"A guy like me, who started with bootlegging?"
Bege swallowed the other half of the Devil Fruit, his gaze toward the middle-aged man filled with disdain.
"Simo, with such a narrow perspective, it's no wonder the Kulo family fell apart in your hands."
As he finished speaking, Bege extended his right hand to the side.
Behind him, a subordinate in a black suit promptly handed him a white napkin.
Bege took the napkin and wiped his mouth.
For the next month, he figured he wouldn't forget the indescribable foul taste.
Tonight, for the sake of this so-called Devil Fruit, he had nearly gambled away his life.
He could only hope that the power it bestowed would justify the risk he took tonight.
But as things stood, even if the ability turned out unsatisfactory, eliminating two rivals in one fell swoop was more than enough cause for celebration.
Simo, the boss of the Kulo family—one of the Five Great Underground Syndicates—struggled to get up but found it impossible.
Blood streamed from his wounds, slowly draining his strength.
Even if he could still speak, he wouldn't be able to refute Bege's words, leaving only resentment and unwillingness in his expression.
Two decades of accumulation, undone by the rise of the bootleg liquor trade in one stroke.
One misstep had cost him everything.
"If you take the right path, even the cheapest booze can be worth its weight in gold."
Sensing Simo's resentment and frustration, Bege, triumphant, continued to trample on what remained of Simo's dignity.
"Old fools like you, trapped in the past, are destined to be left behind."
Bege discarded the napkin and turned to leave.
"Adapt and evolve if you want to go further. Understand now, stray dog of the Kulo family?"
The white napkin drifted down, covering Simo's hateful gaze as he looked up at Bege for the last time.
Bege's subordinates stepped forward, raising their guns to aim at Simo.
Bang! Bang!
Gunfire erupted like a torrential downpour.
"You lost without dignity, but I can at least give you a respectable death."
Listening to the gunfire behind him, Bege's face remained cold.
The chaotic auction hall still held a few guests.
Most of the attendees had been escorted to safety by the auction house's armed guards when the commotion began.
But no matter the place, there were always those who loved to watch a spectacle.
The infamous "Demon Sheriff," Laffitte, was one such individual.
So were Kid and Killer, who had come to purchase firearms.
Then there was Sol, who had just acquired one of the Fifty Skillful Grade Blades.
As for Arthur, he originally had no intention of getting involved but was forced to stay as company by Sol.
Arthur had watched with his own eyes as Bege consumed the Devil Fruit he had coveted for so long, leaving him with nothing but jealousy.
The thought of snatching it crossed his mind, but that would have been a death wish.
The corpses littering the floor were proof enough.
Capone Bege.
What a ruthless man!
Arthur could only marvel at Bege's audacious strategy of using himself as bait to eliminate two rivals.
Beside him, Sol watched Bege leave the auction hall with a commanding aura and remarked seriously, "They say Devil Fruits taste worse than crap."
Arthur glanced at Sol, thinking that even if it tasted worse than crap, eating a ton of it would be worth it for the power of a Devil Fruit.
"But you really only need to eat a single bite."
Sol patted the blade in his hand and grinned. "I wanted to give him that friendly reminder, but the timing wasn't right."
"..."
Arthur's mouth twitched.
Sol cast a discreet glance at Kid before looking toward the hall's entrance and said, "The show's over. Time to head home."
With that, he strode toward the door.
Tonight had been full of surprises for Sol—not just Bege's display of ambition but also the unexpected appearances of individuals like Laffitte.
Even Kid, whom he was already familiar with, had been among his early picks for rising stars.
But now…
A certain figure flashed through Sol's mind.
He chuckled, gripping his newly acquired Skillful Grade Blade as he walked out of the auction hall under the watchful eyes of Kid and others.
Likewise, Laffitte and the others saw no reason to linger and began to leave.
Killer turned to his captain, who looked quite satisfied, and said, "Kid, it's time to go."
Kid nodded, gently patting the short sword and pistol at his waist—newly purchased weapons of decent quality.
Though far from the caliber of his custom-made Keanu gun, they would suffice for now. Out at sea, better weapons could always be found.
His gaze lingered on the departing figures.
Tonight wasn't just a good show—it had given him a glimpse of several formidable peers worth noting.
"It's time…"
A wide grin spread across his face as he strode toward the door.
Crew recruitment.
A long-range ship.
In a place like this, money could secure anything.
Top Floor of the Auction House.
Dressed in a crimson suit, the auction house owner, Ralph, stood with his hands behind his back, gazing through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the fiery lights of Mad Hat Town below.
As he listened to his subordinate's concise yet comprehensive report, Ralph's pitch-black eyes remained devoid of any discernible emotion.
They were as dark as an abyss, betraying no hint of humanity.
When the report ended, Ralph lifted his gaze toward the distant Wall Mountain, bathed in moonlight.
Compared to tonight's chaos, what lay beyond the mountain was what truly captured his attention.
"Any developments at the factory?"
"All is normal."
"Good. Dismissed."
Ralph nodded.
The subordinate left quietly, leaving Ralph alone in the room.
He stood there, silently gazing at Wall Mountain for a long time.
At the Dock.
Hack stood at the ship's edge, watching as two figures approached in the night, his expression easing slightly.
Sabo and Koala had returned safely to the ship.
"We've got it—the layout map for the area beyond Wall Mountain," Koala announced, holding up the map for Hack to see.
"Good work, Koala."
Hack smiled faintly.
With the mission complete, there was no need to use aliases anymore. He addressed Koala by her real name.
"Not only did we get the map, but Sabo also gathered intel on the troop distribution and the number of slaves in the factory," Koala said, glancing at the unusually silent Sabo.
"Sabo, what's wrong? You've been acting strange."
"Ah, it's nothing."
Sabo smiled.
"I was just wondering if we should leave someone behind before the operation starts."
"You're thinking of staying?"
Koala immediately caught on, her face full of surprise.
Hack dismissed the idea outright. "There's no need for that."
Before Sabo could reply, Koala, well-versed in Sabo's methods, pressed further, "Why?"
Sabo scratched his head and said earnestly, "I ran into someone tonight—a masked man who's likely a Marine operative. He probably has more accurate and up-to-date intel."
"Really?"
Koala immediately thought of the figure who had shot and saved a Fishman slave.
"Was he carrying a flintlock rifle?"
Sabo was slightly surprised by Koala's response.
She then briefly described the figure's attire and the incident.
After hearing her account, Sabo nodded in realization.
Hack, as a Fishman, grew solemn. "For a Marine like that to be here…"
"That's not confirmed yet," Sabo added.
Sol's Weapon Shop.
Sol returned to his store, immediately catching the aroma of food.
Following the scent to the kitchen, he found Maude and Sunny eating noodles.
"Hey, you even made a bowl for me?"
Seeing the steaming bowl of beef noodles on the table, Sol's stomach growled.
He casually placed the Skillful Grade Blade he had recently acquired on the table, picked up the bowl, and began eating.
Maude's eyes were drawn to the blade.
"Sol, is that one of the Fifty Skillful Grade Blades from tonight's auction?"
"Slurp…"
"Yeah, it's called Chidori."
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