Amigasa Village was small, with very limited production value, but this was also its advantage—it wouldn't take long to demolish and redevelop.
For the Headliners, it was more than enough.
Moreover, acquiring the village was just to give the Headliners some hands-on experience, helping them understand the benefits of sustainable development.
Not to mention other places, the Beasts' territory spanned dozens of islands, all with significant development potential.
After his duel with Jack, Gurd planned to find an excuse to travel outside, preferably taking a large group of executives to stake claims and buy property.
Meanwhile, at the Onigashima Training Grounds.
Jack, his expression ferocious, swung his twin swords with sweat pouring down his face. He hadn't relaxed for a single moment in preparation for his decisive battle with Gurd.
He felt the pressure!
Holdem approached Jack from behind.
"Lord Jack."
"Speak!"
Jack continued swinging his blades, his gaze icy.
Holdem nervously swallowed, speaking cautiously, "Lord Gurd seems to have been sightseeing all this time. These past few days, he's taken the Headliners to many impoverished villages, and just now, he went to the Ninja Village with Lady Yamato."
"..."
Blood vessels bulged in Jack's eyes.
That bastard—was he not taking him seriously at all?
"Prepare to set sail immediately!"
"Huh?"
Holdem froze.
"But Lord Jack, it's not yet the agreed-upon time."
"Fool, what does that matter?!"
Jack glared furiously at Holdem.
"Who do you think I am?!"
"My apologies, I'll ready the ship at once!"
Holdem nearly died of fright, scrambling toward the port in a panic. He knew full well that angering Lord Jack could truly cost him his life!
Soon, the Mammoth set sail.
Northern Wano Country, Ximei.
Deep within the dark, dense forest lay a nearly isolated Ninja Village. The villagers could only leave once they became qualified ninjas.
"Quick, greet the Shogun!"
The ninjas, having received the assembly order, rushed to the village entrance. When the Oniwabanshu arrived alongside the Shogun, the ninjas dropped to their knees in unison.
Their very existence was to serve the Shogun.
"We pay our respects to the Shogun!"
"Mhm, mhm!"
Yamato's eyes sparkled.
Today, Gurd had unexpectedly brought her along, and she never imagined they'd visit the Ninja Village. The thought of all those strange and fascinating ninjutsu filled her with excitement.
"All of you, rise."
"As you command, Shogun."
The ninjas stood, discreetly observing the new Shogun.
They had already heard of Orochi's death, but they never expected the new Shogun to be a young woman, leaving them somewhat astonished.
Da Black stepped forward, his voice solemn. "The Shogun wishes to understand the current state of the Ninja Village. Make the necessary preparations at once!"
"As you command."
The leading elders responded eagerly.
Ninjas and samurai were the two great pillars of Wano Country, but ever since the Pirates took root in Wano, the Ninja Village's standing had plummeted.
Funding dwindled, and new talent was scarce.
The village's situation grew increasingly dire, and even if they wanted to revive their glory, they lacked the means. The Orochi Shogun had never cared about the village.
They had to seize this opportunity.
Soon, the ninjas began their demonstrations, showcasing one bizarre ninjutsu after another, dazzling the onlookers.
Throwing stars.
Clone Technique.
And all manner of Escape Techniques.
"Gurd, look at this!"
Yamato's eyes gleamed as she tugged at Gurd's arm, shaking him excitedly.
"Such cool ninjutsu!"
"It's alright."
Gurd stroked his chin, utterly unimpressed by the ninjas' performance.
Extremely ordinary.
Most of the ninjutsu performed by the ninjas were mere illusions—flashy but impractical, with little combat value.
In his eyes, the first priority of a ninja was to conceal their presence and assassinate targets silently.
All that flamboyant nonsense was pointless.
"Da Black, is this all the Ninja Village has to offer?"
"My apologies, Lord Gurd."
Da Black bowed his head in apology.
The Ninja Village had long fallen into decline. If not for his lingering attachment to the village, he wouldn't have invited Gurd here in the first place.
"No matter."
Gurd waved his hand dismissively.
Ninjas still had potential for cultivation. The members of the Oniwabanshu were all quite skilled, especially Da Black after becoming their captain—his strength had grown significantly, enough to rival the Flying Six.
"Bring the village's leaders to me!"
"Yes!"
Da Black quickly left and soon returned with four elders in tow.
The elders had already learned of Gurd's identity from Da Black and greeted him with deep respect.
"We pay our respects to Lord Gurd."
"Hmm."
Gurd regarded them coldly. "Listen well. From now on, I will allocate ten thousand gold annually as funding for the Ninja Village."
"Ten thousand gold?!"
The elders were ecstatic.
Money was the village's greatest need—they didn't even have the funds to forge new Ninja Tools. With ten thousand gold each year, the village could surely flourish once more.
"Don't celebrate too soon."
Gurd's voice was icy. "The Ninja Village will be divided into the Fire Ninja Village and the Frost Ninja Village. The Frost Ninja Village's territory will be established in the northern graveyard of Linghou."
"Both villages will remain under your leadership, and you may distribute personnel as you see fit."
"Before the Fire Festival each year, each village will send ten ninjas to battle against the other. The winning side will receive eighty percent of the funding."
"Do you understand?"
The four elders paled, their gazes instinctively turning hostile toward one another. From now on, they would be rivals.
But for the sake of reviving the village, they had no other choice.
"We understand!"
"Good."
Gurd gave a slight nod.
"I will have the Oniwabanshu monitor you. If you try anything underhanded, then the Ninja Village will no longer have a reason to exist."
"We wouldn't dare!"
The elders broke out in cold sweat.
"Dismissed."
Gurd waved them off.
Without competition and pressure, true strength could never emerge. And it wasn't just the Ninja Village—he'd have to arrange something similar for the Samurai Patrol as well.
He had no intention of raising a bunch of useless trash.
Some time later, chaos suddenly erupted at the village entrance.
Alarms blared.
"Enemy attack!!!"
The ninjas demonstrating their techniques rushed to the gate to engage the intruders, while the Oniwabanshu gathered around Yamato and Gurd.
Protecting the shogun was their highest priority—far above the village itself.
Ninja Village, main gate.
"BOOM!!!"
The wooden walls were effortlessly demolished.
Surrounded by Pirates, a massive mammoth strode into the village, its surroundings littered with severely wounded ninjas.
The mammoth glared down at the approaching defenders.
"Listen up. There's supposed to be a Pirate named Gurd here. Hand him over!"
"Lord Gurd?!"
The elders recoiled in horror.
"Who are you people?! Why are you looking for Lord Gurd?!"
"..."
The mammoth's eyes turned cold as its trunk lashed out like a whip.
"ARGHHH—!"
The earth trembled; ninjas screamed.
The Pirates laughed cruelly.
"Hahaha! Lord Jack isn't here to answer your questions!"
"Just hand him over quietly!"
"Or we'll tear this village apart!"
Ruthless. Unreasonable.
That was Jack's way.
Just as the Pirates were about to continue their destruction, Gurd arrived with Yamato in tow. Looking at the village reduced to ruins, Gurd sighed helplessly.
Rebuilding the village would cost money again.
Gurd turned his gaze toward the mammoth and spoke softly.
"Little brother Jack, you've crossed the line!"
Little brother Jack?
The Pirates were so shocked they nearly forgot to breathe.
Jack looked down at Gurd, his massive trunk smashing downward!
"BOOM!!!"
A cloud of dust erupted into the sky!
(End of chapter)