Chapter 147: Threat

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"So, that means she's already on the S.S. Anne, right?"

After listening to Fujiwara Kari's long explanation, Sato continued to look at him expressionlessly, keeping the gleaming hunting knife pressed against Fujiwara's neck.

"Y-yes, Miss Alice is on the S.S. Anne right now. P-please, don't kill me! I won't ever do this again, I swear!"

Looking at Sato's face—which remained nonchalant even after breaking his leg—and especially at his eyes, which were now as cold as ice, Fujiwara Kari, with his leg shattered and paralyzed by a Stun Spore from Bellossom, could only beg desperately.

Fujiwara now realized he had messed with someone he absolutely shouldn't have. It was clear that Sato had a murderous intent; he was only holding back because of the number of witnesses around.

But seeing how ruthlessly Sato had broken his leg without flinching, Fujiwara, born into a prominent family, understood that Sato had undoubtedly killed before, likely more than once, to have such utter disregard for life.

If Sato decided to kill him, Fujiwara knew he would die—likely an untraceable death, his body disposed of at sea and consumed by fish.

Just imagining his end—drowning and being eaten alive by fish—sent shivers down Fujiwara's spine, making his entire body tremble.

Truthfully, Sato did feel inclined to kill Fujiwara, especially since Fujiwara now knew where he was, which meant Alice could easily find out too.

But Fujiwara had brought plenty of allies with him, and if Sato killed him, he'd have to eliminate everyone else to cover it up.

To Sato, those Fujiwara hired were no different from him since they'd actively participated in an attempt on his life. Sato wouldn't hesitate to kill them too.

Unfortunately, they weren't in some secluded alley in the city but on a crowded cruise ship. Their fight had likely already been noticed, and the others had either been moved or fled.

With so many witnesses around, killing Fujiwara, a family-backed coward, would trigger a chain of issues. Sato's hard-won trainer ID as a league certified trainer could be revoked, and he might even become a wanted criminal.

Fortunately, Fujiwara, in his eagerness to take credit, hadn't immediately shared Sato's information with Alice. This meant he was still safe.

And Fujiwara was nothing more than a coward who now clearly feared him deeply; as long as Sato had the leverage, he could easily control him.

"You don't want to die, right? Fine. But you have to do something for me."

Sato, after carefully weighing the risks, gradually let himself calm down. Taking out his laptop, he spoke to Fujiwara with an stern expression.

"Y-yes, I'll do whatever you say! As long as you don't kill me, I'll do anything."

Upon hearing that Sato wouldn't kill him, a desperate glimmer of hope flickered in Fujiwara Kari's eyes, and he nodded fervently, clinging to his life.

"Just remember, if I find out you've tipped off Alice, I'll make sure she sees all of this," Sato said coldly, his gaze piercing as he continued.

"As long as you keep your mouth shut, your life will remain the same, and this video will stay hidden. But if you betray me, I'll ruin you. Not only will Alice despise you forever, but even your family will disown you."

Fujiwara looked like he'd lost his soul, his face haunted as if struck by a terrible revelation.

After a while, Sato left the small room in the corridor, nonchalantly returning to his original spot.

Noticing that the people who had been on the ground were gone, he calmly made his way back to his room in the residential area.

While Sato hadn't killed Fujiwara Kari, he'd taken two precious things from him: his love for Alice and his family status.

Sato recorded a video on his laptop, forcing Fujiwara to recite a series of lines in which he insulted and degraded Alice, objectifying and degrading her to no end and also made him reveal several unsavory secrets about his family's involvement in some shady and unscrupulous deals, even instances of them trying to harm the Sasaki family's interests.

This video was Sato's firm hold on Fujiwara's weaknesses; with it, he practically held Fujiwara's life in his hands.

If Sato released this video online, Fujiwara's reputation would be destroyed, Alice would leave him for good, and his family, desperate to protect itself, would sever all ties with him.

In that case, Fujiwara would lose everything and likely be hunted by both the Sasaki and Fujiwara families.

"I went out of my way to avoid trouble, only to encounter an idiot like that here," Sato thought to himself, sitting on the sofa in his room, recalling Fujiwara's devastated expression as he spoke his lines against Alice.

"What's so great about that Alice? She's as spoiled and obnoxious as they come. The world never fails to surprise you."

Sato's opinion of Alice was severely negative; her arrogance and disregard for others deeply annoyed him.

If he ever had the chance and the strength, he'd gladly teach her a lesson, showing her the harsh reality of the world and her own ignorance.

"Still, I can't completely trust that fool Fujiwara. If I get the chance to disembark, switching to another ship would be wise. I can tell he's blindly devoted to Alice, and he might just decide to risk it all and tell her my whereabouts."

After watching the newly recorded video on his laptop one more time, Sato observed Fujiwara's broken expression and kept it in mind.

A while later, Bellossom finally finished healing Nidoran's injuries using Grassy Terrain. Once they and the other Pokémon finished their post-training snack, Sato left his room again.

Before stepping out, Sato changed into a different outfit and used Ditto to alter his face into a plain, unremarkable one. Then, following the signs in the corridor, he casually made his way to the cruise ship's deck.

Once there, Sato found a spot by the railing, pulled out a fishing rod from his space storage, and joined the other fishing enthusiasts on deck, settling in for a night of fishing.

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