At six in the evening, Dragon Pavilion was quiet.
A “Private Event” sign hung on the glass door, and inside, only a single square table covered with a white tablecloth stood in the center of the room.
Warm light spilled from the soft chandelier, accompanied by soothing jazz playing from the speakers.
The door pushed open, and Kingpin stepped inside.
He wore a dark gray custom suit, stripping away his usual intimidating aura as an underworld emperor and appearing much like an ordinary, successful businessman.
A woman was resting her arm on his.
Shaun, who was wiping glasses behind the bar, looked up.
His attention landed primarily on the female companion Kingpin had brought along.
She was roughly thirty years old, with shoulder-length auburn hair falling in soft waves.
She wore a cream-white knit dress—simple in design, yet elegant and flattering to her figure.
Her makeup was refined, her gaze warm and gentle.
She held an artistic, relaxed charm, yet radiated the deep sophistication of a well-cared-for wife.
Shaun whistled mentally.
*That old fat guy Kingpin sure has top-tier taste in women.*
Putting down his glass, he stepped out from behind the bar with a professional smile.
“Mr.
Fisk, welcome.
And this is?”
“My fiancée, Vanessa.” Kingpin’s voice was soft as he pulled out a chair for her.
“She said she wanted to try authentic Chinese cuisine.”
“Shaun Vance, owner and head chef.” Shaun nodded slightly.
“I’ll arrange tonight’s menu.
Do either of you have any dietary restrictions?”
“None.
Do as you see fit,” Vanessa spoke, her voice soft and pleasant to the ear.
“A restaurant that Tony Stark praised during a press conference—I’m very much looking forward to it.”
Shaun nodded and turned toward the kitchen.
Jessica was serving as the waitress today, dressed in the black vest and white shirt Shaun had bought her.
She looked a bit nervous as she poured lemon water for the two guests.
Kingpin glanced at her without speaking, but Jessica’s hand trembled slightly.
The meal service proceeded smoothly.
Kingpin asked no sensitive questions, behaving just like a regular billionaire taking his wife out for dinner.
Vanessa occasionally asked about the background stories of the dishes, and Shaun offered brief explanations.
The atmosphere was surprisingly…
cozy.
It wasn’t until all the main courses were served and Vanessa went to the restroom to touch up her makeup that Kingpin put down his knife and fork and wiped the corners of his mouth.
“Boss Vance’s restaurant truly lives up to its reputation.”
“As long as you enjoyed it, Mr.
Fisk.”
Kingpin tapped his fingers lightly on the tabletop.
“I heard that behind the menu, there are even more special items?”
Here it comes.
Shaun’s expression remained unchanged.
“You mean Devil Fruits?”
“Yes.” Kingpin stared at him.
“Ten million dollars each to acquire superpowers upon consumption.
I’m very curious—is it real?”
“It’s real.”
“Do you have stock right now?”
“I do.” Shaun smiled.
“However, if you want to buy one, Mr.
Fisk, it’s one hundred million dollars.”
There was no surprise, no questioning.
Kingpin clapped his hands.
The side door of the restaurant pushed open, and four men in black suits stepped in, carrying ten aluminum suitcases in pairs.
They set the cases on the floor and opened them simultaneously.
*Snap—*
Bundles of hundred-dollar bills were neatly stacked, gleaming with a cold greenish tint under the light.
“Dirty money,” Kingpin said calmly.
“Mr.
Vance shouldn’t mind, right?”
Shaun finally looked over, casting a glance at the mountain of cash before raising an eyebrow.
“Leave it.”
The bodyguards retreated outside.
Kingpin stared at him.
“Where is the fruit?”
Shaun flicked his right hand like a magician performing a trick, and a fruit appeared out of thin air in his palm.
It had brownish skin with spiral-patterned fuzzy bumps, shaped like a round, chubby stuffed animal.
“Zoan Type · Bear-Bear Fruit · Koala Model,” Shaun introduced.
“Consuming it drastically enhances your strength, defense, stamina, and self-healing.
Upon awakening, you can transform into a beast-human or full beast form, gaining koala traits like climbing, night vision, and poison resistance…
It largely depends on how well you develop its power.”
Kingpin took the fruit without hesitation, opened his mouth, and bit into it.
“Ugh—”
His face instantly turned pale green, and veins bulged at his temples, clearly hit hard by the hellish taste.
Yet he forced himself to chew twice and swallowed it down.
He finished the entire fruit in just three bites.
A system prompt chimed in Shaun’s ear:
[New Sync Target: Wilson Fisk (Bear-Bear Fruit · Koala Model)] [Sync Rate: 0.4%] [Ability Branch Preview: Strength Enhancement (Activated), Fur Hardening (0%), Koala Traits (Locked)] [Sales Reward: Six Powers · Finger Pistol Complete Training Method.]
A wave of information regarding the force execution techniques and pressure-point penetration methods of the Finger Pistol flooded Shaun’s mind.
Combined with his previous Iron Body, Shave, Paper Arts, Moonwalk, and Tempest Kick, his mastery of the Six Powers was now complete.
At that moment, the restroom door opened.
Vanessa walked out, and seeing Kingpin’s unusual complexion, she asked with concern, “Darling, what’s wrong?”
