Han seemed to catch that thought and gave a small shrug.

"We can’t do anything," Han said in a low voice that only Ethan could hear. "He is the son of the Western Duke, and his participation here is just to gain some reputation."

Ethan exhaled slowly and did not say anything further.

After a brief exchange, before the situation could stretch any longer, a soldier entered and spoke.

"The Lieutenant General has summoned all commanders."

Han nodded.

"Let’s go."

They moved together and soon reached another chamber, larger and more imposing.

Inside a man stood at the center.

He had grey hair and a solid build, and his arms were folded across his chest. His face carried multiple scars, each one telling a story of battle.

The moment Ethan saw him.

He froze for a second.

’Garp... is that you?’ he blurted out unconsciously.

The resemblance was too strong.

The build, the posture, even the aura reminded him of someone from his past memories.

For a brief moment, nostalgia hit him, and he rubbed his nose slightly while thinking, "How did One Piece even end... I never got to see it."

The man in front of him, however, remained unmoved.He glanced at Ethan briefly, and then let out a short cough.

The atmosphere shifted immediately.

"I am Aaron," he said.

His voice was firm and steady.

"I don’t care who you are or who you were," he continued while looking at all of them. "At present, you are just someone above soldiers."

He paused slightly, and his eyes grew sharper.

"The war is not child’s play. It is brutal, hard, and cold. The situation may worsen to the point where you don’t even have food to chew, so prepare yourselves."

The room fell silent.

Ethan listened carefully.Before anyone else could respond,Lucien spoke.

"Hm... You don’t need to think of us," he said casually.

Aaron’s brows frowned slightly, but he did not react further.A veteran like him had seen too much.

He was not going to lose composure over someone who had barely stepped into real war.

In his eyes.Lucien was just a child.Even if that child had already lived for decades.

Aaron continued.

"We have received reports. We will be marching in five days."

His gaze swept across all of them.

"Your task is to familiarize yourselves with the surroundings and the soldiers you will lead."

He paused again and added,

"Also make sure you are in the best mental condition."There was no emotion in his voice.

Then he gave a final order.

"Now you are dismissed."

Everyone straightened.

"Yes, Sir!" they responded together.

Ethan gave one last glance at Aaron, and then turned along with the others.

The war began without delay.

Five days after the orders were given, the human army marched forward in full formation, and the ground itself seemed to tremble under the weight of countless soldiers moving together. Banners rose high, horns echoed across the land, and the air was filled with tension as both sides prepared for a clash that had been building for months.

The first contact came quickly.

Human battalions pushed forward and met the demon forces head-on at the outer regions of the battlefield, and the moment they collided, the war truly began. Steel clashed against claws, magic tore through the air, and the battlefield turned into chaos within minutes.

The demons were not unprepared.They had clearly been waiting.

Their formations were tight, their responses quick, and their attacks carried a level of coordination that showed planning and discipline. They did not rush blindly, and instead, they fought with controlled aggression, striking where it mattered most.

Even so, the human army held strong.

Their numbers, discipline, and combined strength allowed them to push forward steadily. Several demon battalions were broken apart in the early stages, and the human forces managed to secure small but important victories across multiple fronts.

The first week ended with the humans gaining ground.The second week pushed even further.

Momentum was on their side.

However Not everything was as it seemed.

Behind the visible battlefield, something else was moving.

At present, Ethan was not part of the frontline.

As a Mythic rank, he was assigned to the reserve forces, and his role was to wait and respond when needed rather than engage early. This was standard for someone at his level, as their strength was too valuable to waste in the opening stages.

So while others fought at the front, Ethan stayed behind with the reserve units.

During this time, he did not remain idle.

He worked under the command structure, observed how orders were passed, and learned how large-scale warfare operated. He studied formations, supply chains, and coordination between units, and slowly began to familiarize himself with the rhythm of war.

It was different from individual battles.

Here, one mistake could cost thousands of lives.

Days turned into weeks.

The third week came, and the human army was still advancing, though the resistance from the demon side had begun to grow stronger. The battles became harder, and casualties slowly increased, but overall, the humans still appeared to be winning.

Morale remained high.Many believed the war might end sooner than expected.

Then the fourth week arrived.And everything changed.

Without warning, a massive demon force appeared.

It did not come from the front.

It came from the side.

And the rear.

A hidden force that had not been detected earlier suddenly emerged, and it struck with overwhelming power. The demons launched a coordinated attack that caught the human army off guard, and before they could properly respond, entire battalions were already being torn apart.

The battlefield collapsed into chaos.Orders failed to reach in time and formations broke.

The demon forces moved like a tide, crushing everything in their path.

What had once been a steady advance turned into a desperate struggle.

Within a short span of time the human forces that had pushed forward were surrounded and wiped out.

The first month of war ended with both victory and a severe defeat.