"Brother! Who is this shameless woman?!"
Perona shouted angrily.
The food she had been carrying scattered into the air as she rushed forward, shoving herself between Mai Benihime and Mafia Victor, aggressively pushing the woman away.
"Sh–shameless?! How rude! I am the victim here! You impolite, foolish girl—let go of me immediately!"
Mai Benihime let out a startled cry. Somehow she found the strength to break free from Victor's grip and instantly began grappling with Perona.
Victor resisted the urge to sigh toward the sky.
Deciding it was best not to watch the increasingly dramatic—and oddly glamorous—brawl between the two girls, Victor bent down and picked up the short blade that had fallen onto the ground.
Before he could examine it closely, Victor suddenly lifted his head and looked toward the far end of the alley.
With a swift motion, he slashed the blade across the stone ground.
A pale zipper appeared along the line of the cut. The stone on both sides of the zipper softened like fabric, yet when touched it still retained the solid feel of stone.
Victor grabbed one side of the zipper and pulled upward as easily as lifting canvas, then canceled the ability.
Resin Zipper – Building Block.
A massive slab of stone ground flipped upward with a thunderous crash, forming a gigantic shield in front of the three of them.
At the exact same moment—
A blazing charcoal projectile wrapped in intense heat slammed into the stone shield.
Fragments of rock exploded outward in a violent storm of dust and debris.
The two young women reacted instantly.
Two towering ghost guardians appeared beside Perona, standing protectively at her sides.
Mai Benihime snatched the short blade back from Victor, shot him a fierce glare, and assumed a reverse-grip stance with the weapon.
At the far end of the alley, several figures appeared.
Among them were the mohawk-faced henchman and the bald man in blue whose neck was now wrapped in bandages.
Walking at the center was a tall, extremely thin man with a long beard. The edges of his beard and eyebrows smoldered with glowing embers, and his expression was dark and sinister.
Without a doubt—
This was the pirate Victor had mentioned earlier.
"'Coal-Brow' Umrich," Victor said casually as he removed his hat and tossed it aside before loosening the collar of his shirt.
"Bounty: 87 million Berries. A Charcoal-Charcoal Fruit user."
"This is a warning."
"I'm willing to overlook that last attack."
"But you should think very carefully about your next move."
"So take your trash with you…"
"…turn around and get lost."
Umrich remained unmoved.
His sinister gaze slowly swept across the three of them. It lingered briefly on Perona before finally settling on Mai Benihime.
"…So it's you," Umrich said in a strangely low voice.
"Kneel down and crawl over here with that pink-haired girl."
"Otherwise, your fate will be the same as this foul-mouthed brat."
As he spoke, dark red embers flickered at the fingertips of his black mole-fur gloves.
Mai Benihime frowned and whispered to Victor,
"This sorcerer is very strong. You two should run. I will hold him back."
Although she said this calmly, she had already made up her mind.
Once Victor and Perona escaped, she would immediately take her own life.
Even though she was severely injured and could barely use a fraction of her strength, she would never allow the body she had protected for eighteen years to fall into the hands of such a vile man.
Victor sighed helplessly.
He grabbed Mai Benihime by the back of her collar and tossed her toward Perona.
"Why are you suddenly adding yourself into the drama?" he said.
"You're injured. Act like it. Stay behind Perona."
Victor removed his casual jacket and tossed it aside before slowly rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.
"You're wasting my goodwill, Mr. Umrich."
Umrich chuckled coldly.
"Arrogant little brat…"
The embers in his eyebrows suddenly ignited violently, sending sparks flying.
"I promise your death will be extremely painful."
The ground beneath Umrich's feet scorched black as he shot forward at incredible speed, arriving instantly in front of the massive stone shield.
Both of his arms transformed into blazing charcoal fists. Bringing them together, he smashed down with terrifying force.
"Meteor Charcoal Bomb Fist!"
BOOOOOOM!!!
The explosion was like a bomb detonating instantly.
The stone shield and the walls of the alley were completely shattered.
Umrich's subordinates were blown screaming out of the alley by the shockwave.
Within the smoke-filled ruins, Umrich revealed a vicious grin.
"Run like rats, kid!"
"When I catch you, I'll rip every bone out of your body one by one!"
"Oh?"
A calm voice suddenly sounded behind him.
"Great minds think alike, don't they, Mr. Umrich?"
Umrich's temples bulged with rage as a dark-red charcoal shell formed across his entire body.
Then—
It exploded.
"Charcoal Explosion Body!"
The alley was devastated by a second massive explosion.
Buildings on both sides collapsed completely.
A figure shot upward through the smoke and debris—Umrich himself.
Hovering in midair, Umrich realized his second large-scale attack had still failed to injure that brat.
Narrowing his triangular eyes, he quickly spotted Perona dragging Mai Benihime toward the harbor.
"Kid, you'll soon pay for your big mouth…"
"Let's start with your woman!"
"Impact Charcoal Wings!"
Slots filled with burning charcoal opened along his back. With a violent explosion, the propulsion blasted him forward through the air toward Perona and Mai Benihime.
His plan sounded perfect.
But—
From the smoke-filled alley below, five endlessly extending metal zippers suddenly shot upward.
They streaked through the air like golden meteors trailing flames, stabbing toward Umrich.
"Metal Zipper – Five-String Lute!"
Umrich quickly adjusted his trajectory midair using explosive charcoal vents.
But he soon realized—
Those five zippers had never intended to pierce him.
They brushed past his body before suddenly changing direction.
The five chains wrapped around him in layers, binding the airborne pirate tightly.
The smoke below was blown away.
Victor stood firmly on the ground.
The tips of his five fingers had transformed into endlessly extending zipper blades—the very chains binding Umrich.
Victor roared as the muscles in his body twisted with explosive force.
He yanked Umrich violently toward the ground.
"What the—?!"
"What kind of monstrous strength is this?!"
"How is this kid so strong?!"
"Impact Charcoal Boots—maximum output!"
Umrich's feet transformed into explosive charcoal thrusters, blasting powerful flames as he tried to resist Victor's incredible strength.
But—
That was exactly what Victor wanted.
"Goodbye, Mr. Umrich…"
"Ferocious Chain – Meat Grinder."
The chains around Umrich suddenly loosened slightly.
Before he could even feel relieved—
Every zipper tooth facing his body transformed into razor-sharp hooked blades.
Driven by the opposing forces between them, the five serrated chains began spinning violently around Umrich's body.
The sky began to rain blood.
That day—
Everyone in the harbor market of the Country of Flowers—citizens, merchants, and passing pirates alike—witnessed the brutal side of the leader of Coral.
From that day forward, Mafia Victor gained a new title:
"Ferocious Chain" Mafia Victor.