Chapter 29 — Arrival
The Taimé Mafia wasn't based within the Sibia Archipelago itself, but on a smaller island in the neighboring sea region — a place called Baiskaiborg.
That stretch of water was still under the jurisdiction of the 315th Marine Branch.
Baiskaiborg might have been small, but compared to the impoverished Sibia islands, it was practically a city of gold. The town there was well-developed, bustling, and prosperous — and entirely under the rule of one group: the Taimé Mafia.
In other words, the entire island belonged to them.
Of course, such a situation wasn't rare in the West Blue. The mafia's influence here ran deep. Their power was so great that even the Marines often turned a blind eye, knowing that to "enforce justice" too zealously might only invite more chaos.
Most islands with any degree of wealth had already been carved up by the West Blue's five great mafia families.
Still… Eiger frowned slightly.
How come I've never heard of this Taimé Mafia before?
Rowing at the front of the small boat, Ginny quickly answered — nervous but honest.
"The Taimé Mafia only rose up recently, sir. Used to be other families in this area, but our boss drove them all out. Now we've got ties with the Capone Family — one of the West Blue's Five Great Mafias! Once the alliance solidifies, the Taimé Mafia will be the strongest family in this whole sea. No one will dare mess with us then!"
He actually sounded… proud.
Eiger raised a brow, then reclined lazily on the boat's deck. "Didn't this area get cleared out by a Marine cleanup operation a few years ago?"
"You know about that, boss?" Ginny blinked in surprise. "Yeah, the old mafias here offended some powerful guy — they got wiped out completely. But come on, sir… you really think the underworld can stay clean? That's impossible. After things calmed down, new families just popped right back up. Ours was one of them. Then it got worse — gangs everywhere, all fighting for scraps."
His voice dropped, heavy with disgust.
"Everywhere you go, someone's demanding money. You pay one gang in the morning, another in the afternoon, and a third at night. If you can't pay, they sell you as a slave. And if you're a pretty woman… well, they don't even bother pretending it's about money."
Eiger's eyes narrowed. "…And yet you joined one of them?"
Ginny's shoulders tensed.
"What choice do I have? You can't not join a gang in this sea!" he said bitterly. "If you stay out, everyone bullies you. Every family squeezes you for 'protection fees.' At least with the Taimé Mafia, once we crush the others, we'll only have to pay one gang. That's better than ten!"
He hesitated, then sighed with a sad sort of acceptance.
"The truth is… in these seas, the mafia never really dies."
Eiger fell silent. For a long time, only the sound of waves and oars filled the quiet.
Finally, he lay back down again and said flatly, "Keep rowing."
From Ginny's rambling, Eiger had pieced together enough.
The Taimé boss hadn't sent anyone to attack him — just to "invite" him.
The demand for two hundred million berries? That was the personal greed of that idiot Kunge, who saw the construction on the Sibia islands and assumed there was easy money to extort.
As for why the boss wanted to meet him — Ginny didn't know. He was just a fresh recruit.
The little boat crept steadily across the waves, the oars slicing quietly through the dark water. Without an engine, it was slow — painfully so — which was exactly why most mafia families avoided controlling remote islands. Traveling there was simply too much trouble.
They sailed through the night.
When dawn broke, the sunlight shimmered over the sea's surface.
"Boss," Ginny said softly, his tone respectful and nervous. "We're here."
Eiger opened his eyes, feeling the warmth of the early morning sun.
"Already?"
He stretched, his fatigue melting away. Standing, he grabbed his one-handed axe and swung it up onto his shoulder.
"This boat ride was torture."
With a small jump, he landed on the dock.
Behind him, Ginny hesitated. His voice trembled.
"Boss… are you really going in there? You're strong, I get it, but the Taimé Mafia's working with the Capone Family now. If you leave right now, I swear I didn't see anything. You can just… go."
He closed his eyes, bracing for what he thought was the smart move — for this terrifying man to turn and walk away.
Instead—
A firm hand rested on his shoulder.
