A voice suddenly echoed through the room—one that none of the three had noticed before.
It was Victor, standing there with a grin as he observed the bizarre scene before him.
Three men gathered around a drunk, unconscious man, one of them reaching toward the man's chest.
If anyone else had walked in, their imagination would've run wild.
"Did you bring him here?" Adrian's voice was icy as he glared at Ifrit, teeth clenched.
"Of course not. We agreed this was the last time—why would I betray you now?"
Ifrit was just as confused. His luck was truly terrible. It reminded him of how he'd been caught in this mess in the first place.
"Who the hell are you? What are you doing here?" Adrian snarled at Victor, his face twisted with hostility.
"Name's Victor. Bounty hunter. Just stepped out to take a piss, happened to pass by, and lo and behold—I stumble upon a wanted pirate. What are the odds, huh? Guess it's payday for me! Hahaha!"
Victor laughed without restraint.
Since he'd only appeared in newspapers so far, few knew his Marine identity. Posing as a bounty hunter wouldn't raise any suspicions.
"Kid, you'd better hope you're strong enough to back that mouth up. Otherwise, you might just end up buried here," Adrian sneered, rising to his feet with his hands behind his back.
"Guess we'll find out soon enough. Show me what you've got, pirate!" Victor remained unfazed.
At that moment, Adrian's hidden hand suddenly flicked forward.
His arm had transformed into a revolting, green slime—and a glob of it splattered onto Victor's chest. Instantly, the slime morphed into a glowing green collar, tightening around Victor's neck.
"Shit! I let my guard down!" Victor gasped.
He clawed at the collar, but it was useless. Panic flashed across his face.
"Hahaha! You think you can break free from my "Beast-Control Ring"? Keep dreaming! You're my slave now, brat!"
Adrian was thrilled. A clean ambush—no mess, no noise.
Ifrit unwrapped the scarf around his own neck, staring at Victor in despair. Beneath it was an identical green collar.
He'd hoped today would bring his freedom. Instead, he'd just gained another prisoner.
Victor quickly pieced it together—this was Adrian's power. The "Beast-Control Ring" could enslave animals… 'and people'.
'No wonder scarves became a trend on this island a year ago.'
Adrian's crew had arrived then, using his Devil Fruit ability to manipulate key figures. To avoid suspicion, they disguised the collars as scarves.
Over time, more and more fell under his control—until wearing a scarf became 'fashionable'.
'I should've realized sooner. "Pet Pirates"? "Taming"? It was obvious!'
"Boss! This guy was drinking at our tavern earlier! I recognize him—he had a bag with him. Let me check it for valuables!"
The lackey—noticeably 'not' wearing a collar, likely Adrian's trusted subordinate—gestured eagerly.
"Go, but make it quick," Adrian approved, pleased by his initiative.
"Attention! Don't move!"
Adrian barked the order, and Victor's body instantly locked in place, completely immobilized.
Adrian circled him, inspecting his unfamiliar face before yanking the two swords from Victor's waist.
"Hmph. Not bad. Quality blades—these could fetch tens of millions of berries. Seems you came to 'make' me rich, not the other way around! Hahaha!"
Adrian was delighted. Easy profit.
"You sneaky bastard! No honor at all! Cheap-shotting me like this—you scared of a fair fight? Take this damn thing off, and let's settle this properly!"
Victor's voice dripped with frustration.
"Hahaha! Talking about 'honor' with a pirate? You really are a rookie. Even if it wasn't me, someone else would've wrecked you eventually."
Adrian smirked, twirling one of Victor's swords.
"Your gear says you're strong. Head-on, I might've lost. But brains matter too—and you're clearly lacking! Stick with me, kid. I'll teach you how the world 'really' works. Hahaha!"
Adrian reveled in his victory. He'd built his career on schemes, not strength. With the "Peto Peto Fruit", ambushes were his specialty.
"Boss! We hit the jackpot! So much gold!"
The lackey's voice rang from outside before he burst in, clutching Victor's bag.
Adrian smacked him upside the head, scowling.
"How many times do I have to say it? 'Discretion', idiot! Yelling like that—you wanna announce it to the whole island?!"
"I—I just got excited! Sorry..."
The lackey rubbed his head, shrinking under Adrian's glare.
Ignoring him, Adrian snatched the bag and tore it open. Golden light spilled out, illuminating his grizzled face.
His anger melted into greed. 'This much gold? Tens of millions, easy.'
Then his gaze landed on a small wooden box inside.
He set the bag down and pried it open—and his eyes lit up.
Inside the box lay a Devil Fruit, its surface covered in intricate spiral patterns—another massive windfall. Even the starting bid at auction would be at least "100 million Berries".
"Don't touch my Devil Fruit! I just got it today—I was going to eat it tonight! Let me go! That's mine! Agh—!"
Victor thrashed and shouted as Adrian pulled the fruit from the box.
"Hahaha! You're like a lucky charm, kid. Don't worry, I'll treat you well from now on. Keep that fortune coming my way, yeah? Hahaha!"
Adrian was ecstatic. Today was a double jackpot.
"Watch these two. Don't let them leave. And you two—stand there and don't move!"
He barked orders at the lackey before turning to Victor and Ifrit.
"Yes, Boss!" The lackey snapped to attention.
Adrian strode over to the unconscious record-keeper and flung a glob of green slime onto his chest. In seconds, another "Beast-Control Ring" formed around his neck.
"You—go stand with them!"
Despite his drunken stupor, the record-keeper mechanically rose and shuffled into line beside the others, his mind still unconscious.
This was the power of Adrian's Devil Fruit—it could "override the body's control", forcing even an unconscious person to obey.
It wasn't just hypnosis. It was "direct neural manipulation", capable of unlocking combat potential, suppressing pain, and even enhancing physical abilities.
Adrian could enslave "both animals and humans", and with self-hypnosis, he could push his own body beyond normal limits.
After a final glance to ensure everything was in order, Adrian left the courtyard with Victor's swords and the bag of treasure.
The lackey plopped into a chair, lazily eyeing the three motionless figures.
Victor, Ifrit, and the record-keeper stood like zombies.
"Hey. How'd 'you' get caught by them?"
Victor's voice was calm. The "Beast-Control Ring" didn't restrict speech.
Ifrit stiffened, his face flushing with shame. He stayed silent.
"Hah! This old guy? Boss had his rival's daughter sneak into his bed one night! 'Hahaha!' How was it, old man? Tender young meat, right? Ain't that the truth, 'Count Ifrit'?"
The lackey—emboldened now that Adrian was gone—leered at Ifrit with mocking delight.
Victor's eyebrows shot up. 'This geezer got played hard.'
---
Meanwhile, Adrian hurried through the capital's outskirts, heading toward his "secret vault".
His treasure trove was hidden in the most unexpected place—a "pig farm" on the edge of town.
Every worker there was under his control. Who would suspect a stinking pigsty to hide millions in loot?
By the time Adrian arrived, it was past midnight. Ignoring the farmhands, he beelined for the underground storeroom.
He glanced around—no signs of disturbance.
Then he pulled out a key and unlocked the heavy door.
'Click.'
The lock disengaged.
"Oh? So this is the place? Pretty well-hidden."
A voice—light, almost amused—drifted into Adrian's ears.
His blood ran cold.
He "knew" that voice.
Slowly, he turned.
Standing behind him, arms crossed, was—
'Victor.'
But that was "impossible".
Victor was still back in the courtyard, collared and immobilized.
Unless…
"You—!"
Adrian's face twisted in horror.
Victor smirked.
"Surprise."