In the banquet hall, the officers gathered around Gurd with beaming smiles.
"Double blessings, Lord Gurd!"
"Tha—anks!"
"Lord Gurd, let me toast you!"
"Bottoms up!"
"Gur-chan, waaah(*)"
"You be the underling!"
"Oh!"
Gurd drank with each officer one after another, downing cup after cup, trying to drown his frustration in alcohol.
What kind of "surprise gift" was this? Pah!
Sure, it was surprising—but where was the joy in it?
Even if Yamato were handed over for free—
Well, free was still acceptable.
But Yamato was already his!
Gifting the emperor his own consort?
This was outright freeloading!
As a man who collected rent, he despised nothing more than being taken advantage of!
He'd rather have been given money.
Big Brother Kaido, how about changing the gift?
Gurd shot Kaido a resentful look, tempted to ask for a different present. But considering the special effectiveness of Thunder Bagua against kings, he decided against it.
He was a man destined to be the Landlord King—he couldn't withstand an anti-king weapon.
Kaido cheerfully clinked cups with Gurd. "Wororororo! Gurd, you always know how to make me happy!"
"Big Brother Kaido, I'm happy too!"
Gurd forced a stiff smile, his lips twitching.
How could he not be happy?
This vast Beasts Pirates would soon rely on him to inherit it!
Kaido laughed heartily, but his mood suddenly darkened.
"It's too noisy here. Let's move to the side room!"
"King, Queen, Jack—you all come too."
The group relocated to the adjacent chamber.
Kaido sat cross-legged, his hair bristling with anger.
"Gurd, you haven't forgotten about that brat Fire Fist Ace, have you?"
"Fire Fist?"
Gurd's eyes flickered.
He had been keeping tabs on Ace.
After leaving Wano Country, the kid had headed straight for Whitebeard's territory without detours, then vanished for nearly three months.
No doubt, Ace was getting beaten up on Whitebeard's ship. He'd probably join the Whitebeard Pirates soon and rise to become the commander of the 2nd Division.
The position had been vacant for too long, and they needed someone strong to fill it. Ace's arrival and his sunny personality made him the perfect fit.
This was exactly what he'd been waiting for!
The reason he hadn't forcibly kept Ace in Wano was to have a valid excuse to go out and roam. With this back-and-forth, his achievements would skyrocket!
Gurd's gloom instantly vanished, replaced by a sly grin. "Big Brother Kaido, you want me to capture Fire Fist?"
"Exactly!"
Kaido's face darkened. "That damn Fire Fist has repeatedly provoked us. We can't let him off easily!"
"Big Brother Kaido, leave it to me!"
Gurd thumped his chest confidently.
Capturing Fire Fist would be child's play—easier than a father disciplining his son.
"Of course, I trust you!"
Kaido's eyes softened with approval.
Gurd had never let him down and always knew how to please him. But thinking of Gurd's temperament gave him a headache.
After a moment's hesitation, Kaido couldn't help but add a warning.
"Gurd, don't kill Fire Fist!"
"Huh?"
Gurd frowned in displeasure.
"Big Brother Kaido, why not?"
"Gurd, Fire Fist defeated Hanafuda. He's strong. If you capture him and bring him to Oni Island, we can tame him into a valuable asset!"
Kaido sighed inwardly.
This kid was perfect in every way—except for his excessive bloodlust.
Kyoshiro. Shutenmaru.
Such excellent fighters—all gone.
Grrraaah! Just thinking about them made his heart ache.
Gurd, you need to stop!
"Tch—"
Gurd's face darkened with annoyance.
Our boss has this one flaw—he always wants to recruit even his deadliest enemies, even those who've severely harmed his interests.
Take Luffy, for example. Even after he took down Doflamingo and completely destroyed the SMILE trade, he still had to take a trip to the Prisoner Quarry. Mind you, the losses Luffy caused were ten times worse than what Ace did.
