Sixth day after setting sail.
Aboard the large merchant ship Croissant, VIP Cabin – Third Floor.
Mafia Victor stared thoughtfully at several zipper samples spread across the table before him. Each zipper differed in material, structure, and craftsmanship.
Ever since the moment he fought "Three-Finger Fox" Dam, Victor had understood why the Marines considered the Chain-Chain Fruit to be a useless Devil Fruit.
Unlike the Stand Sticky Fingers used by Bruno Bucciarati in the manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, the Chain-Chain Fruit's zipper ability could not be applied to other living beings.
In other words, the fruit lacked the most deadly ability of Sticky Fingers—the power to disassemble enemies with zippers upon contact.
At most, Victor could unzip and dismantle an enemy's clothing.
However, after a few simple tests and adjustments during his battle with Talma Pippin, Victor discovered something important:
The zipper ability could be used on his own body.
That single discovery opened countless possibilities.
More importantly, the Chain-Chain Fruit was not an ordinary Paramecia.
Victor's special Observation Haki—Apocalypse—had already revealed its true nature to him.
The fruit possessed three major Paramecia characteristics simultaneously:
Superhuman ability
Body transformation
Object creation
What Victor needed now was to thoroughly research the properties of different zippers and develop more powerful techniques.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The rhythmic knocking could only belong to Clansna.
"Come in."
After receiving permission, Clansna pushed open the door.
"Boss, the captain asked me to inform you that the lookout has already spotted the port of the Country of Flowers. We should arrive in about forty minutes."
"Understood," Victor replied calmly.
"Inform everyone to prepare for landing."
"Yes, Boss."
Thirty minutes later, everyone had gathered on deck, waiting for the ship to dock.
The massive harbor of the Country of Flowers lay directly ahead.
Ships of all sizes moved through the harbor like schools of fish, creating an extremely lively scene.
Even more surprising was the number of pirate ships docked openly in the port.
Yet the surrounding civilians and guards seemed completely indifferent to their presence.
"Hehehehe~~ We're finally here in the Country of Flowers!"
Perona jumped excitedly onto the dock first, raising both hands into the air.
"I heard the food here is amazing!"
"That's right, Lady Perona!"
Mim jumped down right after her, unusually agreeing with her for once.
"They say the super-spicy cuisine here is unbelievably incredible!"
"…I think the phrase is masterpiece craftsmanship, not 'unbelievably spicy,'" muttered the third person stepping off the ship.
Capone Bege rubbed his forehead as he stared at the two food-obsessed companions.
"Wait a second… what exactly did we come here for?"
"Are we some kind of sightseeing group?"
He turned toward Victor.
"Boss, are we heading out now?"
Standing on the dock, Mafia Victor calmly observed the surroundings. The culture and architecture of the Country of Flowers were clearly very different from Algairo Town.
He nodded.
"Yes."
"Have Clansna supervise the crew while they inventory the cargo."
"After that, we head to Tiger Shadow Mountain."
"Tiger Shadow Mountain?"
Bege was startled.
"Isn't that the base of the Happo Navy?"
The Happo Navy was not something to provoke lightly.
It was one of the eight official pirate forces under the authority of the Country of Flowers.
Its leader, Don Chinjao, was a legendary pirate.
It was said that even in the New World—where monsters roamed freely—Chinjao was still considered a top-tier fighter.
"That's right. The Happo Navy."
Victor replied casually.
"The other seven fleets are difficult to deal with."
"But I once met the future leader of the Happo Navy."
Seeing that his boss already had a plan, Capone Bege said nothing further.
Together with Clansna, he directed the crew as they finished organizing the cargo.
Soon everything was ready.
After storing all the cargo inside Capone Bege's castle space, Victor prepared to depart.
He brought only a small group with him:
Perona
Capone Bege
Clansna Edmond
Mim
The rest of the Coral members remained behind aboard the Croissant.
Their destination:
Tiger Shadow Mountain.
Meanwhile…
At the Marine Base in Algairo Town, West Blue.
A middle-aged man with deep forehead wrinkles leaned back in his chair, happily eating the famous baked cheese ring bread from Simon Cheese Ring Bakery.
"Report! The Mafia group has arrived at the port of the Country of Flowers."
A Marine soldier delivered the report.
The middle-aged man—Colonel Crone—struggled to swallow the bread before waving his hand dismissively.
"Cough… withdraw the surveillance."
"That Mafia guy has excellent counter-surveillance abilities."
He leaned back in his chair and muttered to himself.
That Mafia Victor sure is restless.
Did he go to the Country of Flowers for business… or to start another fight?
Well, it doesn't matter.
He won't have many peaceful days left anyway.
Crone had already imagined everything.
Once Admiral Zephyr arrived in the West Blue and subdued Mafia Victor, Crone would seize the opportunity to befriend the young genius.
If Victor later became a Marine Vice Admiral or even an Admiral, Crone would gain yet another powerful ally.
Colonel Crone happily sipped his coffee.
Just then, his private Den Den Mushi began ringing.
"Colonel Crone, I trust you've been well."
The Den Den Mushi's face transformed into the elderly features of Admiral Zephyr.
"Teacher Zephyr!"
Crone immediately straightened up.
"I'm ashamed that you found time in your busy schedule to call me personally!"
He eagerly continued,
"How is the Marine trainee examination at Headquarters going? Please don't overwork yourself—"
"Sorry," Zephyr interrupted.
"I won't be able to go to the West Blue for the time being."
"The Fleet Admiral wants me to personally supervise the trainee training ship this year."
"I agreed."
Crone felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
He froze for several seconds before stammering:
"Th-then… what about Mafia Victor?"
"Guard the entrance to Reverse Mountain."
"Do not provoke him."
"In about two months, I'll finish supervising the training ship and come over."
"Until then, do your best."
"Yes, sir!"
Crone instinctively saluted the Den Den Mushi.
"Please rest assured, Teacher Zephyr!"
"I will do everything in my power!"
"Take care of yourself."
Click.
The Den Den Mushi returned to its original expression and closed its eyes.
"…This is bad."
Sweat poured down Crone's face.
He immediately summoned several Marines.
"Deploy additional troops to guard the entrance of Reverse Mountain!"
"As long as Mafia Victor doesn't head there himself, leave him alone!"
To someone like Admiral Zephyr, Mafia Victor might only be a minor nuisance.
But for Crone—and for the West Blue—
A simulated bounty of 100 million Berries meant that Mafia Victor had already entered the top tier of combat power in the West Blue.
There were only a handful of people with higher bounties.
All Crone could do now was pray that Mafia Victor wouldn't do something reckless—
Like provoking the Happo Navy of the Country of Flowers.
Otherwise, even the gods wouldn't be able to save him.
And Crone's dream of returning to Marine Headquarters would collapse entirely.
Meanwhile, in the Country of Flowers.
Mafia Victor and his group had finally arrived at the base of the Happo Navy.
Tiger Shadow Mountain.