Tap… tap… tap…
The crisp sound of leather shoes striking stone echoed through the empty corridor.
With his golden hair loosely draped over his shoulders, Mafia Victor walked slowly through the wide but cold-toned hallway, wearing a luxurious black cloak. Above him, the tall vaulted ceiling was covered with classical murals.
Following closely behind him was a pink-haired girl in a black gothic dress—Perona—who stubbornly held her parasol even while walking indoors.
Their footsteps came to a stop.
They now stood before a pair of lacquered double doors.
Creeeaaak—!
With a slightly grating sound, Mafia Victor slowly pushed the doors open.
Inside was a spacious but sealed stone chamber. There were no windows, no torches—only the faint light from the corridor behind them illuminated the room.
At the center of the chamber stood a sturdy square iron cage.
Inside the cage sat a short, stout man wearing torn suit trousers, his upper body wrapped in bandages.
It was none other than Capone Bege, the man defeated by Mafia Victor.
Perona jogged to the side of the room and lit several candles placed on small stone shelves along the wall. She then dragged a chair over and placed it directly in front of the cage.
Mafia Victor sat down and looked at Capone Bege, who seemed to be resting with his eyes closed.
"Mr. Bege," he said gently, "why make things so difficult for yourself? After the battle ended, you agreed to join Coral."
"I did surrender back then!!"
Capone Bege's face twisted with anger as he suddenly lunged forward and grabbed the iron bars of the cage.
"But the agreement never said that merging the Capone Gang into Coral meant disbanding every single one of my men!"
"You're not absorbing us—you're destroying us completely!"
"I spent my entire life building the Capone Gang! And with one piece of paper, you casually wiped it all away!!"
"So you attacked Doctor Rulta, the man who was treating your injuries?" Mafia Victor asked calmly.
"He's a true gentleman."
Victor pulled a small box from his coat and opened it.
Inside were two premium cigars from Weave Island.
He handed the cigar box and a matchstick to Capone Bege.
Bege hesitated for a moment before accepting them.
Mafia Victor simply watched in silence as Bege lit the match and slowly rotated the cigar over the flame, skillfully but with noticeable impatience.
Only after Bege took two satisfied puffs did Victor speak again.
"Mr. Bege, I believe there's been a misunderstanding between us."
"That's why I came personally—to talk."
Capone Bege's face was half hidden in smoke.
After a few seconds of silence, he asked:
"A mafia organization that doesn't chase money… doesn't pursue women… and doesn't crave power."
"Mafia Victor… what exactly are you trying to achieve?"
Victor leaned slightly forward and smiled softly.
"The world."
Capone Bege froze.
Then he burst into loud laughter.
He laughed so wildly that even Perona—standing behind Victor—looked irritated.
After a long time, Bege finally stopped laughing and wiped tears from the corners of his eyes.
"Oh Victor, my dear Boss…"
"You're young, and yes, you're talented."
"But compared to the monsters out there… your strength is nothing."
Faced with such blunt mockery, Mafia Victor did not grow angry.
Instead, he stood up and walked to the cage.
He bent down and whispered a few words into Capone Bege's ear.
Those few quiet sentences instantly drained the color from Bege's face.
He staggered backward in shock.
"You're insane… completely insane…"
This time his tone carried no sarcasm—only genuine fear.
Victor smiled playfully.
"Mr. Bege… is that really the limit of your ambition?"
"Come."
"A magnificent new era is about to begin."
"Board my ship, and you'll have the chance to witness the very peak of this world."
Capone Bege smoked his cigar in silence.
Mafia Victor patiently waited.
Finally, Bege threw the cigar butt onto the ground and crushed it beneath his shoe.
His voice was hoarse.
"What's your plan?"
Victor's lips curled into a smile.
"First… we're going to the Country of Flowers."
"The Country of Flowers? That nation of martial artists?"
Bege put on his torn suit jacket.
"May I ask what exactly we're going there for, Boss?"
"There is a kind of power there that I need."
Victor replied calmly as Perona unlocked the cage door.
Two days later.
Early morning.
"Boss! Take me with you!"
"I swear I won't slow you down!"
At Echo Sound Harbor on the northern side of Algairo Town, a massive merchant ship was docked at the pier.
A group of Coral members dressed in black had gathered to see Mafia Victor off.
Among them, a skinny boy was eagerly begging Victor.
"Stupid monkey Mim!"
Perona placed her hands on her hips and scolded him.
"Victor is going to the Country of Flowers to negotiate an arms deal! Don't cause trouble!"
If Victor hadn't stopped her, she might have attacked the boy already.
But the skinny boy—Mim—ignored Perona entirely.
His eyes were filled with admiration as he stared at Victor.
"Boss Victor! Please! I can definitely help!"
"I've been training really hard! Look!"
He hurriedly rolled up his sleeves, showing off his thin arms and trying to flex a tiny bit of muscle.
Standing behind Victor, Capone Bege clicked his tongue in disgust.
He turned to a nearby man and asked quietly:
"Clansna… what's the deal with this little monkey?"
The man he addressed had long black hair draped over his shoulders and wore a black trench coat and gentleman's hat. He held a polished wooden cane.
Smiling gently, he replied:
"Mr. Capone may not know Mim's story."
"He's an orphan from the slums of Narva Town."
"He once got caught stealing bread. Boss Victor saved him."
"Since then, Mim has worshiped the Boss as his hero."
The truth was even harsher.
Mim had been on the verge of starvation.
Desperate, he tried to steal bread from the notoriously stingy Dodoberry Bakery.
But he was so weak from hunger that he was caught immediately.
He was nearly beaten to death.
At that moment, Mafia Victor—who happened to be in town on a mission—intervened and saved him.
Victor paid double for the stolen bread, personally bandaged Mim's wounds, and gave him all the food he had purchased from a nearby restaurant.
For a child who had been abandoned since birth and had never known kindness…
It was the first time Mim had experienced warmth.
Afterward, Mim worked tirelessly to discover Victor's identity.
Eventually, he secretly boarded a passenger ship to Algairo Town and joined Coral, becoming one of Victor's subordinates through sheer effort.
Back at the harbor, Mafia Victor looked somewhat helpless as Mim continued begging.
To be honest, Victor didn't want to bring Mim to the Country of Flowers.
Not because he underestimated him—
But because the journey would be extremely dangerous.
Aside from the essential crew, Victor was only bringing:
Perona, the newly appointed advisor
Capone Bege, the new warehouse manager
Clansna Edmond, a senior Coral officer
Clansna was actually quite powerful but had previously been suppressed by Talma Pippin, who feared his potential.
Victor thought for a moment before speaking firmly.
"If you insist on coming aboard…"
"You must agree to one condition."
"You must obey Perona's orders unconditionally."
Mim glanced nervously at Perona's cold smile before bowing deeply to Victor.
"Understood, Boss!"
Victor nodded.
He then turned to the white-haired elderly man standing quietly nearby.
"Mr. Wendru, while I'm away, I'll have to trouble you to look after the organization."
"Please rest assured, Boss."
The old man bowed respectfully.
"I wish you great fortune in battle during your journey."
Victor smiled faintly.
This old man was extremely clever.
He had probably already guessed the true purpose of Victor's trip.
Victor turned toward the ship.
"Alright, everyone!"
"Board the ship!"
"We're setting sail for the Country of Flowers!"