The next morning, Marco summoned Arthur and Reynold to his room at the headquarters.
He did not need a long explanation.
"Pablo wants ten new mbers. Thugs from the streets of Naraka. No one from other gangs. Go out and search. I know you know who is worth it."
Arthur nodded. Reynold shook his head silently.
The two left together.
The task was not difficult.
The back streets of Naraka are full of desperate people. Young n who had just stolen, or sold drugs in the alleys, or broken the bones of indebted n.
Arthur knew this world. He had been part of it before joining Marco.
In less than a day, he found ten n.
So were physically strong. So were fast. So were cruel for no reason.
All of them were willing to do anything for money.
Arthur and Reynold returned to the headquarters with the ten.
Marco stood before them. He looked at their faces one by one.
He did not say much. He just said:
"From today, you are part of the Pablo Family. If you obey, you will beco rich. If you betray , I will kill you myself."
The n looked at the ground. No one dared to raise his eyes.
Marco nodded to Arthur.
"Start their training tomorrow."
---
That sa day, Pablo called Rein via the Den Den Mushi.
Rein answered after the third ring. His voice was cold as usual.
"Pablo."
"I need fifteen additional guns. And large amounts of ammunition."
Rein was silent for a second.
"Alright. I will prepare them. I will send them with Surin as usual. After four days."
"Alright."
Pablo paused for a mont. Then he said:
"Rein, I have another question."
"Ask."
"Where can I buy drugs in large quantities?"
Rein was silent. This ti longer.
"Drugs are not my weapon."
"I know. But you know people."
Rein sighed.
"In Naraka, no one sells drugs in large quantities. The market here is small. All you find are small-ti dealers selling a little here and there."
"Then where do the drugs co from?"
"They co from outside the island. There is an island called Vendora. It is two days' sail from Naraka. A green island, covered with dense forests. No one rules it. No Marines. No law. There, you can find everything. Drugs, weapons, stolen goods. But safety is non-existent there. I do not recomnd going there."
Pablo wrote the na in his notebook.
"Vendora."
"Yes. If you want to start drug dealing, you have two choices: either go to Vendora yourself and bring the goods, or find a smuggler to bring them to you. The latter is harder. Smugglers do not trust anyone easily."
"Thank you, Rein."
"Don't thank . Just don't get yourself killed before you pay ."
Rein hung up.
Pablo remained thinking.
Vendora. A lawless island. Two days' sail away.
He would need a ship. A crew. A plan.
He was not ready yet.
He closed his notebook.
Going there would co later. Now, there was sothing more important.
---
In the following days, Pablo decided to do sothing he had not done since arriving in this world.
He decided to train.
Because, in the end, the only real foundation for survival in this world was your personal strength. Money cos and goes. The whole gang might die tomorrow, or the factory might burn down. But your strength will stay with you.
He left the managent of the factory to Ido, Lorenzo, Tom, and Kavor. He left the training of the gang to Marco. He left everything.
And focused on only one thing.
Himself.
Every morning, he would wake up before sunrise. He would go to the backyard of the headquarters.
Running. Jumping. Push-ups. Sit-ups. Lifting weights.
Hour after hour. Until his clothes were drenched in sweat and his body tired.
Then he would rest a little. Eat. Then return to training again.
In the afternoon, he would train in hand-to-hand combat. Punch after punch on heavy sandbags.
In the evening, he would train in dodging and fast movent.
He no longer cared about anything else. Only his body.
His food changed too.
He sent Marco to buy the best types of at: at from giant forest beasts, and sea king at from the port.
at rich in energy, filling the body with strength.
He ate large amounts. More than he had ever eaten at any ti.
And his body began to respond.
---
After One Week
Pablo noticed the difference.
The muscles in his arms beca more defined. His shoulders widened slightly. His back beca stronger.
But this was not enough.
He continued training.
---
After Two Weeks
He beca faster at running. Higher at jumping. Stronger at punching.
The sandbags that used to move slightly were now flying from his punches.
But he felt sothing else. Sothing he had not known before.
His body did not tire as quickly as he expected.
Even after hours of intense training, he was still standing. Still breathing normally.
---
After Three Weeks
On the morning of the twenty-first day, Pablo stood in the backyard as usual.
But this ti, he did not start training imdiately.
He stood looking at his fists.
Then he punched the sandbag in front of him with all his strength.
The bag did not just move.
It exploded.
The coarse fabric tore apart. Sand flew in every direction.
Pablo looked at the torn bag. Then at his fist.
He had not expected this.
He tried again. Another bag.
One punch. It exploded.
Another. It exploded.
He stood breathing. His heart was beating fast. But his body was not exhausted.
He felt power. Power he had never felt before in this body.
He felt that his body could do more than he thought.
In his previous world, his body was ordinary. Too weak to beco a fighter. But he compensated with intelligence.
Here, in this new body, there was sothing different.
The body of a fourteen-year-old child was hiding a talent.
A physical talent he had not known until now.
He was not Marco. But he was not ordinary either.
He sat on the ground. He breathed deeply.
He thought about the past three weeks.
He thought he was building his strength from zero. He thought he would beco slightly stronger than an ordinary person.
But what he discovered was different.
It seed that this body he had obtained after coming to this world possessed great potential. And Pablo would make sure to exploit it.
This was the beginning of sothing bigger.
He stood up. He looked at the sky.
"Only three weeks." He whispered to himself.
"What will I beco after three months?"
He did not know the answer. But he was excited to find out.
He opened his small notebook. He wrote:
"The body: talented."
He closed the notebook.
He returned to training.
He did not stop.
---
In the evening, Marco passed by the backyard. He saw the torn bags. He looked at Pablo.
He did not say anything. He just smiled a small smile.
"You have improved."
Pablo looked at him.
"This is only the beginning."
Marco nodded.
"Arthur and Reynold returned with the ten new n. All of them are suitable."
"Good. Train them yourself. I will need them soon."
"What are you planning?"
"You will know soon."
Marco understood.
He left Pablo alone in the backyard.
The sun was setting. Shadows stretched across the ground.
Pablo stood in the middle of the yard.
His body ached from training. But the pain was beautiful.
For the first ti since arriving in this world, he felt that he possessed sothing real.
Not money. Not authority. Not followers.
Power in his body. Potential in his blood.
He knew the road was still long.
But he was excited.
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