"Cut off his head!"
The pirates roared feverishly, with even quite a few Shinuchi joining in. Every pair of eyes brimmed with excitement and cruelty.
With an expedition imminent, nothing fired up their fighting spirit like blood and death. This was also a Beasts Pirates tradition.
Wealth, status, fame.
The victor would gain everything, while the dead would be forgotten in an instant.
Third floor, corridor.
Good watched the slaughter below for a while, soon lost interest, and turned toward the nearby banquet hall.
Boss Kaido was gathering his officers for one last banquet before the expedition, and to announce its commencement.
"Wororororo!"
From far away, Good could already hear Boss Kaido's hearty laughter. He seemed to be in an excellent mood.
The moment Good entered the banquet hall, he caught the attention of quite a few Shinuchi. Some even shot him challenging looks.
Over the past two months, Good had undoubtedly been the Beasts Pirates' most talked-about officer. In particular, blasting Doflamingo out of the banquet hall last time had really put him in the spotlight.
That had left quite a few officers seething with envy.
"Wororororo! Good, you're here!"
Holding his cup, Kaido laughed when he saw Good and pointed toward the front row. "Come sit over here. We're celebrating today, so there's no need to stand on ceremony."
The banquet hall instantly fell silent.
The Shinuchi froze for a moment, then their gazes darkened.
There was no explicit rule, but seating in the banquet hall was arranged according to strength. Only the strong could sit near Boss Kaido.
And the spot Boss Kaido had indicated ranked just below those of the three All-Stars. Why should a weakling who had only just been promoted to Shinuchi get it?
There was another crucial point. Rumors had recently spread through the crew that Boss Kaido intended to choose the six strongest Shinuchi to form the Flying Six. They had long been itching for their chance.
Judging by how much importance Boss Kaido placed on Good now, he clearly considered him one of the candidates for the Flying Six.
If Good were strong, that would have been one thing. Strength was how people rose through the crew's ranks, and the Shinuchi included powerhouses like Ulti and Who's-Who.
But who was Good?
A month ago, they had never even heard his name!
How could they accept this?
Killing intent surged from the Shinuchi, their eyes full of warnings.
Just try sitting there!
Feeling the killing intent around him, Good grinned and strode to the front row. He flicked his cape aside, settled into the seat with his legs spread wide, then cupped his hands toward Kaido.
"Thank you, Boss Kaido."
"Wororororo! I told you, no need for ceremony today."
Kaido laughed and raised his cup.
"Drink!"
"Sure!"
Feeling thoroughly pleased, Good picked up his bowl and drank with Kaido.
He had to admit, having a boss like Kaido was pretty great. The man put on no airs when dealing with his subordinates, acting more like a good older brother, and did his best to accommodate their requests.
Of course, strength was the prerequisite!
Good set down his bowl, wiped the wine from the corner of his mouth, and asked with a smile, "Boss Kaido, you look so happy today. Is there good news?"
"Wororororo! Hic! There certainly is something worth celebrating!"
Kaido seemed to have drunk a little too much. With his drunken hiccups and beaming eagerness to show off, he actually looked a little cute.
"Holdem!"
"Boss Kaido!"
Holdem stepped out from the Shinuchi seats. His burly frame stood over three meters tall and looked quite formidable, but what drew the most attention was the lion's head growing from his waist.
An Artificial Devil Fruit user!
Surprise crossed Good's face.
"SMILE?"
"That's right!"
Kaido laughed delightedly. "That brat Joker's men delivered a new batch of Artificial Devil Fruits. This time, they're the real deal! Wororororo! Good, your luck really was terrible!"
"Seems that way."
Good shrugged helplessly.
Hah, my luck couldn't be better!
Standing in the middle of the hall, Holdem fixed a vicious gaze on Good, making no attempt to conceal his killing intent. "Boss Kaido, I want to challenge Good. Please give me permission!"
"Hm?"
Kaido's brows rose.
On such a happy day, drinking and celebrating were what mattered most. Having the banquet hall wrecked would really spoil the mood.
But judging by the agitation among the Shinuchi, this fight was probably unavoidable.
