Marvel Saiyans - Chapter 12

Barlo Mata was spending time with his family.

The kitchen was bustling as his wife and mother were preparing dinner. Expertly made by their deft hands, the cornbread fried to a crispy perfection was wrapped with cheese and minced meat, its aroma filling the air. A plate of Empanadas resembling large dumplings, sliced limes, and chopped tomatoes looked utterly tantalizing.

Fajitas, which in Spanish refers to the diaphragm of a cow, has become a traditional home-cooked meal in Mexico. It has evolved to include not just grilled diaphragm but also beef from other cuts, chicken, pork, and seafood, all grilled together with onions and green peppers, topped with warm butter, guacamole, salsa, and a spicy sauce made from over a hundred spices.

The highlight was the cochinita pibil, a dish where marinated pork is slow-cooked in banana leaves, gaining a unique flavor from the annatto seeds.

At that moment, Barlo was cuddling his beloved son, watching TV.

“Daddy, will Santa Claus bring me presents this year?”

He ruffled his son’s hair.

“He will, my child because you are Barlo Mata’s son. Santa Claus wouldn’t dare not to bring you Christmas gifts.”

Barlo was slightly overweight, with a thick mustache and a beer belly, appearing like an ordinary middle-aged man.

Suddenly, a muscular, tattooed subordinate entered, holding a smartphone, evidently having received some information he needed to report.

Barlo placed his child on the couch, adjusted his pants, and stood up, signaling with his eyes for his subordinate to step outside for a talk. Only then could one discern a trace of commanding authority from his deep-set eyes.

They walked out of the room to a gazebo in the courtyard.

A wide artificial river circled the Mata estate, from which the sounds of large animals breathing could be heard; these were the hippos Barlo Mata kept in the artificial river.

He pulled out a cigarette, placed it in his mouth, and lit it with a lighter. Barlo Mata took a deep drag, then slowly exhaled the smoke.

“Is there a problem with the Reyes Group?”

His subordinate replied immediately.

“Yes, sir, Filiberto’s daughter has been kidnapped. They are trying to keep it a secret, but we have an informant at the scene.”

Barlo Mata flicked his cigarette ash into the river, pondering momentarily.

“Notify Munoz to prepare a move against the Reyes Group. Spend more money, let the mercenaries take action, and keep our people safe. Spread the news about Filiberto’s daughter’s kidnapping; the hyenas will be eager to attack a lion showing signs of weakness.”

His subordinate was somewhat puzzled.

“Boss, someone is trying to provoke a war between us and the Reyes Group.”

Barlo Mata spread his hands:

“Who would believe the kidnapping wasn’t our doing? In Mexico, other than me, Barlo Mata, no one would dare touch that scumbag, Filiberto. Since that’s the case, it’s better to strike first. After the war with the Reyes Group ends, we’ll investigate who’s behind this.”

……

……

“Too weak! Too weak! You are too weak!”

Broly’s voice rang out in the safe house’s basement, tinged with disappointment. His hands were clad in boxing gloves as he squared against a captured mutant.

The mutant, panting heavily, was drenched in sweat. His complex muscles powered his strong, rain-like punches. His X-gene not only endowed him with strength beyond human limits but also granted him a healing factor far superior to that of an ordinary person. A fractured right hand had healed overnight.

For an average person, a single punch from him would mean a shattered skull and splattered brains. But Broly moved like a storm petrel in a cyclone, easily dodging the incoming fists.

Fed up with such a dull fight, Broly chose his moment and struck during a dodge. The mutant only saw a blur before a tearing pain erupted in his abdomen. The pain blacked out his vision as if the punch had knocked his soul out of his body, robbing him of control.

Looking down at the kneeling, retching mutant, Broly realized he had overestimated his opponent’s abilities. The mutant possessed about 70% of his strength, but his martial skills, reaction speed, stamina, and resilience were all inferior to Broly’s. In a real fight, Broly could dominate with just one hand.

Such an opponent was inadequate for improving his skills.

For a warrior, martial skills and talent are only part of what defines strength. Isolation leads to ignorance. Goku’s achievements were greatly aided by his companions, teachers, and formidable foes like Vegeta and Frieza, especially after the Frieza Saga, where his power surged exponentially.

“I’ll be back in five days, hoping you can withstand a punch then; otherwise, you’ll die.”

Broly wrapped the mutant in chains, dropped a bag of food sufficient for five days on the floor, and locked the heavy iron door. The underground cell of the safe house was robustly built with walls eighty centimeters thick. Even for a mutant, escape was no simple task, especially while bound in chains.

Broly returned upstairs, opened the fridge, and downed a bottle of sports drink.

“Mata Group has made their move, posting nearly a hundred bounties on Reyes Group members on the dark web,” Alejandro pointed to a webpage.

The webpage displayed various bounties, some worth millions, others tens of thousands. Having competed with the Reyes Group for over a decade, the Mata Group knew their rivals well and had listed most of the senior and middle-level members of the Reyes Group.

Earlier bounties targeted those opposing the Mata Group, including military and police officers, lawyers, journalists, TV hosts, and even local mayors. The Mata Group had previously posted bounties on Reyes Group members, but no hitman had ever dared to take them up.

“Hell’s gates are open!” Alejandro tapped on the table, “These hitmen will gladly show us some traditional Mexican craftsmanship.”

In the living room, Broly lifted two 300-kilogram dumbbells for weight training, completing five sets of sixteen repetitions. The weights barely rattled with the heavy impact of metal, as light as birds in his hands.

“This bounty is just the beginning. Barlo Mata’s plans are never this simple. Merely assassinating a few executives won’t shake the Reyes Group. They’ll soon hire mercenaries to attack the Reyes Group’s transit points, labs, and factories. We must find some allies; we aren’t enough to match a mercenary squad.”

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