The man addressed as the boss, Grote Orlando, was also struggling to stay awake.
"Hmm, the Marines probably won't move against other Mafia families for now. Let's rest first. I'll contact the bosses of the other Mafia families later."
He needed to get some rest too!
"Damn those Marines," Grote grumbled, "making me stay up all night. How despicable!"
....
Like the members of the Orlando Family, several other Mafia families of varying sizes were in the same situation.
They had also stayed up all night, terrified that the Marines would be at their doors when they woke up.
Yawning incessantly, the Mafia members ignored their bosses' orders and rushed back to sleep.
Even those patrolling the family grounds were drowsy and struggling to stay awake.
....
In stark contrast to the Mafia, the Marine soldiers who had rested overnight at the Salisbury Family's estate were full of energy.
At 5 a.m., just as most Mafia members were on the verge of collapse, the Marine soldiers had quietly assembled in the Salisbury Family's square.
Raleigh, unusually, had not slept in.
He wore his Marine "Justice" cloak, with Tokikake and Gion by his side.
"Soldiers, today is a new day. From now on, Chaniaral Island will officially welcome justice. Let us eradicate evil and bring peace to the civilians."
The Marine soldiers silently saluted in perfect unison.
Members of the Salisbury Family followed behind them; as natives of the island, their guidance would help the Marines reach the other bases more quickly.
....
The night was fading, and a pale light had begun to appear in the distant sky.
On the deserted streets, rows of uniformly organized Marines advanced.
Outside the Orlando Family's base, a dozing Mafia member was startled awake by a strange sound—it seemed like the footsteps of a large group of people.
His mind still foggy, he cursed out loud, "Who's there? How dare you approach the Orlando Family's base? Do you have a death wish?"
The footsteps stopped.
The Mafia member grumbled as he opened his eyes.
A group of tall figures stood before him.
He carefully examined the uniforms they wore, and suddenly, a chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.
Stammering, he said, "Ma... Marines!"
He never expected that the Marines, whom he had been guarding against all night, would arrive at their doorstep when they were exhausted.
He intended to warn the family inside, but a gleaming military sword was already pressed against his neck.
"Sp... spare me, Marines sir!"
No one answered him.
He was already a corpse, the blade having sliced through his throat without the slightest hesitation.
These were elite soldiers from Headquarters.
They might have lacked some of the hardened grit of Sakazuki's North Blue regulars, but their greatest strengths were their bravery in combat and decisive actions.
Raleigh was quite pleased to see this.
What annoyed him the most were those who failed to finish off their enemies or listened to criminals' pleas.
Once the target was confirmed, they should be eliminated.
And where was Raleigh? He was at a high point in a nearby building, overseeing the entire situation and directing the battle, just as a commander should.
However, not only was this guy slacking off up there, but he had also taken a large cushion from the Salisbury Family and was sitting on it comfortably.
[Slacking off on the battlefield, slacking value +100]
After some time, Raleigh had figured out some minor applications of the system.
If the opponent's strength was low, his slacking value would increase very slowly.
Conversely, the more intense the battle, the more his slacking value would grow.
Based on the system's current feedback, he could determine that this family had no real experts, and he could confidently leave it to Tokikake.
"Commander Tokikake, show me your bravery! I will personally commend your achievements in the report to headquarters!"
"Hahaha, Raleigh, just watch this handsome man's performance!" Tokikake instantly moved to the front of the team, the muscles in his right arm bulging.
Hah!
With a powerful and straightforward punch, he struck the iron gate, sending it flying off its hinges.
Tokikake smugly retracted his right hand and gestured triumphantly in Raleigh's direction.
"Brothers, follow me!" Tokikake charged into the Mafia family's compound at the forefront.
The Mafia members, who had been resting, were jolted awake by the loud noise.
Without time to react, they grabbed their weapons and rushed out.
"Hey! Pete! Stop sleeping! The Marines are attacking!"
Grote hadn't returned to his room as he was too anxious.
He and his confidant Pete were dozing off in the office.
After waking Pete, Grote stepped out of the building.
Looking at the distant battlefield, his pupils dilated.
What kind of monster was that?
It was a burly figure, and with every move, he sent Grote's capable subordinates flying.
The immense power was terrifying.
"Hey, hey! Aim and shoot at that figure!"
By then, the members of the Orlando Family had also reacted.
They picked up their weapons and launched an attack.
"Quick! Shoot quickly!"
People do not fear the power they are accustomed to, but when they witness strength beyond their imagination, they label it as monstrous.
As mere small-time thugs, they had never seen such a powerful Marine like Tokikake.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Several Mafia members armed with flintlock pistols pulled their triggers, yet not a single bullet struck Tokikake.
"Hey, you lot, what are you even doing!"
"How come none of your shots hit!"
"I... I don't know either. His movement speed is just too fast—I can't even aim properly."
The Mafia members who missed were filled with regret, but it was already too late.
Boom!
Amidst a cloud of gunpowder smoke, the burly figure had already appeared right beside them.
"Just now, was it you small fries who shot at me?" Tokikake's rugged masculine face appeared before them.
For these insignificant thugs, he didn't mind showing off a little longer.
"Foolish criminals, I am the dashing and exceptionally talented Four Seas Inspector, Commander Tokikake. Why haven't you surrendered at the sight of—"
Bang!
Before Tokikake could finish his sentence, one of the Mafia members, overwhelmed by tension, fired a shot.
Gunpowder smoke drifted from the barrel of a scrawny member's pistol, leaving everyone stunned.
But before they could process what had happened, they witnessed something unbelievable.
"No... no way!"
The ugly Marine hadn't collapsed!
A bullet, still smoking, lay quietly in the palm of Tokikake's open hand.
"How... is it possible for someone to catch a bullet with their bare hands?"
Furious at the Mafia member who had interrupted his moment of glory, Tokikake's anger ignited.
What he loved most was Gion and showing off.
Clearly, he couldn't win Gion over, but flaunting his skills was easy.
Especially last night, when he led the Marines to bring criminals to justice and listened to the cheers of the crowd, Tokikake had felt utterly satisfied.
But now, these weak, insignificant thugs dared to interrupt his grand display!
"You people really deserve to die!" Tokikake glared furiously at the trembling Mafia members before him.
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