Jango couldn't imagine it. He hesitated for a moment, then finally snorted. "Hmph, you're a clever one. There's no special kitchen for prisoners. However, I can provide you with some basic ingredients every day. You can prepare them in your own cell." In his eyes, a child, no matter how capable, couldn't cause any trouble in a Seastone cell.
"Thank you," Ren nodded slightly.
Jango glared at the others, growled, "All of you, behave," and then left with his men to patrol the next area. After he left, Rocks's low laughter echoed in the sector. "Well done, Ren."
"I just want to see the level of G-2's ingredient supply chain," Ren replied calmly. He knew that as long as he had access to ingredients, he could deduce the fortress's logistical supply routes, personnel deployment, and even its defensive weaknesses from the type, freshness, and transport traces of the ingredients. To a Master-Level Chef, the entire world was a menu filled with intelligence. And the true face of the so-called Hell's Kitchen trial was about to be revealed, piece by piece, on this special menu.
Time passed slowly in the monotonous and oppressive rhythm of the Repentance Sector. For Rocks and the others, it was more like a paid vacation. Listening to "Iron Jaw" Jango's daily, screeching lectures on justice and his attempts to reform them with various spiritual talks had become the crew's greatest entertainment.
"This guy squawks more than the seagulls on our ship," Wang Zhi yawned and rolled over to continue sleeping.
"I think he's pretty energetic. I'd like to have a fight with him," Gatz said, doing push-ups in a corner, every muscle filled with a desire for battle.
Meanwhile, a real hell was unfolding in other areas of the G-2 base. On the huge training grounds, hundreds of elite new recruits, carefully selected from various Marine branches and even CP agencies, were undergoing their final and most brutal sprint training. They were fighting for their lives in an obstacle course personally designed by Zephyr, called the "Forge of Justice." Under their feet was lava that could erupt at any moment; above their heads were live ammunition firing indiscriminately; beside them were comrades who could also be competitors who might backstab them at any moment.
"Too slow! Your speed is slower than a Sea King's excretion!" Zephyr stood on a high platform like a tyrant, roaring in his bell-like voice, mercilessly criticizing every soldier he deemed not hardworking enough. "Are your fists made of cotton? You can't even break a steel plate, and you want to uphold justice? Don't make me laugh!"
"Remember! Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to the people! In the future, you will face vicious monsters like Rocks, threats that can overturn the world! If you fall now, then in the future, it will be countless innocent civilians who will fall!" Every word he spoke was like a heavy hammer, striking the hearts of these young marines, tempering their bloodlust and will over and over again.
Momousagi and Enk stood behind Zephyr, watching their comrades struggling in the mud and blood, their expressions complex. They knew that only by going through such a hell could one truly transform into a strong warrior who could stand on their own.
"Teacher Zephyr," Momousagi couldn't help but ask. "Are you really going to let them face those Wanderers? I have a bad feeling about them..."
"I know," Zephyr didn't turn around, his gaze still fixed on the training grounds. "Every single one of them is like a caged beast. The power they contain is far greater than what they show. That's precisely why they are the perfect test subjects." A near-fanatical light shone in Zephyr's eyes. It was the excitement of a top teacher who has found the perfect teaching aid. "I want my students to personally break the fangs of these beasts. I want them to understand that no matter how powerful evil is, it is nothing before absolute justice! This lesson will be the most precious treasure of their lives." He firmly believed that under his absolute control, this group of Wanderer pirates was just the final piece of his teaching plan, to be discarded after use.
In the Repentance Sector, in Ren's cell, a steaming hot bowl of fragrant soup was placed in front of the energy barrier. This was a soup that Ren had made from the worst ingredients provided by the prison—dried fish bones, hard potatoes, and some unknown salted vegetable leaves. But with the secret help of the Endless Spice Bottle, this seemingly ordinary soup exuded an aroma that could make even the gods drool. It was a complex flavor that mixed the fragrance of the earth with the umami of the ocean, warm and mellow, as if it could soothe all pain and fatigue.
The guard who was delivering the food smelled this and couldn't stop his mouth from watering. "L-little brat, did you... make this with that trash?"
Ren nodded and pushed the bowl forward. "I made an extra portion. Please, have some."
The guard hesitated for a moment, but ultimately couldn't resist the temptation of the delicious food. He took the bowl and carefully took a sip. The next second, his eyes shot wide open, as if his entire body had been struck by a current of happiness. "Whoa! Delicious! This is too delicious!" He finished the entire bowl in a few large gulps, feeling all his fatigue swept away, his spirits lifted.
From that day on, Ren's cell became the most popular place in the entire Repentance Sector. Every day, the guards responsible for delivering food would find ways to bring Ren some extra ingredients that had "accidentally" fallen onto the food cart, just to get a bowl of Ren's leftover soup in return. Ren was happy to oblige. Through the guards' idle chatter and the type and consumption rate of the ingredients they brought, he gained a clear understanding of the internal operations of the G-2 fortress.
"Meat consumption has increased by thirty percent recently, especially high-energy red meat. This means the high-intensity physical training is in its final phase."
"The vegetable supply now includes a type of herb that can relieve muscle soreness, which only grows on a specific island. It seems someone has been injured."
"I heard them say that the energy supply for the Hell's Kitchen trial grounds comes from three independent power furnaces, and one of them seems a bit old and needs to be shut down for maintenance occasionally..."
Ren built a huge intelligence network in his mind, and every detail became a part of his plan.
One day, outside Linlin's cell, "Iron Jaw" Jango was frowning as he watched Linlin happily eating a huge rice ball. The rice ball was made by Ren from the most common rice, mixed with some dried fish floss and salted vegetables, yet Linlin ate it with a blissful expression as if it were a delicacy.
"Hey!" Jango knocked on the energy barrier. "What else can you do besides eat? Don't you have any awareness of being a prisoner?"
Linlin looked up, licked the rice grains from the corner of her mouth, and asked innocently, "Awareness? What's that? Can you eat it? Is it as delicious as the rice balls that Re... that our chef makes?"
Jango was speechless. He felt that his re-education plan for these monsters had gone down a very strange path from the very beginning. He turned and left in a huff, muttering, "Just you wait until the trial begins. Let's see if you're still smiling then!"
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