Boarding Iron Fist Island

Iron Fist Island stood at the very center of the boxing district.

By the time Jack's ship docked, two rows of men were waiting on the pier. Black clothes, sunglasses, hands in their pockets, jackets bulging at the chest. The man at the end held a Doberman on a leash. A metal cage covered the dog's muzzle, and a low growl rumbled in its throat.

Colin jumped off the ship and glanced over the men. "Quite the welcome."

Jack said nothing. He came down from the ship, his military boots thudding against the wooden planks.

At the end of the pier stood Capone Bege.

He wasn't wearing a suit today. Instead, he had on a dark gray trench coat with the collar turned up, his hair combed back to reveal his smooth forehead. His expression was relaxed, with even a hint of a smile, like a businessman waiting for an old friend.

Two men stood beside him.

The one on the left was Iron Mask. He stood over two meters tall, his whole body covered in a dark gray metallic sheen. His skin looked plated in iron, its surface matte. An iron mask hid his face. It had no features, only two dark eyeholes with pinpoints of dull red light inside. An Armor-Armor Fruit user, with a bounty of 61 million.

The man on the right was half a head taller than Iron Mask and as broad as a wall. His skin was dark brown, and his messy hair hung over his shoulders. His eyes were yellow, with horizontal pupils. White vapor puffed from his nostrils when he breathed.

Jack looked away, walked up to Bege, and stopped.

Bege held out a hand, his smile widening. "Major Jack. I've heard a lot about you."

Jack took his hand and shook it. "You're too kind, Mr. Bege."

Their hands parted after a second.

"This is Mr. Iron Mask, the owner of this place."

Jack turned and shook Iron Mask's hand.

"Sorry for the intrusion."

"Major, it's an honor that you chose Iron Fist Island for your peace talks."

Bege turned and headed into the island. "Come on. I've booked a place. Best restaurant on Iron Fist Island. The seafood's good."

Jack followed, with Colin behind him. Iron Mask walked at Jack's side. The men in black spread out behind them. Some followed, some stayed at the pier, and others vanished into the alleys.

The restaurant stood halfway up Iron Fist Island, a detached two-story building with white walls and a red-tiled roof. A few palm trees grew by the entrance. Under their shade sat several men in floral shirts, drinks in hand. When they saw Bege, they stood and bowed.

Bege waved them aside, and they stepped back.

The door to the second-floor private room was carved wood, with a polished brass handle. Bege pushed it open and stepped aside to let Jack enter first. The room was spacious, with a round table in the center. A white tablecloth covered it, and the place settings were neatly arranged. Through the open window, Jack could see waves breaking against the rocks and throwing up white foam.

Bege sat opposite Jack, with Iron Mask between them.

A waiter came in and poured wine. It was a deep red, leaving a clear film on the glass. Bege picked up his glass, swirled it, held it under his nose, then raised it toward Jack.

"Major Jack, I got your letter." Bege took a sip and set down his glass. "You said you wanted peace talks. I was delighted. If we join forces, West Blue will be ours. But you said you don't want money, only Devil Fruits. That's difficult."

He sounded genuinely troubled.

Jack picked up his glass and took a sip too. The wine was astringent, and he wasn't used to it, but his expression didn't change.

"Mr. Bege, I'm a blunt man." Jack set down his glass, leaned forward, and planted both hands on the table. "Looking back, I was a little impulsive. The arena, Salt Harbor, Caria Island—I apologize for all of it."

Bege tapped the tabletop twice. "No need to apologize. We got to know each other through a fight."

Jack leaned back and looked at Bege. "Three Devil Fruits. Any kind, any type, as long as they're Devil Fruits. Give me three, and I guarantee the 16th Branch's patrol boats will never appear on your routes again. Your ships can sail wherever they like, and your people can come and go. I won't see a thing."

Bege's mouth twitched. It wasn't a smile, but something between mockery and thought. Iron Mask said nothing, though the red light behind his mask flickered.

"Three." Bege repeated the number, tapping the table three times, once for each fruit. "Do you know what a Devil Fruit sells for? Even the cheapest costs a hundred million Beli. Three is three hundred million. How much does a branch commander earn in a year?"

Jack spread his hands. "I don't want money. I just want Devil Fruits."

Bege stared at him for a few seconds, then laughed. This time it was a real laugh, his mouth opening to show his teeth. He took another sip of wine, set down his glass, and leaned forward with his hands clasped on the table.

