The Incident

Around nine o'clock the next morning, a sharp, terrified scream suddenly rang out from the bedroom of the Mike Family Patriarch, so piercing it seemed to tear at the eardrums. It immediately drew the attention of the servants working outside the room.

"Someone, someone, quickly, someone!"

Hearing the cries, several senior housekeepers among the servants, both male and female, rushed into the room. They saw Third Madam sitting on the bed, her clothes disheveled, her face filled with terror!

Following her gaze, they were instantly shocked to their core. Their Patriarch's face was ashen white, devoid of any blood. Corpse spots had already appeared on his face, and he had clearly been dead for a long time.

The death of the head of the family instantly shook the entire Mike Family. Mike Moxie's two sons, a nephew, and other relatives rushed over. His eldest son, Mike Henry, represented Mike Moxie in arranging matters, such as temporarily sealing the news, investigating the cause of death, and searching the entire estate.

Half an hour later, the Mike Family gathered in the oversized living room on the first floor to hear the results of various investigations.

The cause of Mike Moxie's death was simple: his neck had been twisted while he slept.

Based on some clues in the room and some marks left behind the villa, it was certain that someone had infiltrated the villa and killed the Patriarch Mike.

As for the reason for the infiltration, the Mike Family's team analyzed two possibilities: first, revenge from someone with a grudge against the Mike Family; second, the unknown Devil Fruit. They believed the second reason carried more weight than the first.

However, despite some clues, it would be very difficult to find the killer in a short period due to the scarcity of evidence.

Of course, the death of the head of the family could not be ignored. The investigation would definitely continue. However, the immediate priorities were to decide the next Patriarch of the Mike Family and to recover the lost Devil Fruit.

The Devil Fruit was worth at least one hundred million Belly. Although the chances were slim, they still had to try. They couldn't just let it be lost without making any effort.

At the Clover Tavern, people were gradually waking up. This showed that the people in this world had significantly stronger constitutions. They had been completely drunk the night before, yet they were almost recovered by nine o'clock the next morning.

The sobered Mafia Members were teasing each other and bragging when suddenly, five burly men wearing sunglasses, dressed in black suits, and with a white flower pinned to their chests, strode into the tavern. They all had bulging waists and exuded a fierce aura!

Everyone in the Iron Island Mafia knew these men. They were the personal guards of their common boss, the Patriarch Mike.

Seeing that the personal guards of their highest leader had been dispatched, no one was foolish. They guessed that something big had happened, and the tavern immediately fell silent.

"Cani, come with us. We have some questions for you," the leading burly man said coldly.

Subordinate leader Cani was completely bewildered. What had he done to warrant the elite personal guards of the Mike Family coming to talk to him?

Damn, I'm so nervous!

Seeing this, Carlos spoke up, "Cani, don't just stand there. Don't worry, the clear will remain clear, and the turbid will remain turbid. We were all in the tavern all night. Besides drinking, we didn't do anything else."

"Carlos, you really know how to talk. Now that you've said that, I'm not nervous anymore. We didn't do anything shameful, so why should I be nervous?"

"I'll go with them. Let's drink together another day, Carlos."

"We'll see. It seems like something major has happened..."

"Alright then."

After that, Cani was taken away, and Carlos also left with some subordinates, preparing to return to his small base.

Carlos estimated that the reason Cani was taken away was because he knew about the Devil Fruit and was suspected of leaking the information.

Of course, it was indeed him who leaked it, but Cani himself didn't know it. Besides, he wasn't the only subordinate leader who found wreckage at sea during the patrol, so it shouldn't be a big problem.

Carlos's small base was on a street called Osmanthus Street in East City. It was a three-story building with a small courtyard. Subordinates who needed to be on duty usually lived there, while those who didn't usually went home.

Within the Mike Family, a subordinate leader usually managed one to three streets. Carlos, having risen in rank relatively recently, only managed Osmanthus Street. However, Osmanthus Street was a commercial street with plenty of "oil and water," making it equivalent to two ordinary streets.

On Osmanthus Street, Carlos was the boss, the real leader. As he walked by with his subordinates, shopkeepers on both sides of the street greeted him incessantly. He looked very impressive and imposing!

In this world, although the Mafia was considered a dark force, engaging mostly in black industries with few legitimate businesses, and their members were generally not good people, they were not shy about committing murder and arson.

But that was only for people outside their territory. Within their own territory, they still followed rules. As long as people complied with the Mafia's rules, their protection fees were not paid in vain, and they generally wouldn't harm the people within their territory.

East City on Iron Island was where Patriarch Mike's influence was most deeply rooted. During the day, the Lord's Mansion's Steel Self-Defense Force could still exert some influence, but at night, it was entirely the Mafia's domain.

Apart from East City, the Lord's Mansion truly held sway in other areas. West City had a Naval Branch stationed there, and the Mafia and the Lord's Mansion had very little influence in West City.

Not long after Carlos returned to his small base, someone came to deliver the news that Mike Moxie, the patriarch of the Mike Family, had suddenly fallen ill and died.

Carlos was not very surprised by this news. The Mike Family cared about their reputation. Being killed in their own stronghold would be a huge loss of face and prestige. If the truth were revealed, wouldn't some people or forces hostile to the Mike Family start stirring?

Carlos feigned sadness at this news, putting on a good show in front of the messenger. He promised to attend Patriarch Mike's funeral punctually the next morning!

Back in his room, he was overjoyed. This was just the beginning. One death wasn't enough. He needed to stir the pot further. The more people died, the more positions would open up, and the easier it would be for him to rise.

He had become a subordinate leader in half a year, rising at an extremely rapid pace. He was not an unknown figure within the Mafia. Shouldn't he be cultivated properly?

Forget about becoming a leader. He believed he was qualified to be a subordinate leader, wasn't he?

The next morning, Carlos woke up very early. In the small courtyard, fifty subordinates stood neatly, each with a white flower pinned to their chest. They stood motionless, as straight as pine trees, looking more like the Navy than the Mafia!

The subordinates under other subordinate leaders did not have such good discipline. Carlos had disciplined them many times in the past.

"Boss!"

Seeing Carlos emerge, all fifty subordinates, dressed in neat suits, bowed their heads and said in unison.

"Mmm..." Carlos nodded faintly. He was actually quite pleased internally, but he couldn't show it. He could be approachable and relaxed normally, but when something happened, no matter how big or small, he had to maintain the dignity of a boss!

"Let's go, come with me to Mike's funeral. Act sorrowful for a bit, don't embarrass me, understand?"

"Understood!"

Mike was naturally Mike Moxie. This was the exclusive title his subordinates used for him. The Patriarch rarely used it, and other members of the Mike Family couldn't call him Mike, but rather their name plus "Boss."

Carlos, with fifty underlings, swaggered through the streets. Wherever they passed, pedestrians avoided them. Many watched with envious eyes...

From this perspective, being in the Mafia in the world of One Piece had a pretty good future. The more chaotic the world, the brighter the future for the Mafia. In his past life, in that peaceful country, he should have honestly followed the right path. Walking this road led to no good end!