"Exterminate them!"
Gurd's eyes gleamed with malice as he sneered, "A mere band of thieves dares to bully our great Shogun? Unacceptable! They must be wiped out!"
"Well said!"
Orochi's face lit up with delight, his mood instantly lifting.
No matter who won or lost in this bandit extermination, it would be good for him. If both sides suffered heavy losses, even better!
When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman profits!
He would be the ultimate winner!
A cold glint flashed in Gurd's eyes.
With the decision to exterminate the bandits settled, his mind became much more active.
If Ashura Doji were easy to deal with, this task wouldn't have fallen to him. So, whether the extermination succeeded or not wasn't the point—what mattered was using it as a pretext to amass wealth.
And it wasn't just about wealth—Ashura Doji's identity was also crucial. He might even prove useful for Gurd's next plan.
"Great Shogun, I will spare no effort in exterminating these bandits. However, wiping out Shutenmaru and his gang won't be easy."
Gurd took a sip of sake and sighed with feigned melancholy. "With Lord Kaido away on his expedition, the forces left in Wano Country are limited. I have neither troops nor supplies. My heart is willing, but my hands are tied!"
"Guhahaha, indeed."
Orochi nodded, though inwardly he grew suspicious.
Was this another attempt to extort him? Those 50,000 gold coins already pained him—he couldn't possibly part with another coin!
Gurd deliberately lowered his voice.
"Great Shogun, I have a proposal!"
"Speak."
Orochi pretended to listen attentively.
Gurd chuckled darkly, rubbing his fingers together.
"Great Shogun, exterminating bandits is a noble cause that benefits the country and its people! Naturally, we should announce it nationwide, letting the local gentry witness our determination!"
"At such a time, if you take the lead in funding the operation, the other gentry will follow suit. The more you contribute, the more they'll have to contribute!"
"Of course, once the deed is done, your investment will be returned in full. As for the gentry's money… we'll split it seventy-thirty!"
Gurd grinned brightly.
"What do you think?"
"..."
Orochi stared at Gurd in shock.
Not only would they exterminate the bandits, but they could also make a fortune in the process. Such a cunning scheme—why hadn't he thought of it?
Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!
This man was a genius at wealth extraction!
Orochi's eyes burned with greed, his mind now solely focused on profit. Hesitantly, he raised a single finger.
"Then… I'll contribute 10,000 gold?"
"Great Shogun."
Gurd sighed in exasperation.
"The more you invest, the more you gain!"
"Right, you're absolutely right!"
Orochi swallowed hard and slapped his thigh decisively.
"I'll contribute 100,000 gold!"
"The Shogun's might is peerless!"
Gurd quickly stood up to pour Orochi another drink.
This man was his golden goose!
As for Ebisu Town, though many things didn't require spending, constructing an entire city still demanded vast resources.
The cost of materials alone was enormous, not to mention auxiliary supplies, equipment, and other expenses.
With less than 40,000 gold in his pocket, building a small town might be feasible—but his goal was to construct Ebisu Town's capital.
"Ah, Great Shogun."
Gurd raised his cup in toast. "You know I'm short on manpower. With just Yamato and me, we might not even find Mount Atama. So, I'd like to borrow some of your troops."
"Guhahaha, no problem!"
Orochi, now tipsy and in high spirits, agreed without hesitation.
The thought of extorting the people's hard-earned wealth filled him with uncontrollable excitement. Lending a few troops was naturally no issue at all.
Moreover, sending his own men would allow him to secretly monitor Gurd, ensuring he didn't just take the money without delivering results.
"Thank you, Shogun!"
"Guhuhuhu, let's drink!"
–––––––––––––––
By evening, Yamato was carrying a drunken Gurd home, her cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and anger.
"You jerk! What fiancée?!"
"I don't want to get married!"
"And you drank so happily with that Orochi!"
"You're all terrible people!"
"Hehe, maybe I should just throw you into the river..."
Yamato grumbled the whole way back. When they finally arrived at the Hot Spring Club and she set Gurd down, the man suddenly opened his eyes.
The girl nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Eh?! You weren't drunk?!"
"Of course not."
Gurd stretched lazily.
He had a special space inside his body. As long as he didn't want to get drunk, he could simply divert the alcohol to the little one.
Right now, he was slightly tipsy, but not much.
Yamato stiffened, then quickly bowed in apology. "I-I'm sorry! Everything I said earlier was nonsense!"
"..."
Gurd sighed in exasperation.
This girl had seized the opportunity to curse him countless times on the way back and even considered tossing him into the water.
Whatever. No point arguing with a fool.
Gurd waved his hand dismissively. "Yamato, go call Green Worm and the others. I have something to tell them."
"Okay!"
Yamato scurried away.
–––––––––––––––
Early the next morning, in the streets of the Flower Capital...
"Extra! Extra!"
Vendors ran through the streets, copies of the Tile Newspaper fluttering above the crowd, spreading the latest major news.
"Shogun Orochi is cracking down on bandits?"
Soon, word of Orochi's alliance with the Beasts to suppress bandits spread throughout the Flower Capital and rapidly reached the surrounding towns.
The entire nation was in an uproar!
At the same time, the Tile Newspaper carried another bombshell announcement.
"Ebisu Town is building a city!"
While most people couldn't participate in the bandit suppression, city construction was different.
News of Ebisu Town's massive construction projects had already spread far and wide. Such a large-scale endeavor couldn't go unnoticed, especially by greedy merchants.
Building materials, furniture, fine wine...
Merchants in related industries had long flocked to Ebisu Town seeking opportunities, and many had already made hefty profits.
The announcement in the Tile Newspaper now injected even more confidence into the merchants, making the hesitant unable to hold back any longer.
"Shogun Orochi invests 50,000 gold to support Lady Yamato's construction of Ebisu Town!"
Shogun Orochi was involved!
The mastermind behind Ebisu Town's construction was Kaido's daughter, and now she had the Shogun's backing. Though still in its early stages, the town was destined to become a thriving metropolis.
For merchants, this was a golden opportunity!
Whoever could seize the initiative once the city was complete would stand to make a fortune. Though risks existed, the combined support of the Shogun and the Daughter of the Wisdom King had minimized them.
Three days passed in a flash.
Heavenly Abode, Hot Spring Club.
Inside the lounge.
Gurd sat in the boss's chair, flipping through the latest issue of the newspaper.
The Beasts' expedition in the New World had stirred massive waves, making his own small-scale operations seem trivial in comparison.
Soon, Green Worm and the other three arrived, each looking excited.
"Big Brother Gurd!"
"Mhm."
Gurd closed the newspaper and looked up at Green Worm and the other three. These subordinates weren't particularly capable, but they had followed him for many years, making them his trusted confidants.
"How are things progressing?"
"Big Brother Gurd, the whole city is talking about the construction of Ebisu Town!" Red Sparrow, the only woman among the four, answered eagerly, the red plume on her bullhorn cap bobbing with excitement.
Red Sparrow chirped excitedly, "So many merchants have come to us these past few days, all scrambling to collaborate with us!"
"Merchants alone won't cut it. We need the common folk from every village to join in—that's when things will really get lively!" Gurd laughed.
Using Orochi's name, they had created a massive advertisement for the construction of Ebisu Town. In a country this small, the spread of news was incredibly exaggerated.
Now was t
he moment to reveal the dagger hidden in the map!
"Red Sparrow, and the rest of you—contact the merchants immediately to produce the Tile Newspaper. I need you to plaster it across all of Wano Country as quickly as possible!"
"I want to presell Ebisu Town!"
(End of Chapter)