At Uvogin's roar, the three figures searching below were startled.
They immediately hid their discoveries and scattered in all directions.
As they fled, a faint look of confusion crossed the face of the slender figure at the front.
Based on his knowledge of Uvogin and his usual activity times, he should have returned home by now.
If Machi hadn't happened to stumble upon them a few times before and inform Uvogin, they wouldn't have been discovered.
In fact, every time they'd been caught before, it was always by Machi.
It was as if Machi had specifically sensed their arrival.
Whatever the case, it didn't stop them from escaping immediately after being spotted by Uvogin.
And they were incredibly skilled at escaping.
Well, it's obvious they've been exploring Uvogin's territory quite a bit, even planning their retreat route.
"Stop right there, you bastards!"
Uvogin, with his explosive temper, wasn't about to let these thieves get away right under his nose.
He immediately threw himself into pursuit.
"Waaah! Uvogin's catching up!"
Among the three, the boy missing a front tooth, yet still unable to hide his handsome, model-like face, was the first to call out.
"Huh? How did he have so much energy this time?!"
The thin, delicate-looking boy in the front looked puzzled.
"Now's not the time to investigate this! How about I stay and stop him!"
The taller, slightly larger boy at the back, with a stern expression and a big-brother demeanor, stopped dead in his tracks.
He turned to face Uvogin, who was about to pounce.
"Are you trying to stop me again, Franklin?"
Uvogin's face twisted into a feral grin, his steps never slowing down.
"Don't even think about escaping today! Whether it's you, Shalnark, or Chrollo, you're all staying here!"
"In your dreams!"
Franklin shot back without backing down.
In the past, when the trio had been discovered by Uvogin and temporarily unable to escape, he'd always stayed behind to harass Uvogin.
While Uvogin might have the advantage in size and strength, Franklin was older than Uvogin, giving him an advantage.
As a result, when the two met, the fight often became intense, taking a while to determine the winner.
While Franklin was harassing Uvogin, Chrollo and Shalnark would take the opportunity to slip away.
The trio had used this method to escape Uvogin's chase several times before.
Franklin expected this time to be no exception. "Chrollo, you go ahead. I'll hold Uvogin off."
Franklin glared at Uvogin, assuming an intercepting stance.
"Um..."
A faint whisper echoed from Shalnark behind Franklin: "Looks like there's no escape right now."
"Huh?!"
Franklin instinctively turned his head and saw the scene in front of Chrollo and Shalnark.
A nearly wrecked motorcycle lay across their path.
On the seat of the motorcycle sat two bikers, one large and one small, staring intently at Chrollo and Shalnark.
"Hey, little Chrollo..."
The thug, his clothes patched and his hair sticking up like a hedgehog, was driving the motorcycle with one hand in his pocket, gazing at Chrollo, who was in the front.
"Looks like you've got something good this time!"
The thug raised his upper eyelids as he spoke.
Why upper eyelids instead of eyebrows...
Because he has no eyebrows.
"We're all very friendly, unlike Uvogin..."
He said this with a very kind smile on his face: "Just give me your things!"
"I'll return them to you later!"
Behind the eyebrowless thug, on the back of the motorcycle, sat a short guy.
He had a messy, shaggy head of hair, and on his shoulder was a battered baseball bat that seemed taller than he was.
According to the eyebrowless thug's words, he looked like he was going to give them a good beating if they didn't obey him.
He was completely arrogant.
"Phinks, and Feitan..."
The handsome young man, Chrollo, stared at Phinks, the browless thug whose kind smile twisted into something terrifying, and at the cocky Feitan behind him.
"This is Uvogin's territory. Your territory shouldn't be here."
"Heh..."
Phinks scoffed at this: "Talking about territory in Meteor City, do you think we're as foolish as that idiot Uvogin?!"
He said with disdain: "As long as we want, we can go anywhere!"
As he spoke, he patted the nearly broken motorcycle at his hip.
Well, with such a convenient means of transportation, they can really go anywhere.
"Besides..."
As if recalling something unfortunate, a gloom fell over Phinks's face.
"That bastard Uvogin stole our things before, so of course we can steal his too!"
Phinks's face was savage, and he wanted to bite Uvogin to death.
"We're going to take it back!"
"Uvogin stole from you, huh..."
Chrollo recalled something at that point.
He was a frequent visitor to the church, going there whenever he could.
