Hearing the sound, Adrian was startled and mechanically turned his head.
What he saw was Vic, whom he had previously controlled. Now, Vic was looking at him calmly, his face expressionless.
There was a glint in his eyes, and the Beast-Taming Ring was still around his neck.
He couldn't understand why his Beast-Taming Ring had malfunctioned.
Had he said something when he fell and prodded himself, which summoned the man? But how did he get here if he couldn't hear his commands? Adrian wondered.
The Pet-Pet Fruit's power must be controlled by language; it will not execute commands if the user's voice cannot be heard.
"You stand at attention and guard that spot. Don't let anyone else in!" Adrian was still determined to keep Vic under control.
Vic stared at Andrian with an expression that suggested he was an idiot, his body completely still, only a slight smirk playing on his lips. He couldn't hear a word Andrian was saying.
He already knew what kind of ability it was when Adrian ambushed him and put the green ring around his neck.
Therefore, he immediately used his Life Return block the skin inside the ear canal, so he couldn't hear any commands at all.
He read Adrian's commands through lip reading; he dared not use Observation Haki to eavesdrop, lest he absorb the hypnotic ability as well!
So Vic chose to use lip reading, something Vic had learned a long time ago. Having multiple skills means having more options, and when it comes to learning ability, Vic fears no one.
Vic had already started planning this after arriving in the capital; the Nagayama Black Gold was most likely hidden along with Adrian's other treasures.
Defeating him directly and then finding out his location isn't very safe. If Adrian were to give a defiant "Do whatever you want with me," things would get messed up.
If he accidentally kills it, it will be even more difficult. If the strength is equal or he is no match for it, then he will have even less chance of getting it. He didn't come here to exorcise demons and be without desires; he has a clear purpose.
So Vic decided to try and get the address out of them first.
He prepared a lot of gold and a fake Devil Fruit. Anyway, there are so many different kinds of Devil Fruit, can you recognize them all?
You can't eat another one, so how do you know if it's real or fake? When Vic learned that they had the means to control people, he guessed that this guy was most likely a Devil Fruit User.
You wouldn't just leave something this valuable lying around, would you? You'd definitely put it in your own stash!
Vic had already planned a feigned defeat, abandoning everything and fleeing, then using Observation Haki to track down the treasure's location.
But things took an unexpected turn; she ended up having an IUD inserted, so she had no choice but to play along.
The servant had already been knocked unconscious and tied up, and then he had followed him all the way here.
When Adrian saw that Vic didn't react, he knew that his abilities were no longer able to control him, and he immediately panicked.
He swayed, knocking off his hat and revealing a bald patch on his head.
He quickly put a red Beast-Taming Ring around his neck, ready for battle!
In an instant, his eyes turned red, as if he had lost his mind. He completely hypnotized himself, putting his body entirely under his control.
This red Beast-Taming Ring can boost one's strength to its current limit. As if using the Life Return technique, Adrian's bald head grew long hair, and his body became even more robust.
Vic knew that Adrian had bypassed his own consciousness and directly controlled all the cells in his body, which could achieve some of the effects of Life Return.
However, Vic's expression did not change. He already knew that this person's strength was average, and his methods mostly relied on sneak attacks and control. He was a pirate who used his brain, just like Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates.
Vic didn't attack first, but just watched Adrian perform. However, Vic's body was covered in black, which was the Hardening of Armament Haki.
Even though it was a weakling, Vic still decided to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
Adrian had completed his transformation and roared as he charged at Vic, pounding his fists into Vic's body. Only the sound of metal striking metal could be heard, as Vic remained completely unmoved.
"This power is far inferior to that of the person who ate the Metal-Metal Fruit. It hasn't had any tempering effect at all. It seems there's no need to waste time!" Vic thought to himself.
Adrian was still frantically pounding Vic's chest, the noises having already alerted the people at the pig farm.
They were free to move around without Adrian's orders, so they all came out to see what was going on when they heard the noise.
They were all residents of the island, not from Adrian's ship, and held no high status; they were merely there to cover Adrian's treasure room.
They rarely saw this "owner" before, and they never expected that he would turn out like this when they saw him today.
A big fist pounding someone's chest is too gentle, isn't it? Although the movement is loud and the sound is clear, you didn't actually hit anything, it's all talk and no action.
Just then, Vic raised his right hand and pointed his index finger at Adrian's forehead with incredible speed.
It was as if the screen flashed by and Vic changed his appearance; the intermediate process was omitted.
Vic's finger was already embedded in Adrian's skull, the entire index finger was inside, and not a drop of blood flowed out.
Adrian stopped moving instantly, his eyes regained their clarity, and he stared at Vic in disbelief.
This is the scene that appeared before the zookeepers, like a magic trick, the index finger disappearing.
Adrian's figure slowly returned to normal. Vic withdrew his jet-black finger, which was still stained with a trace of crimson. Vic flicked his finger, sending all the blood flying onto the green grass!
Adrian's body collapsed, and the Beast-Taming Ring around the necks of everyone present disappeared.
" Adrian is dead! We are free! We are finally free!" someone cried with joy.
"Am I still dreaming? Have I never woken up? Even if it is a dream, it's a beautiful dream!" someone murmured.
"I can finally go home and see my children! I miss them so much. How will they live without me? I hate it..."
"Our benefactor, is there anything we can do for you?"
Those who were sober immediately stepped forward and asked Vic the question.
"You can drag this body out and bury it. You don't need to do anything else. Go home and live a good life. Just come back to this secret room once you're done with this."
Vic glanced at Adrian on the ground and said calmly.
"Yes, my benefactor!" The man's attitude was respectful and filled with gratitude.
"Calm down, come and help us! Don't waste our benefactor's time!"
The group then came to their senses and immediately stepped forward to help carry Adrian's body away.
After finding the burial site, the group placed the body aside, and some went back to get digging tools.
Some people stared at Adrian's corpse with gritted teeth, while others went over and kicked it a few times.
They noticed the hole in Adrian's forehead; no blood was flowing from it, and upon closer inspection, they could smell a burnt odor, like meat that had been overcooked.
In the distant mountains, the wild beasts that Adrian had once released here have also been freed.
They were all controlled by Adrian and became his accomplices. Now that Adrian is dead, they are no longer bound.
If Adrian knew this from beyond the grave, he would surely regret leaving the wild beast there; it would have been so much better to keep it in a pig farm.
After Vic and the others left, he picked up his two knives from the ground and tucked them into his waistband.
Then he opened the package, took out the box containing the fake Devil Fruit, opened the lid, took out the fruit, threw it on the ground, and then stomped on it until it was crushed. Only then did he pick up the package, open the door to the secret room, and go inside.
The secret room wasn't very large, and it was mostly filled with gold, with various gold ornaments and coins stored in several wooden boxes.
There were also some gemstones packed in a separate box, and a lot of other miscellaneous items, all piled up haphazardly on the ground.
Among them was a piece of black metal, tossed in a corner like trash, along with several other pieces of metal and ore.
Vic recognized it; the black metal was Nagayama Black Gold, gleaming with a dark, eerie light, and about the size of a basketball.
There are other rare metals and ores nearby, but Nagayama Black Gold is the most valuable. However, these rare metals are also good materials for forging knives.
"Luckily, Adrian really doesn't know what's good for him!"
Vic breathed a sigh of relief. He was really afraid that Nagayama Black Gold would be sold, which would have meant he would leave empty-handed. But luckily, he managed to get it in the end.
"Finally, I can go back to headquarters to upgrade my sword!"
A smile appeared on Vic's face.