In less than a day, he had mastered Haki, scored a mansion for free, and extorted a whopping 500 gold. How could he not be doing great?
How did that saying go again?
Never had there been such a wonderful start!
If Kyoshiro hadn't been strapped for cash and still owed him 500 gold in compensation, he would definitely have bought a few more houses.
But that was fine. He could collect the debt the next time he went to the Flower Capital to take possession of his houses, then ask Boss Kyoshiro to help find some tenants.
"Keh heh heh~~"
"..."
Speed rubbed her arms uneasily and couldn't help saying, "Stop laughing. It's creepy. You're giving me goosebumps."
"Hmph, what would a woman like you know?"
Good raised his chin haughtily.
Back in his distant homeland, that was how writers described the laughter of big-shot villains. It was a signature hometown laugh, both impressive and steeped in cultural heritage!
Speechless, Speed pressed a hand to her forehead and decisively changed the subject. "When you get back to Onigashima, you're heading to the dungeon, right?"
"That's right."
Good nodded.
Yamato was locked in the dungeon. He didn't know whether she had woken up yet.
Onigashima was the Beasts Pirates' headquarters, and almost no enemy could break in. The Kozuki Remnants, for instance, had gathered to attack Onigashima several times, only to be wiped out before they even caught sight of the coastline.
On top of that, the Beasts Pirates generally sent captured enemies to work in the prisoner quarry, leaving Onigashima's dungeon little more than a decoration. It had held Yamato more often than it had held enemies.
With no prisoners, there were naturally no guards stationed there, so Good, who had captured Yamato, also had to watch over her.
He was practically serving time alongside her.
"Owww-!"
Good suddenly clutched his cheek.
Speed jumped.
"What's wrong?"
"I-hiss-!"
Good lowered his hand, his cheek twitching uncontrollably.
"My cheek's cramping! Quick, massage it for me!"
"Serves you right! Drop dead!"
A delicate fist slammed into Good's face.
Chapter 9: Yamato: I'm not hungry!
On a mist-shrouded riverbank, Yamato stood bewildered and lost. Through the haze, she could vaguely see someone waving to her from the other side.
"Yamato, come here. It's Mommy."
"Mommy?"
Yamato walked dazedly into the river. The icy water soaked her calves, making her shiver.
When she reached the middle of the river, the figure on the bank grew clearer, and the voice calling to her became gentler. Yet she stopped, a question mark popping up over her head.
Huh? Did I have a mother?
I didn't have a mom!
The girl flew into a rage.
"You're not my mommy!"
"Heh heh, I'm-"
Seeing that his lie had been exposed, the dark figure dropped his disguise, revealing his burly true form. With a savage grin, he reached out with both arms to grab Yamato!
"Aaaaaah!!!"
Onigashima, the dungeon.
"Aaaaaah! Stay away!"
Yamato sat up screaming, flailing her hands in terror. Only when she realized she was in the familiar cave did she calm down.
Thank goodness, it was the dungeon!
At that moment, the dark, damp dungeon felt as warm as home.
What had just happened had been a dream.
It had scared her half to death.
"So I got caught?"
Yamato hugged her knees, curling into a pitiful little ball.
Being in the dungeon meant she had been caught by her father's subordinates. Only once she recovered her strength could she force her way out.
"Waaah~ I've got no strength left."
"My waist hurts so much, and my neck, and my butt..."
"Everything hurts!"
"Grrrgle~~"
"(╥_╥) I'm so hungry!"
"I want sashimi~ slurp~"
Hunger dulled the pain.
"Huh? That smells good!"
Yamato closed her eyes and sniffed, catching the aroma of meat drifting over from afar. She swallowed hard, instinctively following the scent.
Bang!
Her forehead hit the steel bars.
"Ow! That hurts!"
The girl crouched down, clutching her head in pain, little teardrops spilling from her eyes.
When she opened her eyes, she was delighted to discover that fragrant food had been laid out beyond her cell. There were all kinds of delicious meat, along with her absolute favorite, chum salmon.
Drool poured down like a waterfall.
Yamato stared at the salmon until a charcoal fire was lit and the fish was placed over it to grill.
"No!"
She thrust her hand through the bars, trying to stop it.
She liked it raw!
Unfortunately, her arm wasn't long enough.
Soon, fat sizzled from the salmon over the charcoal, and the rich aroma of grilled fish filled the dungeon.
Yamato clutched the bars in anguish, her heart bleeding.
Why?! Why would you do this?!
Salmon tasted best eaten raw!
"Sizzle~ sizzle~~"
Good sat before the charcoal fire, deftly sprinkling seasonings over the fish. Once both sides had turned golden, he picked it up and took a huge bite.
Ah, that was the taste!
He used to spend a lot of time outdoors, where grilling was an essential skill, and it wasn't particularly difficult. Now that he was guarding the dungeon alone, he had decided to treat himself to some extra food.
After finishing the fish, Good swiftly moved on to skewers.
"Slurp~~ slurp~~"
The sound of swallowing kept coming.
Good turned toward the cell.
The white-haired girl was gripping the bars, staring longingly at the large meat skewer in his hand and repeatedly swallowing her drool.
How pitiful.
When she noticed Good looking at her, Yamato's eyes immediately lit up, filled with anxious eagerness to please.
Just like a puppy.
If Yamato had a tail, it probably would have been spinning like a propeller.
Pretty cute, actually.
Good smiled and shook his head. He held the large meat skewer toward Yamato, then, beneath her increasingly anxious and expectant gaze, stuffed it into his mouth.
"Mmm, delicious!"
"..."
Yamato instantly lost all her strength and collapsed into a heap.
Waaah~~
Waaaaaah~~
She bit her lip, desperately holding back her tears.
She! Wasn't! Hungry!
Clack.
Just as the girl stubbornly resisted, a bowl of fragrant white rice appeared outside the bars, close enough for her to reach.
It smelled so good!
Her eyes lit up again, fixed squarely on the rice.
The devil's tempting voice echoed in her ears.
"Want some?"
"Yes!"
Yamato nodded frantically, like a chick pecking at grain.
"Then eat."
Unexpectedly, the man pushed the rice in front of her.
Yamato froze.
He was really giving it to her?
Every time she had been locked up before, the guards had never dared give her food. If that bastard of a father found out, they would definitely be killed.
There was no way he didn't know that.
Smelling the enticing aroma of rice, Yamato swallowed hard. After a long internal struggle, she turned her head away, tears streaming down her face.
"I'm not hungry!"
"..."
Good paused, then let out an amused chuckle.
She really was pretty cute.
As for Yamato, he couldn't say he liked her, but he didn't dislike her either.
Whether it was her strength, her figure and looks, or her straightforward personality, the girl was faultless in every respect.
He quite liked that.
Before you continue