"Come on," said Eiger's calm voice behind him. "They invited me, didn't they? It would be rude not to show up."
Then, after a pause, Eiger leaned closer and added almost casually,
"By the way… Ginny."
"Y-yes, boss?"
"You ever think about becoming the boss yourself?"
Ginny froze.
"...Huh?!"
He wasn't sure if Eiger was joking—
or if he'd just been drafted into a coup.
"Be… the boss?"
Ginny blinked, his brain grinding to a halt.
What the hell is this guy talking about?
Before he could even process the question, the heavy hand on his shoulder was gone. He snapped his eyes open and turned around—just in time to see Eiger already walking toward the city gates with that same unhurried, almost lazy stride.
Ginny hesitated for several long seconds, then sighed deeply, shoulders slumping.
To hell with it… if he's going to die, I'll probably die too.
Scurrying forward, he caught up and stammered, "B-big boss! At least let me lead the way, please!"
Eiger didn't bother replying, just nodded faintly. Together they walked toward the heart of the island.
The closer they got to the city, the clearer it became that the Taimé Mafia truly ruled every inch of this island. Their insignia was everywhere — painted on tavern doors, stamped on warehouses, even carved into the cobblestones.
By the time Eiger stepped onto solid ground, word of his arrival had already spread through the underworld's network like wildfire. Hidden eyes watched from windows and alleyways as the pair passed — sharp, suspicious, hungry.
Eiger felt them, of course. He simply didn't care.
Following Ginny's lead, he soon arrived at the Taimé headquarters, a sprawling mansion of dark stone that dominated the center of Baiskaiborg's only city.
As Eiger approached the front gate, two men in black suits stepped forward, blocking his path.
"Hold it right there," one sneered, raising a hand. "Drop your weapon, you rude bastard. You think you can just—"
They never finished.
Eiger's axe came down in a clean, effortless arc.
Two screams split the air — sharp, brief, and final. The guards collapsed where they stood.
All around, the sound of gunmetal clattered as the other gangsters drew their pistols, panic flashing across their faces.
Eiger didn't even glance at them. He walked straight past, leaving bloody footprints on the steps.
For a tense moment, no one moved — then a cold voice drifted from inside the mansion.
"Let him through," it said flatly. "Boss said the rude one comes in alive."
Relief swept through the guards like a wave. They quickly lowered their weapons, stepping aside.
Eiger didn't slow. He continued down the corridor without so much as a look back.
Ginny, on the other hand, looked like he'd aged ten years in five minutes. His heart hammered against his ribs.
He's insane! Completely insane!
If Eiger hadn't actually come, Ginny could've spun some excuse — "a storm," "a shipwreck," anything. But now?
The boss and half the upper crew were dead, he'd brought a Marine here, and that Marine had already injured more of their men.
Whatever happened next, Ginny knew one thing for sure — his odds of surviving this day were slim.
Still, he forced himself to follow. Maybe, maybe if he brought Eiger directly to Victor, his life could be spared.
The corridor ahead was dimly lit, the smell of cigar smoke and cologne thick in the air. Eventually, they reached a wide set of double doors — already open.
Eiger stepped inside.
A booming laugh immediately filled the room.
"Hahahaha! Welcome to my little kingdom, ex-Marine Ensign! You're Eiger, right?"
Eiger's eyes lifted toward the source of the voice.
Sitting in a massive leather chair behind a polished desk was a broad-shouldered man with slicked-back hair, a scar running down one cheek. He wore a black suit, but unlike his subordinates, his shirt was gone — his chest bare beneath a half-open jacket. Gold chains glinted around his neck.
Victor, boss of the Taimé Mafia.
Eiger's grip tightened slightly on his axe.
"So you're Victor, huh?" he said flatly. "The one who wanted to see me."
There was no deference, no respect — just calm indifference.
Victor's grin widened, revealing a row of sharp, white teeth.
"Yeah," he said, leaning forward on his elbows. "And now that you're here…"
He gestured to the seat across from him.
"…why don't we have ourselves a little talk?"