Chapter 30 - Bear-Bear Fruit

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Horton — Age 45.

Background unknown. A towering giant of a man standing 2.5 meters tall, a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user who has eaten the Bear-Bear Fruit, Model: Polar Bear. A formidable master of hand-to-hand combat, he is suspected of possessing combat strength equivalent to that of a Marine Headquarters Captain.

This was the intelligence Aaron had gathered on Horton in recent days.

And now, Aaron once again found himself facing an assault from this highest-ranking officer of the Akio Gang—but this time, Horton's attacks were clearly far more vicious than before.

"Nine-Serpent Body Arts: Power Enhancement!"

Aaron chose not to evade. Instead, he met Horton's incoming punch head-on, responding with a fist of his own, enhanced by the Nine-Serpent Body Arts. The bandages around his right forearm burst apart as his muscles swelled dramatically, releasing wisps of white steam.

BOOM!

A massive fist and a smaller one collided, and the tremendous shockwave from their clash erupted in an instant.

"Damn… so this is the power of a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user. As expected… it's overwhelming."

Aaron's face flushed as he felt the immense force pressing against his fist. Even after enhancing his strength through the Nine-Serpent Body Arts—pushing his power attribute to a temporary 40 points—he was only managing to barely hold his ground. That meant Horton's strength was definitely beyond 40.

And this was just his human form. Horton hadn't even shifted into his hybrid or full beast form yet.

It was clear now—Horton's prowess as a martial artist was terrifying.

Yet while Aaron was astonished, Horton himself was even more surprised.

To put the arrogant disciple of Reggie in his place—to make him understand who was truly in charge here—Horton had gone all-out just now. It might have been his full strength only in human form, but even so, no ordinary Akio Gang officer should've been able to block that.

Yet Aaron had not only survived—he had blocked it head-on. That completely shattered Horton's expectations.

"Kid… I really underestimated you. No wonder you were able to take down those two useless fools, Clark and Harrett. Let's see what other tricks you've got."

Frustrated that his intimidation attempt had failed, Horton immediately activated his Devil Fruit powers, transforming into a polar bear-human hybrid. With a powerful swing of his now massive bear paw, he smashed Aaron backward, laughing loudly.

And without pause, Horton surged forward with a burst of speed, aiming another punch at Aaron—this time with the full strength of his hybrid form.

Aaron, having finished testing Horton's strength, knew he couldn't afford another direct clash. As Horton charged, Aaron quickly activated his Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), sharpening his senses and attempting to predict Horton's next move.

Unfortunately, Horton was far stronger than Clark or Harrett—Aaron couldn't read his movements in advance. He could only see the incoming punch.

In the next moment, Aaron twisted his body aside, narrowly dodging the strike. Lightning-fast, he drew his blade and slashed at Horton's right flank.

After killing Clark, Aaron had naturally claimed the man's famed blade, Ghost Cry (Onryū). But when Ghost Cry struck Horton's waist, it was like hitting solid iron. The cut was shallow—barely breaking the skin.

Even more shocking, the wound bled only slightly before healing almost immediately. Clearly, Horton had mastered his Bear-Bear Fruit to a high degree, greatly enhancing his regenerative abilities.

"Not bad. But a slash like that? It's nothing more than a scratch to me. Looks like that old geezer Reggie hasn't taught you his real techniques yet."

Horton was getting more irritated by the second. Aaron had dodged his punch and even managed to land a hit. His glare turned cold and menacing.

"Lord Horton, I believe this sparring match should end here. I've witnessed firsthand how powerful you truly are, and I have nothing but the deepest respect. I freely admit I'm no match for you. If you had used your full strength from the start, I'd likely be gravely injured by now. Thank you for showing mercy."

Seeing that Horton was getting increasingly serious, Aaron quickly retreated a few steps and sheathed Ghost Cry. Then, using the Nine-Serpent Body Arts, he subtly strained the muscles around his internal organs, inflicting minor internal damage. He spat out a mouthful of blood, feigning severe injury.

On the surface, he was still a wounded man. Having taken Horton's full-force punch in human form earlier, pretending his old injuries had flared up again was entirely plausible.

Horton felt a surge of satisfaction upon seeing Aaron spit blood. And when he noticed the reverent looks from those watching around them, his mood improved even more.

He was well aware that Aaron had been badly injured during his fight against Harrett and Clark. Seeing him coughing blood now meant his intimidation tactic had worked.

Truth be told, Horton had been worried about hitting too hard and killing Aaron. If Aaron died here, explaining it to Reggie would not be easy.

He could bully Aaron—but Reggie could bully him. Reggie could even kill him.

"Hmph. Seems you've got some skill after all. But listen carefully—while you're under my command, don't think you can get away with the same tricks you pulled at the docks. This is my territory, not your teacher's. Here, everything goes by my rules. The supervisor in Sector B is dead. You'll take over his area. Find your own men."

Aaron had given Horton a way to gracefully end the fight, and Horton took it. He returned to his human form and sat back down on his high seat, looking down at Aaron as he issued his orders.

"Yes, Lord Horton. I will do everything in my power to manage Sector B properly."

Aaron replied, pretending to barely support himself as he dropped to one knee, bowing deeply and lowering his head in a show of utmost respect and obedience.

Horton remained just as disdainful, ordering Aaron to get out.

Aaron showed no reaction, keeping up his polite façade as he left.

But the moment he exited the stronghold, the false, respectful smile vanished from his face, replaced by a cold, furious expression.

"How generous of you… A show of force, no men, no real territory—how considerate."

Giving him a district whose supervisor had just died—what kind of territory was that supposed to be?

It was nothing but a mess. A trap.

The fact that the previous supervisor was dead made it obvious: that district had already been taken over by another gang.

And Aaron knew the situation in Sector B. It had once been Akio Gang territory—but they'd abandoned it six months ago. Since then, Regis Gang had taken over, becoming a buffer between the Akio Gang and the Dars Gang.

Now Horton was handing him a district that had been under Regis control for over half a year. Clearly, the real intention was to deny him any territory at all.

And with no men assigned to him, it was obvious Horton expected Aaron to seize the area by himself.

The worst part? Even if Aaron conquered it, he would still have to pay Horton a share of the protection money collected there.

Aaron had expected some hostility from Horton—after all, he was Reggie's man, and his assignment here was essentially Reggie extending his influence into Horton's domain. Of course Horton wouldn't welcome that.

But Aaron hadn't expected Horton to go this far.

"Reality is as harsh as ever… Once profit is involved, everything becomes difficult. But that's fine. A territory won by my own hands… will truly belong to me."

Aaron quickly calmed his fury and regained his resolve. Then, without hesitation, he began heading toward the docks.

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