Chapter 31: The Battle

"You can only count yourself unlucky to die under my current form. I'll tear you apart piece by piece." Oliver snarled viciously, his bloodthirsty demeanor somewhat intimidating.

Unfortunately for him, Bardock had seen plenty in his time. Would he really be frightened by a mere Cat-Cat Fruit user? "A Devil Fruit user, huh? With your strength, the Night Wolf Gang should have a much larger territory. Why haven't you expanded?"

"Hmph, what do you know! What's the use of a bigger territory? It's still an underground organization. As long as we're underground, we can't operate in the open. All I need to do is continue cooperating with Adrian. In three to five years, I'll become a noble. By then, all the gangs and mafias will be beneath me!"

"Oh? Does Adrian, a mere viscount, really have such power?"

Bardock was genuinely curious now and wasn't in a rush to attack.

"Since it's either you or me who will die today, I don't mind telling you. Adrian is a viscount directly serving the royal family of the Ilusia Kingdom. He…"

Oliver's voice grew quieter, and Bardock could no longer make out the rest of his words. Just as he was about to ask again—

Oliver suddenly attacked, leaping in front of Bardock with his clawed hands slashing at high speed.

He'd used this move before on the leader of the Fang Gang, and within five seconds, his opponent had been torn to shreds.

"Hahaha!"

Feeling victory within his grasp, Oliver let out a twisted laugh.

"What are you so pleased about?"

Bardock's calm voice caused the hair on Oliver's back to stand on end, and he quickly retreated a few paces.

"No way… I couldn't have misjudged. Every strike landed! How is it possible that you're unharmed?"

"My clothes are torn though, aren't they?" Bardock casually tossed aside the shredded fabric in his hand and remarked, "invulnerable Body technique is pretty useful, but it sure ruins your clothes. Anyway, it's my turn now. Soru!"

In an instant, Bardock appeared in front of Oliver and threw a punch toward his chest.

Oliver knew that getting hit directly by that punch would be the end. Using every ounce of strength he had, he stepped back and crossed his arms in front of his chest to block the blow.

Bang!

Oliver was sent flying. His left arm, which had been used to block, hung limp, likely broken. Spitting out a mouthful of blood, his eyes turned bloodshot as he roared, "Turn off the lights! Hurry!"

This was his last resort. The power of the Cat-Cat Fruit allowed him to see in the dark, and no one had ever forced him to this point. He swore that this time, he would make sure Bardock died without a trace.

With a snap, the villa was plunged into darkness. The entire first floor had no windows.

"Good thing I smashed the door when I came in. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to see anything either."

Bardock's voice carried a sarcastic tone. He was trying to imitate Admiral Kizaru, but didn't quite nail the vibe. Still, he wasn't lacking in terms of mockery.

"With the lights dimmed, how much of your strength can you still use? Go to hell!"

As he spoke, Oliver deftly circled behind Bardock. This time, instead of slashing, his right claw aimed directly for the back of Bardock's head. He wanted to finish this quickly, before Bardock could adapt to the darkness.

But his lethal strike missed. Because of the force behind it, Oliver stumbled forward a few steps.

Damn it!

In the next instant, Bardock's attack hit Oliver's neck. He felt his neck snap, and blood poured uncontrollably from his mouth. Struggling to look up, Oliver saw that Bardock's eyes had turned into glowing golden irises.

"He can see!"

With bitter resentment, Oliver drew his final breath. His body reverted to its human form as he collapsed, motionless.

"Oops, seems like I hit a bit too hard. For a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user, you sure aren't durable enough."

Bardock glanced around. Aside from the bodies, all the remaining Night Wolf Gang members had fled. Bardock summoned his Flying Nimbus, grabbed the unconscious lieutenant, and slapped him awake until his face swelled up like a pig's head.

"Spill it. Where's the Night Wolf Gang's treasure?"

The moment the lieutenant woke up and saw the wreckage around him and Oliver's lifeless body, he panicked and immediately knelt down to beg for mercy. "I know, I know! Please don't kill me, I'll take you there!"

"Turn the lights back on first."

"Yes, yes! The main breaker was turned off. I'll switch it back on."

The lieutenant went to a hidden corner near the villa's entrance, opened a panel, and flipped the main breaker. The lights inside the villa immediately came back on.

"Follow me, sir."

The lieutenant led Bardock to a secret room in the basement. "Sir, all the Night Wolf Gang's treasure is stored in this vault, but only Oliver knew how to open it."

Bardock studied the door for a moment. It was made of alloy with a high-security combination lock. With his current abilities, he couldn't cut through metal, so breaking it open wasn't an option.

"If only I had the Door-Door Fruit…"

"Is the vault wall also made of alloy?"

"No, but it's reinforced concrete. It's quite thick." The lieutenant answered every question honestly, fearing for his life.

"Fine. Take me to search the villa. If we can't find a way, I'll have to tear it down."

Bardock searched the entire villa but found no clues. However, he did come across some deeds and loan agreements, which annoyed him. "If I made you the leader of the Night Wolf Gang, could you keep the others in line?"

The lieutenant couldn't believe what he was hearing. "S-Sir, I can! I definitely can! I, Andrew, will serve you with my life."

"Just remember not to do anything I hate."

"Yes, yes, I swear! I won't oppress the innocent. But about the viscount…"

"He won't be a problem. Now, come with me to open the vault."

Avoiding the alloy door, Bardock used a combination of Rankyaku and other techniques, putting in tremendous effort until he finally managed to open the vault.

"You guys sure are wealthy. What businesses are you involved in?"

Bardock looked at the treasure inside the vault—gold bars, Beli, and some antique jewelry.

"The main ones are gambling, port and dock operations, extorting protection fees, and moneylending. We used to get jobs from the viscount and took a small cut of the profits."

Andrew cautiously explained, afraid that any business might anger Bardock.

"Like I said, don't go too far."

Bardock pocketed all the gold bars, half of the Beli, and picked out some nice-looking jewelry. "Use the rest as capital, and make sure someone reports to me daily about what's going on in this city."

"Yes, yes! I'll personally report to you."

"Suit yourself. I'm off."

"Wait, sir. This is for you—your parents' trade company."

Andrew handed Bardock a document. Bardock glanced at it and then stowed it away. "I'll take it. Keep the management as it is and find someone to keep an eye on things."

"Understood, sir."

Bardock still had a busy night ahead of him. Riding his Flying Nimbus, he headed toward Adrian's residence.