Neither of them could understand it. This was a golden opportunity to make a name for themselves, and everyone in the Beasts Pirates was going wild over it, yet Good had volunteered to stay behind.
What was he after?!
"See you, Good!"
"See you!"
Good waved goodbye to the siblings.
Half an hour later, the Beasts Pirates' grand fleet disappeared completely from view.
"Heh heh, hahahaha!"
Good threw back his head and laughed, unable to contain himself.
The day he had been waiting for had finally arrived. Everyone who could hold him back was gone. From now on, he would have the final say over all the Beasts Pirates' territory in Wano Country.
"Yamato, let's go."
"Huh? Oh."
Yamato pouted and reluctantly followed Good.
She now thought Good was a bad guy!
Wait, Good had always been a bad guy!
Just put up with it a little longer!
The most important part of being Oden was patience!
"Good, where are we going?"
"God of Wealth Town!"
Good glanced at Yamato.
He had been stringing this girl along for two months. Aside from keeping her well fed and well rested, he had given her nothing else to show for it.
She wanted to become Oden for the spiritual fulfillment it brought her. With no progress for so long, of course she was getting impatient.
It was time to give her a little taste of what she wanted.
The submerged port was right next to God of Wealth Town, only a short distance away. In less than half an hour, their beast-drawn carriage arrived in town.
"The pirates are here!"
The children sounded the alarm as usual.
At the village chief's house.
Old Kō wore a strained smile as he brought out a cup of clean water for the two of them. It was the last of what he had.
"My lords, please have some water."
"..."
Good's gaze shifted downward.
How were two people supposed to share one cup of water?
He was a village chief, at least. How had he ended up this poor?
"Oh, perfect! I was thirsty."
Yamato failed to notice Old Kō's embarrassment. She picked up the cup and drained it in one go, then smacked her lips, still feeling a little thirsty.
"Is there any more?"
"N-no, there isn't."
Old Kō swallowed, his heart aching.
That water had been crystal clear. He had paid for it. It would not give anyone a stomachache, and it left the body wonderfully refreshed.
What a waste to gulp it all down at once.
"No more? All right, then."
Yamato set the cup down regretfully, then suddenly sensed something off about the atmosphere. Good, in particular, was giving her a strange look, as though saying, Yamato, don't you read the room before drinking?
The girl shrank back.
"Why are you looking at me? You're scaring me."
"It's nothing."
Good shook his head.
Honestly, how could a single-minded idiot understand social niceties?
Good turned to Old Kō and smiled. "Mr. Kō, have you given any thought to what we discussed earlier?"
"Well..."
Old Kō looked troubled.
He had discussed it with the villagers. Of course they wanted that enormous sum of ten thousand gold, but they were even more afraid it was a scam that would leave them homeless.
At least they could barely scrape by as things were.
"So you're unwilling."
Good was not surprised. He was a pirate, after all. No matter how wonderful he made it sound, it would be hard to get the villagers to trust him.
A sheep that trusted a wolf would likely end up with not even a scrap of bone left.
Fine. To hell with social niceties.
Good's lips curled upward. "Old Kō, did my politely discussing this with you give you the mistaken impression that you could refuse me?"
"My lord, n-no, that's not..."
Old Kō stammered.
Good took out the contract he had prepared in advance and held it out before Old Kō, threatening coldly, "Within half an hour, I want every villager's handprint on this. If even one is missing, this town will be razed to the ground!"
"..."
Old Kō shuddered from head to toe.
Damn it, this man really was a villain!
Good's eyes were cold.
"Why are you still sitting there? The clock is ticking even while you sit!"
"I-I'll go right away!"
Old Kō hurriedly rose and left.
Yamato grew agitated.
When Good had fought the samurai earlier, she had forced herself not to intervene because the two sides were enemies to begin with, and the samurai had wanted to kill them.
But these were ordinary people. She could not accept bullying them, and Oden would never have allowed it either.
The girl glared at him.
"Good, you've gone too far!"
"Too far?"
Good snorted.
Before the expedition, he had needed to keep his superiors from discovering his little maneuvers, since his actions would put him at odds with Shogun Orochi.
At this stage, Boss Kaido still valued Orochi highly as an ally. Each side got what it needed, and neither generally overstepped its bounds.
Now, he was the captain-acting captain!
Good looked straight into the girl's eyes and asked unhurriedly, "Yamato, what do you think of the terms I offered?"
"They're... very good."
Yamato paused, then answered honestly.
He was offering both money and a place to live, and would even help the villagers rebuild their homes. It was so generous that she found it unbelievable.
Huh? Could Good actually be a good person?
Good pointed outside.
"Then why is Old Kō unwilling?"
"..."
Yamato could not quite wrap her head around it.
Right!
With terms that good, why would Mr. Kang refuse?
If it were her, she would agree a hundred times over.
The girl immediately lost her bluster, her voice dwindling to a faint buzz.
"Why?"
"The answer is simple. Because they don't trust us!"
Good sneered.
"Listen carefully, Yamato. Prejudice in people's hearts is a mountain. Once it forms, no amount of effort can move it."
"We're pirates, one of the chief culprits behind this country's suffering. We're the criminals who killed these villagers' parents, spouses, and children."
"Even if you and I didn't do it ourselves, we both bear the mark of the Beasts Pirates. We can never remove it."
"How could they not fear us? How could they not hate us? How could they trust us?"
Yamato opened her mouth.
She had never thought about any of this.
She had thought that as long as she became Oden, she could protect Wano Country just as he had, and live as freely as he had.
Yet the very people she most wanted to help hated her.
In truth, even without Good saying it, she could feel that ever-present hostility, despite never having hurt a single person.
She had simply avoided thinking about it instinctively.
"Good!"
Yamato bit her lip.
She knew Good had a point, but she did not want everyone to hate her. She wanted to be their friend.
A long silence followed.
The girl raised her head, a light shining in her eyes.
"Even if the people dislike me and hate me, I'll still help them! What they think is their business. I didn't choose to help them because I wanted their gratitude. I just want to live the way my heart tells me to!"
"Is that so?"
Good studied the girl in surprise, a smile gradually spreading across his face.
"Hey, Yamato."
"Hmph! What?"
"I'm starting to like you."
"Huh? Whaaat???!!!"
Chapter 29: My money is still my money!
In the center of God of Wealth Town.
The villagers gathered together, their faces filled with grief and anger as they pressed their handprints onto the contract, signing away their last refuge.
They did not even dare dream of the money they had been promised.
"Damn pirates!"
Before you continue