Kaido looked at Good.
"How could I back down when someone's issued a challenge?"
Good curled his lips into a grin, rose, and walked up to Holdem. "I'll give you one minute," he said flatly.
"..."
Holdem's eyes instantly turned bloodshot. In a fury, he drew the famed sword at his waist and slashed at Good with all his strength.
Clang!
Good caught the blade!
"How is that possible?!"
Holdem stared in disbelief. After gaining a lion's strength, his all-out slash had been caught barehanded.
And furthermore...
That wasn't a human hand!
"Is that all you've got?"
Good asked calmly. His powerful body rapidly swelled, a steel-like armored shell growing over him. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a half-human, half-beast monster.
Crack!
His claws shattered the blade!
Holdem backed away in horror, his body trembling uncontrollably.
What kind of monster was this guy?!
Boom!
The banquet hall doors exploded, and the blood-soaked Holdem landed in the ring at the center of the plaza.
The banquet hall was utterly silent.
The Shinuchi watched Good return to his human form. Their earlier hostility was gone, replaced by shock and lingering fear.
He's so strong!
The way Kaido and the Calamities looked at Good changed as well. Surprise, delight, gravity-all kinds of emotions mingled in their eyes.
"Sorry, Boss Kaido."
Good faced Kaido and helplessly pointed behind him at the shattered floor extending outside, as well as the now-missing doors.
"I accidentally damaged the place."
"Wororororo! Doesn't matter!"
Kaido laughed delightedly.
He hadn't expected Good to have become a Devil Fruit user. He didn't know what his power was, but that didn't matter.
His army had grown even stronger!
"Have someone bring more booze! No one's leaving sober today!"
Good returned to his seat. He could clearly feel that more than half the hostile gazes had vanished. His show of force had worked quite well.
They feared power, not virtue. That was how pirates were.
After several rounds of drinks.
Good raised a toast to Kaido.
"Boss Kaido, I intend to stay on Onigashima during this expedition!"
"Hm? Why is that?"
Kaido frowned.
Good was very strong. Leaving him on Onigashima would be a waste of fighting power. This expedition could easily lead to clashes with the other Four Emperors' crews, so naturally, the more strength they had, the better.
Good explained gravely, "All of our best fighters will be heading out on this expedition, leaving Onigashima poorly defended. If an enemy takes advantage of that to invade, we could suffer irreparable losses."
"There are countless runners-up in the New World lurking in the shadows, waiting for their chance!"
"Also, I've received intelligence that Fire Fist Ace, the man who defeated Hanafuda, has entered the New World. His chosen route is likely to take him through Wano Country. I suspect Fire Fist is after your head!"
"That's why I intend to stay and guard Onigashima!"
"I guarantee that as long as Lady Yamato and I are here, nothing will go wrong on Onigashima unless one of the Four Emperors comes in person!"
His reasoning was sound!
Kaido frowned in thought.
The things Good had mentioned were indeed worth guarding against.
Treasure was one thing, but Wano Country held something far more precious. He couldn't allow even the slightest mishap.
"All right. I'll leave Onigashima to you!"
"Thank you for trusting me, Boss Kaido!"
Good smiled.
"Boss Kaido, when you return victorious before the Fire Festival, I'll have a big surprise ready for you!"
"Wororororo! I'm looking forward to it!"
Chapter 28: Prejudice in people's hearts is a towering mountain
Hakumai, the lower level of the hidden port.
A great fleet of dozens of Beasts Pirates ships, carrying a full ten thousand troops, passed through the waterfall in a grand procession and sailed out to sea.
On shore, everyone said their farewells.
Page One stared at Good, his face full of exasperation. "Brother-in-law, are you really not coming on the expedition with us?"
"Yep. I'm not going."
Good folded his arms across his chest, his gaze disdainful.
Hehehe! Your brother-in-law has a home and savings now, and he's about to become a big boss. Why would he still need to go out and work for someone else?
Little Pei, your brother-in-law isn't in the same class as you anymore!
"I really don't get you!"
Page One felt deeply disappointed. He turned and boarded the ship to join his sister Ulti.
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