The year is 1517 in the Sea Calendar, three years before Luffy sets sail.
Wano Country, Onigashima.
"Raimei Hakke!!!"
With a thunderous roar, a white meteor streaked across the sky above the Skull Castle, plummeting toward the back of Onigashima.
"BOOM!!!"
The island trembled as a massive dust cloud erupted into the air.
The impact was no less devastating than a bombardment from a warship, yet the Beasts Pirates stationed on Onigashima remained eerily calm.
"Lady Yamato got beaten up again."
The pirates silently grumbled in their hearts.
This kind of scene happened every two or three months—they were long used to it. It was clearly one of Kaido's family issues.
As per tradition, what followed was—
The sky darkened as rolling thunderclouds blotted out the sun. Then, a colossal Azure Dragon emerged from the storm clouds, coiling above Onigashima.
The Strongest Creature, Kaido of the Beasts!
The dragon let out a battle cry-like laugh.
"Wororororo! Listen up, brats! Go drag that idiot child of mine to the dungeon! No food for her for half a month!"
"OH!!!"
The pirates raised their weapons and roared, charging en masse toward the back mountain.
This was an order directly from Boss Kaido. Completing it would at least earn them a hefty reward, and if they were lucky, they might even get promoted to officer rank.
Second floor of the Skull Castle, inside a room.
Gurd stood before a mirror, staring blankly at the reflection of a towering, muscular bald giant whose fierce face resembled a cross between Zangief and Kratos.
Handsome? Not even close.
But it perfectly matched the Beasts Pirates' wild aesthetic.
Utterly domineering, pure masculinity. If folks back in his hometown saw him, they'd probably mistake him for a WWE champion wrestler.
Once again stunned by his own appearance, Gurd tilted his head back and gazed mournfully at the ceiling, two streams of hot tears rolling down his cheeks.
"NO!!!"
Snowflakes drift~ North winds howl~
"Why... why did I have to transmigrate?!"
Gurd was a transmigrator.
But he never wanted this.
In his past life, his family had been beneficiaries of urban demolition.
Eight properties.
Eight!
After getting battered by society post-graduation, he took his parents' advice, quit his job, and embraced the NEET life of a rent-collecting landlord.
Every day was either strolling in the park, playing chess or mahjong with the neighbors, occasionally fishing, playing sports, or gaming with friends—basically living like a carefree loafer.
At the end of each month, his phone would chime with the cold, mechanical sound of a bank transfer, reminding him that it was yet another hopeful day.
Dreams? Ambition?
Pfft!
Try the bliss of collecting rent!
He had been living the dream.
He thought it would last forever.
But then he transmigrated—into the lawless world of One Piece, no less—as a mere grunt in the Beasts Pirates.
He hadn't had enough of the good life yet!!!
"What the hell were you thinking, jumping in to save someone? You useless rent-dependent bum, why'd you have to play the hero?!"
Gurd wiped away his tears, his expression darkening.
He had heard Boss Kaido's roar.
After two and a half months in this world, he had adapted to his new environment and body. And now, he had been waiting for an opportunity like this!
"Looks don't matter—money does!"
"If I capture Yamato, I'll get a huge reward!"
"Then buy property—collect rent, buy more—collect more rent!"
"The happiness I lost... I'll take it back with my own hands!"
Gurd clenched his fists tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulging.
I, Guldun Gurd, 24 years old.
Have a not-so-great dream!
That is to become a lazy landlord who lives off rent!
"Yamato, hehehehe..."
Gurd picked up his door-sized greatsword and strode into the corridor with a sinister grin. But before he could take more than a few steps, his crooked smile froze on his face.
Trouble had arrived.
Not far away, a very kawaii-looking girl with a pink mask and blue-pink hair was bustling around, searching every room frantically.
Crash!
The girl tore a door off its hinges with her bare hands.
"Not here!"
"Not here either!"
"Damn it, where are you, Pagey?!"
Seeing the girl losing patience and about to go berserk, Gurd immediately turned around and quickened his pace, not wanting to be noticed.
Damn it, should've checked the almanac before going out today!
But it was already too late.
Spotting the sneaky Gurd, the girl's eyes lit up. She bent her legs and launched herself forward, appearing in front of Gurd in the blink of an eye.
"Stop right there, Gurd!"
"Lady Ulti."
Gurd's face twitched as he looked down helplessly at the girl.
The girl was Ulti, currently a Headliner-level officer of the Beasts Pirates and his direct superior.
Standing at just 173 cm, Ulti looked like a tiny potato to the 2.8-meter-tall Gurd, whose build was more massive than a bear's—the kind that would cry for hours if slapped.
Yet this girl possessed terrifying strength far surpassing his own.
Was this fair?
No, it wasn't!
But this was reality.
Ulti glared up at Gurd, grinding her teeth in anger.
"Gurd, have you found Pagey?"
"No."
Gurd shook his head expressionlessly.
"Pagey" was Ulti's younger brother, Page One.
The girl before him was actually an extremely short-tempered super doting sister whose greatest joy in life was "playing" with her brother—which led to said brother constantly hiding from her.
Thus, searching for the hiding younger brother became the primary headache-inducing task that Gurd, as her subordinate, had to deal with daily.
But this was no easy job.
If he didn't find him, big sis would be unhappy.
If he did find him, little bro would be unhappy.
Slacking off and not searching at all seemed like the better option.
Not getting the answer she wanted, Ulti grabbed Gurd's collar irritably. "If you haven't found him, then keep looking, you idiot!"
"Lady Ulti."
Unfazed, Gurd calmly pointed upward. "Kaido just gave an order to capture Yamato and throw her in the dungeon."
"Huh?!"
Ulti's eyebrows shot up as she cursed without hesitation. "Family drama again? Is Kaido an idiot? And isn't this his family matter? What's it got to do with us!"
"That may be true."
Pretending not to hear the girl's sharp words about Kaido, Gurd explained, "But it is Kaido's order after all, Lady Ulti. Given Page One's personality, I think he'll most likely join the hunt for Yamato."
"Oh right, then let's go too!"
Ulti smacked her palm in realization, immediately jumping up to sit on Gurd's shoulders, her fair, slender legs swinging back and forth.
The girl narrowed her eyes excitedly and thrust a small fist forward.
"Charge! Gu-chan!"
"..."
Gurd's face twitched again.
Those legs were really—wait, no!
Damn brat, using him as a mount again?
Though it wasn't the first time, staring at those fair, swaying legs before him, Gurd truly wanted to grab them and slam them down hard like tossing a chick.
Huff~~
Calm down, calm down!
Gurd, you can't take her right now!
But fortunes change like the shifting tides.
One day you'll ride her instead!
Now focus on the main task—if someone else beats us to it, our house-buying and rent-collecting plan will be ruined!
Let's go, screw that damn Yamato!
(End of chapter)