Silently trailing behind the pitch-black battle armor that only Liam could see, the towering figures of Liam and Robin stealthily infiltrated Hogback’s luxurious mansion in the night.
Guided by Stand, the two managed to avoid all the servants, entering as if they had entered into an uninhabited realm.
…
Hogback, clad in a bathrobe, exposed his fat chest with a smirk plastered across his face as he foolishly laughed on the bed. The sensation of his fingers caressing the swollen jade-like feet of the girl during the daytime lingered at his fingertips.
The chubby doctor daydreamed about the potentially bright future, contemplating what clothes to wear and what gift would be appropriate for the upcoming days of house calls and dressing changes for Cindry.
In addition, what name should he give to the child of himself and Cindry?
“Squeak, Squeak! Squeak…”
Hogback, rolling on the bed in laughter, suddenly heard the sound of the window opening with a creak.
The curtains swayed, and the moonlight danced, scattering across the floor.
The French windows in his room had somehow opened.
“Weird, I’m sure I closed it?” Hogback, wobbling in slippers, went to shut the window. However, he heard heavy footsteps behind him— thud, thud, thud— and from the footsteps, it sounded like there was more than one person!
Hogback’s fat forehead immediately oozed fine sweat.
On the Moonlight beneath his feet, two tall and sturdy figures appeared behind him.
One of them raised their hand and aimed at the back of his head. The object in their hand, judging by its shape, was easy to identify.
“Don’t move, doctor. Slowly, turn your head,” The person with the star-patterned mask on their face said, holding a petite gun in their massive hand.
Hogback, sweating with grease on his forehead, cried out sharply, “Who are you guys?”
He dared not turn around; who knew if the other person was a lunatic who would kill anyone?
At the same time, his mind quickly revolved, rapidly reviewing the people he might have offended or the patients he could have saved but didn’t bother to save.
He couldn’t figure out who, in the middle of the night, had come with guns to his door so mysteriously!
Carefully glancing at the reflection on the French window, he saw two tall figures behind him— one in a black windbreaker, wearing a star-patterned mask, and the other in a white windbreaker, wearing a butterfly-shaped mask.
The person with the star-patterned mask aimed a gun at the back of his head, their large hand making the small gun look even more delicate.
“Who are we? Hehe…” The tall figure with the star-patterned mask emitted a deep voice as he spoke, “We’re the Golden Spirit Duo. How does that sound? I heard, doctor, that you are very good at calculating the value of a person’s life. Now, let’s calculate a debt together. How much Belly can we get for the heart of a renowned and accomplished genius surgeon?”
The Golden Spirit Duo?
Hogback was a bit puzzled at first.
But upon hearing the latter part, he immediately woke up.
Damn, they’re robbing me, and they’re talking so euphemistically!
“Squeak, Squeak! So, it’s about money!” Hogback seemed to breathe out a sigh of relief, raising both hands and slowly turning around, “This is too easy. How much do you want? 1 Million Belly? 2 Million?”
Under the lamplight, the figures in the oversized black and white windbreakers, with hoods covering their heads, seemed imposing.
They have tall stature and ordinary heads.
A strangely proportioned pair of robbers!
“2 Million? Didn’t expect the genius doctor rumored to be so humble?” The tall figure with the star-patterned mask chuckled as he spoke, “I think 200 Million Belly suits your status better.”
“200 Million!? Don’t joke around!” Hogback immediately stomped his foot in anger.
“Who’s joking? Maybe we can ask the doctor’s heart itself,” The person with the star-patterned mask turned his gun-wielding hand, “Let’s hear what it thinks; that way, it’s fairer, don’t you think?”
He turned to ask his companion with the butterfly-shaped mask. The latter stiffened for two seconds and mumbled indistinctly, “Uh…”
Two lunatics!
Hogback cursed inwardly, but suddenly, he felt a hand pressing against his chest.
The fat man suddenly broke out in goosebumps; there was clearly no one in front of him!
He was scared, taking two steps backward, but the invisible hand followed him like a shadow, forcing him against the French window. It exerted pressure on his chest, seemingly intent on squeezing into his fat and flesh…
Hogback was terrified, and his face seemed to be losing weight!
He shivered with a cold feeling rushing through him, like a slow infiltration of threat, as if a knife was planting fear into his heart.
Soon, the invisible hand actually grasped his heart!
“Aaaahhhhhhh!” The fat man wanted to scream his lungs out, but an invisible hand covered his mouth, emitting a muffled groan.
