"Oww, oww, oww!"
Yamato clutched her bloodied backside with both hands, writhing in pain as two large teardrops flicked about.
It hurt—more than getting hit by her father's spiked club!
Her palms were sticky and wet.
Waaah~~ She was bleeding!
"This is—!"
A shadow loomed over the girl.
Yamato looked up in shock to see a massive black figure descending from the sky!
It was Gurd!
The man's bulging, muscular arms were bent into a triangular shape, his rock-like elbow aimed straight at her!
Yamato's pupils shrank violently!
Wait, if she took this hit, she'd definitely—
"Boulder Elbow Strike!!!"
The elbow slammed deep into her abdomen!
"Pfft!"
Yamato's eyes bulged out as her waist caved into the ground, her body bending into a perfect V-shape with both ends pointing straight up.
Her consciousness was fading...
In her dazed state, she felt herself being dragged before the world spun violently around her.
"Top - Windmill!"
Gurd grabbed Yamato by the ankles and spun rapidly in place. Once the centrifugal force peaked, he suddenly released his grip, flinging her away.
"Whoosh!"
The girl shot through the air like a cannonball toward a distant cliff face.
"BOOM!!!"
The cliff shattered, raining down debris and kicking up a massive dust cloud that swallowed Yamato whole.
A normal person would've kept their distance, but Gurd charged straight into the dust, ignoring the risk of falling rocks.
Within seconds, he emerged, dragging Yamato's limp body behind him, then sprinted vertically up the cliff face.
Wind howled past the girl's ears.
"Wind...?"
Barely conscious, Yamato struggled to open her swollen eyes and realized she was upside-down, the ground growing farther away by the second.
Soon, she understood the truth.
She was ascending to the heavens!
What the hell was happening?!
At nearly a hundred meters in the air, Gurd hurled Yamato upward, then kicked off the cliff to launch himself after her. He locked onto her inverted body midair and began rotating.
The two plummeted downward!
"Waaaah, help! HELP!"
Realizing her predicament, Yamato flailed desperately, but her weakened body couldn't break free from Gurd's grip.
"Finishing Move - Spiral Pile Driver!!!"
The two, locked together, crashed into the ground like a meteor.
"BOOM!!!"
The earth split apart, sending a tidal wave of dust surging across the mountainside.
The terrifying spectacle left the watching pirates speechless.
This guy... was insane!
As the dust settled...
Gurd stood triumphantly in the center of the crater. Nearby, Yamato was embedded headfirst into the ground, her long legs sticking straight up into the air.
Like an uprooted onion.
"Plop!"
Her legs seemed to lose all strength, flopping lifelessly to the side.
K.O!
"Real men wrestle!"
Gurd was pleased.
Compared to swordplay, his brawny physique was better suited for close-quarters combat—especially grappling and wrestling.
Now, it was time to savor victory.
Gurd raised his arms in a champion's pose and circled Yamato, expecting cheers from the crowd.
Yet, the surroundings were eerily silent.
"Huh?!"
His brow furrowed instantly.
What was this? Where was the applause?
Tch. Bunch of clueless idiots.
His fierce gaze instinctively swept the area.
The pirates recoiled in fear, taking three steps back as they stared at Gurd in awe—as if they'd just witnessed a demon.
"How dare you use such brutal combos on a woman!"
"And attacking Yamato-sama's butt!"
"Is this guy a demon?!"
Whispers began to spread.
Especially among the female pirates, their gazes at Gurd were filled with terror.
Someone started it, and soon, all the pirates puckered their lips in jeers while pointing their thumbs downward.
Even his own teammates joined in, loudly egging him on.
"Demon! Demon! Demon!"
"Shut the hell up, all of you!!!"
Gurd roared, his face dark.
With Yamato's monstrous constitution, who could restrain her without going all out? And even then, he had to thank Kaido for whittling down 99% of her health, plus the exhaustion from Ulti and the others.
Otherwise, his attacks would've barely been enough to give her a massage.
Besides, he'd always believed that mercy toward an enemy was cruelty to oneself—especially in this world where everyone's physical prowess was off the charts. The only true way was to kill and scatter their ashes.
What if this brat pulled off a comeback?
Five more years, and the Beasts Pirates would lose to sheer recklessness!
"Hmph!"
Gurd snorted coldly, dragging Yamato out and slinging her over his shoulder before striding toward Skull Castle.
The pirates automatically parted, watching as he left.
Though they jeered with their mouths, their bodies were obedient—in the ruthless Beasts Pirates, strength was the only rule.
Even the Headliners didn't interfere.
The power Gurd had displayed was enough to earn their respect. Not to mention, he had Ulti as his backer—no easy target.
"Wait for us, Big Bro Gurd!"
The members of his fan club hurried after him, carrying Ulti and Page One, their eyes filled with shock and admiration.
In their memories, Big Bro Gurd had always been strong, but never to this extent.
Wasn't this level enough to qualify as a Headliner?
"Big Bro Gurd, you've gotten stronger, huh?"
"Of course!"
Gurd grinned.
In just two and a half months since crossing over, his physique had nearly doubled, finally reaching the baseline for a Headliner.
The reason for his growth was simple—after transmigrating, a new tenant had taken up residence inside him.
A young Pokémon clad in red armor.
Its name—Groudon!
The very same Groudon that clashed with Kyogre, only to get beaten up by Rayquaza—the legendary beast that couldn't even fly.
Now, he was effectively the Groudon Jinchuriki—or, in other terms, a Zoan user who had consumed the Mythical Zoan - Groudon Form, without the weaknesses of Seastone or seawater.
Gurd closed his eyes, sinking his consciousness into his inner space.
Within a warm, dry cavern, a Groudon no larger than a soccer ball curled up, fast asleep.
Sensing Gurd's presence, it cracked open an eyelid, then immediately perked up upon seeing him, opening its mouth eagerly.
"Waa (hungry)~ Waa (hungry)~~"
"Just wait a little longer."
Gurd responded with a headache.
This little glutton ate at least eight meals a day and was absurdly picky—only devouring nutrient-rich meat while completely ignoring carbs.
What a money-sink!
The reason he couldn't save up was entirely because of this bottomless pit.
Still, the benefits were undeniable.
Now that they were bound together, as the little one grew, so too would his own body.
Not only that, but he also gained Groudon's power to control the earth. The Cliff Sword he used earlier, as well as running vertically on the cliff walls, were all achieved by relying on the power of the earth.
There's one more thing—the little guy is still a baby. In just two and a half months, his physique has doubled in strength. It's hard to imagine how much stronger he'll become when the little one grows up.
In short, the future looks promising!
(End of chapter)