"Business?"
Old Kō froze.
He had come to God of Wealth Town to do business?
The townspeople were too poor to afford even clean drinking water. What could possibly interest him enough to come here specifically to discuss it?
Old Kō's smile grew strained as he ventured cautiously, "Lord Good, surely you aren't making fun of me?"
"I don't have that much time to waste."
Good waved a hand and pointed down below.
"I want to buy all of God of Wealth Town, including the fields outside!"
"What?!"
Old Kō gaped.
Buy God of Wealth Town?
Was he still dreaming? It was nothing more than a poor, ordinary little town. What could this man possibly see in it?
Could there be a gold mine beneath God of Wealth Town?
Impossible. He had never heard of any such thing!
Good sipped his tea with a smile, giving him time to digest the news.
What he really wanted was the land.
This rundown town had once been the largest city in Hakumai. It had only fallen into its current state after Orochi destroyed it.
Geographically, God of Wealth Town had the Flower Capital to its north, a great river to its west, and vast stretches of flat, fertile farmland to its east and south.
Its potential was excellent.
All he needed to do next was rebuild the town, resolve the water pollution, and rent out the houses to people who needed them. Then he could sit back and collect rent.
Of course, there would be plenty of resistance.
But with rental income beckoning, he would crush any obstacle in his way!
Heh heh heh...
Good held up one finger.
"I'm offering ten thousand gold!"
"How much?!"
Old Kō's eyes went perfectly round.
Ten thousand gold!
Twenty years ago, that sum would have meant little to God of Wealth Town. But now, it could buy ten towns like this one!
Good glanced at Yamato.
If not for this girl, he would have simply forced the sale through. Why bother sitting down to negotiate properly?
"Besides the ten thousand gold, I have another proposal. I'll build a new city here."
Good outlined his plan.
In short, once the new city was complete, he would sell residential homes at low prices or rent them out for even less.
The fertile fields outside town would also be available for rent or purchase.
God of Wealth Town's original residents would have priority when renting. They could also take out low-interest loans from him to buy homes, with only a down payment required up front.
The terms were extremely generous.
"This..."
Old Kō's breathing grew heavier.
The proposal was incredibly tempting. It would not only solve their housing problem but also give them farmland to rent.
Apart from a shortage of labor, the biggest reason God of Wealth Town was so poor was that they had no land to farm. With fields, they might not necessarily have enough to eat, but at least nobody would starve to death.
And there was one crucial point.
He intended to solve the water pollution. Only by cleaning up the water could the fields regain their former vitality!
For them, this was undoubtedly wonderful news.
"Mr. Kang, you have a month to think it over."
"If you're unwilling, then I'll have no choice but to select another town."
"Let's go, Yamato."
Good left with Yamato.
There was still a month until the Beasts Pirates' expedition. Only afterward could he openly invest in real estate and develop properties on a grand scale.
He was going to become a real estate tycoon!
Dusk arrived, and the setting sun was glorious.
The two walked along a path between the fields, their shadows stretching endlessly behind them.
Yamato stared at Good's back, her head swimming. Ever since leaving Onigashima, she had never really understood what she was doing.
It felt as though she had done nothing, yet also as though she had done a great deal.
And what path should she take in the future? Surely she couldn't keep trailing after Good forever like an obedient little shadow.
The girl's eyes were filled with confusion.
My head's so itchy. It feels like I'm finally growing a brain!
Just then, Good stopped.
"Yamato."
"Mm?"
"Look over there."
"Huh?"
Good raised his hand and pointed toward the Flower Capital. Yamato immediately shaded her eyes with a hand and looked in the direction he indicated.
It was the most conspicuous building in the Flower Capital.
"Orochi Castle?"
"To be precise, that's the shogun's castle!"
Good turned to face Yamato, his gaze blazing like a torch. "Yamato, do you know how to save Wano Country?"
"Defeat Father!"
