Fukurokuju Town, Teahouse.
To call it a teahouse would be generous—it was more like the only place in town that could barely pass as hospitable, with a rickety set of tables and chairs.
"CRACK!"
The wooden chair shattered into pieces in Gurd's hands.
Gurd calmly dusted off his palms.
"My apologies. Misjudged my strength."
"N-no problem."
The Village Chief forced a smile while internally weeping.
That was the last set of furniture he owned.
"Lord Gurd, please have some tea."
A chipped clay cup was placed on the table, containing water so clear you could see the bottom, with a single leaf floating on top—purely for ceremonial purposes.
Gurd ignored the tea, focusing instead on the Village Chief, whose clothes were patched all over.
If he remembered correctly, this old man was actually Shimotsuki Yasuie, once the daimyo of Ebisu Town.
But that was all in the past.
He hadn't come here to expose the man's past—killing an elderly, weakened samurai held little meaning.
Gurd introduced himself first.
"Old Man Yasu, I'm Gurd, Headliner of the Beasts Pirates. This is Kaido's daughter, Yamato. I assume you've heard of us."
"You're the Devil Muscle Man!"
Old Yasu was stunned.
The hot spring shop's grand opening had already caused a stir, and last night's battle had spread throughout Wano Country overnight.
Two hundred Kozuki Samurai had fallen at the hands of the Devil Muscle Man. Compared to Kaido's daughter, the Devil Muscle Man was far more attention-grabbing.
Gurd: "..."
Stay calm. Stay calm.
At least the nickname sounded intimidating!
Old Yasu was uneasy. The deaths of the Kozuki Samurai saddened him, but he was no longer Shimotsuki Yasuie—just Tono Yasu of Fukurokuju Town, a powerless old man.
Clasping his hands, Old Yasu forced a smile.
"My lord, what brings you here?"
"I'm here to discuss a business deal."
Gurd spoke plainly.
Having made a fortune from the shop, his priority now was to spend it before too many eyes grew greedy.
Buying property for rental income was his first choice.
In Wano Country, the most valuable real estate was in the Flower Capital. But with his current funds, he couldn't buy much there, nor were there many properties available for sale.
Thus, it made more sense to invest in a cheaper area with high potential for appreciation.
"A business deal?"
Old Yasu was baffled.
Doing business in Fukurokuju Town?
The townsfolk were so poor they couldn't even afford clean water. What could possibly interest this man enough to seek him out personally?
Old Yasu's smile grew strained as he cautiously asked, "Lord Gurd, you're not... joking with me, are you?"
"I don't have time for jokes."
Gurd waved his hand and pointed downward.
"I want to buy all of Fukurokuju Town—including the farmland outside!"
"Wha—?!"
Old Yasu's jaw dropped.
Buy the entire town?
Was he dreaming? This was just a poor, ordinary town—what could possibly be worth acquiring?
Unless... there was gold buried beneath Fukurokuju Town?
Impossible! He'd never heard of such a thing!
Gurd sipped his tea with a smile, giving the old man time to process.
What truly interested him was the land itself.
This rundown town had once been Ebisu Town's largest city before Orochi reduced it to its current state.
Geographically, Fukurokuju Town bordered the Flower Capital to the north, a great river to the west, and vast stretches of fertile flatland to the southeast.
The potential was undeniable.
Next, all that's needed is to rebuild the town, solve the water pollution problem, and then rent out the houses to those in need—after that, it'll be smooth sailing collecting rent.
Of course, there would be considerable resistance.
But faced with the temptation of rental income, he would overcome any obstacle!
Heh heh heh~~
Gurd extended a finger.
"I offer ten thousand gold!"
"How much?!"
Old Kang's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Ten thousand gold!
Twenty years ago, this sum would have been nothing to Fortune Town, but now, this amount could buy ten Fortune Towns!
Gurd glanced at Yamato.
If not for this girl, he would have simply forced the sale and been done with it—no need to sit down and negotiate properly.
"Besides the ten thousand gold, I have another proposal: I will build a new city here."
Gurd outlined his plan.
In short, once the new city was completed, residential properties would be sold at low prices or rented for even less.
The fertile land outside the town would also be available for rent or purchase.
The original residents of Fortune Town would have priority leasing rights and could take out low-interest loans from him to buy houses, with only a down payment required upfront.
The terms were exceptionally favorable.
"This..."
Old Kang's breathing grew heavier.
The proposal was incredibly tempting—not only would it solve their housing problems, but it would also lease them fertile land.
Fortune Town's poverty stemmed not just from a lack of labor but, most critically, from having no land to farm. With land, they might not live in abundance, but at least no one would starve to death.
And the most crucial point:
The water pollution would be resolved. Only by cleaning the water could the land regain its former vitality!
For them, this was undoubtedly incredible news.
"Old Kang, you have a month to think it over."
"If you refuse, then I'll have no choice but to turn to other towns."
"Let's go, Yamato."
Gurd led Yamato away.
There was still a month before the Beast Pirates' expedition. Only after that could he openly invest in real estate and develop properties.
He was going to become a real estate tycoon!
At dusk, the sunset was breathtaking.
The two walked along the country path, their shadows stretching endlessly.
Yamato stared at Gurd's back, her head spinning. Ever since leaving Oni Island, she hadn't really understood what she was doing.
It felt like she had done nothing, yet also like she had done so much.
And what about the future? She couldn't just follow Gurd forever like an obedient shadow, could she?
The girl's eyes were filled with confusion.
Her head itched—it felt like her brain was growing!
Just then, Gurd stopped.
"Yamato."
"Hmm?"
"Look there."
"Huh?"
Gurd pointed toward the Flower Capital. Yamato immediately raised a hand to shield her eyes and followed his direction.
It was the most prominent structure in the Flower Capital.
"Great Serpent Castle?"
"To be precise, that's the General Castle!"
Gurd turned to face Yamato, his gaze burning like a torch. "Yamato, do you know how to save Wano Country?"
"Defeat Father!"
Yamato answered without hesitation.
"..."
What a clever little thing.
"You're not wrong, but we can't do that."
Gurd shook his head, staring into the girl's pure eyes. "Besides defeating your father, there's another way to save Wano Country—one that can ensure the people never go hungry again!"
"What way?"
Yamato's eyes lit up, her heartbeat quickening.
Gurd clenched his fist: "It's simple. As long as we work together to take down Orochi, then you can become the shogun of Wano Country!"
"Eh?!"
Yamato's jaw dropped.
Become the shogun of Wano Country?
"Father would never allow it!"
"Once it's a done deal, Boss Kaido will have no choice but to agree!"
Gurd grinned.
Once Yamato became shogun, he would rise to become the King with Shoulders Aligned of Wano Country, his relationship with Yamato comparable to [Ma and Trump].
By then, his real estate empire would spread across Wano Country. With some cleverly devised pretexts and money-making schemes, the entire nation's people would have to pay him rent.
Keh keh keh~~ Ha ha ha!
(End of chapter)