On the first day of the SSR Club's grand opening, a few unexpected and subtle shifts rippled through the New York Mafia landscape.
After the banquet wrapped up that night, Luca personally saw the guests off. A few diehards stayed behind in the casino, playing until the early hours before finally calling it quits. By the time Lefty and his crew were leaving, Luca was at the bar with Jimmy, reviewing the day's membership sign-ups.
After an initial count, they had issued over two hundred membership cards.
These were standard membership cards, not part of the Rare Card Series. Only Luca had the authority to personally grant Rare Series membership cards.
"Dove!" Lefty called out. "I had some luck tonight—won a little money off your casino. You're not mad, right? Hahaha! After losing so many times, I finally hit one!"
Lefty stepped forward and pulled Luca into a hug.
Luca smirked. "Lefty, if you keep winning like that, I'm putting you on the casino blacklist."
"Hey! You cheap bastard! That money isn't even enough to buy a car!" Lefty laughed. His lifelong dream was to own a boat. He slapped Luca on the back. "I'm gonna win a yacht off you one day!"
Nearby, Sonny Black—who had also turned a small profit—looked pleased, though clearly distracted. He exchanged a few casual words with Luca before heading out.
"Dove, I'll swing by again soon."
As Luca watched them leave, he lifted a cocktail from the table and took a sip. It burned going down.
Sonny Black was vicious. Calculated. Dangerous.
Luca couldn't help thinking—his own involvement in the second boss's assassination was nothing compared to what Sonny Black was capable of. In the original storyline, Sonny Black ignited one internal purge after another within the Bonanno family.
First, the Underboss.
Then three capos.
They wiped out the Bonanno family's entire middle management layer and swallowed up everyone's rackets. They didn't go after outsiders.
They killed their own people.
Completely unhinged.
They even dragged Lefty and Donnie along to dismember and bury bodies. These massacres were supposed to remain buried—figuratively and literally. But Sonny Black never imagined Donnie was an undercover agent.
They handed him evidence on a silver platter.
In the end, Donnie's cover was blown. Every secret spilled. The higher-ups executed Sonny Black, Lefty, and the others for the catastrophic damage done to the family—and because they had personally vouched for Donnie.
Rebellion might be a Mafia tradition, but the Bonanno family elevated chaos to an art form.
"If we're really going to take out Galant," Luca muttered with a faint smile, "we'll have to watch Sonny Black closely."
Professional assassins like Luca—or even someone like Oren Ishii—weren't always more dangerous than ambitious gangsters. The hardest blade to dodge was the one coming from right beside you.
"Luca."
Mariggio approached from behind, letting out a heavy sigh.
"I've confirmed it. You were right. The Commission only approved Galant's execution. The order on Richie was Dominic's personal decision."
Luca sneered inwardly.
No matter how much the timeline shifted, there was no way all the major families would unanimously agree to execute Richie. That idiotic butterfly effect had been Dominic's doing—and he had nearly dragged Luca down with him.
"And order for Richie?"
"Dominic's dead. No point targeting him anymore." Mariggio shook his head. "But the execution of Galante stands. That decision was unanimous."
"No problem," Luca replied calmly. "I know what to do."
Time to deepen his bond with Oren Ishii—the Yakuza Empress—and her one-eyed partner.
---
Later that night.
Lefty pulled out a wad of cash and shoved it into Donnie's hand.
"Kid, invest in me. Once I buy that yacht, we'll go fishing."
Donnie blinked.
For the first time in history, the freeloader had turned into the benefactor.
"Lefty," Sonny Black suddenly asked, "anything you want as a gift?"
"You gonna buy me something? How about that yacht?"
"Screw the yacht!" Sonny Black laughed, swearing under his breath. But then he remembered how Lefty had sent money to his wife and girlfriend every week while he was inside.
Yeah. This guy's solid.
Once I'm Underboss, I'll take care of Lefty.
---
The club's opening promotions were a massive success. In the following days, curiosity about the new establishment surged. Jordan brought in wealthy and upper-middle-class Wall Street clients. Business was booming.
William eventually agreed to Luca's request and joined the club as head butler.
Then came the fourth day.
Dominic's funeral.
Behind closed doors, the Commission had been locked in heated debate over the assassination. Those lower down the ladder didn't know the final outcome—but no new execution order had been issued.
The execution of Galante still stood.
However, this time, the meeting carried a darker undertone. A mole within the Bonanno family was maneuvering to kill his own boss. The specifics of the backroom deals remained unknown.
