Chapter 353: A Link in the Pilgrimage
Autumn had arrived, and the air held a slight chill.
But for the man possessing the "World's Greatest Muscles"—Biscuit Oliva—it was
still a perfectly comfortable temperature. He was still wearing his beach-style
shirt, adorned with an intricate and refined paisley pattern, paired with sharp
black trousers.
His physique was compact, dense, and unnaturally massive. With shoulders like
boulders and a narrow waist, he presented a stark "Inverted Triangle"
silhouette. Every muscle group was developed to a dimension that defied
biological norms.
Height: 190cm. Weight: At least 170kg of pure, unchained power.
He had short black hair and a thin mustache on his upper lip. Currently, he was
arching an eyebrow with a relaxed smile, revealing two rows of perfectly
straight, white teeth.
Behind Oliva stood the thick reinforced wall he had just obliterated with a
casual punch—the concrete and steel rebar had crumbled like wet tissue paper.
This destructive, overwhelming force was the true embodiment of the man known as
[MR. UNCHAINED].
Beside him, Ichika Iori didn't waste time staring at the ruined wall. She broke
into a jog, retreating toward Inspector Morio Sonoda. The two of them huddled in
the corner; they knew they couldn't interfere in a fight of this caliber, so
they remained as witnesses.
Oliva looked left and right, gauging everyone's expression. He caught Ren
Shiroki's eye and offered a wink, looking thoroughly amused.
"Heh..." Doyle coughed up a bit of blood, his voice raspy. "To think I'd meet
the famous Mr. Unchained here? I'm honored..."
This was Doyle's first time seeing Oliva in the flesh. The last time they had
been close was at the hotel during the kidnapping incident, but Doyle had been
busy ambushing Raian Kure and had missed Oliva's arrival.
Hearing Doyle's words, Oliva gave a helpless shrug.
"I chased you convicts all the way to Tokyo with such grand intentions—that part
was fine," Oliva said, pulling a cigar from his breast pocket. He bit off the
tip, struck a match, and took a slow, rhythmic drag, exhaling a long plume of
white smoke. "But the progress after that has been... disappointing."
"How long has it been since I landed? And all I managed to find was that
Sikorsky fellow... and Shiroki-kun handled him before I could even say hello."
Doyle offered a faint, tired smile. "So... are you here to arrest me?"
"Don't be ridiculous, Doyle-kun. I have no interest in a fugitive who has
already lost his will to run. Take a rest; your throat sounds like a gravel
pit."
Oliva's smile widened as he turned his gaze toward Billy Greco and Bai Long.
"Aside from the five convicts, I also have a standing contract to apprehend
high-level IDEAL operatives."
"I figured since my convict-hunting hasn't borne much fruit, I should put some
effort into catching your leader's inner circle instead." Oliva's eyes crinkled
into crescent moons. "Gentlemen... what do you say?"
Billy didn't say a word. His face darkened as he shifted his weight.
Beside him, Bai Long tilted his head back so far it vanished from the frontal
view, masking his facial movements. The goatee-wearing elder's voice was a low
rumble. "[THE CARACAL], your intel didn't mention IDEAL was up against a monster
like this."
Billy broke into a cold sweat, offering a strained smile. "Sorry about that..."
The air went still for a heartbeat.
The next second—Zip!
Bai Long leaped high into the air. His jumping power was staggering, launching
him nearly three meters off the ground. He held his hands in a half-clench
before his chest. His tilted head snapped forward, and he let out a violent,
focused exhale.
"FWOOOOOSH!"
A torrent of searing flame erupted from the old man's mouth, instantly engulfing
Oliva's entire body.
"—?!"
The spectators were stunned. Ren was the first to react, realizing the IDEAL duo
were using the fire as a smokescreen to flee. He tried to intercept them, but
another steel marble whistled toward his face.
[BULLET FLICK]!
Clap!
Ren drove his palm-heel upward, swatting the steel ball aside. By the time he
looked back, Billy and Bai Long had vanished. Only Oliva remained, standing in
the middle of the alley, "burning" fiercely.
Then—
"Hmph!"
Oliva let out a sharp grunt. Every muscle in his body tightened and flexed
simultaneously. With a sudden, violent shudder of his frame, the flames were
literally shattered by the shockwave of his muscle contraction.
The fire died instantly. Oliva stood there completely unscathed—not even a hair
was singed, though his shirt was slightly charred.
"That scent... kerosene? And the old man's cuff buttons were flints?"
Oliva made the deduction in seconds. Compared to a martial artist, Oliva was the
ultimate "Hunter." Having tracked down and recaptured the majority of the
world's most dangerous criminals for the Arizona State Prison, his experience
was unparalleled.
"Heh, how interesting. It's been a long time since anyone dared to provoke me
like that."
"IDEAL... thinking they can be 'Freer' than me just because they have more
members? I won't allow it."
