Chapter 21: Kingpin’s Mercenaries

Chapter 21: Kingpin's Mercenaries

Hell's Kitchen was Kingpin's turf.

In recent days, Jiang Feng's actions had been like a violent storm, turning his carefully built underground empire upside down.

Among the corpses scattered through the alleys and streets, many were Kingpin's men.

His criminal operations had also been severely disrupted.

Underground casinos were forced to shut down, drug trafficking routes were severed.

The steady stream of income from before had sharply declined, and his coffers were rapidly drying up.

Daredevil and Punisher were difficult to deal with, but they had never damaged his business this severely.

This mysterious killer brought death wherever he went.

Jiang Feng's destructive power was far beyond imagination.

Fisk Tower.

This lavish, golden building stood tall in Manhattan.

On the surface, it was the headquarters of philanthropist Wilson Fisk's charity foundation,

But in truth, it was the nerve center of his control over the underground world.

On the top floor, in an extraordinarily luxurious office,

Kingpin gripped a metal cane, standing tall, his gaze cast outward.

The floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of New York's bustling splendor.

From this commanding height,

The vehicles and pedestrians below looked as tiny as ants, as if all of New York bowed beneath his feet.

Kingpin stood two meters tall and weighed over 450 pounds.

Dressed in a custom white suit, he resembled an immovable tower of steel.

Don't be fooled by Kingpin's apparent bulk—

Underneath that white suit was solid muscle, packed with enough strength to crush a skull.

"I must eliminate that guy…"

Kingpin's voice was ice cold.

As long as the deadly presence ravaging Hell's Kitchen remained, his business would know no peace.

Faced with such a terrifying opponent, Kingpin had to prepare meticulously.

He knew full well

That his usual band of misfits couldn't handle someone like that.

To keep his criminal empire running,

Kingpin had already spent a massive sum to recruit top-tier killers from the underworld,

Forming a team capable of hunting monsters.

A knock at the door broke the silence of the office.

"Come in."

Kingpin adjusted his tie.

The door slowly opened, and a cocky-looking man strolled in, his steps light and casual.

He skillfully flipped a few playing cards through his fingers, the paper flicking with crisp sounds.

This man was one of Kingpin's most trusted subordinates.

Known in the underworld as Bullseye, he was a killer whose name struck fear into the hearts of many, famed for his unparalleled skill with throwing weapons.

Playing cards, marbles, paperclips...

Any ordinary object in his hands could become a deadly weapon.

When he threw them, they could shatter bones like bullets.

"Hey, Fisk. I found all the people you wanted. They're outside waiting."

Bullseye said while flipping cards through his fingers.

Kingpin slowly turned around, the pressure from his enormous frame filling the room.

"Bring them in."

There was a gleam of anticipation in his eyes, as if he could already see his enemy lying in a pool of blood.

Kingpin had great faith in the assassins he hired at such high cost.

He had no doubt

That the combined power of these individuals would be enough to crush any enemy.

Even that ghost-like butcher, once caught in their ambush, would meet his end on the spot.

"Come on in, everyone!"

As Bullseye pushed open the door, five figures entered one after another.

The one on the far left

Looked like a specter that had crawled out of the underworld. His pale skin was stretched tightly over a burly frame.

He was known in the underworld as Tombstone, a gang leader.

Though his skin was pale, he was actually African-American.

Suffering from albinism, Tombstone lost not only his original dark complexion,

But also the acceptance of his own people.

With his white skin, he had grown up enduring discrimination from within his own community.

Upon reaching adulthood,

Fate turned unexpectedly. By chance,

Tombstone gained superhuman powers.

Not only did he possess a body as tough as reinforced steel,

He could also control extreme heat capable of melting metal.

The humiliation of his past turned into fiery vengeance.

With overwhelming force, Tombstone slaughtered all who had wronged him,

And rose from a pile of bones to become a feared kingpin of the underworld.

Next to Tombstone

Was a hunched elderly woman, her face deeply wrinkled by the years.

But don't be fooled by her frail appearance—

She was a high-ranking member of the Hand.

Madame Gao,

Wielder of mysterious Eastern powers, her strength was not to be underestimated.

Her murky yet sharp eyes swept over everyone like a predatory hawk.

Not long ago,

The Hand had come to New York for unknown reasons, attempting to establish a foothold.

Madame Gao was the one leading the operation.

Like Tombstone,

She and Kingpin were both powerful figures in New York's criminal world,

And they, too, had seen their businesses impacted by Jiang Feng.

The two had come

To join forces with Kingpin and devise a way to eliminate the monster,

So their underworld dealings could return to normal.

The third figure was a man with a buzz cut.

Wearing a black tactical suit that highlighted his lean and powerful build,

He remained constantly alert, watching every movement around him,

His body always ready to spring into combat.

This was Batroc, the notorious mercenary.

Active in the darkest corners of the globe—

Secret smuggling routes, war-torn African battlefields, terrifying terrorist attack sites…

As long as the money was right,

Batroc would undertake any mission, clearing all obstacles for his employer.

The fourth person had the most striking appearance.

He looked like a wild beast from the jungle, his messy hair flying in all directions.

Wearing a coat made of lion hide, his exposed skin was knotted with muscle—

Tall, lean, and full of explosive power.

This was Kraven the Hunter,

A descendant of Russian nobility. During an African expedition,

He drank a mysterious herbal concoction from a local tribe.

It transformed him completely.

He gained a physique comparable to a super soldier,

Along with beast-like heightened senses and intuition.

Kraven delighted in hunting all living things.

Whether wild beasts or powerful superhumans,

Nothing escaped his scope as prey.

The last figure was the most mysterious.

Clad in a gray-white combat suit,

His face was completely concealed by a seamless metal helmet, hiding his identity.

He was the legendary mercenary known as Taskmaster.

Unlike Marvel's many superpowered individuals,

Taskmaster was an ordinary human—

But his unparalleled learning ability elevated him to the pinnacle of human potential.

With just one glance,

He could perfectly replicate an opponent's moves.

As he aged, Taskmaster had mastered countless combat techniques, reaching a level of near-perfection.

He could kill a superhuman with nothing but his bare hands.

Batroc, Kraven, and Taskmaster had all been hired by Kingpin for a hefty price.

They worked for money.

Tombstone and Madame Gao, both veterans of New York's criminal underworld, had collaborated with Kingpin before and knew their way around his office.

So they casually found seats.

"Let's discuss a plan, Fisk. We can't let that guy keep killing,

Otherwise we'll all end up penniless,"

Tombstone said in a hoarse voice, full of barely restrained rage.

Kingpin wasn't the only one losing money—Tombstone and the other bosses were suffering financial losses too.

Seeing this,

Batroc and Kraven also each took a seat at the long table in the office, all eyes turning to Kingpin.

Only Taskmaster remained standing.

Whether it was due to aloofness or caution,

He clearly didn't want to get too close to the others.

Arms crossed, leaning against the wall,

He carried the air of a true master.