Yamato quickly followed behind Good, looking around and taking everything in like a bumpkin who had never seen the world, showing interest in literally everything.
There was also worry.
The girl tugged at Good's sleeve and negotiated in a low voice, "Good, can we not go looking for those Kozuki Samurai?"
"No, there's no negotiating this."
Good replied coldly.
Master Kaido's orders had to be carried out.
With Yamato's sudden change, the people at the top were bound to investigate, and the person who had spent the most time in contact with Yamato lately was him.
Without a doubt, King had his eyes on him.
Choosing to place his bets on Yamato, he naturally knew he would be watched by higher-ups, which made him even less capable of making any betraying moves.
He would die!
For this subjugation mission, not only could he not just phone it in, but he had to give it his all; if Yamato couldn't bring herself to strike, then he would do the killing!
Taking the risk to get involved with Yamato-if there weren't enough generous rewards, it would amount to losing everything down to his underwear.
His goal wasn't simply to cling to a powerful thigh; ambition was something that grew along with one's strength.
"Hmph."
Yamato gritted her teeth in vexation.
"You're a demon!"
"What a coincidence, others say the same about me."
Good curled the corners of his mouth.
Soon, the two of them arrived at the casino.
The economic sources of underground gangs were basically all related to prostitution, gambling, and drugs. Even that highly prestigious Boss Hyogoro had engaged in filthy businesses like running casinos back in the day.
They were all scumbags with hands stained with blood, no better than pirates.
Inside the casino, voices were roaring like a boiling cauldron.
No matter how impoverished their lives were, countless gambling dogs would still come here to squander their hard-earned money, and it wasn't even rare for people to lose so badly they sold their wives and children.
Good casually found a corner and sat down.
Yamato curiously looked all around, feeling somewhat eager to try.
She was not unfamiliar with casinos.
She had never gambled, but she had seen it many times. On Onigashima there was a casino, and pirates often gathered together to play a few hands when resting.
"Aren't we going to play?"
"Not interested."
Good shook his head.
If there were Mahjong, he wouldn't mind playing a few rounds just for entertainment, but the casino only had games he had never encountered before, and the only thing he could understand was dice.
He didn't know how to play, nor was he interested.
Yamato was completely baffled.
Since they weren't playing, why come here.
"Then what are we going to do?"
"Watch the show."
Good crossed his legs and beckoned to a casino staff member.
Soon, a Casino Enforcer came over to the two of them with an extremely polite attitude, and even a hint of fear.
The signature Viking attire was enough to make the casino hesitant to easily provoke them.
Good took out one gold coin and tossed it to the enforcer.
"Brew a pot of tea, keep the rest as your tip."
"Right away, sir."
The attendant left in a flurry of excitement.
One gold coin equaled one hundred silver coins, enough for a family of three's living expenses for a month, while a pot of fine tea didn't even cost five silver coins.
This generous display drew quite a few gazes.
Good calmly drank his tea, turning a deaf ear to the surrounding uproar as if he were in a teahouse rather than a casino.
"Lost, it's all lost!"
"Still want to borrow money? You old bastard, you've already sold your wife and kids, what else is left to pledge? If you don't pay back the debt within three days, I'll throw you in the river to feed the fish!"
"You dare cheat, know what happens to you for that?!"
"Don't cut off my hand, ah, ah, ah!"
"Hahaha, I won, I won!"
Constantly, gamblers lost everything, crying to their fathers and mothers, displaying all sorts of ugly states, and some even had their hands and feet chopped off.
There was also a small minority of gamblers who returned fully loaded.
Yamato sat on pins and needles, having long since lost her good mood from when she first arrived.
"Good, we-"
"What, can't handle it?"
"Yeah."
"But this is a microcosm of Wano Country."
Good replied calmly.
Wano Country's high-pressure environment created the scene before them; the deeper they fell into dire straits, the more they wanted to take shortcuts, little knowing they were walking onto a dead end.
"If you want to save this country, you have to understand it first. Just like if you want to become Oden, you have to understand Oden first."
"I-"
Yamato was somewhat at a loss.
"No need to rush."
Good rubbed Yamato's head, stood up, and stretched lazily.
