Chapter 4: Future Sight and Mind Reading
Before the lackey could answer, Charlotte already knew the truth!
Without hesitation, he killed the three other lackeys who were still hesitating.
"Ahhh!"
Blood sprayed onto the remaining lackey's face, leaving him pale and trembling.
"Please don't kill me! Don't kill me!"
The man knelt down, banging his head on the ground, begging for his life.
"Stand up and take me to your boss's house," Charlotte commanded, looking at the sole survivor.
"Y-Yes, sir!"
The man exhaled in relief. As long as he remained useful, he would stay alive.
Tightening his nerves, he stood up shakily and led Charlotte toward the location, not daring to make any suspicious moves.
They soon arrived at the Wild Wolf Gang's headquarters, which also served as Bess's home.
Ignoring the few guards at the entrance, Charlotte walked straight in.
"You…!"
One guard tried to question him but was quickly silenced by a companion who pulled him back.
The second guard gestured for him to look behind Charlotte.
There, they saw one of their comrades, bloodied and trembling, following behind Charlotte.
Realizing what this meant, the guard froze. He knew their boss must already be dead—after all, they were aware of what Bess had planned.
"This is it?"
Charlotte pointed to a safe in the room.
"Y-Yes, this is it!"
The bloodied lackey confirmed, trembling.
"Is there a key?" Charlotte asked.
"No, the key was always with Bess. None of us have it!"
Hearing this, Charlotte frowned.
He approached the safe and inspected its material.
"Go get it cut open!" he ordered the lackey.
Charlotte had decided to take control of the gang for his own purposes. With them under his command, he wouldn't have to struggle to make a living.
"Understood!" The lackey nodded quickly.
"What's your name? From now on, you'll manage the Wild Wolf Gang for me. Can you do that?"
The lackey, still nervous, was momentarily stunned by the proposition. Then, his face lit up with joy.
"Don't worry, boss! My name is Ivan. I will handle everything in the gang and make all its resources work for you!"
Ivan eagerly pledged his loyalty.
"Good. Now go. Come back to me once everything is sorted."
Charlotte waved him off and sat on the sofa, sinking into its comfort.
Feeling mentally drained, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
---
The next morning, Charlotte woke up groggily to the sight of maids dressed in uniforms approaching him with washing supplies, ready to serve.
Once the maids left, Charlotte stretched and lay back on the sofa, muttering to himself.
"This is decadence, pure decadence!"
The comfortable sofa and beautiful maids were softening his resolve.
"No! I must stay strong and determined!"
Charlotte jumped up and swung his fists in the air, motivating himself up.
He went outside to the courtyard, where ten men in black suits were standing in a neat row.
"Good morning, boss!"
The men bowed deeply in unison, showing their respect.
Charlotte waved them off nonchalantly.
He didn't care much about his subordinates' loyalty. He had put Ivan in charge of the gang to provide him with a comfortable environment and support for his training.
His plan was to train hard until he turned 17 or 18, at which point he would set out to sea.
Whether he became a pirate or a marine would depend on how he felt at that time.
For now, his focus was on training and honing himself.
"Boss, the entire Wild Wolf Gang has pledged allegiance to you," Ivan reported as he approached.
"Good. From now on, you're in charge. I'll call on you when I need something," Charlotte replied.
"Yes, boss!" Ivan said enthusiastically.
Charlotte wasn't worried about Ivan betraying him. With his absolute strength, any treachery would be pointless. Besides, he had awakened something new—Observation Haki.
Yesterday, Charlotte had accidentally awakened this ability, much to his surprise.
His Observation Haki not only allowed him to sense danger but also granted him glimpses of the future—an ability akin to future sight!
Even more shocking, when he touched people, he could hear their thoughts. It was like reading minds!
To have both future sight and mind-reading abilities made Charlotte feel invincible.
He suspected that the merging of two souls during his transmigration had enhanced his sensory perception, resulting in his extraordinary Observation Haki.
"It seems this body is quite special," Charlotte thought, recalling his year of training in the mountains.
No matter how severely he was injured, as long as he ate a hearty meal and slept, he would fully recover the next day. It was nothing short of miraculous.
"I can't waste this talent."
Charlotte began his training anew.
With his custom equipment not yet ready, he focused on basic exercises.
Time flew by, and over a week passed.
Charlotte returned to the mountains, resuming his primitive lifestyle.
He left the Wild Wolf Gang in Ivan's hands, dedicating himself entirely to his training.
For now, he avoided swordsmanship, prioritizing physical training instead.
Starting with a weight of one ton, he gradually increased it, running laps around the mountains with the heavy load. He ran all day without rest, pushing himself to the limit.
Charlotte remembered how Garp in the anime had punched through eight mountains during his training.
Using Garp as a benchmark, Charlotte set similarly high standards for himself.
His daily routine involved either running with weights, jumping with weights, or swinging massive dumbbells with one hand.
This grueling training regimen astonished anyone who saw him.
Watching Charlotte lift stones ten times his size, people couldn't fathom how his small body could handle such tremendous power.
Soon, word spread throughout the town about the "monster" living among them—Charlotte.
The rumors grew increasingly exaggerated.
"Did you hear? That guy Charlotte is actually a demigod! My cousin saw him lifting a stone twenty times his size like it was nothing!"
"Nonsense! He was jumping with it!"
"I heard he's the child of a god, blessed with superhuman strength!"
The rumors eventually turned into stories that traveling merchants shared far and wide. Charlotte, however, remained unaware that his name had spread beyond the town, immortalized in tales.
---
"Bring the food quickly!"
Charlotte bellowed at the servants.
The maids, already prepared, served an extravagant meal.
Sitting at the table, Charlotte devoured the food ravenously. He ate roasted meat whole, swallowing even the bones, leaving behind empty plates.
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