The Pier
Members of the Pier Ghost Gang were unloading cargo at the docks. These goods couldn't see the light of day and could only be transported into the United States through special channels.
"Haha, this shipment is top quality! If we sell all this, we'll be set!"
A guy unloading cargo laughed. Among the several nearby gangs, the Pier Ghost Gang was considered mid-tier in scale. If they could sell all this merchandise, the Pier Ghost Gang's territory would not only be secure, but could even expand outward.
The Pier Ghost Gang members were veteran sailors familiar with various sea routes, which was why they could handle this kind of business.
"This shipment really is good—look at all these weapons."
Another Pier Ghost Gang member pulled a rifle from a crate. Although these weapons were second-hand, they were all in excellent condition, and you could even smell the gun oil.
Their conversation didn't slow down the Pier Ghost Gang's unloading speed. Boxes of cargo were moved to trucks, ready to be driven to the Pier Ghost Gang's warehouse.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out, and a bullet pierced the forehead of a Pier Ghost Gang member who was unloading cargo.
Then more gunshots erupted, covering the pier in a hail of bullets.
"Return fire!"
Pier Ghost Gang members hid behind various pier facilities and shot back in the direction of the incoming fire.
One man emptied his magazine, grabbed a gun from a crate, and leaned against a dock structure, cursing.
"Damn it! Better not let me find out who tipped them off."
He had a vague suspicion that these attackers were from one of the surrounding gangs. After all, the Pier Ghost Gang was the wealthiest gang in the area.
Thump.
The ground vibrated, and with each tremor, a huge metal ball rolled forward.
"Listen up! From today on, this pier belongs to my Hyena Gang!"
Hyena's voice made the man hiding behind the facility furious. As leader of the Pier Ghost Gang, how could he watch his cash cow get stolen by others?
He leaned out to shoot Hyena, but after getting a clear look at him, the Pier Ghost Gang boss froze.
Who was this octopus-like guy? He remembered that Hyena didn't look like this before.
He could even see sparks flying around Hyena as those tentacles protected him. Hyena was holding a gun and firing at everything around him, keeping the Pier Ghost Gang members completely pinned down.
Rolling along the ground, the Pier Ghost Gang leader reached a sealed crate.
"Damn it, this was supposed to bring in serious money."
After speaking, he pried open the box, revealing a rocket launcher wrapped in sawdust.
"What a waste to use this thing on you!"
The Pier Ghost boss shouldered the bazooka, locked onto Hyena through the sight, and spoke through gritted teeth.
Whoosh!
The rocket launcher fired, sending the warhead flying toward the laughing Hyena.
In an instant, the mechanical tentacles reacted, curling up immediately to protect Hyena.
BOOM!
A massive explosion engulfed Hyena in a fireball, while the Pier Ghost boss waved at his subordinates, signaling everyone to retreat. Their cargo was already loaded on trucks anyway.
The Pier Ghost Gang evacuated one by one, even throwing a few grenades toward Hyena before they left.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
After a series of explosions, the Pier Ghost Gang successfully retreated, while Hyena Gang members ran toward their boss, not knowing what condition he was in.
Wild Dog, standing in the crowd, was even more excited. He held a metal fragment in his hand, ready to strike. If Hyena was still alive, he would use the power given to him by the Lotus God to finish him off.
When the explosion flames died down, the mechanical tentacles curled into a protective ball appeared before everyone.
The mechanical tentacles' performance was impressive. During the series of explosions, aside from the intense heat, they had sustained no damage at all.
"Boss Hyena!"
Someone called out to Hyena, but he didn't respond. In desperation, everyone could only use tools to turn the mechanical tentacle ball over.
The moment they turned it around, even these gangsters who lived on the edge of life and death couldn't help but gasp.
Hyena looked terrible now, with blood flowing from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. He seemed to have suffered serious injuries in the explosions.
While the mechanical tentacles could resist most damage for Hyena, the concussive force of the explosions was still unavoidable, especially when they detonated so close to him.
Just as everyone was wondering how to help Hyena, Wild Dog rushed toward him, shouting loudly.
"Boss Hyena! How are you?"
Although he appeared very concerned, Wild Dog quietly applied pressure with his hands. Using the strength Marcus had given him, he crushed Hyena's ribs and drove them into his internal organs.
After confirming that Hyena wouldn't respond, everyone in the Hyena Gang lifted their boss, planning to get him medical treatment.
Even Wild Dog, who had delivered the killing blow, acted the same way—even more anxious than the others.
This made Marcus very interested. Ever since he'd twisted Wild Dog's soul, the man's behavior had been different from before.
Marcus was well aware of Wild Dog's ambitions, but he hadn't expected that Wild Dog would become calculating rather than reckless after his soul was twisted.
"This guy is somewhat interesting, but it's a shame he won't live long."
Using his whole body as fuel in exchange for great strength meant the more he fought, the faster he'd die.
"But dying with great power—this guy should be satisfied, right?"
Watching the many gangsters leave, Marcus shook his head lightly, released void mode, and appeared on the pier.
He didn't need to follow them. As long as Wild Dog wanted more powerful abilities, he would definitely make big news. After all, Marcus had told him to collect energy treasures.
Although the only energy in this world that could extract Aya Stars was Dr. Otto's artificial sun, Marcus didn't mind collecting some interesting items.
Just as he was about to leave, a fast-moving figure suddenly appeared in his perception range and was getting closer.
"The little spider arrived so quickly? Looks like this guy really is a dedicated vigilante."
As he spoke, Marcus teleported back to his hotel in a swirl of mist. After he left, Peter swung in on his webbing and arrived at the pier where the fierce battle had just concluded.
As soon as he landed, Peter smelled a strong scent of gunpowder.
"Ugh!" Peter rubbed his nose and checked the surrounding situation. "Even if gangs are fighting, it doesn't have to be like this, right? This was like a small war!"
He was stunned by the scene before him, especially the large crater blown in the pier, which was beyond what ordinary weapons could achieve.
The metal ball that had been crushed into a sphere shocked him even more.
While he could do something like that, it was because of his spider abilities. For an ordinary person to bend solid steel like that would be incredible.