He still had just enough money left to spin the VIP roulette one more hundred times, or to try the ten-times Advanced VIP spin.
But Ren thought it over and stopped.
He felt his luck had probably run out; if he kept going he might just pull a pile of junk.
Not worth it.
Gambling required restraint — limitless indulgence only dragged you into the abyss.
In fact, gamblers never truly win.
The Blood-Hand Gang—
they were the cruelest gang in Cuckoo Town and the largest criminal syndicate across several nearby islands.
So naturally, quite a few people worked for them.
When the townspeople realized Jick's crew had been "visited" by Ren and Zoro, it didn't take long before the Blood-Hand Gang noticed.
Jick's outfit was a puppet force propped up by the Blood-Hand Gang.
They did the dirty, tiring work.
The gang's core members watched, collected payment, and occasionally dealt with any troublesome elements.
Everyone had a bright future.
As for troublesome remnants?
They'd be replaced when the time came.
After all, that was how Jick rose to his current position; the fake "pirate hunter" Jick had performed even better than the previous bunch.
So the Blood-Hand Gang invested a lot in Jick's crew — for example, informants.
When Ren and Zoro stormed Jick's hideout, the Blood-Hand Gang, in the middle of their annual meeting, eventually got wind of it.
A little slow to react, but once the alarm spread they immediately assembled a force to handle the situation.
Over fifty core members, armed with an abundance of flintlock rifles and even cannons, rushed toward the small manor.
The local guard in Cuckoo Town didn't dare interfere.
This wasn't an attack on the merchants' guild — just two outsiders causing trouble.
It only cost the townspeople a little every month; why bother tangling with thugs?
But the merchants backing the Gus were growing anxious. Sir Becks sat for a moment in stunned silence after hearing the news, then realized it was Ren leading Zoro in the disturbance.
The merchants had no leverage against desperate outlaws like these — at best they could get the guards to lend a hand.
Becks, though, had another idea.
He'd sit back and watch.
If Ren and Zoro bled the Blood-Hand Gang dry, he could reap the benefits.
If the gang was destroyed, the guild could pick up the abandoned assets, expanding their influence along this route.
So, with everyone responding in their own way, the Blood-Hand Gang's core force burst into the small building. After a thorough search, however, they found the place empty — only a heap of corpses remained.
"This can't be — none of our informants reported seeing them leave." A scar-faced gang lieutenant scanned the rooms in disbelief.
They had no clue where the two who dared challenge their authority had gone. Those informants who'd pledged loyalty and spied for them swore they never saw the pair depart.
It wasn't like two living men sprouted wings and flew away.
"Keep searching. Maybe there's a secret passage or hidden room. That Jick's no law-abider." Another lieutenant suggested in a low voice.
So they tore the manor apart, up and down.
But Ren and Zoro had indeed sprouted wings — well, not wings exactly. More like a bamboo-copter.
Unstable Bamboo-Copter.
Origin: Doraemon.
Type: Flying gadget.Effect: When worn on the head, it generates an anti-gravity field allowing flight. Due to unstable internal gravity mechanisms, usable for only one to two hours. Top speed at full throttle reaches 80 km/h. Requires ten days of recharging after full depletion.Power consumption: High-energy power.
One to two hours of flight — and because it used anti-gravity, weight was no concern.
So Ren strapped on the bamboo-copter, grabbed Zoro, and they flew out from the roof.
The original plan had been overtaken by events, but Ren adapted and made a new plan on the fly.
This was part of that plan.
Rather than surround and wait for reinforcements, he preferred striking at the heart.
Decapitate the leadership — cut off the head — eliminate the Blood-Hand Gang's core and leaders, and let the rest sort themselves out.
This world was never short of people eager to climb over the dead to gain power; greedy newcomers would trample the old corpses to take their place.
Ren had no interest in the gang's fixed assets. He wanted petty cash, petty cash, and more petty cash.
So the strategy was simple.
Of the three cards — hospitality, decapitation, or recruitment as a lackey — brute-force decapitation was the obvious choice.
Under the night sky, the bamboo-copter squad began their "warmth delivery."
Because it was night, and because they were airborne, the approach went off without a hitch. Ren held onto a screaming-but-thrilled Zoro, and they quickly found their destination.
The Blood-Hand Gang's headquarters was a small estate on the slopes by Cuckoo Town. The manor had several buildings, but because of the annual gathering everyone was packed into a single lodge that was clearly hosting a banquet.
The clinking cups and raucous laughter made the building easy to spot.
Inside, the lodge was essentially one large hall designed for gatherings — filled wall-to-wall with the Blood-Hand Gang's core and the captains of its vassal crews.
"We're here."
Ren dropped Zoro onto a pointed rooftop, forced the bamboo-copter to hover beside him through sheer will, then reached into his pocket and produced some pebbles he'd collected on the way.
His hands were quick. He wrapped an explosive tag around one stone and tied it down. Then he threaded nineteen explosive tags together with a string, tying another stone at the end.
That kept the tags from being blown away by their own lightness.
When he finished, Ren glanced at Zoro, who still looked exhilarated, and clapped to get his attention. "Oi, Zoro, time to work."
"What're you planning? Smash through the roof and drop down to wipe them all out?" Zoro blinked, coming back to his senses. He'd been lost in the thrill of flight moments before — the wind passing through the night, the howl in his ears had felt pretty good.
Still, Zoro took the mission seriously. Cutting down inhuman scum like this was a kind of discipline.
Though he preferred barging in through the front door, if it came to it he'd follow Ren's lead.
"That's rude — I'm a good guy. I came to bring warmth, you know?" Ren piped up.
"Huh?" Zoro sized him up with suspicion. He'd never understood why his employer had a soft spot for calling himself a "good guy."
Really, did this man possess a conscience?
On the Gus, Ren had once wagered the lives of the whole crew to bargain with Saren over payment.
(End of chapter)