"."
Good's face darkened.
You're all legs, not all drama!
Ulti moped for a long while, sneaking glances at Good out of the corner of her eye. When she realized he had no intention of comforting her, she flew into another rage.
The girl sprang up in a huff and kicked Good hard in the shin.
"Damn it, say something!"
"Hiss-!"
Good's mouth twitched.
That hurt!
This little drama queen didn't just have long legs. She had a hell of a lot of strength, too.
Ulti planted both hands on her hips and glared at Good. "You rotten Good! Find Little Pei for me right this instant!"
"Lady Ulti..."
Good shook his head helplessly and braced himself as he explained why he had come.
"I'm here to ask for leave."
"Huh?"
Ulti froze for three seconds.
Leave?
Was this guy planning to go off and fool around?!
"What do you need leave for?"
"Lord Kaido ordered Lady Yamato to put down the Kozuki Remnants' rebellion. I was selected to help her."
Good told her the truth.
Heh, a perfectly legitimate reason to take leave.
It would also let him spend a little longer in Wano Country, scout out some land, and rent out his hot spring inn for some cash while he was at it.
"Help Yamato?!"
Ulti's voice shot up.
Oh no, he's switching sides!
No way!
Good might have had a whole pile of flaws, but he was genuinely capable. He handled everything for her in perfect order, leaving her free to focus on taking care of her little brother.
Without her brother around, she merely felt terribly bored. Without Good around, she genuinely couldn't survive. Even taking care of herself was a struggle.
Did he have any idea how she had made it through the past two weeks? When she kicked off her blankets at night, there wasn't even anyone to tuck her back in!
"Waaah!"
Ulti burst into tears, raising a hand to wipe her eyes.
"Good-chan, you don't want me anymore?"
"."
Good opened his mouth.
Come on, girl. If you're going to act, at least make it convincing! Stop peeking through your eyes to check my reaction!
"These are Lord Kaido's orders!"
"Lord Kaido?"
Ulti flew into a rage at that.
"That bastard Kaido! What gives him the right to order my people around?!"
"."
Good fell silent again.
He felt like he couldn't quite keep up with the way her mind worked.
I'm tired. Time for the trump card.
Good took out a sheet of paper.
"Lady Ulti, this is for you."
"What's this?"
Ulti took the paper and glanced at it. It was a simple map of Onigashima, with numerous crosses marked along the island's coastline.
The corners of Good's mouth lifted slightly, with a hint of delight at someone else's misfortune. "The marks show the places where your brother often hangs out."
"Really?!"
Ulti's eyes lit up.
Good smiled without a word.
Sorry, Little Pei.
Better you than me, as the saying goes. To help me escape-no, to preserve the bond between you and your sister-you'll just have to make a tiny sacrifice.
I'll treat you to skewers next time!
"Lady Ulti, I still have things to do."
"Go on, go on!"
Ulti waved him away as though shooing a fly, her eyes fixed entirely on the map.
"Hehe~ Hehehehe~~"
Meanwhile, on Onigashima's western shore.
Page One sat crouched among a cluster of rocks sheltered from the wind, patiently watching the water until the fishing rod in his hands began shaking violently.
Heh, got a bite!
The taut rod bent sharply. Clearly, he had hooked something big.
Rather than wrenching the rod upward, Page One skillfully played the fish.
Perhaps it came from his Spinosaurus instincts, but he loved catching fish. Since Devil Fruit users couldn't swim, however, he had to settle for fishing with a rod.
When he had nothing else to do, he could fish all day!
The struggle lasted about ten minutes.
Crack!
The rod suddenly snapped in two.
"If only Good were here."
Page One felt a little frustrated.
If Good were there, he could help scoop the fish up with a landing net. The guy wasn't much of an angler, but he was pretty good at netting fish.
"Good should be back by now, right?"
The boy missed Good a little.
Counting the days, Good's stint guarding the dungeon should have ended.
Because of his sister, he and Good often dealt with one another, and over time, they had become close friends.
Good often used visiting him as an excuse to fish and slack off with him. Every time, he brought drinks and cooking utensils so they could cook themselves a little feast while fishing.
It was much more comfortable than fishing alone.
"That bastard didn't even save me! And here I was treating him like a brother!"
Remembering what had happened half a month earlier left Page One seething. He silently vowed that they would have a fight the next time they met.
Though without using his ability, he might not be able to beat Good. In fact, he was more likely to lose.
Mainly because Good had grown much stronger over the past few months, and Page One couldn't very well use his ability. That would be bullying him too much.
He had his pride, too.
"Achoo!"
Page One rubbed his nose, then abruptly stood up and scanned his surroundings warily.
"Something's wrong!"
Years of hiding and running had honed his terrifying intuition, making it even more useful than Observation Haki.
Observation Haki might fail, but his intuition never did.
Danger was coming!
Time to move!
The boy decisively packed up his fishing gear and prepared to head to his next spot. He had put no small amount of thought into evading his sister's pursuit.
This time, for instance, he had enjoyed five whole days of peace.
Without Good's company, it always felt as though something was missing. Still, he was more than satisfied just to fish in peace and quiet.
After all, his sister was simply too terrifying!
Just as the boy picked up his bucket to flee, a slender figure descended from the sky!
"Little Pei, I found you!"
"Sis!"
The boy's pupils shrank violently!
How did she find this place?!
Could it be?!
"Good! You %*$! Aaaah!!!"
Chapter 14: Send Invitations Before the Shop Opens
Blade Dance Port, Wano Country's largest port.
Rows of red maple trees stood atop the rocky cliffs on either side of the inlet. Crimson leaves danced through the sky, making for a breathtaking sight.
"Wow, it's beautiful!"
Yamato jumped off the ship and eagerly ran to the center of the pier, spreading her arms as though she wanted to embrace the world.
After fifteen long years, she had finally set foot again on the land that had haunted her dreams. And this time, she could move about freely.
The girl turned toward Good with a dazzling, goofy smile.
"Good, thank you!"
"Mm."
Good nodded slightly, looking deeper into Blade Dance Port.
Crowds bustled about, filling the place with life.
The Flower Capital wasn't the only thriving place in Wano Country. Each region had relatively prosperous towns of its own, like Boro Town in Kuri.
Blade Dance Port in Hakumai was no different.
These prosperous towns were ruled by newly risen samurai clans that had submitted to Orochi, replacing the old clans such as the Shimotsuki and Amatsuki.
And there were underworld gangs, too!
The man they had come to find was Hakumai's underworld boss, Tsunagoro the Broken Hat. According to the intelligence King had provided, the Kozuki Remnants involved in this uprising seemed to be in contact with the gang bosses of the various regions.
"Time to go, Yamato."
"Oh."
Before you continue