Flower Capital.
The streets bustled with activity, filled with the aroma of delicious food and the shouts of vendors, as if existing in a completely different world from the impoverished towns elsewhere.
Gurd walked alone down the center of the street, his rugged Viking attire making him stand out starkly against his surroundings.
Without a single word, passersby immediately moved aside upon seeing him, not even daring to meet his gaze.
Fear, disgust, hatred.
From the reactions of the crowd, Gurd could clearly sense all kinds of negative emotions and was well aware of how unwelcome he was.
After all, to this country, the Beasts Pirates were a symbol of disaster. Even if people didn't dare express it openly, their deep-seated resentment was unavoidable.
But Gurd was preoccupied with another concern.
"Will anyone rent my property?"
If the citizens despised the Beasts Pirates this much, who would dare lease his real estate?
This was a serious problem that demanded attention.
Before long, Gurd arrived at the outermost district of the Flower Capital. Compared to the noisy inner areas, it was much quieter here.
"Rumble, rumble—"
A convoy transporting garbage passed by Gurd.
"Ugh, it stinks! Move faster!"
"Dump all this trash in the Scrap Town."
"Those poor wretches love eating garbage."
Amid the curses and complaints, the convoy soon left the Flower Capital, heading south toward the so-called "God of Wealth Town" a few kilometers away.
Despite its grandiose name, God of Wealth Town was nothing more than a dilapidated village surviving on the scraps from the Flower Capital, inhabited mostly by the elderly, weak, women, and children.
Gurd watched the convoy depart and caught a faint glimpse of the distant town. Suddenly, an idea struck him.
"Business first."
Gurd shook his head and approached a warehouse.
An elderly man, beaming with joy, had been waiting for some time. Spotting Gurd, he immediately scurried over.
"Lord Gurd, you've finally arrived!"
"Mr. Pinghao."
Gurd nodded.
He had met this old man a month prior. Pinghao was a well-known wealthy merchant in the Flower Capital, owning numerous properties—this warehouse being one of them.
Recently, for reasons unknown, Pinghao had begun selling off his real estate. Rumors suggested it had something to do with the famed courtesan, Komurasaki.
Gurd took out the prepared payment.
The reward for capturing Yamato was 500 gold, equivalent to 5 million Berries. He had given 30% to Ulti and distributed 50 gold among his fan club.
The remaining 300 gold was exactly the agreed-upon sum with Pinghao.
"Here's 300 gold."
"Ah, Lord Gurd, you're truly generous!"
Pinghao grinned from ear to ear, hastily pulling out a deed from his pocket. After verifying the details, the transaction was swiftly completed.
With the money in hand, Pinghao's smile widened, and he couldn't wait to leave. "Lord Gurd, I'll take my leave now."
"Mm."
Gurd gave a slight nod, his gaze peculiar.
This lecherous old man… had he fallen for a honey trap?
That courtesan…
Tsk, draining him dry!
Gurd strode into the warehouse. As he took in the vast space, his shoulders trembled, and he couldn't hold back a booming laugh.
"HAHAHAHA!!!"
After nearly three months of effort, he had finally become a property owner again. Though it was just a remote warehouse, this was only the beginning.
Fortune and prosperity were within reach!
"And this feeling!"
Gurd clenched his fist, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
It was Haki!
He had mastered Conqueror Haki!
So that's how it is—he finally understands the path of his Conqueror Haki!
Owning property means having a foundation of security in life, and this security can be said to be his confidence when facing the world, which has transformed into Conqueror Haki!
Converted into an equation:
Property = Confidence = Conqueror Haki!
Wait, if this speculation is correct, does it mean the more properties he buys, the stronger his Conqueror Haki becomes?
This is too good to be true!
"Perfect timing to test the effects of Conqueror Haki."
Gurd's gaze turned cold as he roared.
"Come out, all of you!"
"..."
