Chapter 25
To completely control the behemoth that is the Port Mafia, Mori Ougai alone could not possibly do it. Therefore, he had to unite with those in the Port Mafia who were willing to stand by him and support him, and rely on their power to seize the position of leader.
Mori Ōgai seized the position of Port Mafia leader to maintain peace in Yokohama and bring relative stability to the city amidst chaos, not to gain the right to indulge in pleasure. Therefore, he had to ensure that the people of the Port Mafia were completely convinced of his right to the position.
This is his sense of righteousness, and also his advantage in rising to power.
Besides the leader, the Port Mafia also has five executives, one of whom is Ozaki Koyo.
As for Ozaki Koyo, Mori Ougai had already been in contact with her before. She had a grudge against that old man and disapproved of the Port Mafia's current practices, so winning her over would be a very simple matter.
Because Mori Ōgai had made a promise to her before, a promise that even a flower in the darkness could find a suitable place in this world and bloom perfectly.
Having already reached a dead end, Ozaki Kouyou chose to believe Mori Ougai's promise. Although she didn't say she would help him seize power, she made it clear that if Mori Ougai could really become the leader of the Port Mafia, she would support him without any objection.
For Mori Ōgai, this is already a very good result.
There was another person Mori Ōgai had met beforehand: Hirotsu, who had first led Mori Ōgai to the port Mafia to meet that old man. Although this old man wasn't one of the five executives, his position in the port Mafia was by no means low. He was old and had worked at the port for many years; his reputation among the lower-ranking staff was no less than that of the five executives.
Winning him over was important, but not difficult for Mori Ōgai. Grandpa Hirotsu was a man of great refinement, and his gentlemanly demeanor made him quite dissatisfied with the port boss's brutal methods.
More importantly, Mr. Hirojin was less loyal to the leader of the Port Mafia and more loyal to the Port Mafia organization itself.
Such a person will definitely make the choice that is most beneficial to the organization.
Besides Ozaki Koyo, there are two other Port Mafia executives still alive. One is wealthy; it's said he bought his position. For someone like that, as long as Mori Ougai is strong enough to keep him in check, there shouldn't be any major problems.
Another officer, powerful and highly respected within the port's Mafia, was extremely loyal. This officer also disapproved of the old man's brutality and had tried to dissuade him from the beginning. This enraged the old man, who, coinciding with a mission abroad, reassigned the officer.
It was precisely because this cadre was on a mission abroad that he survived. The other loyalists of the port Mafia who disapproved of the old man's actions had already been mostly killed by him.
Because the old man had previously gone mad from illness and killed most of his loyal confidants who dared to speak frankly, the current Mafia members in the port all revere the old man's power, not him as a person. Even those who are unhappy with the current situation dare not speak out. No, they dare not even show their anger.
The old man's reckless actions in the early stages laid a solid foundation for Mori Ōgai's later usurpation of the throne.
However, most members of the Port Mafia, especially those at the lower levels, still hold a strong belief in the old man's loyalty. A direct confrontation is unrealistic; the best approach is to convince them that Mori Ōgai's ascension to the leadership was legitimate.
That old man is now deserted by everyone and has lost the support of the people. If Mori Ōgai can use a bloodless and legitimate means, everyone will believe that the old man willingly passed the position to him. He will then be able to obtain the position of port leader as he wishes, silence everyone, suppress all dissenting voices, and successfully control all the forces in the port.
Thanks to Mori Ōgai's efforts, all the favorable conditions were on his side. Everything was ready except for the final push.
"Oh my, Dr. Mori, you're all dressed up so nicely today, are you going out to conquer the world?" Rokudo Mukuro teased Mori Ougai as he packed his things to leave.
Mori Ougai was somewhat helpless. He himself didn't know why, why these children would notice him every time he dressed up a little. Just like today, his clothes were no different from before, except that his clothes were cleaner and tidier, and he even put some hair wax on his hair, which was why Rokudo Mukuro noticed him at a glance.
He plans to make a big splash today, officially appearing before all the port Mafia members; he still needs to maintain a certain image.
And who is Rokudo Mukuro? A perpetually stylish and sophisticated boy, how could he not see through the repressed and lewd thoughts in the heart of Mori Ōgai, this old man?
Mori Ougai sighed helplessly: "I was thinking about making my first appearance, so I had to be mindful of my image!"
"Also, Mukuro-kun and Dazai-kun, we've already discussed it. You two will come with me to the port Mafia later, so don't forget." Mori Ougai was afraid that these two ancestors would change their minds at the last minute.
"Honestly, Dr. Mori goes off to do bad things and drags us along too. Is that really okay?" Dazai Osamu curled his lip in disdain, his iris-colored eyes fixed on Mori Ougai, filled with contempt.
"Dazai-kun, don't look at me like I'm scum! Didn't I say before that I was only taking you there to lower that old man's guard, not to make you do anything else?" Mori Ougai raised his hand, trying again to salvage his image.
