Two-Face

While the main body was still breaking in the new team, Hogg United had already more or less absorbed the Sparletta Family's territory and assets, and completed the first phase of training devised by Shimizu's incarnation.

The training had been forced into phases.

They were all hoodlums accustomed to loafing around, not soldiers. Shimizu simply could not train them according to the standards of the formal military academies Aman had described.

The main focus was stamina, strength, flexibility, basic fighting techniques, and the proper use of firearms.

In truth, knowing just that was already enough to get by in Gotham's gangs. Anyone talented might even rise to become a minor boss.

But Shimizu's training plan also included ninja arts: concealment, disguise, throwing darts, daggers, blowguns, chains, theories of coordinated team combat, making explosives and traps, intelligence analysis and gathering, and more.

Those were the signature skills of ninjas.

Perhaps only members of a few organizations, such as the Ninja Master's League of Assassins, could fully master all those abilities.

That still was not everything. Since Shimizu believed they were a gang and ought to act like one, they also needed to learn how to launder money, evade punishment for illegal dealings, make fake IDs, and forge documents.

They needed an in-depth understanding of Gotham's gang economy and criminal finance, to know how to exploit legal loopholes, deal with the police, and so on.

If they truly built a properly organized force like that, even the Mayor of Gotham City would not sleep soundly at night.

Shimizu would also be able to sweep through Gotham's underworld and fill the System Panel's fortune progress bar in one go.

Unfortunately, ideals were rich while reality was cruel.

Hogg United was only a small-to-medium gang of just over fifty people. More than ninety percent of those hoodlums could not even endure Shimizu's physical training.

Only because Shimizu paid more than other gangs had they not secretly run off already.

"Boss, Boss! Something's wrong!"

Inside the abandoned factory, Shimizu was filling the dismantled Black Gold with bionic flexible rubber when Blondie burst frantically through the doorway.

"Talk."

Shimizu carefully slipped composite carbon-fiber material over the rubber inner lining as he spoke.

"Keman Cole is here! He brought several dozen people with weapons!"

Keman Cole?

Who was that?

Shimizu quickly recalled the name of the former Cole Gang boss, as well as his older brother, a lieutenant in the Two-Face Gang.

Were they going up against Two-Face's gang?

Shimizu frowned.

This did not seem like the right time. Black Gold was still being modified, making it inconvenient to use.

It was not unusable, but using it before the bionic muscles had been fully installed might damage the high-strength bionic materials he had just spent a fortune buying. That would be a loss.

Still, as a ninja, Black Gold was not the only source of his strength.

Several ninja tools made from metal scraps left over from modifying Black Gold hung on the wall.

In fact, there was only a high-carbon steel ninja sword, several kunai, and some shuriken.

At most, there was also the handgun sitting beside the table.

It was not much, but with his skills and Chakra, he possessed combat power beyond the peak of ordinary humans. Together with Hogg United's underlings, who already had some basic military training, they could fight even one of Gotham's top gangs.

Shimizu slung the ninja sword across his back, slipped the kunai and shuriken into his pockets, and wore a cold expression.

He was not the sort to take a beating without striking back. If the Two-Face Gang truly wanted a fight, he did not mind risking the attention of Batman's little protégés to kill Harvey Dent.

"Let's go."

After loading the handgun and holstering it, Shimizu led Blondie out through the main doors.

"Where is Chidi Cole?!"

"Where is my brother?!"

"Where's your boss?! Where the hell did that bastard go?!"

On the concrete grounds outside the base converted from an abandoned factory, more than a dozen cars and several dozen Two-Face Gang thugs had gathered.

At the front of them all, a man wearing a huge gold chain and a trench coat held up a submachine gun and shouted like a madman.

When he saw Shimizu emerge with Blondie, surrounded by Hogg United's hoodlums, he immediately turned to Shimizu.

"You the new boss of the Cole Gang?"

Shimizu ignored him and swept his gaze around the area.

"I'm talking to you!"

Keman Cole pointed his gun at Shimizu.

Only then did Shimizu silently turn his gaze toward him. Then...

Whoosh!

A shuriken flew out and struck the man's hand, making him cry out in pain and drop the submachine gun.

In unison, the Two-Face Gang thugs all around them aimed their guns at Shimizu.

Hogg United's men were a beat slower, but they quickly swung their guns around as well.

"I don't particularly like having guns pointed at me."

Shimizu chuckled softly and glanced around.

"You still haven't made a move at this point, which means this guy can't directly order you around. But you came here in such force, so I suppose you came along too, Harvey Dent."

The door of a luxury car ahead swung open, and a man in a half-black, half-white suit stepped out.

The right half of his face was that of a handsome man, while the left had been completely burned away, exposing part of his bone and teeth. It was a horrifying sight.

One of Gotham's top villains, Two-Face—Harvey Dent.

"The coin landed tails. That means I shouldn't make an enemy of you, Puppet Master. Boys, lower your guns."

Harvey Dent nimbly rolled a coin over his fingers, smiling at Shimizu.

Shimizu's eyes flickered.

"You asked Penguin?"

Only Penguin knew that he was the Puppet Master.

"Of course. I spent a little money. I even robbed a bank yesterday specifically for it."

Harvey Dent turned to Keman Cole.

"My dear Keman, I have always believed you to be a capable and loyal subordinate. I even tacitly allowed you to embezzle part of the protection money collected by the gang as a reward. But why was it that when I sent you to speak with my brother Wade on my behalf—and specifically emphasized that it was to be a normal conversation—you decided to talk with guns instead?"

Keman covered his injured right hand with his left and spoke.

"Sorry, Boss. My younger brother, Chidi, he..."

"Didn't he die in the conflict with the Sparletta Family? And my brother Wade avenged him for you."

Keman lowered his head, concealing the fury in his eyes.

"You should know, Keman, I've given you plenty of chances. Skimming a little money is nothing, as long as it doesn't interfere with my business. The premise is that you obey me and help me get things done. Unfortunately, you failed to do that."

Harvey Dent tossed the coin into the air, then swiftly caught it on the back of his right hand and covered it with his left palm.

"Then let the coin decide whether I should spare you."