After a brief silence, seven or eight lean figures rushed in from the warehouse entrances, quickly surrounding Gurd at the center.
They were ronin samurai!
Gurd glared coldly at the samurai.
Though he hadn't awakened Observation Haki, he had long sensed someone following him. The little Groudon inside him had also detected danger and warned him multiple times.
"Is this all you trash have got?"
"Don't underestimate us!"
The samurai shouted in anger, drawing their swords.
"Kaido's lackey, today is your death day!"
"With you lot—worth less than stray dogs?"
Gurd sneered.
A bunch of rats hiding in the gutters, too cowardly to attack Oni Island, resorting to picking off stragglers. How pathetic.
Then again, after Kozuki Oden's death, the backbone of this country had been completely broken. There were no real samurai left.
Hearing Gurd's taunts, three young samurai immediately saw red and charged recklessly.
"Bastard, die!"
"Scram!"
Gurd grabbed his massive door-like greatsword and swung it with overwhelming force. The nearly two-meter-long, heavy blade sent the three young samurai flying, swords and all.
"Ahhh!!!"
Screams and blood splattered through the air.
Four remained.
The remaining four samurai paled.
"Don't clash with him head-on!"
Just by looking at Gurd's physique and weapon, it was clear he was a powerhouse. Engaging him directly would be the dumbest tactic.
"Attack together!"
The leader gripped his sword with both hands, the blade coated in a thin layer of Flowing Sakura, and leaped forward to slash at Gurd from the front.
"Clang!"
The blade was blocked by the greatsword!
Gurd held his sword horizontally, sensing the unique energy wrapped around the opponent's blade. He understood now.
It was Conqueror Haki.
In Wano Country's terms, it could also be called Flowing Sakura.
Too bad their strength was lacking.
The samurai had been hunted down, forced into hiding, struggling even to maintain basic living conditions, let alone a strong physique.
That they could use Armament Haki at all made them the elite among Kozuki's remnants.
"And us!"
Seizing the moment their leader had Gurd pinned, two samurai attacked from the left and right, thrusting their blades toward Gurd's waist.
Gurd smirked slightly, stomping his right foot on the ground. Two stone walls erupted, intercepting their swords.
"Clang!"
The blades struck the rock, sparks flying.
But there was still one more!
The last samurai had silently crept behind Gurd, leaping up with all his might to slash at Gurd's neck.
The leader pinned him from the front, two flanked from the sides, and one aimed for the decapitation. This tactic had been practiced many times before, having slain numerous formidable foes.
"Got him!"
As the blade struck the neck, the samurai's eyes lit up with the joy of vengeance—only for horror to replace it.
"Snap!"
The blade shattered into two pieces!
"Flowing Sakura!"
The enemy's nape was wrapped in Flowing Sakura!
"Is this all you've got?"
Gurd spoke coldly, his muscles gradually swelling and tensing, with sinister veins like small snakes surfacing across his skin.
The ground began to tremble violently!
The samurai's eyes filled with terror.
"Run!"
They wanted to flee, but it was too late.
"BOOM!!!"
The entire warehouse exploded and collapsed, a massive cloud of dust billowing out.
No one knew how much time had passed.
By the time the dust settled, the warehouse site looked as if it had been struck by a powerful earthquake—cracks and rubble covered the ground, along with the corpses of samurai buried beneath the debris.
Gurd stood tall at the center of the ruins, his foot pressing down on the dying samurai leader, his gaze fixed on the inner city of the Flower Capital.
"The cleanup crew is here."
A crowd was approaching.
The commotion had been too great—those in the city couldn't have missed it. The only question was whether it would be the Mimawari-gumi under Orochi's command or the Kyoshiro Family of the underworld who arrived.
"Hm?"
A distinctive pompadour hairstyle caught his eye.
It was Kyoshiro Nemuri!
Gurd's lips curled into an amused smile.
"A big shot has arrived!"
(End of Chapter)