Sakura Street, Tiger Claw Gang Headquarters.
Yoko Taro, the leader of the Tiger Claw Gang, lounged in the grand hall, clinking glasses with a group of Arasaka executives.
Music echoed softly through the air as dancers—scantily clad and graceful—moved in sync with the rhythm.
"Hahaha! Yoko-kun, your Tiger Claw gang's Genting service is truly top-notch. Such exquisite dancers—body, face, and grace, all impeccable!"
"Indeed! I've never seen anything like this before!"
The Arasaka executives, their faces flushed with alcohol, laughed with crude delight as they watched the performers.
"Haha!" Yoko Taro chuckled, raising his glass. "Since the esteemed guests enjoy my Genting service so much, consider tonight a gift. Whichever beauty catches your eye—take her with you, free of charge!"
The dancers' smiles faltered, fear flickering behind their eyes. Yet none dared defy Yoko Taro or the Tiger Claw Gang. Silently, they continued their performance, their movements now a little more forced.
"Hahaha! Yoko-kun, you're too generous!"
"This is why we love working with you!"
"Well said! With partners like you, we'll make sure the newest Arasaka weapons and equipment always find their way into your hands first."
"Hahaha! I appreciate it, truly!" Yoko Taro's grin widened as he raised his glass. "Come—let's drink!"
"Cheers!"
Laughter and clinking glasses echoed through the grand hall, the atmosphere thick with indulgence and corruption.
Little did they know, their night of pleasure would soon turn into a night of reckoning.
Outside the Tiger Claw Gang headquarters, David, Lucy, and Jack stood in the shadows.
David's gaze locked onto the brightly lit building, its neon sign blazing "Unparalleled in the World" against the night sky.
"Lucy, you're up," David said, his voice steady.
Nodding, Lucy slipped to the side of the main gate. Her eyes flickered with cascading code as her cyberdeck interfaced with the gang's security system.
Within seconds, the neural systems of the two guards at the entrance short-circuited. They staggered, eyes glazed over.
Jack lunged forward, his movements swift and silent. Before either guard could react, Jack knocked them unconscious and dragged their bodies into the nearby bushes.
"Cameras disabled," Lucy reported, retracting the connection port from her wrist. Still, worry flickered in her eyes. "David, are you sure about going in alone? Let me back you up."
"No need. I've got this." David placed a hand on her shoulder, his tone softening. "Besides... if we pull this off, we might just have enough eddies to make that trip to the moon."
Lucy's eyes widened. For a moment, she was speechless. Then, a faint smile curved her lips. "David... just promise me you'll come back alive."
"Mano, leave the outside to me!" Jack clapped David on the shoulder, eyes serious. "If things go south, just holler. We've got your back."
"Haha! Don't worry. Just keep watch out here."
With that, David turned and strode toward the Tiger Claw Gang's entrance.
The moment David stepped into the main hall, chaos erupted.
"Who the hell are you?!"
"Sound the alarm—!"
"Outsider—"
Before they could finish, David's samurai sword flashed. A single slash severed the nearest thug's head. Blood sprayed across the marble floor as the man's body crumpled.
Another gang member tried to sneak up from behind, but David didn't even glance back. His cyber-enhanced reflexes and heightened senses detected the threat instantly. With a flick of his wrist, a pistol hidden beneath his coat fired a single shot—straight through the attacker's skull.
The man collapsed in a spray of blood and brain matter.
More Tiger Claw thugs, their combat implants boosting their speed and strength, charged at David. But it made no difference. His eyes—two crimson orbs, swirling with the Eternal Kaleidoscope Bloodwheel—read their every movement before they even made them.
One thug lunged with a cyber-blade. David sidestepped with ease, his fist—coated with the magnetic force of his Devil Fruit ability—slamming into the attacker's chest. The impact sent the man flying across the room, his ribs shattered.
A gang member with a shotgun raised his weapon—
Bang!
Before he could fire, a bullet from David's pistol shattered his skull.
On and on it went—each step David took left another corpse in his wake.
By the time he reached the staircase leading to the second floor, the ground floor was a slaughterhouse. Blood pooled on the floor, reflecting the neon lights above.
Upstairs, the remaining Tiger Claw members had heard the commotion.
"Sh*t! Someone's attacking the base!"
"Get to the stairwell—take him down!"
A thug leaned over the railing, shotgun aimed downward—
Thwack!
A thrown knife embedded itself between his eyes. His body toppled over the railing and crashed to the ground below.
"Bagayarou! Kill him!"
"Notify the boss—now!"
More gang members rushed to the stairwell—only for David to halt at the bottom of the stairs. His Bloodwheel eyes locked onto the second floor, his vision piercing through walls and obstacles with ease.
Raising both hands, David activated his magnetic powers. Guns and swords scattered across the blood-soaked floor suddenly rose into the air.
With a downward thrust of his arms—
Da-da-da-da-da!!!
Gunfire erupted as the floating firearms discharged simultaneously, bullets tearing through the wooden floor above.
"AHHHHH—!! My leg—!"
"Gyaaaah! Help me—!!"
Screams of agony echoed as bullets ripped through flesh, punctured limbs, and burst through skulls.
Whoosh—
Samurai swords followed next, propelled upward like missiles. Their blades pierced through the floorboards, impaling the legs and torsos of those still standing.
Within seconds, the second floor was reduced to a scene of carnage.
David ascended the stairs, unhurried. Blood dripped from the ceiling above, splattering onto his shoulders as he moved. Sweat glistened on his brow, but his pace never slowed.
Reaching the second floor, David surveyed the aftermath. Those who still clung to life groaned in agony, their blood soaking into the wooden floor.
Without hesitation, David moved through the room, delivering swift, merciless blows to end their suffering.
The air on the third floor buzzed with panic.
"Boss, the intruder's already on the second floor—most of our men are down!"
"Impossible! Who the hell is he?!" Yoko Taro snarled, slamming his glass onto the table.
"We don't know! We only caught a glimpse, but—he's fast! Too fast!"
"Then kill him, damn it! We've got Arasaka tech—use it!"
The remaining Tiger Claw elite guards rushed to barricade the stairwell. Arasaka-manufactured cyber-arms bristled with hidden blades and high-caliber pistols. Their optics glowed red as combat enhancements kicked in.
"Boss, you should escape through the emergency exit. We'll hold him off!"
"No! I won't run from some punk!" Yoko Taro grabbed a katana from the wall—a finely crafted Arasaka blade—and stepped forward. "I'll see this bastard's head on a plate myself!"
Suddenly—
BOOM!!!
The reinforced steel door leading to the third floor exploded inward, torn from its hinges by an invisible force. Smoke and splinters filled the air.
Through the smoke, a silhouette emerged.
David stepped onto the third floor, eyes burning crimson in the dim light. Blood stained his coat, but his posture remained upright—unyielding.
Yoko Taro's breath caught in his throat. For the first time in years—he felt fear.
David's gaze swept across the room, locking onto Yoko Taro. A faint smirk touched his lips.
"Haha... starting to panic, are we?"
Without another word, David advanced.
To be continued...
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