Several days passed in the blink of an eye.
Amidst the sour stench of romance, Queen transferred a large number of prisoners from various weapon factories to assist in the construction of towns across the regions.
The efficiency of city-building skyrocketed instantly.
What was originally a project requiring several months was shortened to just one month—and with free labor at that.
Gurd saved another fortune.
Flower Capital, General Castle.
"Tomorrow is the Fire Festival."
Gurd stood on the rooftop terrace, gazing toward Ebisu City.
Perhaps because the Fire Festival was approaching, Wano Country had been relatively peaceful these past few days, and the Beasts Pirates had no energy to cause trouble.
But there were always those who refused to stay quiet.
Thick smoke billowed from Ebisu City.
"Lord Gurd!"
Da Black appeared behind Gurd, respectfully reporting the sudden incident: "We've confirmed the situation. Half an hour ago, a group of ronin caused trouble in Ebisu City."
"Hmm."
Gurd's gaze remained calm.
"What were the losses?"
"A total of six shops were destroyed, over twenty people injured, and more than a dozen young women were abducted by the ronin. The Oniwabanshu have already tracked their trail—they're fleeing toward Tuwan."
"Find their hideout."
"Yes!"
Da Black vanished into the smoke.
Gurd shook his head.
Causing trouble on the eve of the Fire Festival, and leaving traces so easily for the Oniwabanshu to follow—it was clearly a trap.
"Who's Who, or Sasaki?"
Only those two would do something like this.
There was only one qualification for the challenge, so competition was inevitable. Choosing the last day to act was simply to leave him with insufficient time to recover from injuries.
Too bad they picked the wrong opponent.
Gurd turned and walked back inside, waving at Yamato, who was dismantling the sofa.
"Yamato, I'm heading to Tuwan."
"Can I come too?"
Yamato immediately sprang up.
Being the shogun was so boring—it was like being imprisoned on Oni Island. If not for the need to endure, she wouldn't want to do it at all.
Gurd chuckled and shook his head.
"No need. I'm just going to catch a cat."
"A cat?"
Yamato flopped onto the sofa in disgust, gnawing on the wooden armrest.
She didn't like cats.
Deep in the forests of Tuwan.
A signboard read "Cat Shrine"—this was Who's Who's secret hideout.
Inside the shrine.
Who's Who lounged on a plush sofa, holding a sake bowl, with two catwomen curled up beside him, happily eating, drinking, and making merry.
In the room, the young women abducted from Ebisu City stood with sorrowful expressions, tears streaming as they served tea and water.
"That guy should have taken the bait by now."
"Meow~ Who's Who-sama, we deliberately left traces behind, meow~"
His underlings snickered deviously, covering their mouths. Their favorite pastime was toying with their prey until they tormented them to death.
By the calculations, it was about time they were found.
Creak!
The door was pushed open by a massive hand.
Gurd stepped into the shrine, scanning the bizarrely shaped Catman Pirates, and suddenly felt much better.
Compared to these freakish oddities, he could practically be considered handsome—no problem calling himself a good-looking guy at all.
Wait… was he actually good-looking?
Gurd stroked his chin.
Though he looked terrifying enough to make children cry, his physique and facial features were at least normal.
In this world full of grotesque, freakish creatures, maybe a muscular giant like him really was popular.
He might not be the best, but at least he wasn't the worst!
"Meow~ You're wide open!"
The two Catman Pirates, seeing Gurd spacing out, immediately leaped to his sides and swung their swords at him with all their might.
"Clang!"
The blades snapped upon impact!
"Meow?!"
The two Catman Pirates stared in disbelief at Gurd, who was completely unharmed, and the broken halves of their swords in their hands.
They had infused their blades with Haki!
"Thud!"
Two large hands grabbed their heads.
"Hey, you two, can you not interrupt a man when he's admiring himself?!"
Gurd's eyes gleamed darkly as veins bulged like small snakes on his arms. He smashed their heads together with brutal force!
"Crunch!"
Their skulls flattened like pancakes.
Gurd released his grip and turned his fierce gaze toward Who's Who. Next, he'd smash that bastard's face in and become the most handsome man here!
Ooooh!
His fighting spirit burned!!!
Who's Who's face darkened as he watched his subordinates collapse.
"Kill him!"
"Yes, Lord Who's Who!"
The Catman Pirates grinned maliciously as they raised their guns.
But the next moment, all of them foamed at the mouth, their eyes rolling back as they stiffened and collapsed unconscious.
Cold sweat dripped from Who's Who's forehead.
"Conqueror's... Haki!"
"I have no interest in dealing with small fry."
Gurd spoke calmly.
Unlike the clueless Luffy, he knew he possessed Conqueror's Haki and naturally sought to utilize it.
It was just a glare!
Glare!
"Color me surprised, but Conqueror's Haki doesn't prove anything. It just means you have the potential to become strong."
Who's Who stood up, raising his pink-hued sword, his eyes filled with envy as he glared at Gurd.
That was Conqueror's Haki!
A power possessed by only one in a million!
Damn it, why did a guy like him have such formidable strength?!
Who's Who's face twisted with jealousy as he gnashed his teeth and drew his dagger-like short sword: "I've looked into your background. You only got this far because of Yamato's power. What a pathetic man."
"Blade Gun!"