Kingpin instantly resumed his warm smile, wrapping his arm around her.
“Nothing.
The food was just so delicious…
I accidentally bit my tongue.”
He stood up and nodded to Shaun.
“Boss Vance, thank you for the hospitality.
I will drop by often in the future.”
“Safe travels.”
Kingpin left with his arm around Vanessa.
As he walked past the doorway, his arm inadvertently brushed against the doorframe.
*Crack.*
A fine fissure quietly split open across the solid wood frame.
Vanessa noticed nothing and even turned back to wave at Shaun.
“Next time I’ll bring my friends!”
The door closed.
Jessica poked her head out from the kitchen.
Once she was sure they were gone, she ran out with a conflicted expression.
“Boss!
You…
you know he’s Kingpin!
The biggest mob boss in Hell’s Kitchen!
Why would you sell him something like that?”
Shaun was squatting down to inspect the cash cases.
Hearing her, he looked up.
“He’s a customer.”
“But—”
“If people don’t mess with me, I don’t mess with them.” Shaun stood up and clapped the dust off his hands.
“He walked into my shop, paid, and ordered food, so I provided a service.
As for whether he goes out to do good deeds or commit murder and arson after leaving…
what does that have to do with me?”
Jessica opened her mouth to argue, but her mind couldn’t form the words.
Shaun looked at her and chuckled.
“The world isn’t black and white, Jessica.
Sometimes, it’s the gray area that keeps a business running long-term.”
Jessica only half-understood, but seeing how calm her boss was, she could only mutter, “Fine…
I guess that makes sense.”
“Clean the table.
We’re closing early tonight.”
After dismissing Jessica, Shaun locked the shop door and walked over to the large full-length mirror.
He reached out and pressed his hand against the glass surface.
Ripples wavered.
A few seconds later, Carl, wearing a fiery red slip nightgown, stepped out from the mirror.
Her blonde hair was fluffy, and her eyes were sleepy.
“Calling me this late…
did you miss me again?”
Shaun smiled without speaking, placing his right hand on her shoulder.
Mirror-Mirror Fruit power activated—Mirroring.
Carl’s body wavered like water, her height, body shape, hairstyle, and attire rapidly shifting.
Three seconds later, “Vanessa” stood before Shaun.
She wore a cream-white dress, her auburn hair flowing in soft waves, radiating a gentle, relaxed charm.
Even the tiny mole near the corner of her eye had been perfectly replicated.
Carl looked at herself in the mirror, taken aback for a moment before bursting into a playful laugh.
“Who is this?
Your new target?”
Shaun leaned in close to her ear and whispered a few words.
Carl’s eyes widened, and she laughed uncontrollably.
“Wow…
a married woman?
Shaun, your taste is getting wilder and wilder.”
She naturally wrapped her arms around Shaun’s neck, using “Vanessa’s” soft, delicate voice to ask, “Then tonight…
should I call you husband, or Boss Vance?”
Shaun wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her.
The texture, body warmth, and scent were indistinguishable from the real Vanessa.
*The Mirror-Mirror Fruit…
really is the best ability for ‘collection,’* Shaun thought with satisfaction.
*It’s equivalent to having an entire forest of dress-up options ready at any moment…
Now that’s a man’s ultimate romance.*
As the two were deep in their kiss, a sudden *clang* resonated from outside the shop.
Shaun looked up sharply.
Through the glass door, he spotted a figure standing outside, holding a small briefcase, his right eye wrapped in a blood-stained bandage.
Bullseye.
Right now, Bullseye was staring into the shop, completely dumbfounded.
The boss’s fiancée, Vanessa, was actually wrapped in the arms of that Chinese restaurant owner, making out?!
His mind went completely blank, and the briefcase in his hand almost slipped to the ground.
Shaun released Carl, a wicked smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
He whispered in her ear, “Play the part well.
Don’t break character.”
Then, holding “Vanessa” in his arms, he walked over and pulled open the glass door.
Bullseye froze entirely.
Shaun looked at him calmly.
“Mr.
Bullseye?
So late…
are you here to eat, or here to catch an affair?”
Bullseye’s face turned deathly pale.
He looked at Shaun, then at “Vanessa” in his arms—her face flushed and her clothes slightly disheveled.
His tongue tied itself in knots.
“You…
you guys…
Does Mr.
Fisk know about this?!”
“What’s it to you?” Shaun raised an eyebrow.
“Are you here to eat, or here to meddle in other people’s business?”
Bullseye forced himself to calm down, raising the small case in his hand, his voice trembling: “I…
I want to buy a Devil Fruit too.
Ten million in cash…
if it’s not enough, I can gather more!”
His heart beat frantically.
On one hand, he was stunned by the shocking scene before him.
On the other…
if he could gain that kind of power too, maybe…
just maybe, he could…
Shaun sized him up for two seconds, glanced at “Vanessa” in his arms, and flashed a playful smile.
“Come on in.”
He stepped aside.
“Though…” he added lightly, his voice floating through the air, “are you sure Mr.
Fisk won’t mind…
that you saw something you shouldn’t have?”
Bullseye stood at the doorway, looking at the two cuddling under the warm lights inside.
Cold sweat instantly drenched his back.
To enter, or not to enter?