Yamato answered without hesitation.
"..."
What a clever little girl.
"You're right, but we can't do that."
Good shook his head, looking into the girl's clear eyes. "Besides defeating your father, there's another way to save Wano Country-a way to stop its people from going hungry!"
"What way?"
Yamato's eyes lit up, and her heartbeat quickened.
Good clenched his fist. "It's simple. We join forces to kill Orochi, and then you become the shogun of Wano Country!"
"What?!"
Yamato's jaw dropped.
Become the shogun of Wano Country?
"Father would never allow it!"
"Once it's a done deal, Boss Kaido will have to accept it whether he likes it or not!"
Good grinned.
Once Yamato became shogun, he would rise straight to the position of a king equal in rank to Wano Country's ruler. His relationship with Yamato would be comparable to [Boss Ma and the Know-It-All King].
Then his real estate business would spread throughout Wano Country. After that, he could dream up all sorts of pretexts for charging fees, and everyone in the country would have to pay him rent.
Heh heh heh... Hahahaha!
Chapter 22: Putting Doflamingo in His Place!
Hakumai, Mogura Port.
This was Wano Country's only port connecting it to the outside world.
Clank, clank...
With its chains rattling, the massive lift emerged from the tunnel shaft carrying the Numancia Flamingo, then transferred it into the river alongside the Beasts Pirates' ship.
"Fufufufu!"
Accompanied by his roguish laughter, Doflamingo appeared on deck, with the Donquixote Family's officers behind him.
On the deck of the Beasts Pirates' ship opposite, Good stood at the front with his arms folded, with Speed and the other Beasts Pirates behind him.
The two sides faced each other coldly, tension thick in the air.
Doflamingo stared at Good and raised a hand to his forehead.
"Fufufu, they're looking down on us."
As one of the Shichibukai, he possessed considerable influence and power in the world. Yet the Beasts Pirates clearly did not take him seriously. There wasn't even anyone noteworthy in the welcoming party.
He had expected that, even if Kaido did not welcome him personally, he would at least send one of the Three Calamities. This reception was unmistakably a slight.
Such a condescending attitude irritated him immensely. He hadn't come to Wano Country to submit to Kaido, but to seek a partnership!
The family's officers were angry too. The Donquixote Family had enjoyed smooth sailing for years. When had they ever suffered such indignity?
"They're not taking us seriously at all!"
"Let's teach them a lesson!"
"Doffy, I can't hold back much longer!"
The officers rubbed their hands, itching for a fight.
So what if they served one of the Four Emperors!
They were all pirates. The simplest way to earn the other side's respect was to demonstrate their strength.
They had long wanted to fight the officers under one of the Four Emperors!
Watching the Donquixote Family grow restless, Good's gaze turned increasingly cold, and he slowly raised his hand.
The next instant, dozens of cannons stationed at the port aimed at the Numancia Flamingo. His subordinates behind him and the Beasts Pirates onshore all raised their guns as well!
"Hey, hey! That's playing dirty!"
The officers who had been eager to provoke them moments earlier instantly broke into cold sweats. With so many guns and cannons trained on them, even they would struggle to escape.
And what about the ship beneath their feet?
They wanted to fight the other side, but not by exchanging cannon fire. Their ship could never withstand that much firepower.
"Fufufufu..."
Doflamingo's shoulders shook as he swaggered toward Good, his feet turned outward. The moment he stepped off the ship, he actually stood on thin air.
Good's gaze chilled.
Although he did not have much information, he had already pieced together the general course of events. Doflamingo had killed Hanafuda of the Shichibukai and was trying to take his place as the middleman.
Such an act was undoubtedly a provocation against the Beasts Pirates. Boss Kaido had agreed to receive Doflamingo, but that did not mean he would let him off.
The final outcome would depend on what bargaining chips Doflamingo could offer. Until then, welcoming him-by putting him in his place-was Good's job.
Before you continue