Kyoshiro paid without hesitation.
He was actually poor. All the money in his pockets went toward helping the needy, but a problem that could be solved with money was already an easy one.
If this escalated, those brainless pirates might actually storm the Flower Capital. Who knew how much destruction they would cause then?
Besides, it was only a matter of rebuilding one house. It would not cost much. At worst, he could rob a few more wealthy households when he became the righteous thief Ushimitsu Kozō that night.
Good gave him a thumbs-up and loudly praised him with an exaggerated expression. "No wonder you're the Flower Capital's most beloved champion. What a generous boss!"
"You flatter me."
Kyoshiro replied calmly.
Good had killed his brothers and now wanted to profit off him.
He would remember this!
"Oh, right. I forgot to mention something."
Good rubbed his pectorals, pretending to be in pain. "I actually suffered some serious internal injuries fighting those guys. It's completely ruined my mood for sightseeing in the Flower Capital, too. Boss Kyoshiro, about my medical expenses, lost wages, and compensation for emotional distress... would you mind?"
"..."
Kyoshiro's face twitched.
Despite spending fifteen years under Shogun Orochi and honing his acting skills to perfection, he could not help wanting to draw his sword and kill someone right then.
With his current reputation and standing, even Shogun Orochi treated him courteously. Yet this bastard dared to extort him in broad daylight.
He was furious!
Kyoshiro took a deep breath.
With so many people watching, he could not tarnish his image as a righteous champion.
"Five hundred gold!"
"Deal!"
Good beamed and quit while he was ahead.
Heh heh heh, more money to buy property.
Seemingly unwilling to stay a moment longer, Kyoshiro immediately left with his underlings, taking the bodies of the Kozuki samurai and his companions.
"That's Boss Kyoshiro for you!"
"He's so cool!"
"With Boss Kyoshiro around, the Flower Capital is perfectly safe!"
The onlookers chattered excitedly.
In their eyes, Boss Kyoshiro had resolved the crisis swiftly and decisively, once again preserving the Flower Capital's peace.
"Tsk, tsk. What a perfect ending."
Good clicked his tongue in admiration.
The crowd had been reassured, Kyoshiro had taken his brothers away, and Good had made a fortune. A win for all three sides.
Nothing but wins all around!
The warehouse soon fell quiet, leaving Good alone.
"That guy really knows how to keep his temper."
Good looked in the direction Kyoshiro had gone.
Naturally, he knew Kyoshiro's true identity. If he could, he would have liked to kill him, too.
Now that he had boarded Kaido's ship, the Kozuki Clan were his sworn enemies. Even if he did not kill them, they would come to kill him.
The problem was that his own standing was low and his words carried little weight, while Kyoshiro held considerable power. If he recklessly flipped the table, he could easily get crushed beneath it.
Good shook his head and looked at the warehouse.
He had not bought such a remote warehouse on a whim.
"Bubble, bubble~~"
At some point, the cracks left by the earlier fight had filled with water, with scalding steam rising from the surface.
It was a hot spring!
Chapter 8: Thanks for the Mansion, Boss
"Bubble~ bubble~"
Warm spring water kept welling up from the ground, soon forming a pool.
"That's the stuff!"
Good could not stop the corners of his mouth from lifting.
Groudon was the creator of the land and commanded Earth Power. As its jinchūriki, he had inherited that power as well.
For now, he could not create land or move mountains and fill seas, but sensing the structure of the terrain was easy enough.
Vast quantities of magma lay directly beneath the Flower Capital. Combined with Wano Country's unusual environment-a freshwater inland sea-the underground freshwater reserves were immense.
That created ideal conditions for hot springs to form.
He only needed to find a suitable spot, then use his Earth Power to open a small passage above an underground hot spring. The pressure beneath the surface would bring the spring water up.
The warehouse beneath his feet-or rather, all the land around it-was well suited to creating hot springs. He had mainly bought this warehouse because it was cheap and occupied a large plot.
In short, the property's value was about to soar!
"Heh heh heh. Once I turn this place into a hot spring inn, how could I ever have trouble renting it out?"
