Chapter 82: The Perfect Plan
Tonight, too many things had happened on the Espoir.
Some of them could easily be called "urban legends"!
But even now, a scene unfolded that no one could have predicted. It was truly bizarre.
Through the monitors activated by Baku, everyone on the lower deck saw the situation in the upper reception hall, and the two "weirdos" who had suddenly appeared on the observation deck.
In front stood a capable elderly gentleman with white hair.
His long, wavy hair was parted 7:3 and meticulously groomed.
He had two distinguishing facial features: a neatly trimmed mustache on his upper lip, and a scar running diagonally from his lower left jaw to his upper right forehead.
His features were similar to "Yako Hikoichi," equally elegant and proper, but due to the scar and his expression, his aura was slightly different—less detached, more murderous.
The elderly gentleman stood quietly.
Hiding behind him was another person—a young man.
He also wore a suit, his posture upright, his aura sharp and cold. He had long, shiny black hair slicked back perfectly, and a prominent mole between his eyebrows.
His eyes were particularly striking, with dark irises, clear and profound. They were currently darting around, observing everything in the reception hall.
Who are they?
Sensing the confusion, the young man whispered something to the elderly gentleman.
The gentleman looked troubled but braced himself and whispered back, "...I understand."
Then, the gentleman moved his mouth without speaking, while the young man hid behind him, performing a clumsy ventriloquist act.
"Big... Crisis... Aliens... Have... Invaded...!"
"..."
Watching this bizarre scene, Itou Kaiji was full of question marks. "Such a lame dad joke... Comedians stopped using that ages ago..."
Besides Kaiji, Akagi Shigeru and Sadakuni remained silent.
Only Yako Hikoichi chuckled "Heh heh," though it sounded very forced.
Seeing the atmosphere drop to freezing point, the elderly gentleman forced an explanation. "There are too few people, Leader. This kind of joke needs a crowd..."
The young man poked his head out from behind the gentleman, pointing forward. "No. There are many people here."
His finger swept across the room, passing over the bald man on the floor, Sadakuni, Akagi, Kaiji, Yako, and then the various surveillance cameras overhead.
There were no screens in the upper reception hall, so theoretically, the young man couldn't see the people on the lower deck.
But as his finger passed, the people below felt as if he was pointing directly at them. His insight had transcended the "image" itself.
"None of those guys laughed!"
"..."
The elderly gentleman felt helpless and couldn't respond, so he stayed silent.
Meanwhile, Sadakuni used the camera on his neck to check on his bald companion.
The remote control for the missiles was shattered, and the bald man's neck had been snapped by the gentleman's kick. He was vomiting blood, lifeless.
Instantly, Sadakuni was enraged.
"Hey, you—"
He pulled a hidden knife from his waist and suddenly charged at the elderly gentleman, roaring savagely, "I'll make you pay with your life!"
Swish!
The knife slashed out.
But the gentleman's fist was faster. He struck Sadakuni's wrist first, jarring the knife loose and sending it clattering to the floor.
"Filthy trash."
The gentleman didn't even deign to look at Sadakuni directly. He launched a knife-hand strike at Sadakuni's temple, intending to kill.
But halfway through, it was blocked by Yako Hikoichi's raised arm.
The gentleman glared, especially annoyed with Yako. "What? You want to save him?"
"Not at all."
Yako smiled faintly, looking at his twin brother. "According to the rules of the gamble, Master Sadakuni is to be hanged. Any death other than that is not the result of the gamble, and I will not acknowledge it."
Both exerted force, deadlocked, neither giving an inch.
It was the young man who spoke up, making them stop.
"Ah, forget it. He's Sadakuni, right? Since it's a Kakerou gamble, we must accept the result."
The young man rubbed his chin, smiling faintly. "After all, I am the 'Leader' of Kakerou..."
Itou Kaiji blinked, unable to comprehend the situation.
Then, the young Leader waved to Akagi Shigeru, smiling. "First, congratulations to our new member on winning his first gamble as a member."
Akagi nodded slightly in return, watching quietly.
"Second—"
The Leader looked up at a surveillance camera. "You can hear me, right? Thanks also to the Kengan fighter for defeating Referee Number 10—helping Kakerou remove a cheating bad apple."
"Your name is Shiraki Kei, right? Thank you for your help."
"That concludes my two points."
After speaking, the Leader fell silent, confusing Kaiji even more.
He plucked up the courage to ask, "Um, is that it!?"
"...Hm?"
The Leader glanced at Kaiji and nodded easily. "That's right. Just those two points. Besides that—nothing on this ship tonight has any meaning."
"Because soon, this ship will set sail and never return to shore."
"..."
...zawazawazawa...
Kaiji felt like he couldn't breathe. He couldn't imagine how he had gotten involved in this.
In contrast, Sadakuni was still furious, seemingly indifferent to his own life. "Mere Kakerou, no matter what you do—"
Before he could finish, the Leader raised a hand to interrupt him.
"Sadakuni, you're trying to stall for time, waiting for fire support from the smuggling ship, right? Unfortunately, the support you want isn't coming."
"The new faction supporting you is IDEAL, correct?"
"The reason IDEAL chose you is essentially for 'money.' Once you lose, you can no longer bring profit, so being discarded by IDEAL is inevitable."
The Leader idly patted Sadakuni's shoulder.
"Just now, to prevent intel leaks, the firepower on the smuggling ship—your mercenary comrades—were all killed by IDEAL's assassins. Not one left."
"And Kakerou's people raided the smuggling ship right after, dealt with IDEAL's men, and have now successfully taken over that large shipment of arms."
"As for the arms dealer responsible for transport, seems he ran away? Can't find him..."
The Leader looked at Sadakuni, smiling playfully.
"Anyway, digesting such a large shipment of arms is troublesome. The fewer traces left, the better."
"Kakerou will purchase the entire Espoir from the Teiai Group, transport it to international waters, and use a 'shipwreck accident' to cover up everything tonight."
"As for you people on the ship..."
"Oh, Sadakuni-kun is going to be hanged, so you don't need to listen."
The Leader turned to Kaiji.
"As for the others on the ship—mercenaries and debtors—Kakerou will arrange for them. They will become Kakerou guards or laborers, to keep the secret."
"Don't worry. It's not heavy labor. Even the incompetent can earn a living. Some might even discover their talents."
"...Hmm, and also."
"That Shiraki Kei does indeed possess force on the level of a referee. If he is willing, he can also be recruited as a Kakerou referee..."
The Leader rambled on, then exhaled a long breath, feeling satisfied.
"Not bad. Let's arrange it like that. Everyone's happy, everyone profits. This is the best plan. As expected of me..."
The Leader looked out at the night sky, admiring it.
"Anyway, the final result will definitely be perfect. Just like my life, I will always win."
"This is what they call 'Destiny,' right?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the doors to the reception hall were pushed open. Several people walked in.
Maruko, Tonegawa, Baku, Kaji Takaomi, and even Kyara...
Shiraki Kei walked in front, going straight to the "Young Leader." He met his gaze, then spoke calmly, causing the surrounding atmosphere to boil.
"Nothing is perfect. Neither is the destiny you see. There has never been a flawless path."
"So, don't go 'deciding' for us."