"Let's go, the tea's just about done."
"Huh? We're leaving just like that?"
Yamato dazedly stood up to follow.
"It's getting dark, don't tell me you want to stay here overnight!"
Good gave the girl an exasperated glare.
She really was adorably foolish.
Of course he had other motives for bringing Yamato to the casino, but sitting there for so long was mainly to let Yamato broaden her horizons.
Not just the casino, there were still many places to go.
Before leaving, Good glanced around, locked his gaze onto the enforcer who had brewed his tea, and beckoned to him.
The enforcer walked over quickly, bowing his head and asking obsequiously, "Sir, is there something you need?"
"Deliver this letter to Broken Hat Gongoro!"
Good fished a letter out from inside his tunic and handed it to the enforcer, then turned and left the casino with Yamato without looking back.
As night fell, the back courtyard of the casino.
Lights shone brightly inside the room.
Gongoro sat at his desk, opening the envelope sent by his subordinate and reading it carefully by the dim light.
"An invitation?"
During the day, he had stayed inside the casino the whole time, only he hadn't shown his face, observing the two uninvited guests from the dark instead.
Just recently, an old friend had found him, wanting to drag him down into the mud to attack Onigashima together.
But he didn't want to get involved.
As a gangster, his emotional ties to the Kozuki Clan weren't very deep, nor was he loyal to the Kozuki like major families such as the Shimotsuki and Amatsuki.
His greatest hatred for the Beasts was that they had caused the deaths of Boss Hyogoro's entire family, and he wanted to exact revenge for Boss Hyogoro at every moment.
At a time like this, Kaido's subordinate had suddenly appeared in his casino-how could it not make his heart leap with fright?
He had thought the matter was exposed, but now he wasn't quite sure anymore.
"Heavenly Hot Spring Spa?"
The letter sent by the pirate turned out to be a grand opening invitation, inviting him to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the shop's opening.
The time was half a month later, and the location was the southern outskirts of the Flower Capital.
And there was one most important point.
Inviter: The Oni Child, Yamato!
Chapter 16: Boss Kyoshiro is Grand!
Wano Country was not large; using a beast-drawn cart, it took only a single day to travel from Kibi at the very north to Ringo Harbor at the very far south.
Therefore, news traveled extremely fast.
"Kaido's daughter!"
In the span of just a single week, Yamato's existence shocked countless people in Wano Country. No one had expected that Kaido actually had a daughter.
Not only that, but Kaido's daughter was also opening a hot spring spa in the Flower Capital, which would officially open in a week.
Those who received invitations were ecstatic, while those who hadn't received them sat on pins and needles-especially those with a bit of financial power and status, who were breaking their heads just to go and show face.
Up and down Wano Country, who didn't know that the true master of Wano Country wasn't that swaggering Shogun Orochi, but the Guardian Deity Lord Kaido!
If they could use this opportunity to establish a connection with Kaido's daughter, wouldn't that mean soaring to prosperity in a single bound?
A certain secret hideout of the Kozuki Samurai.
The samurai gathered together, every single one of them ecstatic.
"That's fantastic!"
"I never thought Kaido would have a daughter!"
"This is our prime opportunity for revenge!"
"Kill Kaido's daughter and make Kaido wish he were dead!"
The samurai present knew very well that even if they banded together, it was impossible to defeat Kaido, but they had no other choice.
As time passed, their bodies had become like candles in the wind; they wouldn't live to see the twenty years prophesied by Lady Toki.
They were unwilling to die in obscurity. Even knowing they would die, they wanted to perish gloriously as Kozuki Samurai.
But now a turning point had appeared.
They would make Kaido feel the pain of losing a loved one!
Flower Capital, Pleasure District.
Having wandered around for a week, Good brought Yamato to the Flower Capital, preparing to visit the largest flower shop in the Pleasure District.
"Those rats should have taken the bait by now."
A smile appeared on Good's face.
If the Kozuki Remnants were easy to find, the Beasts would have wiped them out entirely long ago; he had no desire to do thankless, grueling chores.
Since they weren't easy to find, he would just make them come out on their own.
Before you continue