"No, wait. I'm a pirate. What pirate runs a hot spring inn? I should call it the Heavenly Retreat Hot Spring Spa Club!"
"I'm a damn genius!"
Good rubbed his smooth head and walked into town, feeling refreshed.
Soon, he reached his destination.
The Minatomo Carpentry Shop.
His conspicuous build immediately drew the carpenters' attention.
"I'm looking for Master Minatomo."
Good explained why he had come.
The shop's owner, Minatomo, was the finest carpenter in Wano Country. He had even designed Skull Castle on Onigashima and led the crew that built it.
Soon, a short old man with two nails stuck in his nostrils came out and said impatiently, "Pirate brat, get to the point. I've got plenty of work to do."
"Master Minatomo, I'd like you to build me a large estate!"
Good took out a design drawing. It was a rough sketch he had cobbled together from memory, with a layout resembling a landscaped garden.
"Oh!"
One glance was enough to pique Minatomo's interest.
The drawing was a mess, clearly the work of an amateur scribbling away, but the layout was interesting. It bore some resemblance to Wano Country's style, yet was also very different.
"What's it for?"
"A hot spring clu-inn!"
Good had nearly let the wrong word slip.
Minatomo frowned deeply. After a long while, he handed the drawing back to Good.
"Sorry, find someone else."
"Master Minatomo, money isn't an issue."
Good hastily added.
Minatomo shook his head, looking both happy and troubled. "It's not about money. I just don't have any time to spare. I've still got eight houses to build. Eight!"
"..."
For some reason, Good understood exactly how he felt.
He had once owned eight houses himself!
Fine. You asked for this!
"Master Minatomo."
Good pulled the little old man aside and lowered his voice. "Let me be straight with you. This hot spring inn is actually Boss Kyoshiro's property. He sent me here."
"Boss Kyoshiro?"
Minatomo's eyes immediately widened.
If this really was Kyoshiro's property, he had to accept the job-and make it his top priority.
In the entire Flower Capital, who would dare slight Boss Kyoshiro? Besides, the man was exceptionally kind and honorable.
The question was whether this pirate brat was lying to him.
Even if Boss Kyoshiro wanted a house built, he should have sent one of his underlings. Why would he send a pirate?
Minatomo hesitated.
"Don't believe me?"
Good smiled brightly. "Master Minatomo, how about this? Send an apprentice to the Kyoshiro Family, give them my name, and say he's there to collect the construction funds."
"Well..."
Minatomo mostly believed him now.
There was no way to fake something like this. If the Kyoshiro Family paid for the construction, then the house naturally belonged to Boss Kyoshiro.
"Wait here!"
Although he believed Good, Minatomo still sent an apprentice to the Kyoshiro Family to confirm it. Whether to verify the story or collect the funds, someone had to make the trip.
While they waited, Minatomo watched Good drinking tea. The more he looked, the more puzzled he became, until he could not help asking, "Pirate brat, what exactly is your relationship with Boss Kyoshiro?"
"Well, you see..."
Good set down his teacup, his smile unchanged. "Boss Kyoshiro and I are the dearest of friends, as close as brothers!"
Toward evening, Good boarded a Beasts Pirates ship bound for Onigashima.
Once everything had been confirmed, he discussed plenty of details with Master Minatomo and agreed on a one-month construction schedule.
That might have seemed short, but it was more than enough for such skilled craftsmen. If they had not wanted to make it more refined, they could have finished in half a month.
On top of that, Master Minatomo would be handling the job personally, bringing a crew of elite carpenters. Naturally, the construction cost rose accordingly.
The special friends' rate: 2,000 gold!
But that was fine.
Boss Kyoshiro was footing the entire bill!
"Pfft, pffft, pffft~~"
"..."
Speed eyed Good strangely.
Ever since he had boarded the ship, the smile had never left his face.
He was grinning so hard his mouth had gone crooked.
It was only a trip to the Flower Capital, yet this country bumpkin was positively giddy. Anyone who didn't know better would think he had stumbled across a fortune.
"Good, are you really all right?"
"I'm fine. Never better!"
Good's smile grew even brighter.
Before you continue