A flash of steel, and a barrage of tiny Slashing Waves shot toward Gurd.
Gurd didn't even blink. He casually stomped his foot, cracking the ground as chunks of rubble floated before him and shot forward!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The rubble shattered the Slashing Waves and continued flying toward Who's Who!
"What?!"
Who's Who jolted in shock and vanished instantly.
"Shave!"
One of the Six Powers—Shave!
"Moonwalk!"
Who's Who reappeared above, hovering in midair with Moonwalk.
"That was close!"
Who's Who kept taunting.
"Speaking of which, you took down Shutenmaru and Kyoshiro, but I bet you used some underhanded tricks to pull that off."
"Tempest Kick!"
An arcing Slashing Wave shot downward.
"Maybe I did."
Gurd raised his hand and casually grabbed the incoming Slashing Wave. With a squeeze of his fingers, he crushed it outright!
When he fought Shutenmaru, he had indeed employed some tricks. As for Kyoshiro, the man had already lost his will to fight—he could barely muster 30% of his strength.
Without their leader, morale plummeted drastically, just like those once-mighty warriors who became as weak as stray dogs after losing their captain.
"He crushed Tempest Kick barehanded... Looks like I'll have to get serious!"
Who's Who landed on the catwalk, his body rapidly expanding as fur, a tail, and claws sprouted—transforming into a beastman.
Feline-Feline Fruit, Ancient Zoan, Saber-toothed Cat Beast Form.
"Shave!"
Who's Who vanished, darting through the room at blinding speed, leaving afterimages in his wake. His velocity had multiplied several times over.
Gurd's eyes flickered, tracking Who's Who's movements.
Speed was his greatest weakness. Even in his Groudon form, mobility remained his Achilles' heel—but in exchange, he gained unparalleled firepower, essentially becoming a mobile artillery platform.
The beauty of extreme specialization!
Gurd suddenly snapped his gaze upward to the right, eyes narrowing.
"Cliff Sword!"
A jagged stone pillar erupted from the ground, stabbing toward the sky!
"Boom!"
The air exploded as the attack pierced empty space.
Damn, a miss.
"Perfect opening!"
Who's Who closed the distance instantly, appearing right before Gurd with a sneer as he extended his finger, Armament Haki Infusion swirling around it.
"Finger Pistol!"
"Thud!"
The Haki-enhanced beastly digit stabbed into Gurd's pectoral muscle—yet not a single drop of blood spilled. The finger lodged itself deep in the other man's flesh.
Who's Who's pupils contracted.
"Impossible! How can his body be this tough?!"
He'd infused his attack with Conqueror Haki, using the strongest piercing technique among the Six Powers, yet couldn't even break skin. His finger was now trapped in Gurd's muscle.
He couldn't pull free!
"Got you now, kitty!"
Gurd grabbed Who's Who's wrist in an iron grip, his pectoral muscles contracting like a pasta press to crush the trapped fingers.
"AAAH! That hurts!"
Who's Who screamed in agony, desperately tilting his head back as his mouth gaped wide.
"Stop it, you bastard!"
"Fang Pistol!"
His jaws snapped shut like guillotine blades, sending a tooth-shaped slash attack straight at Gurd's head!
"Smack!"
The slash shattered like glass.
Who's Who stared dumbfounded.
No way... this has to be a joke!
His Fang Pistol could bite through steel with ease—no ordinary Haki should withstand it. Yet this monster had swatted it away like nothing.
Wait... what's that?
Who's Who focused on Gurd's hand—now transformed into a crimson claw. He vaguely remembered seeing a similar form during the banquet hall incident when Gurd defeated Holdem.
Partial transformation?!
Damn it, he wouldn't surrender so easily!
"Tempest—"
"CRUNCH!"
Before he could lift his leg, Gurd's shoe came down hard on his toes. Excruciating pain made every hair on Who's Who's body stand on end.
"MEOWWW!!!"
It hurt! It hurt so much!
Then a massive hand clamped onto his face.
His skull felt ready to implode!
"Wait! I yield!"
This time Who's Who genuinely panicked, screaming his surrender as he finally grasped the insurmountable gap between them.
This guy was a monster!
"Sorry! My mistake! I surrender!"
"Mistake?"
Gurd's voice turned icy.
"What exactly was your mistake?"
"I shouldn't have competed with you for the challenge rights!"
Who's Who pleaded desperately.
Gurd slowly raised his fist, fingers curling one by one.
"Wrong. Think harder."
"I—"
Who's Who's heart nearly stopped at the sight of that clenched fist.
"I shouldn't have kidnapped those women?"
"Wrong."
"I shouldn't have provoked you!"
"Still wrong!"
Who's Who's expression went blank. He genuinely couldn't figure it out.
What the hell did I do wrong?!
Veins bulged in Gurd's eyes as pitch-black Conqueror Haki coiled around his fist. With a roar, he drove the punch deep into Who's Who's face.
"You fucking wrecked my house!"
"House! House! HOUSE!"
The shrine trembled violently before gradually settling into uneasy silence.
"Out of respect for our shared profession, I'll give you a friendly discount—ten times the compensation!"
Who's Who lay on the ground covered in blood, his delicate features twisted in pain, one of the horns on his head broken.
"The... the house?"
(End of Chapter)