Gurd faced Golden Lion with a look of disdain.
Though he didn't know why Shiki had come to Oni Island, there was no way he'd give him a friendly reception on their own turf.
He had to make the other party recognize his place.
"Keehahaha!"
Faced with Gurd's provocation, Shiki was furious but suppressed his anger—this time, he was here to ask for help.
He had spent twenty years preparing, finally accumulating enough capital, but the times had changed. The meteoric rise of the Beasts had disrupted his plans.
Originally, he intended to destroy the East Blue to exact revenge on the World Government, but now, even that wouldn't fulfill his ambitions.
Blocking his path to kingship wasn't just the World Government—there were also the Beasts. He needed an even stronger army.
So he altered his plans.
First, seize the title of Pirate King, rule over all pirates in the world, then crush his enemies one by one, and ultimately dominate the world.
To become the Pirate King, the position of one of the Four Emperors was essential—he needed their influence to recruit powerful allies.
Shiki stared at Gurd, taking a deep drag from his cigar. "So you're Gurd, huh? Just as the rumors say—a cocky bastard!"
"Of course you gotta be cocky when you're young. Or should I wait until I'm old and weak like you to start making a scene?"
Gurd sneered mockingly.
This guy had been hiding for twenty years after escaping prison. With the power of the Float-Float Fruit, losing his legs hadn't weakened him much.
If he hadn't gone into hiding, with his peak strength, he could've easily dominated a territory by now. But instead, he wasted his time running a damn farm.
How many twenty years does a man have?
Just another loser like Moria.
"Keehahaha, brat!"
Shiki's face twisted with rage. "This world isn't as simple as you think! You can't rule it with brute strength alone!"
"Who said I'm relying on brute strength?"
Gurd scoffed, spreading his arms wide.
"We, the Beasts, are overflowing with martial prowess, countless in strength, and drowning in wealth—something you relics could never compare to."
"Men! Show these old-timers what the new era of pirates looks like! Don't let them look down on us!"
"Yes, Lord Gurd!"
The officers grinned savagely, tearing off their shirts and striking exaggerated bodybuilding poses, flexing their oiled muscles while flaunting thick gold chains, bracelets, and gem-encrusted rings on every finger.
In an instant, the banquet hall glittered blindingly.
Every officer was not only built like a tank, their muscles gleaming, but also dripping with wealth—as if the words "filthy rich" were carved into their flesh.
Many of the pirates grinned, revealing golden teeth.
The sheer extravagance was overwhelming!
Golden Lion and his crew were dumbstruck.
They'd heard of the Beasts' wealth, but seeing it firsthand was another matter—even their low-ranking officers were this ridiculous.
"Oops!"
A serving girl tripped, her pretty skirt flipping up to inadvertently reveal diamond-studded underwear.
Shiki's crew's eyes turned bloodshot.
There weren't many pirates who didn't lust after riches.
"Tch, a bunch of country bumpkins."
Gurd snorted and took his seat beside Big Brother Kaido.
He had never shortchanged his own people.
Not just the officers—even the lowest-ranking pirates never lacked for money. As long as they didn't squander it, they could've saved enough to retire long ago.
No wonder his men worshipped him every time he returned.
It's all about the benefits and perks being good enough!
The current cohesion of the Beasts is far from the loose pirate organization it once was, and its strength far surpasses what it used to be.
The simplest example is the SMILE fruits. Once highly coveted by all the Headliners, they are now mostly disdained—only those who feel they have no hope of growing stronger would consume them.
With money, getting stronger becomes easier.
Meito swords, powerful weapons, even purchasing Devil Fruits—at the very least, one could eat meat daily to bulk up or find a dojo in Wano Country to learn swordsmanship and Flowing Sakura.
"Wororororo, we're in the middle of a banquet—don't ruin the drinking mood. What are you standing around for? Pour the damn wine!"
Kaido roared with laughter, signaling Black Maria to pour Gurd a drink while shooting him a glare.
"You haven't been back in ages—better drink up now!"
"Big Brother Kaido is absolutely right!"
Gurd grinned, downing the bowl of sake in one gulp before casually asking, "Big Brother Kaido, what are these guys doing on Oni Island?"
"Oh, I was just about to tell you that."
Kaido glanced at Golden Lion.
"They want to buy Hachinosu Island!"
"Huh?"
Gurd's eyes lit up.
Why didn't you say so earlier?
He thought they were here to pick a fight!
If they're customers, then naturally, they shouldn't be treated coldly. Though Hachinosu Island is a special case, as long as the price is right, it's not completely off the table.
Hachinosu Island is a hot potato—packed with pirates constantly brawling and hard to manage.
Enforce too many rules, and the pirates will leave, stripping the island of its value. But without control, it can't generate wealth.
Selling it sounds great!
Truth be told, he's been wanting to offload it for a while.
Gurd beamed at Golden Lion.
"You want to buy Hachinosu Island?"
"Correct."
Shiki's expression was grave.
Plans had changed!
After witnessing the Beasts' immense wealth, he realized his own meager funds probably wouldn't sway them.
To acquire Hachinosu Island, he'd need something of equal value—but what could possibly match it?
This deal was about to fall through!
"Gehahahaha, no problem at all!"
Gurd grinned ear to ear.
A little thought made it obvious why Shiki wanted Hachinosu Island—that was its greatest value anyway.
Even if Shiki became one of the Four Emperors, it wouldn't affect him much. The ones who'd really have a headache would be the World Government.
The biggest reason the World Government couldn't go all-out against him was because of other factions keeping them busy—especially the Four Emperors.
With two of the Four Emperors' seats vacant, he was actually quite anxious. The sooner those gaps were filled, the more pressure on the World Government—and the lighter the burden on Hoenn.
At most, Big Brother Kaido would have a bit more to worry about.
Gurd's expression turned serious.
"Mr. Shiki, as a senior in this field, you understand Hachinosu Island's value better than anyone. Right now, every pirate in the New World has their eyes on it—whoever moves first gains the advantage!"
"..."
Shiki was taken aback.
Just moments ago, he'd been called an old geezer—now he was "senior."
The shift in attitude was too abrupt!
Gurd rubbed his hands together eagerly.
"So, what's your offer?"
"Well..."
Shiki hesitated.
This was embarrassing!
He'd only prepared five billion Berries !
After a pause, Shiki spread his fingers.
Gurd's eyes sparkled.
"50 billion Berries ?"
"Fi—"
Shiki's face twitched.
Even if they sold their entire pirate crew, they wouldn't scrape together 50 billion Berries !
"5 billion Berries !"
"5 billion?!"
Gurd's voice suddenly rose sharply!
For ordinary pirates, 5 billion was indeed no small sum. After all, Hachinosu Island was only special in status—the island itself didn't generate much wealth.
If the Pirate Paradise started collecting taxes, the pirates would riot.
The Fortuna Community was the only exception.
But a mere 5 billion Berries wasn't even enough to cover one month's wages for the Beasts pirates. It was practically charity.
Gurd waved his hand impatiently.
"Someone, show him out!"
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