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"What do you plan to do?" Murakami's voice rang out as he stared intensely at Madame Gao.
"Since they refuse to sell to us, we'll just have to take what we want ourselves," Madame Gao replied, her tone casual, as if such actions were typical.
Clearly, this wasn't the first time they'd resorted to such measures. It was practically a routine for them.
"But we need to plan this carefully and proceed cautiously," Murakami agreed, though his tone was more cautious. He added, "We can't afford to make any mistakes."
From what Klein had reported, the clerk in the shop seemed like nothing more than a regular young man. Their investigation also failed to find any significant connections to powerful individuals or organizations linked to the Devil Fruit shop.
But Murakami wasn't naïve. Even without concrete evidence, he could sense that anyone selling such miraculous items must have some extraordinary backing, perhaps not worldly power like Wilson Fisk's but something far more mystical. It could very well be an organization tied to the supernatural, much like K'un-Lun. After all, the Devil Fruits themselves were of a supernatural nature.
Even for The Hand, a cautious approach was necessary. They couldn't just charge in recklessly.
"I understand," Madame Gao nodded.
Both of them had lived for centuries, making them among the select few who truly understood the world's deeper layers. They knew that crossing certain mystical entities could bring more trouble than it was worth.
"The Hand's influence stretches across the globe. Besides our direct members, we control countless puppets in this city." Madame Gao reassured Murakami. "I will arrange everything. Even if something goes wrong, it won't be traced back to us,"
Murakami had no more to say. He trusted Madame Gao. Though she appeared frail and elderly, her mind was as sharp as ever. Even Murakami had to admit that she was leagues ahead of him when it came to schemes and plots.
"I'll leave the arrangements to you. What about Kingpin?" Murakami asked, shifting the conversation.
Their previous attempt to eliminate Kingpin had failed, so they weren't eager to make any rash moves again. As much as they hated to admit it, their current forces weren't enough to deal with him. And after what happened, Kingpin would undoubtedly strengthen his position, amassing more power.
"Don't worry," Madam Gao responded calmly. "I've already contacted the Gambler. Once he and his team arrive, we'll be able to launch a proper counterattack."
Murakami nodded, content with her strategy. He remained silent after that.
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As the bustling daytime came to a close, nightfall descended quietly upon the city. The once noisy streets became eerily silent, with only a few wandering souls drifting through the shadows.
73rd Street was no different.
But amid the darkness, a man wearing a casual suit, checkered shirt, and a top hat appeared in front of the Devil Fruit shop, his every move exuding an air of calculated confidence.
"Home of the Devil Fruits… this is it," the man muttered to himself, confirming the shop's name as he glanced up at the sign.
Without hesitation, he pulled out a set of professional lock-picking tools and went to work on the door. Clearly, this was not his first time doing such a thing. In a few swift moves, the door to the Devil Fruit shop swung open.
After cautiously checking his surroundings one last time, he pushed the door open and slipped inside.
[WARNING! WARNING! Unauthorized entry detected!]
[WARNING! WARNING! Unauthorized entry detected!]
The man in the hat didn't know that the moment he forced his way inside, Rosh, sitting in his apartment five blocks away, received an alert from the system.
"An illegal break-in?" Rosh blinked in surprise, feeling both startled and unsurprised at the same time. Given the miraculous nature of the Devil Fruits, he had known it was only a matter of time before someone made a move on his store. It was inevitable that some malicious individuals would eventually target him.
But Rosh had anticipated such events. Every time he left the shop, he would use the system to store all the Devil Fruits in a secure space. No matter who broke in, they were destined to walk away empty-handed.
Feeling calm and unbothered, Rosh chuckled. "I might as well see who's dumb enough to try this." He got out of bed and dressed at a leisurely pace. He then opened the window, and he shot up into the night sky in a flash of golden light.
In the past, Rosh would never have acted so boldly. But now, with a certain level of strength at his disposal, he no longer had to be so restrained.
*Whoosh!*
The golden light streaked across the sky, pausing briefly in midair as Rosh oriented himself.
*Whoosh!*
He then shot downwards, landing on 73rd Street with a powerful thud.
Unfortunately, even though Rosh had mastered the powers of the Glint-Glint Fruit to a level on par with Admiral Kizaru, without the enhancement of Observation Haki, it wasn't always easy to maneuver with complete precision. In the pitch-black night, it was difficult to pinpoint the exact location of his shop. He had to rely on his memory and the vague outlines of the surrounding area, which naturally resulted in some miscalculation.
Thankfully, he knew this neighborhood well, and his mistake wasn't significant.
"Next time, I hope I get Observation Haki in the lottery," Rosh muttered to himself with a hint of frustration. After scanning his surroundings, he identified the correct direction and began striding toward the shop.
Meanwhile, the man in the top hat remained completely oblivious to Rosh's approach. At that moment, he was cautiously shining a flashlight around the Devil Fruit shop, trying to get his bearings.
"This... just looks like an ordinary fruit shop," the man muttered, confusion etched across his face as he took in the seemingly mundane surroundings.
The arrangement and decor made it look like nothing more than an ordinary fruit shop. He couldn't understand why his superiors had sent him to break in here to steal some fruits. Wait, no—he remembered his orders clearly. They weren't just after any fruits. They were after something called "Devil Fruits."
"Devil Fruits? What kind of ridiculous name is that for fruit anyway?" he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
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Next Chapter: He Becomes Light!
Next Next Chapter: Ding! Shaun Lee Has Joined the Chat
Next Next Next Chapter: I'm A Laser Man!
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