The Fall of the Five Families (4)

Bernano Family headquarters.

This had once been the most elegant Mafia den in the West Blue, filled with classical music, famous paintings, expensive red wine, and countless weapons.

But now, elegance had been crushed to pieces by absolute power.

The magnificent hall looked as though it had been ravaged by a giant beast. Precious furniture had been reduced to fragments, walls had collapsed, and the bodies of Mafia members in tailored black suits lay everywhere. They had died in different ways, but all shared one thing in common: none of them had managed any effective resistance.

At the center of the hall stood Adams's towering figure, his silver hair untouched by even a speck of dust. Beneath his foot lay the corpse of the Bernano Family's leader, William Bernano.

This godfather had made his fortune through extortion, later styling himself as a gentleman. He always wore a gold-rimmed monocle and impeccably pressed suits, but now he had died a truly miserable death.

His expensive suit was wrinkled and stained with dust and blood. The lens of his gold-rimmed glasses had shattered, while the twisted frame hung crookedly from his face.

His chest had completely caved in, ribs piercing through his skin as though he had been struck head-on by a sea train charging at full speed.

Just as Adams withdrew his foot, the Den Den Mushi in his arms began to ring. He took it out and answered.

"Darling~"

Stussy's lazy voice, carrying a hint of seeking praise, came through.

"I've already taken care of things on my end. What a pity, though... that Mary would rather die than surrender and beg for mercy. Otherwise~ I could have brought you back a special gift. I heard that in certain areas... she was quite skilled, you know?"

A clear look of disgust appeared on Adams's face as he said helplessly,

"I wouldn't take that filthy woman even if she were given to me for free. It's cleaner now that she's dead. There's nothing to regret.

Pack up all the valuable spoils and every document and piece of information you can find. Return to Floating Island immediately. Don't delay."

"Got it~ What a heartless man."

Stussy gave a coquettish snort, though her tone was completely unconcerned.

"I'll go back and wait for you, then~"

Click. The call ended.

Adams put away the Den Den Mushi. Without even glancing at the corpse beneath his feet, he flashed away from the luxurious morgue and headed toward the next target that needed clearing out.

Gambino Family headquarters.

The battle was nearing its end. A large number of enforcers wearing Gambino Family insignias lay fallen throughout the courtyard, their blood staining the cobblestone ground red.

At the heart of the battlefield, three people were working together against the Gambino Family's final pillar—their leader, Gambino Francis.

Francis was a member of the Longarm Tribe, giving him an attack range far beyond that of ordinary people. Even more troublesome was the fact that his entire body, including his arms, was clad in armor that glinted with a dark sheen. This armor was clearly no ordinary item.

Lucci's expression darkened. The vacuum slashes from his kicks could only leave shallow white marks on the armor.

Lafitte's figure drifted unpredictably, his cane striking like a venomous snake at the armor's joints. Yet it could only produce a few sparks and sharp metallic dings, unable to break through its defense at all.

Even Daz Bones's incomparably sharp blade arms, when swung with all his strength, could at most leave deeper gouges or throw off a trail of dazzling sparks. They could not inflict any substantial damage.

"Useless! Useless! Hahahaha!"

Francis laughed arrogantly, his iron-clad arms moving so quickly they formed an impenetrable screen. From time to time, he even launched counterattacks from bizarre angles, forcing the three to keep dodging.

"With the likes of you, it's impossible to break the alloy armor I spent a fortune forging! Just accept your deaths!"

Lucci and Bones said nothing. They only attacked more fiercely, trying to find a weak point in the armor or a gap between its sections.

Lafitte's gaze was icy, like a circling hawk. He evaded a heavy punch and let out a low laugh.

"Hohoho... Confidence is a good thing, but excessive arrogance is often the shortest path to the grave, Mr. Francis."

The moment he finished speaking, a strange glint flashed through Lafitte's eyes as he used hypnosis on Francis.

A powerful wave of dizziness and drowsiness hit him instantly. Francis's movements stalled, and his swinging arm slowed by half a beat.

Though he immediately broke free through sheer willpower, that moment of disorientation was already enough!

Daz Bones roared as his arms instantly transformed into rapidly spinning blades. A sharp light burst from Lucci's eyes, his muscles swelling as he gathered all his strength into his fists.

"[Spiral Hollow]!"

