Chapter 356: The Fall of the Black Serpent Gang

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Not long after Sato left, a group of burly men, shirtless and intimidating, arrived at the scene.

These men belonged to the Iron Fist Gang. As soon as their informants received word, they immediately notified their superiors, who dispatched reinforcements.

In reality, the Iron Fist Gang's response was incredibly swift. Barely ten minutes had passed from the time the waiter sent out the message to when they arrived.

However, to their utter shock, they discovered that their longtime rivals, the Black Serpent Gang, had already been completely annihilated.

Even the gang's de facto leader, Kosuke, now lay battered and broken in a nightclub across from the restaurant. He was barely breathing, his body covered in injuries, looking no better than a dying stray dog.

After some investigation, the Iron Fist Gang members learned that the Black Serpent Gang had provoked the wrong person this time.

Not only had they failed to capture their target, but they had also been utterly wiped out—by a single individual.

According to the bystanders, the entire battle lasted no more than a minute or two. In that short time, Kosuke and his subordinates had all been crushed.

Upon learning the truth, the Iron Fist Gang members couldn't help but take a sharp breath. They knew better than anyone how formidable the Black Serpent Gang's elite fighters were.

If they had clashed head-on, the outcome between their two groups would have been evenly matched at best.

"Boss, now that Kosuke and his elite men are finished, shouldn't we seize the territory in the southern district? If we move quickly, we can take control before the other gangs even realize what's happening."

A slim yet sharp-featured young man spoke eagerly to a towering, muscular man wielding a steel shovel. His voice was flattering, but his eyes held a cunning glint as he lowered his head slightly.

This towering man, nearly two meters tall, was named Tatsumi. He was a construction foreman in Pewter City and also the Iron Fist Gang's second-in-command and top enforcer.

The area where the southern district bordered the eastern district was under his jurisdiction.

"Shut up!!! Do you think I, Tatsumi, am the kind of man who takes advantage of others' misfortunes? According to the rules, the one who took down the Black Serpent Gang is entitled to their territory. Let me tell you something, Yamazaki—don't even think about touching the southern district. If you cause trouble, I won't hesitate to clean house myself!"

Tatsumi's eyes flickered with greed for a brief moment, but as he glanced at Kosuke lifeless, mangled body on the ground, a shiver ran down his spine.

His expression hardened, and he righteously berated Yamazaki, the sly-looking youth.

After speaking, Tatsumi turned his sharp gaze toward the other members of the Iron Fist Gang. Under his scrutiny, the restless gang members—who had been swayed by Yamazaki's suggestion—instantly lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.

"Understood, Sir Tatsumi."

Yamazaki quickly bowed his head and nodded in agreement, though a flicker of disappointment crossed his youthful face.

However, as he glanced at Kosuke lifeless body on the ground, his eyes flashed with a cold gleam. He narrowed his eyes slightly, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

Since the Iron Fist Gang hadn't restricted information flow, news of the Black Serpent Gang's annihilation at the hands of a mysterious powerhouse quickly spread throughout Pewter City's underworld.

At the same time, the city's League forces caught wind of the event. Acting swiftly, Officer Jenny led a group of League trainers into the southern district to launch a full-scale crackdown on the Black Serpent Gang—a newly emerging criminal faction secretly backed by Team Rocket.

Tonight was bound to be a turbulent one.

In the basement of an old, rundown house on the outskirts of Pewter City, a man wearing a Team Rocket grunt uniform furiously shouted into a communicator.

"What the hell did you just say?! Officer Jenny is leading a team of League trainers to wipe out the Black Serpent Gang? And where the hell is Kosuke? What is that idiot doing? If anything happens to the gang, I won't forgive him!"

The man, Rondo, wore an expression of utter rage. His face twisted as he roared into the communicator.

He had barely managed to get a few hours of restless sleep in this blood-scented basement when his communicator rang—only for him to hear the shocking news of the League's crackdown on the Black Serpent Gang.

While he was only the Black Serpent Gang's nominal leader, it was he who had founded the gang. Their rapid expansion wouldn't have been possible without the support he had painstakingly secured from Team Rocket.

In a way, he had been both the father and the mother to the Black Serpent Gang.

Kosuke might have been their field leader, but Rondo had poured just as much blood, sweat, and tears into building the gang.

Now, out of nowhere, the entire organization was on the brink of collapse. It felt like a nightmare. He even slapped himself—twice—just to confirm he wasn't dreaming.

But the pain told him everything was real.

"What?! Kosuke and all of the Black Serpent Gang's elites were wiped out?"

Moments later, Rondo received another shocking update from the other end of the line, and his voice cracked with disbelief.

He stood there, frozen, his mind going blank.

With a dull thud, the communicator slipped from his fingers and clattered onto the floor.

Then, as if all the energy had drained from his body, Rondo slumped to the ground in despair. He knew that with Kosuke and the gang's top fighters gone, the Black Serpent Gang was finished.

"Who… who the hell did this? If I ever find out, I swear I'll make them pay! Damn it! This is pissing me off!!!"

After a long silence, Rondo suddenly sprang to his feet, his face contorted in fury. His bloodshot eyes burned with hatred as he clenched his teeth, then began smashing everything in the basement in a fit of rage.

At that moment, a pair of crimson eyes gleamed in the dimly lit room. A low, hissing sound accompanied the emergence of an enormous Arbok, its coiled body stretching over five meters long.

Silently, it slithered behind Rondo, slowly wrapping around his frenzied figure.

As Rondo's rabid outburst reached its peak, he suddenly locked eyes with his Arbok's glowing crimson stare. His body stiffened mid-struggle before, bit by bit, he began to relax.

"Heh… it's fine. I still have you. As long as you're with me, none of this matters. The Black Serpent Gang? I can always build another. And once I prove myself in the upcoming tournament, I'll climb even higher in the ranks. Someday, I'll have all of Pewter City's underground forces bowing at my feet… Hehehe..."

Meeting Arbok's unwavering stare, Rondo's furious breathing gradually steadied. A twisted grin spread across his face as he murmured to his Pokémon.

Arbok narrowed its crimson eyes, studying Rondo for a long moment. Then, with a slow nod, it loosened its grip and silently melted back into the shadows, disappearing into the darkness once more.