The next morning, at dawn.
At Oni Island's harbor, the Beast Pirates Ship responsible for transporting supplies like food set sail, heading toward the interior of Wano Country.
On the deck, near the mast.
Gurd sat beneath the mast, his chin resting on his interlaced fingers, deep in thought about buying a house in the Flower Capital.
He had spent two and a half months preparing for this day, and now he had finally saved enough money to own his own property.
Just thinking about it made him a little excited.
As Gurd was imagining collecting rent, a girl carrying a longbow approached.
"Well, look who it is!"
"..."
Gurd's gaze drifted upward slightly.
Long legs, slender waist, and an impressive—
Ding!
Automatic targeting mode activated!
The girl wore a fitted top, half white and half blue, with the zipper pulled down to her navel, revealing fair skin and two perfectly rounded hemispheres.
Wealthy and generous.
After critically examining the view for over ten seconds, Gurd smiled contentedly before looking up at the girl's slightly disgusted face.
"Long time no see, Speed."
"Indeed, it's been a while. You've been acting all mysterious these past few months—no idea what you're up to."
Speed curled her lip.
She was in charge of procurement, and Gurd often asked her to buy the latest newspapers. Over time, the two had become familiar.
Speed pulled a newspaper from her chest and tossed it to Gurd.
"Here, the latest issue."
"Thanks."
Gurd took the still-warm newspaper.
Since his superior was obsessed with keeping up with trends and never missed an issue, the task of buying newspapers had fallen to him, which also kept him updated on outside events.
Gurd casually flipped through the paper, and his eyebrows rose at the headline.
"Huh?"
"What is it?"
Speed leaned in.
"Nothing."
Gurd shook his head and closed the newspaper.
The headline was about "Fire Fist" Ace, who had just entered the Grand Line and was still a fresh-faced rookie.
In a few months, Ace would probably reach Wano Country, and who knew what kind of trouble he'd stir up then.
"Gurd."
Speed sat down beside him, nudging him with her elbow before whispering, "I heard you captured Yamato?"
"Yeah."
Gurd glanced at her.
Thwack!
Speed slapped his muscular back hard.
"You really made a name for yourself this time!"
Word of yesterday's battle had spread across Oni Island.
No one had expected that while Headliners like Page One and Ulti had lost, an unknown like Gurd would be the one to capture Yamato. It had shocked everyone.
Though there was some luck involved, capturing the Ogre Child was impossible without considerable skill.
One battle, instant fame.
People had even given him a nickname: "Devil Muscle Man."
Unaware of the nickname, Gurd changed the subject. "Enough about that. How about you? You're close to becoming a Headliner, right?"
"Just one step away!"
Speed clenched her little fist and punched Gurd in the chest.
"Oof—that hurt."
Gurd rubbed his pectoral muscle, fully understanding what Speed was conveying.
Her fist had been coated in Conqueror Haki!
While there was no official rule, mastering Armament Haki was the bare minimum requirement to become a Headliner.
With her Haki, sharp eyes, and archery skills, all Speed needed now was a notable achievement.
As for himself...
"Haki..."
Gurd rubbed his smooth head.
Of course, he was aware of Conqueror Haki's existence and its specific properties. Yet after traversing this world for two and a half months, he still hadn't found any leads.
Killing intent, fighting spirit, aura...
Transforming willpower into a weapon—that was Conqueror Haki. The principle seemed simple, but actual practice proved far more difficult than imagined.
He wondered when he'd finally master it.
Speed's eyes sparkled. "Gurd, have you heard? Lord Kaido is preparing an expedition—this is our chance!"
"Haha, it's still early days yet."
Gurd shook his head with a laugh.
He'd also heard about the expedition. For him and Speed, it truly was a perfect opportunity to distinguish themselves and get promoted. But the preparations alone would take two to three months.
Besides, he wasn't that interested in climbing the ranks. He'd rather save up to buy property and retire early.
"Playing coy!"
Speed clicked her tongue in disappointment, then reconsidered when she remembered Gurd's recent achievements must have earned him substantial rewards. Her expression shifted immediately.
Given pirates' typical behavior after coming into money...
Narrowing her eyes, Speed asked, "Gurd, why are you going to Flower Capital? Not to visit the Pleasure Quarter for women, are you?"
"Of course not. I have... certain standards. Even if I wanted women, I'd only go for clean, beautiful ones like you."
Gurd fixed her with an openly predatory gaze.
Now that he'd become a pirate, why bother pretending to be a gentleman?
If you want something, say it outright—how else would others know? Maybe the lady has needs too. When sparks meet kindling, who knows what might ignite?
After all, women who became pirates were just as fierce and passionate as their male counterparts.
Speed rolled her eyes, amused. "Sure. When you become a senior officer, I'll warm your bed."
"Hey~ You said it! No take-backs or you're a dog!"
Gurd chuckled.
Senior officers in their crew referred at minimum to the Flying Six level—though currently, the crew hadn't established that rank yet, having only three All-Stars.
Becoming an All-Star would be extremely difficult, but securing a Flying Six position in the future shouldn't be problematic given his... special advantages.
The only hitch was that this woman would eventually consume an artificial Devil Fruit and become a centaur—something he found slightly hard to accept.
Wait.
Drawing from his extensive... viewing experience, female centaurs offered multiple riding possibilities. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all...
"Snap out of it! Stop those filthy thoughts!"
Seeing Gurd's contemplative expression clearly evaluating their compatibility, Speed scolded in exasperation.
If Gurd truly became an All-Star, she wouldn't mind clinging to his coattails.
But was that likely?
Given their current strength, just becoming Headliners would be an achievement. All-Stars were beyond their wildest dreams.
"You still haven't said why you're going to Flower Capital?"
"Oh, I'm buying property."
Gurd saw no reason to hide it.
Purchasing property was just step one—he planned to rent it out at premium prices. Nobody here understood rental markets yet.
"Buying property???"
Speed's face filled with question marks.
Buying property?
What kind of proper pirate buys property!
Burning buildings down was more their style!
Suppressing her urge to mock, Speed asked in confusion, "Why are you buying property?"
"Here's the plan."
Gurd immediately perked up, enthusiastically explaining his grand scheme: buy property → rent it out → buy more → rent more.
Even this didn't fully satisfy his urge to share.
Damn this cursed compulsion to explain.
The girl was dumbfounded, finally blurting out after a long pause.
"Are you out of your mind?"
"Of course not. Let me tell you, I've never been more clear-headed."
Gurd lifted his chin.
This naive girl couldn't possibly understand the joy of collecting rent.
Stable income, low risk, inflation-resistant, potential property appreciation—so many benefits clearly outweighed fighting and killing.
"Well, whatever."
Speed couldn't even muster the energy to argue.
"By the way, be careful going to Flower Capital alone. The samurai have been restless lately, and several of our lone brothers have been attacked."
"Don't worry."
Gurd narrowed his eyes.
Anyone who dared stand between him and property ownership would meet their end!
(End of chapter)