The next day, Mafia Victor and his group were summoned to the Treasure Canopy Jade Palace, the royal palace of the Country of Flowers, where they met with the nation's ruler.
The king had already received a confidential report from the Happo Navy. He was quite impressed with Mafia Victor, who had personally delivered weapons while also providing crucial intelligence. Of course, admiration was one thing—price negotiations were another.
For an entire morning, the royal advisor argued fiercely with Clansna Edmond and Capone Bege. Their verbal sparring went on for hours before both sides finally reached an agreement.
The Coral organization sold all the weapons they had brought, while the Country of Flowers paid an enormous sum of money in return.
With this money, Coral could not only complete the merger of the three major gangs but also begin expanding into legitimate commercial ventures instead of relying solely on underground businesses.
Most importantly, Coral successfully established a trade channel with the Country of Flowers—something extremely rare for a nation known for its stubborn conservatism.
After the deal was completed, the group stayed in the Country of Flowers for several more days, enjoying the country's famous cuisine. Meanwhile, Mafia Victor remained in his room studying the notebook that described the training method for Armament Haki.
On the fifth day after arriving in the Country of Flowers, Victor woke up late after staying up all night reading.
When he got up, he discovered that everyone else had already gone out. After spending several days indoors, he felt like he was about to grow mushrooms from inactivity.
So he decided to take a walk at the harbor.
The weather was bright and clear. The sea breeze carried the smell of fish and the noise of a bustling market. The harbor was lively and crowded.
Victor wore casual clothes and a brown bowler hat, his half-long golden hair tied into a bun at the back of his head. With his hands in his pockets, he wandered leisurely through the harbor market while contemplating his future plans.
He had already obtained the method for training Armament Haki. Mastering it would only be a matter of time.
As for Observation Haki, he had been born with an exceptional talent for it.
The most troublesome problem now was the awakening of his Devil Fruit ability. He had absolutely no clue how to achieve it.
If only the manga in my dream had updated further…
Victor's wandering thoughts were interrupted by the delicious aroma of food coming from a roadside stall.
The snack was called "Golden Fortune Pancakes."
Egg batter was fried on a hot iron plate until crispy, then cut into small pieces and placed in a box with sauces and seasonings sprinkled over it. It was eaten with bamboo skewers.
The price was cheap—200 Berries per box.
Victor bought one and began eating while walking.
He had only taken a couple bites when his attention suddenly shifted toward the far end of the harbor market.
A few seconds later, a commotion erupted there.
Several burly men had surrounded a woman wearing a plain robe and a conical hat, blocking her path.
"Hey hey, little lady!" the bald leader in a blue shirt shouted.
"You ran into me and seriously injured me! You think saying 'sorry' is enough?! No way!"
He looked perfectly healthy.
Another man with a mohawk and a long horse-like face stared at the woman's face in amazement.
"Hey, Brother Kukuma! This girl is gorgeous!"
"If we present her to the captain, we'll definitely get a big reward!"
Victor watched from the crowd and felt speechless.
How cliché…
These minor villains sounded like they had walked straight out of a third-rate script.
And why did each of them end their sentences with exaggerated shouting?
Victor turned his attention to the woman.
The henchman was right—she was stunningly beautiful.
She wore a simple robe with patches. Her long black hair was tied into a high ponytail, exposing a slender, snow-white neck.
Her eyes were a rare crimson-purple, and although she wore no makeup, her face was naturally beautiful. At the moment, however, it carried a hint of irritation.
"My apologies, gentlemen," she said calmly.
"I did accidentally bump into you earlier. But this market is crowded, and such collisions are inevitable. I hope you can show some understanding."
Her voice carried a heroic tone that contrasted with her delicate appearance.
"Understanding?" the bald man sneered.
"Who's going to understand my injuries?!"
He suddenly grabbed her arm and began dragging her toward a nearby pirate ship.
"You need to accompany me to see a doctor!"
"There's a great doctor on that ship. Come along!"
Clearly, he intended to abduct her. Their captain loved women like this.
The woman stumbled slightly as he pulled her forward.
Victor noticed something interesting—her left foot was wrapped in bandages, while her right foot bore a crescent-shaped tattoo.
Suddenly—
The bald man froze.
He clawed at his throat while red foam spilled from his mouth.
The mohawk henchman rushed over, only to discover that a long bamboo skewer had been deeply embedded in the bald man's throat.
The pirates panicked and hurriedly carried him back toward their ship.
The black-haired woman looked confused for a moment.
Then she realized something and looked toward the crowd.
There was a man walking away against the flow of people.
The only thing she could clearly see was a brown bowler hat.
Well… without the skewer I'd have to eat with my hands.
Victor returned to the stall and bought another serving of Golden Fortune Pancakes.
After asking for an extra bamboo skewer, he continued strolling through the harbor while eating.
After wandering for about half an hour, Victor turned into a narrow alley beside a row of houses.
He waited for a moment.
Soon, a figure hurried into the alley.
It was the same black-haired woman.
"Miss," Victor said with a smile.
"You've been following me for half an hour. You must be hungry."
He lifted the boxed pancakes and handed them to her.
"Eat first. Then we can talk."
The woman hesitated before accepting the box.
Victor casually sat down on a stone step and continued eating the rest of his snack.
The woman initially intended to refuse.
But then—
Her stomach growled.
Her face flushed red.
After a moment of hesitation, she opened the box and began eating the pancakes quickly but politely.
When she finished the entire box, Victor had also finished his food.
She closed the container and bowed deeply.
"I originally came to thank you for saving me earlier. Yet you have also treated me to a meal."
"This… is truly embarrassing."
Victor waved his hand.
"No need to worry."
"The leader of those men is a notorious pirate known as 'Coal-Brow' Umrich. He's quite troublesome."
"If you have no urgent business, it would be best for you to lie low for a while."
The woman bowed again.
"My apologies. I forgot to introduce myself."
"My name is Mai Benihime."
"May I ask your name, benefactor?"
Victor scratched his cheek and sighed with a smile.
"Let's skip the overly formal speech, alright?"
"My name is Mafia Victor."
"Nice to meet you… Miss Mai, from the Kozuki lineage of Wano Country."
The wind in the alley suddenly fell silent.
Mai Benihime's right hand dropped.
Then—
A flash of cold steel shot from her sleeve, aiming straight for Victor's throat.
But Victor reacted faster.
His neck instantly separated with a zipper, splitting apart so the blade passed harmlessly through empty space.
Resin Zipper – Puzzle.
Victor grabbed her right arm before she could recover.
"What's wrong, Miss Mai?" he said gently.
"Don't want people to know you're from Wano Country?"
"Or that you belong to the retainers of Kozuki Oden?"
Mai Benihime twisted her wrist, throwing her dagger into the air, preparing to catch it with her left hand.
But Victor restrained her other arm as well.
"Black Orochi's dog!" she spat angrily.
"I must have been blind to walk straight into a trap!"
Victor laughed.
"That square-faced, short fat man isn't qualified to be my master."
"Anyway, calm down."
"If you keep moving like this, your injured foot will really be ruined."
Victor was about to say something else when he suddenly noticed someone standing at the entrance of the alley.
It was Perona.
Her cheeks were stuffed with sweet rice cakes, and she was carrying a bundle of desserts in her arms.
She stared wide-eyed at the scene in the dim alley—Victor and Mai Benihime standing half-embraced while struggling with each other.
I just stepped out to buy sweet rice cakes…
And now some random woman has stolen my man?!