And Shutenmaru? Still alive after all this time.
Big Brother Kaido, wake up! Even that Red Hair Shanks, who's always trading favors, is more ruthless than you when it comes to dealing with enemies!
"I understand."
Gurd sighed and nodded.
In his view, any irreconcilable enemy should be killed, their corpse burned, and their ashes scattered—leaving no chance for a comeback.
Among the enemies he'd faced, Ace was an exception. Mainly because Ace was useful to him, and killing him risked the Flame-Flame Fruit respawning somewhere unknown.
Waiting for Ace to self-destruct and then retrieving the fruit from Doflamingo was undoubtedly safer than searching blindly.
Ace had to die—but not now.
"Worororo, good!"
Kaido grinned widely.
Now he was truly at ease.
"Gurd, two more tasks for you!"
"Two?"
Gurd's face fell.
I just wanted to go out and scout some investment-worthy land—don't make me actually work hard!
"Blame yourself for this!"
Kaido glared at him. "If you hadn't suggested the Four Lead Performers, the Flying Six wouldn't be short-staffed now. Think about it—who else in the crew can even fill those roles?"
"No one."
Gurd shook his head.
The gap between the Flying Six and the Headliners was massive. Even the weakest of them, Page One, could easily defeat top-tier Headliners like Babanuki.
The power disparity was severe.
Kaido scowled. "Gurd, I need you to find candidates who can join the Flying Six. Understood?"
"Understood!"
"One more thing. On your way back, stop by the Pleasure District. We have a deal with its queen, Stussy."
"Fine, leave it to me!"
Gurd agreed readily.
No point worrying—debts don't crush you when they pile up.
"Wait, Boss Kaido!"
Gurd suddenly realized he'd overlooked something. He could guess Ace was on Whitebeard's ship, but where was Whitebeard? How was he supposed to find Ace?
"Where's Fire Fist?"
"Hachinosu!"
Night fell at the Hot Spring Club.
Splash!
Yamato dropped from above, plopping straight into the bath. Whether it was intentional or not, the water splashed right into Gurd's face.
The girl was fuming!
"Grrrr! That damn bull-headed gorilla actually sold off his own daughter! I'll never forgive him!"
"He's your father, not some bull-headed gorilla!"
Gurd wiped the water from his face, correcting her choice of words with displeasure.
How dare she badmouth his future father-in-law!
No respect!
"Gurd!"
Yamato planted her hands on her hips, glaring at him in frustration.
"Aren't you even angry?"
"Why would I be?"
"If your parents took away your freedom without asking, planned out your whole life for you—how would you feel?"
"Hmm… should I say 'thank you'?"
Gurd stroked his chin, his gaze scrutinizing the girl's bare body before giving a very serious answer.
A promotion, a raise, marrying a beautiful and wealthy girl, reaching the peak of life—
Damn, that sounds amazing!
"You—you're impossible!"
Yamato's eyes welled up with angry tears.
Waaah, no one understands me!
Gurd found it amusing and patted the girl's fair bottom. "If you're unwilling, I can discuss it with Big Brother Kaido."
"It's not that I'm unwilling... If it's Gurd, it might be okay. I just..."
Yamato pouted, seeking a hug.
She just wanted to live freely according to her own will!
For freedom!!!
"Waaahhh~~~~"
The girl clung to Gurd and wailed, her cries utterly heart-wrenching.
She cried for a long, long time.
"Gurd."
"What?"
"Why are you touching my butt?"
"My hand slipped."
"..."
"Gurd."
"What now?"
"There's something poking my tummy!"
"Your imagination."
"It's not my imagination, it's real!"
"..."
"I get it, you want to—"
"Shut up!"
A long silence followed.
Gurd heaved a sigh, exhausted as he looked up at the sky.
"Yamato."
"Yeah?"
"Go back to your room if you want to keep crying. Remember to cover your head with a pillow—it'll muffle the sound."
"Okay."
(End of chapter)