"You rude fellow! Don't think just because you were a Marine, you can act so arrogantly in front of our boss. He's the king of Baiscaiborg, and you're just a retired Lieutenant. Lower your head now."
Faced with Ian's bluntness, Victor, with a sullen face, hadn't said a word while his subordinate beside him leaped up in anger.
But Ian ignored him, still staring blankly at the silent Victor.
Only after taking a deep drag on his cigar did Victor sneer: "Shut up! Can't you see our friends are still standing? Bring him a chair."
"Yes, boss!"
When a chair was brought over, Ian sat down without hesitation. Seeing his lack of concern, Victor couldn't help but laugh loudly. "As expected of a retired Marine Lieutenant, so bold! Not only did you come here alone, but you even dared to sit in my chair."
"Enough. Why did you call me here?"
"So rude. Are all Marines nowadays this rough?"
Victor pressed the half-finished cigar into the ashtray and leaned back in his chair while watching Ian with curiosity.
"How about it? Want to work with me? I really admire you."
But seeing Ian frowning impatiently, Victor could only shrug and continue.
"Fine, fine! Looks like my friend here is getting a bit impatient."
He picked up the extinguished cigar again, relit it, took a deep breath, and said with a sinister grin: "I'm not afraid to tell you, retired Lieutenant, you've been targeted by a powerful figure in the Grand Line."
"...?!"
A powerful figure in the Grand Line?
Who?
Before the stunned Ian could say anything, the man across flicked his ashes and continued: "No, it's more accurate to say that your wife has been targeted by a prominent figure in the Grand Line."
"...!!"
Ian narrowed his eyes at this and asked: "Who is it?"
"You're not surprised at all? I heard your wife has lost her memory. Looks like you already know her identity."
Victor was surprised by Ian's reaction, then smiled and said: "That's really interesting!"
He took a breath of his cigar and blew out a puff of smoke. "I don't know who it is, but some big shot put up a huge bounty for your wife on the West Blue's Black Market. If no one had claimed to have seen her on this island, I probably wouldn't have discovered this at all. Hahaha!"
He laughed heartily and looked at Ian. "What do you think? If you hand over your wife, I'll pretend nothing happened. I'll even let you join us and find you any woman you want."
However, facing Victor's solicitation, Ian just narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me, besides you, does anyone else know about this?"
"How could I possibly tell anyone else such a secret?"
Victor asked, then he laughed without hesitation: "I haven't even told the Capone Mafia Family yet. Humph, if I get the help of that big shot from the Grand Line, Grado will become the sixth-largest Mafia family in the West Blue, or even one of the top five. How could I possibly tell those bastards?"
"That's it? Thank you so much!"
"It looks like you have thought it through?"
"Indeed."
Ian nodded.
Seeing Victor's satisfied expression, he stood up. But instead of approaching Victor, he walked to the door, closed it tightly, and turned to look at the people inside.
"So, only the people here..."
"Know?"
"What do you mean?"
Victor frowned while looking at Ian, who was squinting at him. "Are you worried about being exposed? Don't be afraid, these are all my trusted associates!"
"No, I'm just worried they will escape!"
"...?"
Before Victor could comprehend what he meant, Ian immediately lifted his axe, his muscles bulging slightly as he said: "Thank you so much!"
This sudden change of heart made Victor realize that this guy wasn't agreeing at all, but rather... He wanted to wipe them all out.
That arrogance made Victor laugh in anger. He stubbed out his cigar and his face twisted into a snarl. "Such arrogance! Do you think being a Marine Lieutenant means you can oppose us? You're nothing but a retired Marine Lieutenant!"
Without hesitation, he clapped his hands, and the mafias hiding on both sides immediately emerged, pistols drawn while sneering disdainfully at Ian. "I've been able to hold this position for so many years because of my prudence. You will regret your poor choices, retired marine..."
However, before he could finish his words...
Whoosh!
Ian twisted his waist slightly. His muscles exploded with power, and his axe swept both sides.
In a calm voice, he said: "So, everyone's out already?"
As his words fell, Victor's eyes bulged wide in disbelief. In the blink of an eye, all twenty-plus of his men were cut clean in half.
"You—you—you..."
Victor's pupils shrank, his voice trembling in shock. "Who the hell are you?"
Lieutenant?
A damn Lieutenant!
Is the West Blue's Lieutenant that strong?
What the hell was the Marines Branch doing, letting a monster like this retire?
"Didn't you already know?" Ian rested his axe on his shoulder while walking slowly toward the trembling Victor. "A retired Marine Lieutenant."
"Impossible! You can't be a retired Lieutenant!"
Victor's tone was still filled with self-doubt as he stared at Ian, who seemed to be radiating light. "There's no way a Lieutenant could be as strong as you!"
As he spoke, Victor suddenly noticed the axe in Ian's hand. His face froze, and he seemed to remember something.
That was five years ago, when he was still a grunt…
Victor's pupils instantly shrank, his eyes widening as he stared at Ian.
"I've seen you before! Back when I was a grunt in the Caroka Mafia Family, it was you... Who destroyed the Caroka Mafia Family!"
"Correct, but there's no reward. And I have to thank you. Otherwise, I'd be in for a headache."
Ian smiled at Victor while raising his one-handed axe. "I was so worried all the way here. I thought it was the World Government coming after us! And this is it?"
"No, spare me. I can pretend I knew nothing."
Victor's entire body trembled even more as he stared at Ian. He felt a surge of heat from his crotch.
He looked at Ian in panic while pleading: "I can be your dog too. I have a treasure of the sea and Belly. I'll give you everything. You can't kill me. Yes, yes, yes, I've joined the Capone Mafia Family. Capone is one of the five major mafia families in the West Blue. You can't kill me..."
He began to speak incoherently, but before he could finish, his panicked face turned ferocious again. He raised the pistol he had been holding for some time and roared: "Go to hell!"
However…
"Why are all you mafias like this?"
Ian said unconcerned, his axe already raised, and without hesitation, he brought it down. "Thank you for your help, though. Goodbye!"
As Ian finished his words, the axe in his hand instantly split Victor, who was holding the pistol, in two.
In a split second, the once bustling meeting room fell silent. Only Ian, clutching a one-handed axe, and Gini, slumped on the floor in terror, remained.
Looking at Ian in bewilderment, horror, and disbelief, he finally understood who this monster was!
The mysterious and powerful figure who had wiped out the previous mafia that ruled this island...
Damn it, boss... Why on earth would you provoke such a powerful figure?
At this moment, Ian, having briefly wiped his axe, turned and looked at Gini behind him. He smiled affably and said: "Hey, kid!"
"Boss."
Gini, though trembling with fear, managed a forced smile. "You, what else do you want?"
"Your name is Gini, right?"
Ian picked up his axe again while flashing a bright and confident smile as he looked at Gini. "Gini, do you want to sit in as the boss of the Grado Mafia Family?"