As he spoke, Ichika Iori and Morio Sonoda approached.
Iori looked at the empty alley and scratched her head in frustration. "The
reinforcements haven't arrived yet. They got away...!"
"Don't worry. Normal officers couldn't have stopped them anyway," Oliva said,
reaching out with his massive hand to pat Iori's head. He pressed down on the
sharp tuft of hair (ahoge) on her crown, watching it snap back up instantly with
a raised eyebrow.
"I let them go on purpose. Though the 'Fire Breathing' was a nice touch."
"This is a standard hunting tactic. A startled 'Preying Predator' will
instinctively run back to its lair after a brief period of wandering. It makes
it easier to bag the whole crew at once."
"And the only place IDEAL can go to go to ground is The Inside."
Oliva looked at Doyle. "So, Mr. Doyle, I'd like your cooperation. I'll treat you
to a steak. How does that sound?"
Given his current state and Oliva's overwhelming presence, Doyle had no reason
to refuse. "I suppose... I can't say no."
On the other side of the alley, Sonoda approached Ren. "Sorry about that,
Shiroki-kun. I ended up dragging you into an MPD mess."
Ren didn't mind at all. He played with one of the steel marbles he'd recovered,
trying to flick it with his fingers. It wasn't as fast as Bai Long's, but it was
remarkably accurate and stable.
"Don't sweat it, Sonoda-aniki," Ren grinned. "Unlike some of the others, my
Masters have a long history of fighting evil syndicates."
"The leader of their old rival once tried to use a 'Black Moon Satellite' to
block out the sun. He was this close to ruling the world, you know!"
"It was only because my Masters fought their hearts out that they crushed
Shadowloo's plot."
Sonoda blinked, a literal question mark appearing over his head. "Ah... is that
so? Haha... sounds intense."
As an experienced officer, Sonoda knew when to just nod and smile. If he didn't
understand the reference, he just assumed it was some legendary underground
lore.
Faintly, Ren could see the ink-wash smoke swirling in his peripheral vision. His
Masters were indeed reminiscing about the old days of the 2D world.
"Even if they aren't Shadowloo, IDEAL is still a criminal organization. Dealing
with them is just another link in my pilgrimage. I don't mind."
"If you hear anything else about them, let me know. I'll keep you in the loop
too."
Sonoda thanked him. The groups split up: Sonoda with Doyle, and Oliva with
Ichika Iori—two "Criminal + Cop" pairings heading out together.
Ren was left alone in the alley. He suddenly received a notification and checked
his phone.
It was from Arisa: {Aniki, I'm going to hang out with friends this afternoon.
Marco is coming with me, so I won't be home for dinner! Woo-hoo!~}
Ren: "..."
Ren: "Hanging out is good... yeah, go have fun! Live it up!"
He then tapped on his messages with Fusui Kure.
Ren: {Arisa and Marco are out with friends tonight. No dinner at home. Want to
find a nice place to eat, just us?}
Fusui: {( ＾∇＾)b }
Across town.
Arisa and Marco had arrived at a private, high-end boxing gym. The entire
facility had been rented out indefinitely by a mysterious billionaire. The
perimeter was crawling with elite bodyguards, many of them foreign mercenaries.
Arisa and Marco pushed through the doors.
The floor of the gym was scattered with fresh flowers. On a section of the floor
covered in plush, luxury mats, a long-haired young man lay lounging in a state
of total relaxation.
He was the King of Thailand—Rama XIII!
The gym served as his temporary palace in Tokyo and the current residence of
[THE GOD OF WAR] Gaolang Wongsawat.
"Welcome, my friends!" Rama greeted them warmly, gesturing for Arisa and Marco
to sit beside him.
"I've been so bored! It's been far too long. Since my royal duties are light
today, I wanted to hear about your travels. It will be a fine diversion."
"Tea? Coffee? Or perhaps a soft drink?"
Arisa thanked him for the hospitality, and Marco mimicked her bow. As they
waited for refreshments, Rama looked slightly apologetic.
"However, I am a busy man, and there are many people I wished to see. I've
scheduled another meeting at the same time. I hope you don't mind the company."
Arisa smiled. "It'll be like a tea party for new friends!"
Rama, who had a deep interest in foreign cultures, beamed. "Hahaha! I feel the
same way!"
Just as he spoke, two more visitors arrived, both dressed in formal suits.
One was a massive man—tall, powerfully built, with a buzz-cut hairstyle and a
stylishly long scarf draped over his shoulders. He was undeniably a top-tier
combatant.
The other was a middle-aged businessman of average build, wearing a monocle.
The latter was a veteran member of the Kengan Association—the Chairman of
Mushishi TV, Hisashi Atami.
The former was Mushi TV's newly hired Kengan fighter—[THE COMBAT KING] Naoya
Okubo!
☆☆☆
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