaron's potential, couldn't kill him in secret and now Aaron had eaten a Logia Fruit.
At that realization, Getra had given up the dream of becoming boss. It was pointless now. Better to accept reality and side with the rising power while he still could.
He was an old man, yes but he was no fool. As long as he stayed useful, Aaron would have no reason to get rid of him. He could still live comfortably.
Getra poured himself another drink, a faint smile curling his lips.
"A truly formidable young man," he murmured. "Following him might not be such a bad thing after all."
---
[Every 50 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
For early access to advanced chapters visit my P@treon:
P@treon/ Dexy3
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!