At the funeral, Luca stood in black attire among the mourners.
He spotted drug trafficker Frank paying his respects—and several members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad.
Standing near him were two assassins: Elle and Oren Ishii.
Luca sensed that Oren occasionally cast a cold glance toward a particular corner.
There, a tall blonde woman stood arm-in-arm with an older man with long hair.
When the system panel popped up, Luca discreetly looked away.
__________________________________________________________________________
Character Card: Bill
Rank: S
Source: Kill Bill
Skill: Overreaction
– Reacts disproportionately to betrayal or emotional threats
– Increased likelihood of initiating extreme retaliatory actions
Learning Requirement: —
Skill: Loyalty Shackles
– Exerts strong emotional and psychological control over subordinates
– Increases devotion of emotionally dependent partners
Learning Requirement: —
Bond: Strangers
---
Character Card: Beatrix Kiddo
Rank: SSR
Source: Kill Bill
Skill: Resurrection
– Recovers from near-fatal setbacks
– +30% willpower when seeking revenge
Learning Requirement: —
Skill: Blood for Blood
– Damage and execution success increase against betrayal targets
– +40% combat focus when facing former allies
Learning Requirement: —
Skill: Maternal Love
– +25% resistance to psychological manipulation involving family
– Significant morale boost when protecting a child
Learning Requirement: —
Skill: Yellow Battle Suit
– +20% intimidation effect in combat presence
– Recognizable signature increases psychological pressure on enemies
Learning Requirement: —
Skill: Pai Mei's Successor
– Mastery of the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique
– Instant-kill condition under specific activation sequence
Learning Requirement: —
Bond: Strangers
__________________________________________________________________________
When Luca saw "Pai Mei's Successor," he nearly lost his composure.
Master Pai Mei—the White-Browed monk—Bill's friend and the martial arts master who trained both Black Mamba and Elle. His Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique was legendary.
In the original storyline, Beatrix ultimately used that technique to kill Bill.
An American assassin using ancient Chinese Martial Arts to kill a man living quietly in Mexico with his child.
Absurd? Maybe.
Iconic? Absolutely.
---
If Pai Mei were still alive, five Black Mambas combined wouldn't stand a chance against him.
Luca glanced at Elle. She had already lost one eye—meaning Pai Mei was long dead.
In the original timeline, after Pai Mei gouged out her eye during training, Elle poisoned his fish soup to kill him.
Fish soup.
A tragic end for a master at that level.
Now only Black Mamba knew the Five Point Palm technique.
And she was hopelessly in love with Bill.
Not convenient.
That poor woman had been emotionally manipulated beyond belief.
Luca casually asked Elle, "Who's the woman next to Bill? His daughter?"
Elle froze, then burst out laughing.
That was the first time she had ever heard someone call Black Mamba Bill's daughter.
"They look like father and daughter, don't they?" Luca insisted.
Elle pulled out her notebook with a wicked grin. "You're right. Father and daughter."
"Next time," she whispered, "ask her if they've been that close since childhood. I guarantee Beatrix will blush."
"You evil woman," Luca laughed. "Trying to get me killed."
They slapped hands.
[Bond: Familiar]
---
Luca approached O-ren Ishii.
"Miss Ishii, how's your injury?"
He had been visiting her and Elle frequently on Long Island. Their relationship had grown warmer, though Oren remained composed and mission-focused.
"I've recovered. Thank you," she replied.
For some reason, Mr. Greco seems… more charming today.
She dismissed the thought immediately.
"Dominic was like an elder to me," Luca said quietly. "His death hit hard."
He spoke of joining the Mafia at ten. Of idolizing Dominic before drugs corrupted everything. Of the question Dominic once asked him:
Better to be loved—or feared?
Dominic chose fear.
"You can't be both."
"Please accept my condolences, Dove," Oren said softly.
Luca's gaze sharpened. "I want revenge. Killing Galant is all I want right now. Help me. Whatever enemy you face in the future—I'll stand beside you."
Oren thought of her childhood vendetta.
She nodded.
"This is my mission as well. We'll complete it together."
Elle leaned in. "What are you two whispering about?"
"We're debating what secrets you've written in that diary," Luca replied.
Oren allowed herself a faint smile.
"Yes. We're very curious."
They exchanged a look.
[Bond: Familiar]
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Ehem, As you may know, this 5 chapters is last chapters of the week, tomorrow is my day off. So, yeah.
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