"Who knows? If something unexpected happens along the way, I highly doubt that Dr. Mori will remove the two of us as witnesses or scapegoats or something." Rokudo Mukuro had no belief that Mori Ougai had any good image; he would only maximize a person's usefulness until he squeezed out the last bit of value from their very marrow.
Mori Ougai paused for a moment. There's one downside to children being too smart: they always blurt out their thoughts beforehand, which makes adults lose face.
"I believe that with your special ability, Mukuro-kun, we won't end up like you said."
Rokudo Mukuro's "superpower" has a Schrödinger-like nature, with all sorts of bizarre uses. When he tells Yosano Akiko about it, it has one use, and when he tells Mori Ougai about it, it has another use.
He can create things using his supernatural abilities that can deceive anyone's perception. This is what Rokudo Mukuro said to Mori Ougai when introducing his supernatural abilities.
This was also one of the main reasons why Mori Ōgai tried so hard to win over Rokudo Mukuro, hoping he would participate in his plan to usurp the throne.
…………
"Dr. Mori, I feel like my health is deteriorating again, and I'm constantly mentally exhausted... Do you think I can ever recover my health?"
The old man's body had long been weakened by age and the effects of excessive drinking and womanizing. If he takes good care of himself, avoids anxiety and anger, and maintains a calm mindset, he might have several more years to live.
However, this is simple for ordinary people, but completely unrealistic for him, the leader of the port Mafia. Without fine wine and women, how can he demonstrate his wealth? Without being able to kill in anger, how can he demonstrate his power?
He was still sick, but his illness affected his control over power. He couldn't live without power, so he became irritable and easily angered, which in turn worsened his condition. It was a vicious cycle.
"My lord, don't worry, you'll get better." Mori Ougai looked at the old man lying on the bed with his usual smile. The old man's face was sallow, his cheeks were sunken and his voice was weak and feeble, as if he were terminally ill.
But his eyes remained as crazy and manic as ever.
"How could I not be worried!" Upon hearing Mori Ougai's words, the old man suddenly flew into a rage. His physical weakness made him extremely upset, and although Mori Ougai's words were meant to be caring, they sounded like utter perfunctory remarks to him.
"Doctor, I order you to heal me as soon as possible. Otherwise..." The old man's eyes were filled with anger and murderous intent. Although he was lying on the hospital bed, he was still as arrogant as ever.
"That's a bit much to ask, Chief." Mori Ougai pretended to be hesitant.
The old man turned his gaze to Rokudo Mukuro and Dazai Osamu, who were standing in the corner. These two children would accompany Mori Ougai to the port Mafia every now and then, and he was already used to it. In his eyes, these two children were the handle that allowed him to control Mori Ougai.
"...Dr. Sen, you'd better heal me as soon as possible, otherwise I can't guarantee that your two children will be able to leave this building safely..." The old man's eyes were contemptuous and malicious.
Mori Ougai was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Kufufufu... You still haven't figured out the situation?" Rokudo Mukuro stepped forward with a smile, looking at the old man who had already gone mad.
The old man finally realized what was happening and looked at Mori Ōgai in disbelief: "You want to assassinate me?! If you kill me, do you think you can safely leave the port as a Mafia?!"
"Not only that, Dr. Mori also wants the position of leader of your port Mafia~" Rokudo Mukuro added with a smile, he just loved watching the evil Mafia struggle before they died.
"Impossible! Mori Ougai is just a lowly doctor, what qualifications does he have!...Someone come here!...Someone come here quickly..." The old man struggled to sit up in bed.
In his mind, Mori Ōgai might want to assassinate him, which already surprised him. He didn't expect Mori Ōgai's ambitions to be even greater than he had imagined.
Assassination, usurpation—and he even brought two children with him when he did all that! Is Mori Ougai a normal person?
The old man still hasn't realized that Mori Ōgai isn't a normal person, nor are the two children around him.
"Alright, stop shouting. Save your energy. You won't get anyone in. Kufufufu, you want to die peacefully, don't you?" Rokudo Mukuro kindly advised, after all, he was very confident in the illusion barrier he had set up.
“Hey~ Mukuro-kun is more like a villain than Dr. Mori now,” Dazai Osamu said in his sweet voice.
“Aren’t we all villains now?” Rokudo Mukuro asked with a smile.
“That’s true.” Dazai Osamu tilted his head and thought for a moment, then nodded seriously.
The two of them started joking around the old man's bedside, which made Mori Ougai feel no tension at all.
The old man stared with his bloodshot eyes, his breathing rapid and his chest heaving violently with rage.
"My lord, thank you for your care before. I am deeply grateful for your temporary appointment after your death from illness. You may die in peace."
Mori Ougai completely ignored the old man's ferocious expression. While speaking tenderly, he took out his scalpel, and with a swift and decisive stroke, it was all over.
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