Chương 119: Under No Circumstances Should We Provoke That Shopkeeper!

Midland Circle Financial Building In the most lavish office on the building's top floor, a woman in her forties or fifties sat across from a stoic-looking Black man. Despite her frail appearance, she radiated elegance, though her expression betrayed a heavy burden. The atmosphere in the room was thick with tension, matching the grim looks on their faces. These were no ordinary individuals—they were Alexandra and Sowande, the last surviving members of the Hand's notorious"Five Fingers."

Breaking the suffocating silence, Sowande's deep, measured voice finally spoke.

"They're all gone, Alexandra. Gao, Murakami, and Bakuto— they're dead." Alexandra's frown deepened as disbelief crept into her voice.

"Sowande, you're stating the obvious. Death has always been trivial to us, hasn't it? For the Hand, death isn't even... real." Her words carried weight. For ordinary people, death marked an inevitable end. But the Hand had long since defied such boundaries, rendering mortality meaningless. But Sowande shook his head solemnly.

"This time, it's different. They're not just dead, Alexandra. They're gone—reduced to ash by Fisk, and their remains scattered into the sea." Alexandra's lips twitched in irritation.

"Scattering their ashes… typical theatrics from that brute. But this means—" Her voice faltered as the chilling truth hit her. This wasn't just death; their comrades were now beyond the reach of resurrection. Sowande nodded, his expression grave.

"Exactly. Everyone else survived, but Gao, Murakami, and Bakuto had their ashes scattered. You know what that means." Sowande's words carried the weight of an undeniable truth, and Alexandra's face darkened further. Fisk knew. He had uncovered the Hand's secret of resurrection and, more terrifyingly, the method to ensure their permanent demise.

"This is a serious threat," Sowande concluded, his tone heavy with concern. Alexandra paused, her thoughts swirling, before responding with a scowl.

"Fisk doesn't have the intelligence or resources to pull off something like this." Alexandra had dealt with Fisk before as one of the Hand's highest-ranking leaders. The Kingpin of New York's underworld was a formidable power to the world. But to the Hand, he was little more than a minor nuisance—a big fish in a small pond. The notion that he could destroy three of the Five Fingers was laughable, even if he had somehow acquired the power of a Devil Fruit.

"There must be something else at play here."

"You're correct," Sowande replied.

"Our investigations show that Fisk was on the verge of defeat. But at the critical moment, someone intervened—a single individual who turned the tide of battle." Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators! Alexandra arched an eyebrow, skepticism in her tone.

"One person? Are you serious?"

"Yes, one person," Sowande confirmed gravely. Despite the gravity of the conversation, Alexandra almost laughed at the notion.

"Sowande, do you even hear yourself right now? One person—wait, was it a Devil Fruit user?" Sowande nodded gravely.

"Yes. From what we've gathered, this person wields a light-based power."

"Light?" Alexandra's pupils narrowed slightly as unease crept in. Such an ability could be devastating.

"Apparently, they unleashed an overwhelming light-based attack, wiping out Gao and the others in one fell swoop," Sowande continued. Alexandra felt her throat tighten. The sheer power required to do something like that was staggering—terrifying, even.

"And why would such a person side with Fisk?" Alexandra's voice carried an edge of disbelief.

"I don't think he sided with Fisk," Sowande replied.

"It seems Fisk simply benefited from being in the right place at the right time. The real issue lies elsewhere."

"What do you mean?" Alexandra's brows knit together tightly.

"Gao was leading a secret operation," Sowande explained.

"They attempted to rob the Home of the Devil Fruits. According to my investigation, the person who appeared… was the shopkeeper." Alexandra froze, her expression blank as the implications sank in.

"The Shopkeeper?" Sowande nodded. For a moment, Alexandra was speechless, her mind racing to connect the dots. Finally, she managed to speak, her tone incredulous.

"Let me get this straight. Gao, Murakami, and Bakuto—all of them died because of a failed robbery?"

"Not just failed," Sowande clarified.

"Completely botched. They didn't even steal anything." The weight of his words hung in the air, sharp and undeniable. For centuries, the Hand had sown chaos on a global scale—toppling governments, unleashing plagues, and orchestrating disasters with impunity. They had been unstoppable, their power unmatched. And yet, three of their leaders had been utterly annihilated, not by an epic confrontation with a rival power, but because of a petty, ill-fated theft.

"What's our next move?" Sowande asked after a moment of tense silence, his voice weighted with concern. Alexandra let out a weary sigh, rubbing her temples as if trying to ease an invisible pressure.

"What can we do, Sowande? The chaos Gao left behind is already more than enough to deal with. And don't forget about my… condition." Her illness, though never openly discussed, had been quietly eroding her strength. It rendered her only partially capable of fulfilling her role as a leader. The burden of leadership, now heavier than ever, rested squarely on Sowande's shoulders.

"But I'm not talking about Gao's mess," Sowande clarified.

"I'm talking about the shopkeeper. What should we do about him? He's cost us dearly." Alexandra's gaze sharpened, her voice turning cold and decisive.

"What should we do? Isn't it obvious? From this point forward, no one— absolutely no one —is to provoke the shopkeeper of the Home of the Devil Fruits." Her words carried the weight of reluctant but absolute authority. Though the admission stung her pride as a member of the Hand's elite, Alexandra's tone was resolute.

"We cannot afford to make an enemy of someone like him—not now, and maybe not ever." The room fell into another heavy silence, the weight of their predicament pressing down on them both. Alexandra leaned back in her chair, her expression dark and her voice tinged with bitterness.

"Let's just hope none of our subordinates are stupid enough to ignore this warning. Because if they are… we may not survive the consequences." ⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘ Next Chapter: Iron Man's Girlfriend Buys a Devil Fruit Next Next Chapter: The Perfect Fruit for Pepper Potts Next Next Next Chapter: If I Eat This, I'll Be the Ultimate Workaholic Can't get enough? Why not read ahead? Visit my P@tr3on or K0‑fi ''Isopuff'' page and unlock +20 extra chapters and daily updates!