"Major Jack, I'm a businessman. In business, you inspect the goods before you pay." He lowered his voice as if sharing a secret. "I can give you one first, as a show of good faith. The other two can wait until we've worked together for a while. Then we'll see."

Jack's interest stirred. One would do. I could get my hands on it first.

His face betrayed nothing, but he had already opened his mouth to say yes.

Bege raised a hand, cutting him off before he could speak.

"But." Bege's mouth curled upward. "By working together, I don't mean what you're thinking. I mean you take my money first and do some work for me. Once the job's done, I'll give you the Devil Fruit."

Jack closed his mouth.

Bege leaned back and crossed his legs. "Help me get rid of a few families that won't fall in line. The Rosario Family has been trying to take my territory, and the remnants of the Caroni Family are still running around West Blue. Deal with them, and I'll pay you this much every month." He held up three fingers. "Thirty million Beli. Plus one Devil Fruit."

The room fell silent.

Behind Jack, Colin rubbed a finger against the seam of his trousers. He knew Jack was acting, but at this point, even he was almost convinced.

Jack was silent for a few seconds. He tapped the table once, then again. He was thinking of how to respond. It was too early to flip the table. He needed to keep this going a little longer.

"Mr. Bege, you're using me as your weapon." Jack spoke quietly, but every word was clear. "I clean house for you and make the enemies, while you sit at home counting money. And in the end, whether I get a Devil Fruit is entirely up to you."

Bege's smile didn't change. "You can choose not to trust me. Or you can choose to. I've been in West Blue for fifteen years. My word is worth something."

"Your word?" Jack repeated, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Was the letter you had Bastian write worth something too?"

Bege's fingers went still.

He looked at Jack. His smile remained, but it had changed. It was no longer a businessman's smile. It was the smile of a hunter whose prey had bitten back, edged with danger and appreciation.

"You know about Bastian."

"I do."

"So you came here today to settle the score?"

Jack shook his head. "I came to talk business. The Bastian matter is over. He's been arrested, and I'm in charge of the 16th Branch now. I want us to coexist peacefully. You give me Devil Fruits, and I stay out of your business. We both win."

Bege started tapping the table again. Once, twice, three times.

"One fruit. Money first." His tone had changed. He was no longer negotiating; he was laying down terms. "Take out the Rosario Family, and I'll give you one. Work for me for a full year, and I'll give you two more. No bargaining."

Then his tone softened again. "Major Jack, you command men too. I can't just hand you three fruits so easily. My men are watching, and it would put me in a difficult spot."

Jack looked at him.

He was getting irritated. Not with Bege, but with the act. He had never been good at this kind of roundabout negotiation. What he was good at was seeing someone who needed killing and going straight for them. Instead, he was sitting here haggling with one like a market shopper buying vegetables.

Three fruits had become one. Money first, fruit later. Work a full year before collecting the rest. None of them would give anything up without a sure return.

Jack took a deep breath.

Forget it. I'm done acting.

"Then if that's how it is, there's no deal."

He stood and flipped the table.

Then he punched straight through it, driving toward Capone.

Colin burst through the window. His wings snapped open, and he soared into the air.

Bege did not move. He sat with his legs crossed and his hands on the armrests, watching Jack with a smile still on his face.

Iron Mask moved. In an instant, his body hardened into armor, his skin turning from flesh-colored to dark gray with a metallic sheen. He raised his fist and aimed for Jack's head.

The man beside Capone transformed. His body swelled, muscles ripping through his clothes. Scraps of fabric burst away to reveal thick, solid muscle beneath. His horns gleamed coldly under the lights, and the white vapor from his nostrils grew denser.

Zoan—Ox-Ox Fruit, Yak Form.

Iron Mask's fist struck.

His armored knuckles slammed into Jack's left shoulder with a dull clang, like two iron plates colliding. Jack swayed, a deep ache spreading through his shoulder, but his Hardened Skin held.

The yak charged from the side, lowering his head and aiming his horns at Jack's waist.

Jack seized a horn, used the charge's momentum, and hurled the yak away.

"Kill him!" Bege shouted, loud enough for the men in black downstairs to hear.

Jack didn't look back. He watched Iron Mask climb out of the hole in the wall, the yak turn around, and Bege stand three steps away with a Short Knife in his hand.

Three men, three directions. They had him surrounded.

Jack looked around, the corner of his mouth twitching. Now this was a fight between men. What had all those earlier fights been? One speedster after another. These three were the real deal.

Jack tore off his shirt.

"Come on. Let's fight to our hearts' content."