K.O!
"Real men wrestle!"
Good was thoroughly satisfied.
Compared to fighting with swords, his powerful body was better suited to close combat, especially jujitsu and wrestling.
Now it was time to savor his victory.
Good raised both arms in a victory pose and circled Yamato, ready to bask in the crowd's cheers.
Yet his surroundings were strangely quiet.
"Huh?!"
Good immediately furrowed his brow.
What was going on? Where was the applause?
Hah, a bunch of clueless idiots.
His fierce gaze instinctively swept around him.
The pirates retreated three steps in fear, staring at Good in shock as though they had seen a demon.
"He actually used such a brutal combo on a woman!"
"He even attacked Princess Yamato's butt!"
"Is this guy a demon?!"
Murmurs began to spread.
The female pirates in particular looked at Good with terror in their eyes.
Someone started it, and soon every pirate was booing with pursed lips and pointing their thumbs at the ground.
Even his teammates joined in, shouting along with the crowd.
"Demon! Demon! Demon!"
"All of you, shut up!!!"
Good roared, his face darkening.
With Yamato's monstrous constitution, who could subdue her without going all out? Even then, he had to thank Boss Kaido for taking away 99% of her health, along with Ulti and the others for wearing her down.
Otherwise, his attacks would have amounted to little more than scrubbing Yamato's back.
Besides, he had always believed that mercy toward an enemy was cruelty toward oneself. Especially in this world, where everyone had absurdly tough bodies, killing them and scattering their ashes was the way to go.
What if this girl got right back up?
Five years from now, the Beasts Pirates would lose because they got too cocky!
"Hmph!"
Good snorted, hauled Yamato out, slung her over his shoulder, and strode toward Skull Castle.
The pirates automatically parted to make a path, watching Good leave.
They might have been booing, but their bodies knew better. In the brutal Beasts Pirates, strength was the only rule.
Even the few Shinuchi present stayed out of it.
The strength Good had displayed was enough to earn their respect. Besides, with Ulti backing him, he was no easy target.
"Wait for us, Big Bro Good!"
The fan club hurried after Good, carrying Ulti and Page One, their eyes filled with shock and admiration as they looked at him.
As they remembered it, Big Bro Good had always been pretty strong, but he had never possessed the power he had shown today.
Wasn't that enough strength to become a Shinuchi?
"Big Bro Good, you seem to have gotten stronger!"
"Of course!"
Good grinned.
In the mere two and a half months since he had crossed into this world, his physique had grown nearly twice as strong, bringing him to the minimum standard for a Shinuchi.
The reason was simple. After crossing over, he had gained a tenant inside his body-a young Pokémon covered in red armor.
Its name was-Groudon!
Yes, the Groudon that fought Kyogre before both of them got thrashed by Rayquaza, the only legendary Pokémon that couldn't fly.
He was now essentially a Groudon Jinchuriki. Another way to put it was that he was a Zoan user who had eaten a Mythical Zoan, Model: Groudon, except he had no weakness to seastone or seawater.
Good closed his eyes, sinking his consciousness into the space inside his body.
In a warm, dry cave, Groudon, only the size of a soccer ball, was curled up fast asleep.
As though sensing Good's arrival, Groudon cracked its eyes open. Upon seeing him, it immediately opened its mouth happily.
"Wah (hungry)~ wah (hungry)~~"
"Just wait a little longer."
Good answered with a headache.
The little fellow never seemed to get full. It needed at least eight meals a day and was terribly picky, eating only nutritious meat without so much as glancing at carbohydrate-rich food.
What a money pit!
The reason he couldn't save money was that this fellow ate so much.
Still, the benefits were obvious.
He and the little fellow were now one. As it grew and developed, his body would grow along with it.
Not only that, he had gained Groudon's power to control the earth. Both the Precipice Blade he had used earlier and his ability to run vertically up a mountainside relied on Earth Power.
There was something else: the little fellow was still a baby. It had doubled his physical strength in just two and a half months. He couldn't imagine how strong he would become once it reached adulthood.
In short, the future looked bright!
Chapter 5: Our slogan is buy a house!
Early the next morning.
At Onigashima's harbor, a Beasts Pirates ship responsible for transporting food and other supplies sailed out toward the interior of Wano Country.
On deck, by the mast.
Good sat beneath the mast, his chin resting on his folded hands, contemplating his plans to buy a house in the Flower Capital.
He had spent a full two and a half months preparing for this day. Now he had finally saved enough money and was about to own property of his own.
Just thinking about it made him a little excited.
While Good was considering collecting rent, a young woman with a longbow on her back walked over.
"Hey, you're a rare sight!"
"..."
Good's gaze shifted slightly upward.
Long legs, slim waist, huge-
Ding!
Automatic target acquisition activated!
The young woman wore a fitted top that was half white and half blue, with its zipper pulled down to her navel. Her fair skin and the rounded halves of two things were clearly visible.
Well-endowed and generous.
After examining her with a supposedly critical eye for a dozen seconds or so, Good gave a satisfied smile and looked up at her faintly disdainful face.
"Long time no see, Speed."
"It really has been a while. You've been acting all mysterious these past few months. Who knows what you've been up to."
Speed pursed her lips.
She handled procurement, and Good often asked her to buy the latest newspapers. Over time, the two had gotten to know each other.
Speed pulled a newspaper from inside her top and tossed it to Good.
"Here, the latest paper."
"Thanks."
Good caught the still-warm newspaper.
Since his superior was keenly interested in entertainment trends and read every issue, the task of buying newspapers had fallen to him. That also gave him a chance to keep up with changes in the outside world.
Good casually opened the newspaper, then raised an eyebrow at the headline.
"What's this?"
"What is it?"
Speed leaned closer.
"Nothing."
Good shook his head and closed the newspaper.
The headline was a report about "Fire Fist" Ace. That guy had just entered the Grand Line and was still a fresh-faced rookie.
Good figured Ace would reach Wano Country in another few months. Who knew what trouble he would stir up then?
"Good."
Speed sat beside Good and nudged him with her elbow, asking in a low voice, "I heard you captured Princess Yamato?"
"Yeah."
Good glanced at her.
Smack!
Speed slapped Good's sturdy back hard.
"You really stole the spotlight this time!"
Word of yesterday's battle had already spread throughout Onigashima.
Nobody had expected that, after both Shinuchi, Page One and Ulti, had lost, an unheard-of guy named Good would capture Princess Yamato. It had genuinely shocked everyone.
Although he had taken advantage of the circumstances, capturing the Oni Child would have been impossible without a certain level of strength.
One battle had made his name.
People had nicknamed him "Devil Muscle Man."
Good didn't know about the nickname yet. Changing the subject, he asked, "Enough about that. How have you been lately? You're close to becoming a Shinuchi, right?"
"Just one step away!"
Speed clenched her little fist and punched Good in the chest.
"Hiss-that really hurt."
Good rubbed his pectoral, fully understanding the message Speed was sending.
Her fist had been coated in Haki!
Although the crew had no explicit rule about it, mastering Armament Haki was the most basic requirement for becoming a Shinuchi.
With Haki mastered, along with her excellent eyesight and archery skills, she needed only one achievement to earn her promotion.
As for him...
"Haki."
Good rubbed his smooth head.
Of course he knew Haki existed, and he understood its specific nature very well. Yet after two and a half months in this world, he still had no idea where to start.
Killing intent, fighting spirit, presence, and so on...
Before you continue