It can be said that misfortunes never come singly, and for Kingpin, the troubles were far from over.
During the day, Hell's Kitchen appeared no different from any other New York neighborhood. People bustled about, going to work, shopping, and running errands. Under a large billboard stood Bloody Mary, tall and striking, dressed in a black jacket with scarlet-red hair flowing over her shoulders. Her dark, edgy appearance, combined with her morbidly delicate beauty, made her an eye-catching figure.
To those unfamiliar with her, she might seem intriguing. But those who knew her quickly turned pale and avoided her. When Bloody Mary lost control, the results were always disastrous.
Her face was unusually rosy, and her intense, beautiful eyes held a strange affection as if she were waiting for someone.
A few moments later, a luxury car approached and stopped beside her. The door opened to reveal Kingpin, dressed in his usual suit, sitting inside. Gripping his cane with both hands, he turned his head and spoke in a deep voice.
"Mary, I'm very surprised by your decision. I never thought you'd be the first to leave me."
Indeed, Kingpin was shocked and angry that his most loyal lieutenant had asked to leave him. Bloody Mary, who had always been a trusted and powerful ally, was now walking away. Her abilities were formidable, and she was perhaps even more trusted than Bullseye. Losing her would be a major blow to Kingpin.
"I'm going to find him," Bloody Mary said bluntly, making her intentions clear. Her loyalty to Kingpin had vanished, and she now regarded him as a stranger, her impatience evident.
Kingpin knew exactly who she was referring to. He also saw the deeper reason behind her shift in attitude. Among her many personalities, the most violent and cruel, "Bloody," was in control, followed by her other adventurous, violent side, "Typhoid Mary." These personas allowed her to fully utilize her dangerous abilities. The other, more peaceful or cowardly personalities lacked the power to bring out her full potential.
This shift in Bloody Mary's loyalty was due in part to Kingpin's influence. For a long time, he had skillfully maintained control over her most dominant personalities—Bloody and Typhoid—using his courage, ruthless nature, and sheer force to earn their devotion. These two personalities had been captivated by his brutality and power.
But that night, everything changed. The appearance of the mysterious man shattered Bloody's allegiance to Kingpin. She had always admired strength, domination, and ferocity, traits Kingpin embodied. However, after seeing the man, she knew he surpassed Kingpin in all these aspects. Naturally, her loyalty shifted, and now she was determined to seek out the one who truly had the aura of a king.
Kingpin, aware that there was no way to alter her thinking, stared at her with murderous intent in his eyes.
"Mary, you know what happens to those who betray me," he warned coldly.
"I do," she responded, her voice filled with disdain. "But you're no longer fit to be my boss. That night, in front of that man, you were nothing but a pathetic loser. Get out of my way, Kingpin. Don't stop me from finding him, or I'll tear your heart out."
Her expression turned as fierce and violent as her words.
"You're asking for death," Kingpin roared. Days of bottled-up humiliation finally erupted. With a thunderous boom, he lunged out of the car, his ring-covered hand moving at an almost imperceptible speed, aiming for Bloody Mary's head.
She laughed maniacally.
"Kingpin, I told you—you're just a loser. You're no longer worthy of my loyalty."
As she spread her arms, a terrifying force surged from her, altering the gravity around them. Kingpin's movement, including the hand reaching out to grab her, abruptly stopped mid-air.
Bang!
Behind them, the luxury car crumpled under the sudden gravitational pressure, as did nearby street signs and trash cans. The driver, caught in the onslaught, suffered the worst fate. His head was crushed, and his internal organs were pulverized as blood seeped from the shattered remains of the driver's seat onto the street.
Bloody Mary inhaled the scent of blood, a cruel smile curling on her lips. Though Kingpin stood before her, veins bulging in his forehead with fury, she knew continuing the fight was pointless. Her gravitational power alone wasn't enough to kill him.
Facing Kingpin's silent, enraged stare, she mockingly placed her index finger to her lips and blew him a kiss.
"Goodbye, Mr. Fisk," she teased, her voice dripping with malice.
With that, she turned and strutted toward a nearby alley, her steps seductive, her figure fading into the darkness. As she left, the gravitational field around them dissipated. Though Kingpin's face remained expressionless, his heaving chest betrayed his anger. He glanced back at the crushed car, then slowly pulled out his phone.
By this point, anyone nearby had already fled, terrified by the brief but intense exchange.
In Hell's Kitchen, anyone lacking discernment would have died long ago.
Kingpin ignored the chaos around him. After making a quick phone call, he simply whispered, "Come pick me up." Once he hung up, he stood there, speaking quietly to himself: "Mary, you can't afford the price of betraying me."
While New York's underworld was in turmoil, the one responsible for all of it, Leon, had already left the city—along with his entire family.
Flying a Blackbird jet, they had traveled to a remote part of the Pacific Ocean, where an ancient group of islands lay untouched by modern civilization. The main island, vast and lush with pristine vegetation, was surrounded by smaller islets. This would be their training ground for the next three months.
Leon had instructed Keisha to use advanced spatial isolation technology to conceal the island group within a radius of several kilometers. To the outside world, it appeared as if the islands didn't even exist. Any ships that approached within 70 to 80 kilometers of the area would be subtly redirected by the spatial barrier, none the wiser.
Leon, Wanda, Pietro, Sergei, and the others arrived on the island, their excitement great.