The sudden voice made Adrian jump, his head whipping around mechanically.
Standing there was Victor—the same Victor he had supposedly controlled moments ago. The young man gazed at him with an indifferent expression, his face unreadable. Only the faint glint in his eyes betrayed any emotion.
The Beast-Control Ring was still wrapped around his neck.
Adrian's mind raced. 'Why isn't it working?'
Had he accidentally uttered some command when he tripped earlier? But even if he had, how could Victor have heard him? The Peto Peto Fruit's hypnosis required verbal orders—without hearing the ability user's voice, the victim shouldn't move at all.
"Stand at attention! Guard this place—don't let anyone in!" Adrian barked, desperation creeping into his voice.
Victor stared at him like he was an idiot, his body completely still. Only the faintest smirk tugged at his lips.
He couldn't hear a damn thing Adrian was saying.
The moment Adrian had ambushed him and slapped that green collar around his neck, Victor had already figured out the ability's weakness.
Using Life Return, he'd sealed his own ear canals by manipulating the skin inside. No sound could reach him.
He'd been reading Adrian's lips this whole time.
Activating Observation Haki to eavesdrop would've been risky—what if the hypnosis seeped in through the vibrations? Lip-reading was safer.
(And, well, Victor had picked up the skill years ago. 'More tricks, more survival.' When it came to learning, he feared no one.)
From the moment he'd arrived in the capital, Victor had been scheming.
The Eternal Black Gold was likely stashed with Adrian's other treasures.
Beating the truth out of him was too risky—what if Adrian pulled a "Kill me if you want, I'll never talk!"? Or worse, what if Victor accidentally killed him before getting the location?
This wasn't some righteous crusade. Victor had a clear objective, and he wasn't leaving without it.
So, he'd set a trap.
He'd packed a bag full of gold and a fake Devil Fruit—after all, with so many varieties, who could possibly recognize every one?
(And it's not like Adrian could eat a second one to test it.)
The moment Victor realized Adrian could control people, he'd guessed the man was a Devil Fruit user.
And what did pirates do with priceless loot? Stash it in their secret vault.
Victor's original plan had been to fake a loss, abandon his belongings, escape, and then use Observation Haki to tail Adrian to the treasure.
But then the Beast-Control Ring had thrown a wrench in things.
So, he'd improvised.
The lackey? Knocked out and tied up ages ago.
Victor had been following Adrian the whole time.
Now, seeing that his commands had no effect, Adrian panicked.
His body trembled, his hat tumbling off to reveal a balding scalp.
In desperation, he slapped a red Beast-Control Ring around his own neck.
Instantly, his eyes turned crimson—a complete self-hypnosis, bypassing his conscious mind to seize direct control of every cell in his body.
Like Life Return, his bald head sprouted thick hair, his muscles bulging unnaturally.
Victor remained unfazed.
He already knew Adrian was weak—a schemer who relied on ambushes and mind control, much like Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates.
Victor didn't attack. He just watched, his body now sheathed in pitch-black Armament Haki hardening.
'Might as well use a cannon to kill a mosquito.'
With a roar, Adrian charged, fists hammering against Victor's chest.
'CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!'
The strikes rang out like a blacksmith's hammer—but Victor didn't budge an inch.
"Pathetic. Even the Metal-Metal Fruit guy hit harder. No training value here."
Adrian kept punching wildly, the noise alerting the pig farm's workers.
Without orders, they were free to investigate.
One by one, they emerged—just in time to see their "boss" helplessly wailing on an immovable Victor.
Victor sighed.
"Alright. Playtime's over."
His hand shot out—a single finger flick.
'BOOM!'
Adrian exploded backward, crashing through three brick walls before skidding to a stop in a pile of squealing pigs.
Silence.
Then—
"...So," Victor mused, stepping forward. "Where's my gold?"