Flower Capital.
The streets bustled with crowds, filled with the aroma of food and the shouts of vendors. Compared to the poverty-stricken countryside, this place felt like another world entirely.
Good walked alone down the middle of the street, his rugged Viking-style outfit clashing sharply with the surroundings.
He didn't need to say a word at the mere sight of him, people quickly stepped aside, avoiding eye contact.
Fear. Disgust. Hatred.From the reactions of the townspeople, Good could clearly sense a flood of negative emotions. He knew full well how unwelcome he was.
After all, to the people of this country, the Beasts Pirates were nothing short of a calamity. Even if they didn't dare voice it openly, the hatred ran deep.
But Good was more concerned about something else.
"Will I even be able to rent out my house?"
With the people's deep resentment toward the Beasts Pirates, who would dare rent from him?
It was a serious problem—and one he had to take seriously.
Before long, Good arrived at the outermost area of the Flower Capital. Compared to the busy inner streets, it was far quieter here.
"Rumble rumble~~"
A convoy of carts carrying garbage passed by him.
"Ugh, it stinks! Move faster!"
"Dump this trash in Pick-Through Town!"
"Those beggars love eating garbage anyway."
Amidst the curses and complaints, the convoy left the capital, heading several kilometers south toward Treasure Town.
So-called "Treasure Town" was actually a rundown village that barely survived off the scraps of the Flower Capital. It was mostly home to the old, the weak, and the poor.
As Good watched the convoy disappear into the distance, and glanced at the barely visible outline of Treasure Town, a sudden idea popped into his head.
"First things first."
Shaking his head, Good approached a warehouse.
An old man, face beaming with happiness, was already waiting for him. Upon seeing Good, he ran over eagerly.
"Lord Good, you've finally arrived!"
"Mr. Binpuku."
Good nodded.
They had met a month prior. This old man, Binpuku, was a wealthy figure in the Flower Capital who owned a large number of properties. The warehouse in front of them was one of them.
For some reason, Binpuku had recently started selling off his properties. Rumor had it that it was related to the famous courtesan, Komurasaki.
Good took out the money he had prepared.
The reward for capturing Yamato was 500 gold—equivalent to 5 million berries. He kept 70%, gave 30% to Speed, and shared 50 gold among his fan club members.
The remaining 300 gold was exactly the amount he had agreed upon with Binpuku.
"Here's 300 gold."
"My, Lord Good, so generous!"
Binpuku grinned from ear to ear, quickly pulling out a deed from his robes. After confirming all the details, the transaction was completed without a hitch.
With the gold in hand, Binpuku's smile grew even brighter, and he seemed eager to leave.
"Then I'll take my leave, Lord Good."
"Mm."
Good nodded slightly, his gaze a little odd.
That old pervert... don't tell me he got honey-trapped by that courtesan?
That woman… she'll bleed him dry.
Good strode into the warehouse. As he looked around at the vast space, his shoulders trembled and he burst out laughing.
"Hahahahaha!!!"
After nearly three months of effort, he was finally a property owner again. Sure, it was just an out-of-the-way warehouse—but this was only the beginning.
The road to wealth had begun.
"And this feeling—!"
Good clenched his fists, eyes shining with joy.
It was Haki!He had awakened Armament Haki!
Now he understood his path to Haki.
Owning property meant securing the foundation of life. That sense of stability was his confidence in facing the world—and that confidence had become Haki!
If he were to write it as a formula:
Property = Confidence = Haki!
Wait…If that assumption held true, did that mean the more property he bought, the stronger his Haki would become?
This was too good to be true!
"Time to test it out."
Good's gaze turned cold as he shouted:
"Come out, all of you!"
Silence.
Then, from the various entrances, seven or eight scrawny figures slipped in, surrounding Good.
Ronin samurai.
Good stared coldly at them.
Even though he hadn't awakened Observation Haki, he had sensed he was being followed. The little GuraGura creature inside him had also warned him several times of danger.
"Just you weaklings?"
"Don't underestimate us!"
Furious, the samurai drew their swords.
"Kaido's dog you die today!"
"And you expect to kill me, you strays worse than wild dogs?"
Good sneered.
A bunch of sewer rats—too cowardly to assault Onigashima itself, now playing at ambushing stragglers. Absolutely pathetic.
Well, no surprise. Ever since Kozuki Oden's death, the backbone of this country had snapped. True samurai no longer existed.
Infuriated by Good's mockery, three young samurai charged at him.
"Bastard—die!"
"Get lost!"
Good grabbed a massive slab-like greatsword and swung it in a wide arc. The nearly two-meter-long, heavy blade sent the three attackers flying—swords and all.
"Aaarghhh!!!"
Screams and blood sprayed through the air.
Four left.
The remaining samurai looked stunned.
"Don't face him head-on!"
Just from Good's build and weapon, they could tell he was strength-based. A direct clash was the worst approach.
"All at once!"
The leader leapt straight at Good, blade coated in a thin layer of Ryuo—what Wano called Haki.
Clang!
His strike was blocked by Good's greatsword!
Good held his sword across his body, feeling the special energy wrapped around the enemy's blade.
It was Haki Ryuo.
But… weak.
These samurai had been forced to live in hiding. They barely had food or shelter—let alone the strength to fight.
Being able to use Haki at all already made this guy elite among the remnants of the Kozuki faction.
"And us too!"
While the leader occupied Good's front, two others flanked him from the sides, aiming for his waist.
Good smiled slightly.
He stomped the ground—two stone walls shot up, intercepting the incoming blades.
Clang!
Sparks flew as metal clashed against rock.
But one attacker remained!
The final samurai silently slipped behind Good, leapt high, and slashed down at his neck with full force.
It was a proven tactic—one distracts, two flank, one goes for the kill. They had used this formation to take down many powerful enemies.
"Got him!"
But the moment the blade struck Good's neck, the samurai's expression twisted in horror.
Crack!
The blade shattered in two.
"Ryuo?!"
There was Ryuo flowing over Good's neck!
"That's your best?"
Good spoke coldly, his muscles bulging. Snake-like veins writhed beneath his skin.
The ground shook violently.The samurai froze in terror.
"Run!!"
Too late.
BOOM!!!
The entire warehouse exploded and collapsed. Dust and smoke engulfed everything.
After an unknown amount of time, once the dust settled…
The warehouse area looked as if it had been hit by an earthquake. Cracks ran across the ground, debris was everywhere, and the samurai were buried beneath the rubble.
Good stood tall in the center of the ruins, one foot crushing the head of the barely-living samurai leader. He looked toward the inner city of the Flower Capital.
"Cleanup crew's here."
A crowd was approaching.
The noise he'd caused was too great to go unnoticed. The only question now was would it be the Mimawarigumi under Orochi, or Kyoshiro's yakuza?
"Hm?"
A flashy pompadour entered his vision.
It was Kyoshiro the Sleeper!
Good smirked.
"Well, well… a big shot's arrived."