He was also close to Father Lisores, the church's chief priest, who admired him.
He had received numerous favors from the church.
Some time ago, Chrollo had heard that the church had received a small amount of sticky rice cakes, which were distributed to some devout children.
Among them, the notorious biker mafia duo, Phinks and Feitan, had stolen some.
And, as the robbers are always robbed, they seemed to have been robbed by Uvogin and Machi later on.
Clearly, this was the grudge that had been forged back then.
"No wonder Uvogin is so energetic today."
Chrollo, thinking of this, suddenly realized something.
"It seems Uvogin got some goodies today, which is why he has the energy to chase us!"
"What?!"
Chrollo's words undoubtedly captivated Phinks.
And it completely unleashed his fury: "Where did that bastard steal some goodies again?!"
Phinks gritted his teeth in anger: "It wasn't enough that he stole ours, but he stole from someone else's, too?"
"Why did that big idiot get all the good stuff?!"
Phinks grew increasingly furious, and he slammed the accelerator: "I'm going to settle accounts with that idiot!"
Phinks shouted, seemingly feeling a sense of security from the wrecked motorcycle he found and the baseball bat in Feitan's hand.
He completely forgot the tragic experience of having his sticky rice cake stolen by Uvogin.
He was full of confidence, planning to give Uvogin a good beating!
Two against one, plus a motorcycle and a baseball bat, the advantage is his!
"But settling with Uvogin is one thing..."
Phinks reached out and held his hand out to Chrollo: "You'd better hand over the goodies you've got, Chrollo!"
Well, as a qualified bandit, how could he miss any prey that came his way?
Chrollo: "..."
Seeing Phinks' increasingly amiable expression, Chrollo silently took out the item from his side.
It was a videotape he had fished out from the garbage heap.
"That's right."
Phinks took it without even glancing at it and stuffed it into his arms: "Next time, try to find something good like this again, hahaha!"
He grinned, then stepped on the accelerator.
With a bang, he rushed towards Uvogin. Seeing this, Chrollo, without even turning back, immediately fled the scene with the silent Shalnark beside him.
Well, even though the item was stolen, well…
Chrollo clutched the treasures he had found in his arms.
He always liked to have multiple plans.
For example, he'd anticipate a potential robbery and hide the real treasure in his arms.
When the robbers came, he'd hand over the junk.
After all, no one knew what he found.
In this city littered with garbage, finding junk was perfectly normal, wasn't it?
How could a frail and handsome man survive in this thug-filled city without using his brains?
He could trick those who only knew how to flex muscles and flaunt brute strength but had no brains…
For example, Phinks and Uvogin would be the perfect example for him!
"Uvogin!"
Just as Chrollo and the others were leaving in a huff, Phinks' bellowing shout came from behind them: "Give me back the sticky rice cake you stole from me!"
Hearing this, Chrollo and Shalnark instinctively ran faster.
Of course, they didn't forget to glance back.
They saw Franklin wisely and decisively withdraw, also running off with a bruised face.
Well, since someone else had come to cause Uvogin some trouble and hold him up, Franklin's task was done.
If he didn't run now, when would he?
He wasn't foolish enough to insist on deciding who would be the winner against Uvogin; that was the most idiotic thing to do.
In this city, conserving one's strength and maintaining good health were paramount!
"Who else?!"
Uvogin wiped the blood off his face from the fight with Franklin.
He ignored Franklin, who was running away, and instead stared at the arrogant duo who had come before him.
When the two men parked their motorcycles and approached him aggressively…
"So it's you two..."
Uvogin's lips twitched, then he grinned widely.
"So you've forgotten us, have you?!"
Phinks's forehead suddenly bulged with veins.
"I'm telling you, Uvogin..."
Phinks raised his arm, barely concealed by his tattered clothes, and pointed it directly at Uvogin's face.
"We're going to get back the sticky rice cakes you stole from us!"
"Sticky rice cakes..."
At the mention of this food, Uvogin instinctively smacked his lips.
The aroma of the sticky rice cakes, fresh from Luke's house, still lingered on his tongue.
"You bastard!"
Phinks flew into a rage.
"You're savoring them, right? You're savoring them!"
It had been so long since they'd stolen the sticky rice cakes, so they must have eaten them long ago. But after he mentioned it, Uvogin actually had a look of nostalgia on his face?!