The next day, inside the hot spring inn.
Gurd lay on the sofa with his entire body wrapped in bandages, resting with his eyes closed. Beside him, over a dozen masseuses knelt, eagerly massaging his feet and shoulders.
The women stroked his firm muscles, their bodies growing unbearably heated. Their lustful gazes seemed to drip with desire.
"How's this pressure, sir?"
"Let me knead your legs."
"Sir, I'll peel some grapes for you."
The women attended to him with fervor, and some with less-than-proper intentions took every chance to cop a feel, their hands wandering dangerously close to Gurd's inner thighs.
His heroic display the previous night had completely captivated them.
In all of Wano Country, there was likely no man as truly masculine as Lord Gurd. Just the scent of his raw masculinity was enough to make them lose control.
Drenched.
"Stop licking your lips—show some restraint!"
Gurd scowled as he reprimanded them. If not for the searing pain that made moving unbearable, he would've smacked these shameless hussies.
Trying to reform a bunch of flirts was harder than expected!
Before long,
Green Worm and the other three rushed in, their eyes brimming with admiration. "Great news, Big Bro Gurd! You've been promoted to Headliner!"
"Yeah, I know."
Gurd waved dismissively.
After putting his life on the line to prove his loyalty, it would've been outrageous if Kaido didn't reward him in some way.
Unlike Yamato, he had long decided to stay with the Beasts Pirates.
The boss valued talent, management was lax, the benefits were generous, and those with ability could rise quickly—where else could he find such an ideal platform?
With the Beasts backing him, he could skip a decade of struggle!
As for striking out on his own? In the war-torn world outside, the risks far outweighed the rewards.
He had no interest in the One Piece anyway. Besides, Nika had already claimed that prize 800 years ago—even Roger would've gone home crying.
Better to focus on building his own territory first.
"Big Bro Gurd, there's more good news!"
The four of them excitedly relayed how Kaido had sent money and assigned Gurd the task of hosting one of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea.
10,000 gold—equivalent to 100 million berries.
Half of the Four Emperors couldn't even cough up that much!
Thanks for the recognition, Boss Kaido.jpg.
And then there was the mission.
"Doflamingo?"
Gurd raised an eyebrow, quickly piecing it together.
To thrive in the New World, you either had to dominate a niche like the Shipping King or the News King, barely scraping by in the shadows of the Four Emperors—
Or you had to pledge allegiance.
Just like Crocodile and Moria, who, after failing to challenge the Emperors, had no choice but to retreat to the first half of the Grand Line.
Not because they wanted to, but because staying in the New World meant death.
Doflamingo was the same—flourishing under the World Government's protection, but to climb higher, he needed an Emperor's backing.
"Got it."
Gurd nodded.
A simple hosting mission. Hardly any difficulty. Even someone as arrogant as Doflamingo wouldn't dare act up in the Beasts' territory.
"Big Bro Gurd, there's one more huge announcement!"
Green Worm and the others clenched their fists in excitement.
"Kaido has declared that in one month, he'll launch a great expedition! And from the Headliners, the six strongest will be chosen to form the Flying Six—a rank just below the All-Stars!"
"An expedition, huh?"
Gurd narrowed his eyes.
Finally, the day had come!
Not that he cared much for expeditions.
It was nothing more than killing and seizing territory, wasting so much time to grab money that probably didn't even amount to a single day's profits from a hot spring inn.
The real issue was Wano Country after the expedition.
Gurd stood up and put on his coat. Under the reluctant gaze of the attendant lady, he made his way to the backyard garden, where a white-haired girl sat gloomily in the pavilion.
Seeing Gurd approach, Yamato immediately turned her head away.
"Hmph!"
She was unhappy!
Watching so many Kozuki Samurai die at Gurd's hands—if this was the price of patience, it was far too cruel.
"Come with me."
Gurd didn't comfort Yamato.
Yamato hesitated for a moment before following Gurd in frustration. She knew he was the only one she could rely on.
Heading south from the Flower Capital, the two soon arrived outside the outskirts of Hakumai Town. From a distance, the dilapidated town didn't have a single intact building.
"All the fields here have gone to waste."
Gurd's gaze fixed on the vast stretches of barren land surrounding the town.
His mood soured.
Where humans established towns, the environment was usually suitable for survival. Aside from industrial or commercial towns, water sources and fertile fields were standard.
But now, due to water pollution, Hakumai Town's fields lay abandoned, leaving the people with no food to eat.
He wasn't sympathizing with the people—he was upset about the waste of such good farmland. It pained him to see it go unused.
After all, he came from a land that cherished agriculture.
"All of this was caused by my father."
Yamato's spirits sank.
When she first left the island, the girl had been as happy as an unleashed husky. But the harsh reality quickly wiped the smile off her face.
Everywhere she looked, devastation stretched before her.
Smack!
Gurd gave Yamato's backside a hard slap and scoffed, "It's not your fault. Why are you blaming yourself?"
"I—!"
Yamato clutched her stinging rear and glared at him angrily.
Was she not even allowed to feel guilty?!
"Oh, right—you're Kozuki Oden!"
Gurd suddenly changed his tone, feigning realization. "Then this sight really is your responsibility. Go ahead, keep blaming yourself."
"..."
Yamato grew even angrier.
"Why would this be Oden's fault?!"
"Because Kozuki Oden carried the hopes of Wano Country's people, yet he failed to protect his nation and its citizens. Is that reason enough?"
Gurd countered calmly.
In this cruel world, no one pities losers—especially those who squandered every advantage they had.
A single incompetent general exhausts an entire army.
Even if one's martial prowess was unmatched, it wasn't worthy of praise.
Oden was proof of that—and so was Yamato!
The difference was that Yamato hadn't reached that final step yet. With his help, she still had a chance to turn things around.
Yamato opened her mouth but found no words.
Gurd shook his head slightly and walked toward the town.
"Let's go have some tea in town."
Hakumai Town was destitute, its residents surviving on scraps from the Flower Capital. The large town didn't even have a decent teahouse.
"Pirates! Pirates are here!"
Children's shouts echoed through the streets.
The town descended into chaos. Villagers scrambled back to their homes in panic, while those who couldn't make it in time hid along the sides of the road, their eyes filled with fear as they watched the two.
Gurd strolled through the town with Yamato.
The scenes of poverty and the terrified gazes of the villagers left the girl with a heavy heart.
Gurd noticed her thoughts.
"Want to help them?"
"Eh, can we?"
Yamato's eyes widened.
After last night's battle, Gurd's image in her mind had grown even more cold and ruthless. She never expected him to show kindness to these impoverished people.
Gurd gave a slight nod. "I told you I'd help you save this country. Of course, I'm doing this for myself too."
"Mhm!"
Yamato nodded vigorously, her eyes filled with anticipation.
"What should we do?"
"It's simple."
Gurd turned his gaze toward the small town.
"We'll buy this place!"
(End of chapter)