Chapter 85: Chapter 85
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Chapter 85: If Nothing Goes Wrong...
Adrian decided to work hard, aiming to eventually shed the title of being the weakest in the tavern. Although it hurt, he received Rui Mengmeng's affirmation and turned his gaze towards Artoria.
Artoria swallowed her snack, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and then said, "Adrian, you mentioned that the situation in the Lawless Zones is complex recently. It might actually be more favorable for our actions."
"Really? Testing the waters?" Adrian asked.
"More or less. As long as we don't expose our identities when destroying the criminals' hideouts, even if we offend someone from a major power, they'll probably just assume it's a rival's doing." Artoria, having experienced many battles, had a 'vague understanding' of war and strategy.
"That makes sense. Let's try a few more covert actions."
Artoria continued, "Also, about those Emperors of the Underworlds you mentioned, are they strong?"
Adrian thought for a moment and replied, "I feel like those people probably aren't particularly strong in terms of combat power. They are more influential due to their forces, connections, and resources. They likely have some powerful subordinates, but I doubt they're at the very top tier."
From his impression, the Emperor of the Underworlds he remembered was defeated with ease by Stussy using just her finger as a gun. Utterly weak.
"In that case, even if we're discovered, there's no need to fear. What you're planning to do now also started because of me." Artoria was referring to the incident where Adrian saw the actions of the Celestial Dragons and then took her to destroy a slave trade shop.
Artoria looked at him. "I came here as your guardian. My duty is to protect you and allow you to pursue your goals without worries. Please trust in my strength."
"You saying that does indeed put my mind at ease to some extent. The truth is, I want to do this mainly because I can't stand such things..." Adrian found this version of Artoria quite charming, so he averted his gaze, scooped up Tom and cuddled him a bit before concluding, "Alright, since everyone is on board, let's go wreck some things during our break tomorrow."
If possible, Adrian hoped that while they caused a disturbance, the tavern's daily life and business could continue as usual.
Not being present would also mean not being a witness. Adrian, who had watched hundreds or even thousands of Detective Conan episodes, understood this concept well and was quite familiar with it.
Suddenly being cuddled by Adrian and then dropped down, Tom looked innocent.
Tom struggled free from Adrian's embrace, yawned, and felt sleepy after listening to the long discussion.
Adrian patted Tom's head with a smile. "Alright, alright. Meeting's over!"
...
Early the next morning, just like usual, Adrian and the others went out for their morning exercises. Adrian thought that if everything went according to plan, they would finish exercising and then get into action.
But then... an unexpected situation arose.
"Adrian, someone has been watching us." Artoria reminded.
In reality, many people would look at them while they were out jogging every day. However, usually, those glances would either pass by or linger a bit out of curiosity or admiration. Artoria typically ignored these instances; after all, given their group's reputation and appearance on the island, being stared at was quite normal.
But this time was different. She felt that someone had been watching them ever since they left, and it was safe to say that these stares were hostile.
However, the way they were being trailed was quite crude, suggesting that the trackers were either very powerful and didn't mind being noticed, or they were just amateurs.
Adrian speculated that the latter was more likely. "Let's find a secluded place and see if we can draw them out... Why does this situation feel so familiar?"
"Because the slave traders did the same thing last time. They followed us outside the town before attacking," Artoria said. "But this time, I only sense two people. There might be accomplices hidden elsewhere."
"Huh? So you're saying that this group is more professional than the last bunch?" Adrian thought of someone. "Could it be that Biznis is back?"
As they spoke, they arrived at the beach where they had played the previous day.
With Artoria on the left, Rui Mengmeng on the right, and Tom perched on his shoulder, Adrian stood with a confident posture.
After a moment of consideration, Adrian put Tom down. Having Tom on his shoulder in his current state of confusion wasn't very imposing.
Perhaps due to the slight delay caused by this moment of thought, a dozen men armed with weapons suddenly emerged.
Adrian noticed that they were wielding mostly daggers, but two of them had guns, and two others held sickle-and-chain weapons.
"Haha, it turns out you really came this way. Hey, kid, you're out of luck today. Hand over your hearts!" one of them sneered.
"And your livers and pancreases too!"
Adrian: "..."
These two sentences carried quite a bit of information. They seemed to have investigated his routine and jogging path in advance—though they had actually decided on this location on the spur of the moment.
Adrian mused, "Are you guys organ traffickers?"
"Just knowing is enough. Someone is interested in your organs. It's better not to resist, damaging you would be troublesome for us too!"
"You... argh!" These guys really had no sense of fairness. Before Adrian could finish speaking, the two gun-wielding men had already fired two shots.
However, what they fired weren't regular bullets; it was a net. It seemed they were really planning to capture them alive and extract their organs.
Two sword lights flashed, cutting the net into pieces. Artoria and Rui Mengmeng engaged the attackers in combat.
At this moment, a sickle-and-chain weapon swung from the side towards Adrian.
Adrian instinctively pulled out a folding stool and used it as a shield. The blade of the sickle-and-chain dug into the stool—since the stool was made of wood, not iron, and came from Tom's place, its quality was guaranteed. However, it was still better to follow some basic rules.
The large man on the opposite side yanked on the chain. With a creaking sound, the sickle-and-chain left a deep mark on the stool's surface before flying back into his hand.
"My folding stool!" Adrian felt his heart ache. After so many lottery draws, he finally got this folding stool. It was comfortable to use, and he didn't expect it to be damaged today. If he had known, he would have enchanted the stool surface.
Angrily, Adrian pulled out a lamppost and swung it at the man. Despite his seemingly unimposing physique, Adrian brandished the four to five-meter-long lamppost with the air of a valiant hero.
However, this time, the opponent wasn't like those weaklings that were dispatched with a single move. The burly man tugged on the chain with both hands, and the chain became taut, stopping the lamppost's trajectory.
Although Adrian possessed considerable strength, the chain
in the big man's hands straightened out again after bending down due to the lamppost's impact.
"An Devil Fruit user?" The burly man recalled that Adrian had been empty-handed before but now suddenly had a folding stool and a lamppost. What kind of ability was this?
But there was no need to worry too much. The guy in front of him didn't seem overly strong. This situation was perfect to negotiate a higher fee with the employer. The more he thought, the happier he felt, and he resumed swinging his sickle-and-chain.
Adrian put away the lamppost, drew a knight sword, and realized that this opponent required his full attention.
Tom had been forgotten in a corner. The battle started unexpectedly, and Adrian hadn't had time to choose Tom's attire, so Tom was wondering how to make his entrance.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone