Smith Doyle stared at the box on his desk. Inside were three Dragon Balls.
Originally, John Wick intended to leave all four Dragon Balls with him, but Smith decided it would be better for John to carry one. That way, he could better track John's movements.
As for the other three Dragon Balls, Smith was mildly surprised by their locations. He hadn't expected Ivan Vanko to have found one by sheer luck. But considering Vanko's desperate financial situation, John could likely buy it off him with the right price.
Xu Xialing, on the other hand, would be more difficult. As Shang-Chi's sister, she ran an underground fighting ring in Hong Kong and had built up considerable influence. Getting that Dragon Ball wouldn't be easy—it would take strategy.
Surprisingly, the easiest one to obtain was the one in the Osaka Continental. That one was held by the hotel's manager, one of the few people John Wick trusted with his life.
The reason Smith wanted John to speed up his collection was simple: while Yamcha's first appearance had proven he was strong, it hadn't been a one-sided slaughter. Regular pistols and assault rifles might not hurt him, but grenades, sniper rifles—or worse—could.
And unlike certain superheroes, Yamcha didn't have a vibranium shield to deflect damage. Smith had some knowledge of Marvel tech, and he knew it wouldn't be long before real threats emerged.
He needed more power to survive the coming storm. Getting his combat power level above 50 would be a solid start. That would at least make him a major player in the early stages of the Marvel Universe.
---
Elsewhere.
Pool approached John Wick, handing over three dossiers.
"John," he said, "The boss asked me to give you these. And from now on, I'll be sticking with you."
John took the files and skimmed through them. In moments, he had already formulated a plan.
"Pool, how am I supposed to keep you by my side without attracting attention?"
In response, Pool transformed into a floating balloon shaped like a blue cat and said:
"Just carry me around like this."
John nodded. "Simple enough."
With that, he left the textile factory, heading straight for his first destination—the Osaka Continental Hotel.
---
Nightfall.
Osaka Continental Hotel.
Shimamura was patrolling the hotel grounds with his men, casually nodding greetings to the guests.
At that moment, a Black assassin known by the codename "Hunter" walked into the hotel, a large German Shepherd at his side.
Akira stepped forward to greet him.
"Welcome to the Osaka Continental Hotel. How can I help you?"
Hunter slid a Continental gold coin across the counter and said:
"I need a room."
Akira accepted the coin, leaned slightly to look at the dog, and said:
"Sorry. Pets aren't allowed in the hotel."
Hunter calmly replied:
"Emotional support animal."
Akira raised an eyebrow. "It's your emotional support animal?"
Hunter looked down at the German Shepherd.
"Other way around. I'm its emotional support human. Right, buddy?"
He crouched down to scratch the dog's head.
Akira stifled a laugh and handed him a key card.
"It has to stay in your room."
Hunter took the card and walked away.
"Enjoy your stay, sir," Akira called after him, shaking her head with a smile.
Hunter sat down in the lounge area, pulled out his phone, and checked John Wick's bounty:
Public Contract – John Wick – $22 million.
"Not bad," he murmured, putting away the phone and flipping through a notebook filled with names and crossed-out faces. He stopped on a sketch of John Wick's face and marked the page.
Shimamura entered the lounge during his rounds and saw the German Shepherd.
Turning to Akira, he asked:
"There's a dog in my hotel lobby?"
Akira sighed. "It's an emotional support animal."
Shimamura scoffed. "Sure it is."
Akira moved on to reviewing his schedule. After hearing it, Shimamura asked:
"What's at 8 p.m.?"
"You're having dinner with your daughter," Akira replied. "She's worried you've been working too hard."
Shimamura smiled warmly.
"I must've done a lot of good in a past life to have a daughter like her."
Akira smiled back. "Good karma pays off."
Shimamura nodded. "That it does."
After scanning the lobby, he asked:
"How are our guests doing?"
Akira replied, "Some of the Gold Club members are anxious."
Shimamura nodded again. "These are restless times."
Akira added, "There was an incident at the New York Continental yesterday. The manager's head was put on display in the lobby."
Shimamura didn't react. "How's our concierge holding up?"
Akira replied, "Worried."
What no one else knew was that Akira was more than just the concierge—she was Shimamura's daughter.
Shimamura joked, "Maybe I should get you your own emotional support animal."
Akira didn't respond, walking with him deeper into the hotel's private areas.
She said quietly, "One wrong move when meeting John Wick could bring disaster."
Shimamura answered, "We've never offended the High Table."
Akira insisted, "Everyone knows how close you and John Wick are. The High Table will come."
Clearly, Akira didn't know that John had already joined the Assassin's League—she assumed he'd be coming to ask for Shimamura's help.
Shimamura replied, "Then we will treat him with courtesy."
Still uneasy, Akira said, "Nothing survives in John Wick's path."
Shimamura looked at her and said:
"I knew him before you were even born."
Akira apologized, "Forgive me, Father."
Then she turned and walked away.
Shimamura sighed. "Akira, please tell my daughter I'm looking forward to our dinner."
A smile crept onto Akira's face.
Because of the High Table's control, Shimamura dared not reveal Akira's true identity. Their enemies used family as leverage, so he had to pretend she was just a concierge—never showing his love for her in public.
—End of chapter—
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