"Thanks, Boss! You don't need to change the shape, just use my Zanbato as the base."
Upon hearing Wei Zhuang's words, Lafayette excitedly replied.
His Zanbato was a good sword, comparable to a quality katana, but if it could be fused with the Great Blade, then his sword would become even stronger, and his own power would increase as well!
"No problem, though your Zanbato will probably end up wider and heavier once fused."
Wei Zhuang knew that the Infinite Pirate Crew's Niu Lishan had exceptional forging skills, so fusing two swords was no problem.
"Bring the man on the ground with me!"
Wei Zhuang said.
Dolag Piekro hadn't been killed by Wei Zhuang, as the next steps required Dolag's cooperation. If Wei Zhuang wanted to take over Dolag's empire and become the new King of Assassins, he needed Dolag's knowledge and assistance.
Wei Zhuang sat on the throne that had once belonged to Dolag Piekro, patiently waiting for the dust to settle.
"Boss, we've dealt with all of Dolag Piekro's subordinates."
Soon after, Enel and the others had killed all the assassins in the base, while the ones left alive had been captured.
"Yo, Wei Zhuang, looks like you're becoming the King of Assassins!"
Just as all the senior members of the Reverse Sand gathered, an unfamiliar figure walked in.
"Who are you?"
Lafayette, upon seeing a strangely beautiful woman walking in, immediately prepared to take action and subdue her.
"Stop!"
Before Lafayette could act, Wei Zhuang blocked him.
"Mom, what are you doing here?"
Upon recognizing the person as Shakky, Wei Zhuang immediately jumped down from his throne and rushed to her side.
"What? My son is going to be the King of Assassins, and I, as your mother, can't come to witness this?" Shakky smiled at Wei Zhuang.
"Seems like you're not happy with the position I arranged for you, so you've decided to take on the title of 'King of Assassins' instead?"
In the blink of an eye, Shakky's smile turned into a dangerous expression as she grabbed Wei Zhuang's ear.
Shakky had originally planned for Wei Zhuang to take over the Sand Pirates' Guild, but since he had hesitated, she had not expected him to try and steal the position of King of Assassins from the dark world.
As a mother, Shakky immediately understood that Wei Zhuang wasn't interested in her arrangement but was determined to carve his own path.
Having received the news, she rushed to him, determined to teach her son a lesson. He had grown up, his wings had strengthened, and now he was even trying to deceive her, his mother!
"Ah, it hurts! Mom, please, let's talk, don't do this!"
Wei Zhuang, feeling the pain, immediately begged, looking like a child who had been scolded by his mother.
This behavior was a stark contrast to the cold, confident persona Wei Zhuang usually displayed in front of others.
Lafayette, standing nearby, was stunned. As the newest member of Reverse Sand, and the only one who hadn't met Shakky, this scene completely reshaped his perception of Wei Zhuang!
Everyone else wasn't surprised, as they had all known Shakky from their time with Wei Zhuang. In fact, Shakky had often brought them treats when they were younger.
"Alright, you're grown up now, and I understand you don't want to live under your mother's wings. Let's go, bring Dolag Piekro with us."
Seeing Wei Zhuang in that state, Shakky sighed and then released her grip.
It seemed the Sand Pirates' Guild was no longer an option for Wei Zhuang, but thankfully, she still had her daughter, Akame. Shakky thought she could guide Akame to take the position in the future.
"Mom, I'll come now!"
Hearing his mother's words, Wei Zhuang quickly moved away, picking up Dolag Piekro's body and following her.
"I say, Enel, is that really the boss's mom? She looks so young. I wouldn't have thought so!"
"And why is the boss so scared of her? I thought she seemed really nice and approachable."
"Also, what was the boss's background before? And what's his mom's name?"
"..."
After Wei Zhuang and Shakky left, Lafayette couldn't suppress his curiosity and immediately turned to Enel for answers.
"That's Aunt Shakky. She's usually really nice, but she can get like this sometimes."
Enel answered Lafayette's questions, telling him about things that weren't related to the Infinite Pirate Crew.
It was clear that both Wei Zhuang and Enel trusted Lafayette.
"Spiritual Mirror!"
After Wei Zhuang and Shakky entered a secret room, Shakky waved her hand, creating a mirror.
Upon seeing this, Wei Zhuang tossed Dolag Piekro in front of the mirror.
To Wei Zhuang's surprise, the mirror didn't reflect Dolag's unconscious body but instead displayed his soul, seemingly in a dazed state.
"You know the power of the Spiritual Mirror. Ask whatever you need to know, and it will answer truthfully," Shakky explained.
The Spiritual Mirror could reveal a person's soul and make it respond truthfully, as the soul was in a hypnotized state. Whatever questions were asked would be answered according to the soul's inner truth.
Shakky had used this ability to identify spies within the organization and to verify loyalty from those who pledged their allegiance.
Before, the Spider Network had relied on Li Yuan's telepathy to keep the organization under control, ensuring there were no traitors.
Now, Shakky could handle it herself, which significantly reduced Li Yuan's workload—she could handle it without needing his interference.
"Dolag Piekro, tell me everything about the assassins you control, the channels you manage, and your training methods."
Wei Zhuang was no stranger to Shakky's use of the Spiritual Mirror, so he immediately asked about the things that mattered most to him.
He didn't want to waste time rebuilding an assassin network from scratch. The fastest way to grow was to take over Dolag Piekro's entire operation and strengthen it. He intended to build an assassin organization that could rival the Sand Pirates' Guild or even the Spider Network.
As Dolag Piekro spoke, Wei Zhuang wrote down everything he learned, recording all the details.
After several hours, Wei Zhuang had extracted all of Dolag Piekro's secrets.
"Wei Zhuang, aren't you going to take over the Sand Pirates' Guild?"
Once Wei Zhuang finished writing, Shakky asked once again.
"Mom, I'm sorry."
Wei Zhuang knew he had let his mother down, but he wasn't interested in taking over the Sand Pirates' Guild.
He preferred to create his own power rather than follow his mother's arrangement.
In short, it was his rebellious nature, wanting to prove himself by creating his own path, instead of relying on his parents.
The fact that he named his organization Reverse Sand showed just how rebellious he truly was!
"Alright, since you really don't want to take over the Sand Pirates' Guild, I'll have Akame do it. Don't get left behind by your sister."
Shakky sighed and left after seeing that Wei Zhuang wasn't going to change his mind.
It seemed that when sons grow up, they become difficult to manage. Daughters, on the other hand, were always easier. No wonder her husband had spoiled Akame more than Wei Zhuang—Akame was more obedient and easier to deal with.
*(End of Chapter)*