Starfish Camp

The next day.

Neither the City Lord's Mansion of Starfish Island nor the Marine Base had any idea that the local Mafia had been secretly brought under control.

Tony was very sensible; early in the morning, he personally delivered 36 young subordinates under the age of fifteen to the West Mountain Plantation.

The West Mountain Plantation, contracted by the Vongola Trading Company, was located on the west side of Starfish Island. At the foot of the mountain lay a V-shaped bay, though no one ever frequented it because the currents there were treacherous and the waters were dense with hidden reefs of all sizes.

In the age of sail, neither local fishermen nor merchant ships looking to do business favored a bay so choked with reefs.

Consequently, while the bay appeared quite spacious, it was, in reality, of little value.

Once the West Mountain was contracted by the Vongola Trading Company, the West Mountain Bay naturally fell within the scope of the agreement. By utilizing the natural barrier of the mountain and the fact that no one ever passed through the bay, it formed a relatively enclosed area.

After Hedgehog Head received the thirty-some youths, he led them to the West Mountain Bay.

In the coconut grove on the beach.

The scorching sun left all the youths drenched in sweat, and their inner irritation began to mount. Many even started muttering curses under their breath, casting hostile glares at Hedgehog Head.

After standing for over ten minutes, a white-haired youth finally lost his temper, jumped out, and demanded, "Hey! What are you trying to do? If there's nothing going on, I'm leaving."

"Heh!" Hedgehog Head curled his lips, a sharp, murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

Suddenly, his figure flickered, and a dozen Hedgehog Head clones surrounded the youths.

The white-haired youth who had spoken first hadn't even reacted before he felt a hand press down on the back of his head, slamming him heavily into the sandy land.

The other youths were struck with terror.

"Damn it..."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm Captain Barry's nephew!"

"Bastard..."

However, Hedgehog Head's smile only grew more malicious. Moving like a phantom, he subdued every single youth in less than five minutes.

All the youths were beaten until their faces were bruised and swollen, lying scattered on the ground and wailing in pain.

"Now, stand up and line up immediately. You don't have to listen, but you will bear the consequences."

Instantly, their hair stood on end. The group of youths scrambled to their feet and formed three columns, looking at the Hedgehog Head before them with dread.

Hedgehog Head continued to stand in the shade of a nearby tree, leisurely sipping coconut juice, completely ignoring the group of youths being baked by the sun.

It wasn't until over an hour later that he walked out and stood in front of the formation: "From now on, you only need to remember one thing: obey orders, or be killed by me. Don't count on Tony coming to save you."

Gulp!

Throughout the day, the group of youths was ruthlessly disciplined by Hedgehog Head.

This life continued for a week.

Until that night, Belfinger personally appeared in the training camp's hall. After a week of military-style training, all the youths had initially adapted to a life of strict discipline, shedding their previous hoodlum-like demeanor.

Belfinger introduced himself with a beaming smile: "Everyone, I am the boss of the Vongola Trading Company, and your boss from now on. It is a great pleasure to meet you all."

If this had been before, these Mafia youths would have long since grown impatient.

But after being disciplined by Hedgehog Head for a week, they had learned a lesson: loose lips sink ships.

"Everyone, no need to be so nervous. Shall we talk about our dreams?" Belfinger continued with a smile: "Bell, tell us about your dream."

A round-faced youth stood up, looking quite reserved: "I... my dream is to become a great painter."

"A fine dream." Belfinger signaled for him to sit down and pointed to the next youth.

"I want to become the Pirate King."

"Me? I want to be a rich man!"

"Become a captain."

"Marry a beautiful wife."

"I want to drink every wine in the world."

All the youths shared the dreams in their hearts—some mundane, some ambitious, some bizarre and eccentric.

After listening to these strange and varied dreams, Belfinger asked with a smile: "Why do you think you ended up as the youth squad of the Mafia?"

Uh... the group of youths looked at each other in confusion.

Belfinger continued to ask: "If you had been born into a wealthy family, never having to worry about where your next meal was coming from, would you still have joined the Mafia?"

"Probably... not, I guess!" Jack, the white-haired youth, answered with some uncertainty.

"Have you ever thought about this question: were you born to be poor and lowly? Are some people truly born noble?"

Belfinger opened his eyes, his gaze piercing as he stared at all the youths: "Remember, in this world, there is no such thing as being born noble or lowly. Fate can be shattered by your own hands."

With that, he wrote on the blackboard in the hall with a piece of chalk: Think about why there is such a massive gap between the rich and the poor?

"This is the homework I am leaving for you all. In one week, I want to see your answers. Use your own brains to think carefully."

He left behind a group of bewildered youths; even Hedgehog Head and One-Eye were somewhat confused by his intentions.

Belfinger offered no explanation; many things only need a subtle nudge, and only when the answer is provided at the necessary moment does it become truly effective.

Meanwhile.

The Sicily Mafia on Starfish Island had been reorganized by Tony and One-Eye. After excluding the 36 teenage members, the restructured Mafia consisted of 243 people.

Following Belfinger's reorganization plan, they were divided into three sections: the Combat Group, the Logistics Group, and the Patrol Group.

Combined with the 59 pirates from the former Iron Hook Pirates, this formed a force of three hundred men.

The Combat Group consisted of 150 men, divided into three teams of 50, each with one team leader and one team instructor; every 10 men formed a squad led by a Team Leader.

The Patrol Group consisted of 100 men, divided into two teams.

The Logistics Group consisted of 50 men, forming one team.

As for the hierarchy above the teams, it was structured into battalions, regiments, and armies. Typically, 5 squads made a team, 10 teams made a battalion, 10 battalions made a regiment, and 10 regiments made an army.

Now, the Sicily Mafia on Starfish Island, along with a portion of the Iron Hook Pirates, formed the Starfish Camp, internally designated as Battalion X-111, meaning the first battalion of the first regiment of the first army of the West Blue.

Of course, the Starfish Camp was not yet at full strength.

With Tony's cooperation, the Mafia's former assets on Starfish Island were quietly annexed by the Vongola Trading Company.

This included the bars and casinos on Starfish Avenue, two hotels, one restaurant, 17 storefronts, three warehouses at the docks, and a residential area beside the slums.

As for the protection money previously collected, Belfinger did not have Tony stop; he merely lowered the rates and began to standardize the fees charged to various shops.

After all, the previous chaotic, multi-layered extortion was truly damaging to the local business environment.

Naturally, shops that paid their dues would receive the protection of the Vongola Trading Company.

Although the Starfish Camp had only undergone a preliminary reorganization, its combat effectiveness had actually increased significantly, especially since it included many former members of the Iron Hook Pirates.

These people possessed Base Armor; although they were basic models, their combat power was already comparable to that of an average Marine Major.

Furthermore, their weapons and equipment had been upgraded, with everyone now equipped with an Alloy Steel Sword, a Repeating Firearm, and Ceramic Fiber Armor.

Never mind ordinary pirate crews; even the hundred-plus Marines from the Marine Branch, combined with the 150 men of the City Lord's Mansion Knights Order, would not be enough to withstand the Starfish Camp.

On the other side, in the first half of the Grand Line...

Thank you all for your support (ω｀), and thanks to book friends "Ao Netherworld", "8768767", "Old Man 4132", and "Zhi Xing He Er" for their tips.