"[Iron Body Shatter]!"

Clang!!! Boom—!!

The deafening crash of metal rang out. Francis screamed as the combined strike sent his tall body flying off the ground. He crashed heavily seven or eight meters away, shattering a decorative stone sculpture.

However, when the smoke and dust dispersed, Francis, though battered, quickly struggled back to his feet. A clear dent and several cracks had appeared in the armor on his chest, but... it still had not been completely pierced.

"Cough, cough... Interesting little tricks!"

Francis wiped away the trace of blood that had been shaken from the corner of his mouth, his expression turning even fiercer.

"But what a pity! Still useless! Your attacks are far too weak!"

The expressions of the three men grew more solemn. This armor's defensive power was beyond imagination.

Lucci gritted his teeth, a trace of resolve flashing through his eyes. He suddenly spoke in a low voice.

"I have a move... that might be able to break his turtle shell! But I need at least one minute to charge it, and I can't be interrupted! I need you two to buy me time!"

As he said this, he was actually deeply uneasy. Though the three of them were temporarily working together, their duties meant they had never been particularly close.

He had always sensed Adams's distrust toward him. Therefore, he could not be sure whether these two teammates, who were fiercely loyal to that man, would be willing to create an opening for him—or might even take advantage of the chance to...

"Hohoho, one minute? No problem."

Lafitte chuckled and twirled his cane. Bones, meanwhile, said nothing. He merely transformed his arms into blades again and stepped in front of Lucci.

There were no doubts, no bargaining—only swift and decisive cooperation.

Lucci froze for a moment, then suppressed the complicated emotions in his heart and began preparing his move.

The two acted at once. No longer pursuing a direct assault, they focused on entangling and harassing Francis. Like two nimble hunting hounds, they continuously drew his attention and deliberately led the retreating Francis toward Lucci, whose aura was beginning to turn terrifying.

Though furious, Francis was unable to break free from their seamless coordination. The circle of battle gradually narrowed.

One minute passed in the blink of an eye.

When Lafitte lured Francis in with a strange sliding step, causing his heavy punch to miss and his body to tilt slightly forward, Bones suddenly launched a fierce attack from the flank. He forced Francis to block, pinning him directly in front of Lucci at the perfect angle for an attack.

Now!

Lucci's tightly shut eyes snapped open, his pupils shrinking into dangerous pinpoints. His long-charged fists came together and thrust forward.

"[Six Powers Secret Technique: Rokuogan]!"

Boom—!!!

An incomparably concentrated pillar of shockwave erupted from his fists and struck the damaged armor on Francis's chest head-on.

Crack—Bang!!!

This time, the seemingly indestructible refined iron armor could no longer withstand the terrifying impact concentrated on one point. Amid a teeth-grinding shatter, the armor completely broke apart, and the shockwave's power penetrated straight through his body.

The ferocious grin and arrogance on Francis's face froze completely, replaced by extreme horror and pain.

He lowered his head, staring in disbelief at his shattered armor and completely caved-in chest. He opened his mouth, and blood gushed out like a spring.

"Im... poss..."

Before he could finish the word, the light in his eyes faded completely. His tall body toppled backward like a collapsing mountain, sending dust flying everywhere.

After confirming Francis's death, Lucci seemed to have all his strength drained away. His legs buckled, and he nearly fell to his knees. He panted heavily, cold sweat covering his forehead. Rokuogan was still far too taxing for him at his current level.

Still breathing hard, he looked toward Lafitte and Bones, who had withdrawn their attacks and stood nearby. His gaze was complicated, but he finally said quietly,

"...Thank you."

Lafitte adjusted his top hat and smiled. "You're welcome. It's what we should do, after all. We're companions."

Bones also silently nodded.

Lucci looked at them and fell silent.

Companions... That word had once been incredibly distant and unfamiliar to him. But now, this feeling of absolute trust and coordination in battle...

"...Yeah."

In the end, he merely responded in a low voice. Yet deep in his eyes, something like solid ice seemed to quietly melt, just a little.

A meaningful smile appeared at the corner of Lafitte's mouth. He took out a Den Den Mushi and began dialing.

TO BE CONTINUED

Please tap for updates and leave more comments. This book's numbers are really terrible. The original plot is almost over; the Five Families arc is basically the only original part of the whole book.