"Is it coming...?"
The White Fox suddenly seemed to sense something, murmuring in a voice only the two of them could hear.
Who is coming?
Shano was getting increasingly impatient. This guy was talking cryptically, are we going to fight or not?
Engaging in conversation with him was like talking to a wooden pole, leaving one to guess his meaning.
He detests enigmas more than anything in his life.
Forget it.
If talking won't work, actions will. If he won't give the answer, I'll take it myself! With this in mind, he immediately made a decision. With a flick of his wrist, the Bamboo Sword suddenly thrust out.
By the time the White Fox realized it in a daze and turned to look, the Bamboo Sword had already accurately knocked off his mask.
Plop——
The White Fox's mask fell to the ground, revealing a face of about fifty years old, thin, weary, and weathered, displayed for everyone to see on the large screen above.
For a moment, the venue fell into dead silence, so quiet that even the sound of the mask rolling on the floor could be heard clearly.
Shano sensed the unusual atmosphere in the room and frowningly stared at the face. Is this person famous?
The next moment.
It was like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, causing an uproar! Almost all the spectators couldn't help but stand up.
"Hey! No way! If I'm not mistaken, that face is..."
"Sakuraba Itsuki, the director!"
"He's actually still alive?!"
What's going on here!
Wasn't the renowned Mr. Sakuraba Itsuki supposed to have died in a shipwreck during a storm five years ago?!
"Father!!!"
The dressing room curtain was suddenly pulled open, and Junichi ran out like mad.
Upon reaching him, he was trembling all over, staring wide-eyed at the thin man, fearing everything in front of him was just an illusion, "Is it really you, is it really you..."
"It's me, Junichi."
The thin man's trembling hand reached out, caressing Junichi's head, as if he had a thousand words to say.
But eventually, he just reddened his eyes, let two lines of tears flow, and murmured: "Junichi, my Junichi..."
"Father!!!" Junichi couldn't hold back any longer, diving into his embrace, hugging that somewhat bony chest tightly, and burst into tears.
"Sob, what's going on, I'm going to cry too..." The host standing at the edge of the ring also began to sob, taking off his glasses to wipe his tears, making Shano glance over subconsciously.
He quietly stepped back a few steps, leaving the center stage to the father and son.
"...Junichi, step aside for now, listen to me, I haven't much time being free from control and being awake, let me say the important things first."
The thin man patted his son's head, Junichi wiped away his tears, nodded vigorously, and released his arms, knowing there are priorities even if he was reluctant.
The thin man turned around and faced the audience.
"Everyone, long time no see, or rather, it's been a long time since I've met you all as Sakuraba Itsuki."
In a somewhat hoarse voice, he said in a deep tone, "I think what everyone wants to know most is what exactly happened in that shipwreck five years ago, and why am I still alive?"
The majority of the audience subconsciously nodded.
"That wasn't a shipwreck, but a carefully plotted trap."
Recalling that nightmare, Sakuraba Itsuki's eyes showed pain, "A demon calling himself 'Carpenter', or rather, a person who obtained devil powers, targeted my somewhat powerful body, and then tricked me out of the island, knocked me out, and while I was unconscious, used his abilities to control me."
Carpenter?
Most of the foreigners present looked confused, but many local residents couldn't help but be shocked, they were very familiar with that name.
This 'Carpenter' was an underworld boss that started rising about five years ago.
Involved in shady businesses such as professional begging, gambling enforcers, loansharking, and several brothels on the island, he was notoriously infamous.
Ordinary citizens seeing him would mostly be too frightened to confront him and would avoid him.
But in the open arena, his status was far from the true big figures on the island.
And Sakuraba Itsuki, was undoubtedly one of those big figures.
A rat from the underground sewers, daring to lay hands on such a figure?
Where did the courage and capability come from!
Could it be, all he relied on was that so-called demon power Sakuraba Itsuki mentioned?
"Chairman Sakuraba Itsuki! Are you saying that the carpenter is actually a Devil Fruit ability user?"
There were knowledgeable people in the audience after all, who instantly caught the meaning and couldn't help but ask loudly.
"That's right!" Sakuraba Itsuki nodded bitterly: "To be precise, he's a Paramecia-type Doll-Doll Fruit user, who can..."
"—can turn humans into puppet dolls at his disposal!"
Bang! The dojo door was suddenly kicked open by someone outside, accompanied by a loud and unruly voice, a middle-aged man clad in a luxurious coat, with a cigar in his mouth and a gloomy expression, appeared at the entrance.
It was none other than the notoriously infamous "Carpenter" in the eyes of local residents.
And behind him, two more figures followed.
The audience focused their eyes and were surprised to find that those trailing along like attendants were actually the town sheriff and Major Tomte, the highest officer of the Navy Branch 129 on the north side of the island!
"Tsk tsk tsk, what a surprise, Sakuraba Itsuki, it seems I've underestimated your willpower and resistance."
'Carpenter' fixated his cold gaze on the thin man on the stage and said in a chilling tone:
"Other puppets can be brainwashed once and left alone, but you're a special case, showing signs of struggle and loss of control periodically. I had just re-brainwashed you last month, what has triggered you this time? Let me guess... could it be this little brat?"
His gaze turned towards Junichi, standing at his right rear, the Marine Branch Major Tomte raised his flintlock gun with no emotion, aiming it at Junichi.
"Major Tomte, what are you doing! Why are you obeying a gang boss and pointing a gun at a child?!"
A roar of disbelief came from the audience.
—Only, it was precisely because some Marines from branch 129 were on their break to watch the match in town, witnessing this scene, they couldn't believe their eyes.
Was this really the familiar, kind and righteous Major they knew?
"Didn't I say that already? That is the power of the Paramecia-type Doll-Doll Fruit."
Sakuraba Itsuki let out a bitter laugh, "Your Major, and that Sheriff, were just like me, already secretly controlled by him long ago. In everyday life, you'd hardly notice any difference from ordinary people, but as soon as the Carpenter gives a thought, they would immediately become puppets, obeying his every command."
"Furthermore, controlling each puppet requires one finger, and the Carpenter has ten fingers. Naturally, he wouldn't waste any single one."
He then looked towards the seven dojo directors in the south, his voice growing even more hoarse, "So, my old friends were also all unceremoniously ensnared by him in succession."
There was another uproar in the audience.
The seven dojo directors remained expressionless, sitting still without any intention to refute, which precisely confirmed what Sakuraba Itsuki had said.
The surrounding audience suddenly seemed to see a plague, terrified, scrambling, and pushing against each other as they retreated to the outer perimeters.
Inside, there were some people who were family members or close subordinates of these dojo directors.
They suddenly recalled the increasingly peculiar changes in their dojo masters over the past five years, finally understanding the reason at this moment. Staring at those backs that seemed both familiar yet strange, they couldn't help but feel a chill down their spines.