Regis personally killed Winters!
From afar, Aaron watched Regis smiling at him across the distance. For a moment, a wave of disgust and danger washed over him. That man felt like a venomous snake, cold-blooded and heartless.
Regis had clearly been watching the entire battle unfold. Yet he didn't lift a finger when Winters was defeated no, even as his subordinate was about to die, he offered no help. And just when Winters, desperate to survive, chose to surrender, Regis shot him dead with his own hands.
Such cruelty... Aaron had never seen a heart as ruthless as Regis's since arriving in the Drum Kingdom.
After killing Winters, Regis didn't linger. He leapt from the tower and vanished from the range of Aaron's Observation Haki.
Aaron turned back toward Winters's lifeless body lying in a pool of blood. His hand, still gripping the revolver, trembled slightly. Lowering his head, his expression darkened terrifyingly so.
Nearby, Yashika looked at Winters's corpse, his head still bleeding. A complex mix of emotions flickered across her face, part sorrow, part grim realization. A "when the rabbit dies, the fox grieves" kind of sympathy. Deep inside, she felt even more grateful to Sofia for saving her life.
"Mr. Regis is as merciless as ever," Sofia sighed, gazing at the body lying in the snow, its eyes still open.
Then she turned toward Aaron. Just a moment ago, she had caught a flicker of anger in that man's expression, something raw and dangerous.
"Tell me, Mr. Aaron… are you angry because you didn't get the compensation you wanted? Or because Regis killed one of his own men?"
Watching Aaron's back as he walked away, Sofia's delicate face took on a thoughtful look.
Ever since Aaron enforced his strict "no killing" rule within his own territory, she had been keeping an eye on him. The more she observed, the more she realized how extraordinary he was.
Like Doflamingo, she had gathered intelligence reports on Aaron, each one painting a picture of a young man whose influence was spreading at a steady, unstoppable pace. His own power was growing just as fast, and ever since he obtained the Yuki Yuki no Mi (Snow-Snow Fruit), his strength had skyrocketed.
That was why she had left her room today, to see for herself whether Aaron could survive this crisis. Her goal was simple: to decide how the Dars Family should deal with him in the future.
Now that he had overcome the ordeal and displayed overwhelming authority, it was clear, the Akio Family was no longer the struggling group it once was.
If nothing unexpected happened, Aaron's power would continue to rise for quite some time. And since the Drum Kingdom was a winter island, his Logia ability gave him a near-unrivaled advantage here. Coupled with the fact that he had already mastered both Busoshoku Haki and Kenbunshoku Haki, killing him before he fully matured would be close to impossible.
In short, Aaron was destined to become the Akio Family's new pillar.
Given that, the Dars Family's attitude toward the Akios would have to change and soon. Otherwise, they risked making an enemy out of a terrifying Logia user.
As the true strategist and mind of the Dars Family, Sofia knew she had to plan ahead.
"He really is strong…" she murmured, lowering her gaze to her paralyzed legs with a trace of envy. Then she turned her wheelchair around and began to head back toward the Dars Family's headquarters, with Yashika and the others following behind.
Yashika had been defeated. Winters was dead.
With that outcome, the bloody gang conflict on Aaron's turf came to an end.
The surrounding onlookers quickly spread the news. A few daring reporters even tried to photograph Aaron and interview him.
Aaron, of course, had no interest in fame. After giving a few brief orders to his subordinates to handle the aftermath, his body dissolved into a flurry of snow and wind vanishing from sight as he rushed to assist other parts of his territory still in chaos.
Meanwhile, at the Akio Family headquarters, Akio burst into hearty laughter upon hearing the news.
"Hah! Looks like we've got a worthy successor! That kid's only had his Devil Fruit for, what, two months? And he's already grown this much? Give it a few more years and even we won't be able to match him. It's a winter island, his Fruit's got endless potential here. Even if he can't win, he can always escape! Ru-ha-ha-ha!"
Reggie seemed unsurprised, his calm demeanor unchanged as he sipped his tea. Still, the slight upward curve of his lips betrayed his satisfaction.
"What about Horton?" he asked quietly once his cup was empty, the smile fading from his face. Anger flickered in his eyes as he turned to Akio.
Although Aaron managed his own territory, it technically fell under Horton's jurisdiction. And ever since Aaron took charge of that district, he had dutifully paid Horton his share of protection fees without fail.
Yet tonight, Horton hadn't shown up. He hadn't even sent reinforcements. Because of his negligence, Aaron's base had almost been destroyed by Winters and Yashika. Completely unacceptable.
Akio's expression grew serious. After a long silence, he sighed.
"Let Aaron handle it himself. From now on, he's officially one of our executives. The entire slum district belongs to him."
"Agreed," Reggie said with a nod. The decision pleased him.
At the Regis Family's headquarters, Regis sat in his office chair, lazily stroking the tired-looking owl perched in his hands. There wasn't a hint of remorse on his face for killing one of his own key men earlier.
Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi on his desk began to ring "Buru buru…"
Regis set the owl gently on the desk and picked up the receiver.
A stern voice came through immediately.
"It's me."
Upon hearing that voice, Regis's demeanor shifted at once, his expression became serious, respectful.
"Do you have any orders for me, sir?"
After a brief exchange, the Den Den Mushi closed its eyes, signaling the end of the call.
Regis's respectful expression vanished, replaced by a dark scowl. His jaw tightened, and a flash of fury crossed his face, whatever he'd just been told clearly enraged him.
Sensing his master's mood, the owl wisely tried to slip away, inching toward the edge of the desk to jump down quietly.
But before it could escape, Regis's hand shot out and grabbed it by the neck.
With a twist, the owl transformed into a sniper rifle, its barrel shaped like an owl's head, its stock adorned with feathery wings.
Regis gripped the weapon lovingly and murmured,
"Time to get back to work, Fifi. Just hang in there a little longer… soon, we'll be done with this rotten place."
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