As Aaron received the message and hurried back, his territory had already fallen into a desperate, all‑sides siege.
It was a coordinated, premeditated assault. Winters and Yasika, two gang lieutenants, had joined forces with several smaller gangs, gathering over a thousand fighters to launch a simultaneous attack on Aaron's district.
At that moment, Victor, Arina, Gabdon, and the other captains were already leading their own squads to intercept the invaders.
Because the territory had expanded to more than twice its original size and its population had swelled dramatically, maintaining order required far more manpower. Aaron's crew had grown from two hundred to six hundred members. However, only one new captain had been added; Els, a powerful swordsman who had recently joined them.
Now, except for Els and Gabdon, who remained behind with a few troops to guard headquarters, everyone else had been dispatched to confront the attackers.
Using the precise intelligence supplied by Shuma's information network, Els and the other captains quickly assessed the overall situation and each chose opponents to engage.
Although Winters and Yasika had rallied a large force, their troops were a tangled mix of rival gangs with conflicting loyalties. The two leaders couldn't control them perfectly.
As soon as the invasion began, chaos erupted, groups broke off to act independently, looting and fighting each other over spoils. It was a mob of bandits, pure and simple.
Eastern Sector: Victor led over a hundred men to engage Maren, a Dars gang lieutenant. Both were expert marksmen, and their followers were all gunmen. The eastern district echoed with gunfire as both sides clashed in fierce street battles.
Southern Sector: Buga's squad faced Akio, a Regis gang lieutenant. By coincidence, both were crippled swordsmen: Buga had a bad leg, while Akio had lost his left hand and was blind in one eye. The moment they met, they went straight at each other, their sword slashes cutting buildings clean in half.
Western Sector: Lombaton led his men against Dean, another Dars gang lieutenant. Both wielded axes and were towering two‑meter giants. Apparently old acquaintances, they didn't fight immediately but sat down like drinking buddies, boasting and laughing. Yet once they finished a crate of liquor, they turned on each other without hesitation, axes swinging for each other's skulls.
From their stances and movements, it was clear both were using the Blizzard Legion's military axe techniques, honed to perfection. Within that army's elite Great Axe Battalion, they would have ranked among the finest soldiers.
Northern Sector: Arina faced Penelope, a Regis gang lieutenant. Both were famous as the "flowers" of Vilia Port fiery, passionate women admired throughout the underworld. But in recent months, Arina's popularity had eclipsed Penelope's entirely.
Penelope had taken that humiliation badly, spreading rumors and insults to tarnish Arina's name. Arina wasn't one to suffer silently, she retaliated by using intelligence from Shuma's network to expose Penelope's scandals. Their feud had grown deep. Now, meeting on the battlefield, it was like needle versus blade, after politely mocking each other's families, they launched into an all‑out fight.
Aaron's subordinates were all carefully selected elites. Though the territory had become relatively peaceful and clashes with pirates or thugs were rare, Aaron had never relaxed their training. Daily drills were as intense as ever.
To strengthen his men, Aaron generously shared a simplified version of the Nine‑Serpent Body Refinement Technique. Unfortunately, most couldn't master the full sequence , only a few movements.
So far, only Arina had successfully learned the entire simplified form.
Even so, those who practiced parts of it still benefited greatly, their physical strength improved far faster than with normal, unstructured training.
Moved by Aaron's willingness to share such a rare martial art, Gabdon responded in kind. Though he didn't teach his clan's Eight‑Impact Fist, he revealed a simpler Marine‑style training art used for new recruits: the Eight‑Treasure Fist.
This style was perfect for ordinary people. Practiced long‑term, it enhanced fitness and longevity. In truth, the Eight‑Treasure Fist was a foundational form created to complement the Eight‑Extreme Fist and was a prerequisite for mastering the Eight‑Impact Fist. Only those who could perform all its movements fluidly and release genuine battle aura from their strikes were considered to have completed it.
As a result, Aaron's crew grew in strength rapidly, their average combat ability far surpassed that of typical gang fighters.
Thus, even though they were outnumbered, Aaron's side held the advantage. If not for the ongoing duels between the gang leaders still undecided, the weaker enemy forces would likely have already routed, true to their cowardly nature.
"Ha‑ha‑ha! What a lively night! Things are finally getting exciting!"
At headquarters, Els laughed exuberantly as he listened to the reports coming in through the Den Den Mushi, his face glowing with anticipation.
Since joining Aaron's territory, he'd hardly faced any real battles. The area had been peaceful, too peaceful and his only outlet had been sparring with comrades. None of it came close to the thrilling fights he craved.
Tonight's large‑scale raid was perfect. He had a hunch he'd soon meet a powerful enemy capable of truly testing him.
Winters and Yasika themselves had yet to appear and everyone knew they were likely targeting headquarters. The moment they struck would decide the entire battle.
"Don't get careless," Gabdon warned, watching the excited sixteen‑year‑old Els. "Those two are strong enough to rival Lord Horton. Our mission is to hold the base until Lord Aaron returns. Don't rush in if you die, Lord Aaron will be furious."
Unlike the hot‑blooded youth, Gabdon had learned from past mistakes born of recklessness. He stayed calm, overseeing their defenses and scanning their surroundings carefully.
"Lord Horton? Come on, Gabdon‑bro. That guy doesn't deserve the title 'Lord.' Look at him, we're in the middle of a crisis, and he's nowhere to be found. He's quick to collect his cut, but when it's time to act, he hides. It's infuriating."
Els grumbled, clearly irritated by Gabdon's deference toward Horton.
Still, he knew Gabdon meant well. He grinned mischievously and added, "Don't worry, Gabdon‑bro. Those guys won't kill me, they'll just rough me up a bit."
Gabdon rolled his eyes. Having a powerful backer sure makes you fearless, he thought.
Suddenly, both of them froze. Their expressions hardened as they turned toward the left side of the gate. From the panicked crowd came a massive wild boar in a business suit charging straight toward them and standing atop its back was a burly woman wielding a gigantic spiked club.
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