The marines behind him had been deeply concerned for Tokikake's safety after the sneak attack.
But before they could act, they saw Tokikake, with his back to them, extend his right hand and catch the bullet in his palm.
"Commander Tokikake, you're so cool!"
"I thought Commander Tokikake had been shot, but I underestimated him."
"I want to be as strong as Commander Tokikake someday!"
Rows of marines erupted in excitement.
They had never imagined their commander's strength could reach such heights.
Effortlessly catching a fired bullet—it was truly terrifying.
"You people have no value left for redemption. Only bullets can answer for your lives."
Tokikake clenched the bullet tightly in his fist, then flung it away with force.
"Ah, I've been shot!"
"A demon! We've encountered a demon!"
"How did we provoke such a terrifying opponent?"
That bullet, accelerated by Tokikake's immense strength, struck with even greater force than its initial firing speed.
It pierced through several Mafia members in an instant.
The scent of blood and agonized screams filled the entrance.
"Damn it! Let's fight him together—we have numbers on our side!"
"For Orlando's glory!"
The core members of the Mafia kept rallying the lower-ranked members, their slogans shouted with fervor.
Unfortunately, they were not the protagonists of this story.
No matter how loudly they chanted, it did nothing to enhance their combat prowess.
Raleigh glanced at the sun's trajectory and called down, "Tokikake, hurry up. It'll soon be breakfast time. We still have to sample some of the North Blue's specialty dishes with Gion today."
"Understood!" Tokikake raised his right hand high and waved vigorously in Raleigh's direction.
Then, facing the growing crowd of Mafia members, he flashed an exaggerated grin.
"My nominal superior has spoken. I'd rather not get beaten up by him. So, how about you all surrender quietly? Save yourselves from getting bloodied."
"Impossible, Marine! The Orlando family has no warriors who surrender!" a portly middle-aged man roared from a distance.
He had been a street urchin, starting with nothing before being recruited by the Mafia.
Twenty years in the underworld had transformed him from a starving orphan into the new leader, especially after the previous patriarch was killed by Sakazuki.
Just when he thought he had survived the departure of that calamity, before he could even celebrate, these new Marines had set their sights on him.
He was filled with resentment.
Even facing a devil-like Marine commander, he refused to yield.
"Heh, I gave you a chance. You didn't take it—don't blame me," Tokikake responded with a mocking laugh.
"All Marines, form a wedge formation!" Tokikake shouted, swiftly coating his hands and chest with Armament Haki.
He charged headfirst into the crowd.
Inspired by his actions, the Marine soldiers behind him drew their gleaming sabers and followed his lead into the fray.
"We outnumber them! Let's fight them to the death!" The Mafia boss could no longer contain his fury.
He had clearly seen the mockery on the young commander's face—it was something he could not accept.
"Damn Marines, I'll make sure you never leave this island!"
Blinded by rage, the Mafia boss forgot that the people before him were Marines.
He also forgot that, aside from the terrifying Tokikake, there were two other Marine officers on a nearby rooftop—their strength unknown, but clearly holding higher ranks.
"Gion, how long do you think it'll take Tokikake to finish this fight?" Raleigh casually asked as he watched the one-sided battle below.
After a brief moment of thought, Gion replied, "I'd say at least half an hour. Even though the Orlando family's strength varies, they outnumber us by two to one—over four hundred people."
Raleigh burst into laughter and pointed a finger toward the battlefield.
"Let's make a bet. I wager Tokikake can finish the battle within fifteen minutes."
Gion observed the battlefield, a puzzled look in her eyes.
"Although Tokikake has the upper hand, it seems the Orlando family can hold out for an hour without any problem. Why are you so certain?"
"Make a bet with me, and I'll tell you."
"What's the bet?" Gion countered.
Raleigh glanced at Gion's fair thighs before shifting his gaze.
"If I win, you'll spend the entire day with me, doing nothing but wandering around."
"What if I win?"
Raleigh rubbed his nose. He hadn't considered losing. "Anything. If I lose, you can set any condition, as long as it's not too excessive."
"Deal." Gion agreed.
In her view, as long as the Orlando family could hold out for fifteen minutes, she would succeed.
At the thought of Raleigh having to fulfill one of her requests, her beautiful eyes curved into crescents.
"Six Styles: Soru!"
Tokikake abruptly accelerated using Soru, crashing into the shield raised by a Mafia member with unstoppable force.
Despite the shield-bearer being a burly man over two meters tall, he seemed as fragile as a chick.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The shield was mercilessly shattered, sending both it and the Mafia member behind it flying.
"Ah, my head!"
"Help me, my leg's broken!"
The powerful impact severely injured the densely packed Mafia members.
"Brothers, let the Marines' banner of justice fly over this building!"
"Oorah!"
Continuous sounds erupted as Tokikake tore a gap in the previously tight Mafia formation.
Marine soldiers poured in behind him, steadily expanding the front.
Looking at the fallen Mafia members, Tokikake revealed an excited smile.
He took a deep breath.
Having created an opening, his next goal was to pierce completely through their ranks. After glancing at the Mafia boss at the rear and silently calculating the distance, he stomped the ground forcefully.
"Six Styles: Shigan Barrage!"
Tokikake charged into the crowd, unleashing the Shigan (Finger Pistol) technique he had recently mastered.
Streams of compressed air shot from his fingers like invisible bullets, creating ripples in the air before bursting into sprays of blood upon hitting the Mafia members.
Thud, thud, thud!
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