“Hehe… it seems Mr. Heart doesn’t agree with the value of 2 Million,” The person with the star-patterned mask turned his gun-holding hand, “What do you say, doctor?”
…
On the second day, Doctor Hogback fell ill.
He instructed his servant to deliver several medications and medical advice to Miss Cindry of the dance troupe. Hogback expressed his apologies for his own indisposition, fearing that he wouldn’t be able to personally conduct the examination.
Cindry, in recovery on her bed, was accompanied by a small dog lying beside her, also bandaged. Her dance troupe companions handled the payment for the medicines.
Cindry politely said, “I hope Doctor Hogback recovers soon. Unfortunately, our troupe is about to leave for another island, and we won’t be able to visit in person.” The servant accepted the well-wishing words and departed swiftly.
“Really, he’s a doctor, but he’s the one who got sick!” Complained JoAnna, a member of the dance troupe, in a hushed tone. “But it’s probably for the best that he can’t come. I feel like he has some ulterior motives towards you…”
Cindry, gazing at the dog licking milk by the bedside, remained silent at the remarks.
Meanwhile, upon the servant’s return, he shared a peculiar rumor circulating in the City town these past two days. Hogback, wrapped tightly in his luxurious bed, couldn’t help but shiver uncontrollably.
After a day of fermenting, the streets of the City were now filled with whispers and rumors about the vengeful spirit of the wicked pirate king, Roger.
Roger?
The vengeful spirit of the pirate king?! Could it be that the one who extorted 50 Million Belly from him last night was guided by the vengeful spirit of Pirate King Roger?
With this thought, having only lost 50 million, it seemed like he might have been fortunate…
…
Liam, oblivious to what others might be thinking, contentedly walked away with a pocket full of money, carrying a backpack with 50 Million Belly. After redistributing wealth through Robin, he left after successfully extorting Doctor Hogback.
Having money naturally meant spending it.
Perhaps it was because Liam anticipated the need to spend extravagantly in the future that he decided to exploit Doctor Hogback in this way. In the manga, this guy assisted Gekko Moria in grave-robbing, corpse stitching, enslaving shadows, and casually playing with the dead body of his favorite stage actress, Cindry.
When Cindry unexpectedly died, Hogback’s first act upon joining Moria was to dig up the girl’s corpse and patch it up, inserting a shadow to pass it off as a resurrection, and then playing with her like a maid…
With such an unscrupulous, overweight fellow, Liam had no psychological burden when extorting money from him. Rather, he wondered if not just killing him outright would lead to criticism.
Liam chuckled to himself and didn’t worry about it. He continued on his way with Robin towards another district of the City.
Wherever he went, concealed ears and eyes made of flower petal-like formations would grow on the walls, observing passersby for any signs of troublesome criminal organizations.
Additionally, the pitch-black armored Stand, ‘B.I.B.,’ remained as silent as ever, meticulously carrying out the commands of its user. It hovered within a range of a dozen meters, keeping a watchful eye on any movements in the vicinity.
This vigilance, though not intense, was still considered part of Liam’s training whenever the Stand was separated from its user.
Training.
The money Liam extorted would naturally be invested in improving his own abilities.
In the world of pirates, at the end of the day, fists spoke louder than anything else.
If the people of Ohara had strong fists, would they fear Marine’s Buster Call? Making light of Ohara’s cannonball, Liam thought about forming a group to guerrilla attack Marine bases one by one, challenging them and gradually dismantling their branch bases. Let’s see who cares more about their branch bases.
Among the Yonko on the seas, at least Big Mom’s pirate crew had a fixed territory. However, there were no reports of Marines boasting about a Buster Call.
If the Marines dared to execute a Buster Call, Big Mom would probably carry her blade straight to a Marine base and unleash havoc.
Therefore, enhancing one’s own strength was of the utmost importance.
With a Stand like ‘B.I.B.,’ it would be a waste not to utilize it properly.
However, both Liam and Robin had somewhat secretive identities. To establish themselves in the City on this island and find a suitable place to live, they needed a substantial amount of money.
Moreover, after starting their training, their bodies required ample nutritional support, which meant a significant expense in terms of food.
Disguised with the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) for easy camouflage, Liam and Robin were accompanied by a tall figure wearing a wide cloak, a hood, and a mask. They found a real estate agency to inquire about available houses.
The collection is growing so slowly, the chapters are too few, and it’s not very reassuring…
(End of this chapter)
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