One Piece: Groudon of Beast Pirates

Hachinosu Island, Harbor.

Gurd stepped off the ship, clutching his aching waist.

The days-long voyage had not only left him severely seasick but also put immense strain on his kidneys—a double whammy.

Behind him, Ulti and Speed were whispering to each other.

"Speed, your complexion has been looking amazing these past few days!"

"Huh? Really?"

"Of course! Your face is practically glowing! Did you get some high-end skincare? Share the secret with me!"

"I haven't used anything special!"

"Don't hide it from me! Tell me now!"

"You really wanna know?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!"

"Well, the truth is..."

"Really? I'm sneaking into your room tonight!"

Hearing the hushed whispers and feeling the predatory gaze burning into his back, Gurd's legs trembled, and his waist throbbed even more.

Was a Devil Fruit really worth tormenting him night after night? No body could endure this kind of abuse!

Even a juicer wasn't this ruthless!

"Never expected it to be that ability."

Though thoroughly drained, Gurd was pleasantly surprised.

Paramecia-type: Teleportation Fruit.

If not for his interference, this Devil Fruit's power would have eventually been obtained—or hunted—by Van Augur, one of Blackbeard's subordinates.

Its effect was simple yet brutal.

The user could teleport instantly, even bringing others along. The maximum range remained unknown for now.

According to Speed, she could teleport to any location within her line of sight or even rely on Observation Haki to sense and move.

An incredibly powerful ability.

As a sniper, Speed paired perfectly with the Teleportation Fruit. If she could further hone her Haki, she'd become another formidable asset under his command.

This was the unique charm of Paramecia-type Devil Fruits—like a lottery. Until you ate one, you never knew if you'd hit the jackpot.

Had the tournament organizers possessed a Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, they would never have offered this Fruit as a prize. But such encyclopedias were exceedingly rare, with most held by the World Government.

Even the Whitebeard Pirates didn't have one. Otherwise, they would've consumed the Dark-Dark Fruit immediately after obtaining it, and it would never have fallen into Blackbeard's hands.

"They're here!"

Babanuki, along with a group of workers, had been waiting at the harbor for some time. Spotting Gurd, they immediately snapped to attention and saluted.

A booming chant echoed across the docks.

"Welcome, Lord Gurd!"

"Mhm."

Gurd nodded in satisfaction.

Nice. Plenty of energy.

"Let's go."

Gurd raised his gaze, spotting the towering city walls in the distance. Though small in scale—nowhere near a Marine fortress—it was still an impressive sight.

Especially the cannons mounted atop the walls.

They radiated sheer intimidation!

Moreover, constructing a small military fortress on Hachinosu Island, a haven for Pirates, was an audacious feat in itself.

At the fortress gate—

No, the community entrance.

Marco leaned against the wall, raising a finger in greeting.

"Yo, long time no see!"

"Marco?"

Gurd was taken aback.

"What are you doing here?"

"This is our turf. Why wouldn't I be here?"

Marco shot back irritably.

With a construction project this big, of course he had to oversee it. If not for his presence, the steel reinforcements would've been stolen by nightfall.

Plenty of Pirates had sticky fingers.

Marco's eyes sharpened.

"Heard you beat Katakuri?"

"Just a small matter, not worth mentioning!"

Gurd crossed his arms and raised his chin arrogantly.

Back on Champion Island, he had held an absolute geographical advantage with nearly limitless energy—losing would have been difficult.

If the battle had taken place elsewhere, like in a mirror dimension, it would have been a tough fight, with even a slight chance of defeat—say, if Katakuri had kept dodging to exhaust his stamina.

Moreover, Katakuri's Armament Haki was far stronger than his, delivering excruciating blows. Fortunately, his transformed state granted near-maximum defense, second only to Big Bro Kaido and Big Mom.

The durability within his body was still in its youth stage. Once it evolved into its complete adult form, it would undoubtedly rival Kaido's Azure Dragon Form and Big Mom's Iron Balloon—perhaps even surpass their combined strength.

The only drawback was his inability to fly.

But he didn't want to fly anyway. Standing firmly on the ground felt much more reassuring!

"Just a small matter?"

Marco watched Gurd show off and felt the urge to fight him right then and there.

A small matter?

This incident had already spread like wildfire in the underworld. Pirates on Hachinosu Island now couldn't drink without bringing it up in their discussions.

Even Pops had been shocked when he heard.

Katakuri had made a name for himself in his teens and, over the past thirty years, had never suffered a single defeat.

His reputation was second only to the Four Emperors!

Marco himself had clashed with Katakuri multiple times, yet their battles always ended in stalemates. He knew exactly how formidable Katakuri was.

He truly couldn't fathom how Gurd had won.

Gurd glanced around.

"Where's the rest of your crew?"

"Out at sea."

Marco sighed in frustration.

Pops hadn't wanted to deal with this matter and had taken the crew on a voyage instead. But Marco was too curious to let it go, so he stayed behind to watch over things.

Occasionally, he even helped out with odd jobs.

After all, idle hands were the devil's workshop.

"Come on in!"

Marco turned and strode inside, his tone brimming with pride. "Compared to when you left, this place has changed completely—don't let it shock you!"

"Look over there—that row of trees? I planted them myself. And that flower bed? The flowers are my doing too."

"Without my Rebirth Flame, they wouldn't have grown so easily!"

Marco was beaming with pride.

He had contributed to this project too!

It gave him a real sense of accomplishment!

Gurd followed Marco, his expression odd.

Why did it feel like these guys all had some innate laborer's spirit?

Yamato enjoying hard work was one thing—she was simple-minded and easy to trick, plus she'd been trapped on Oni Island her whole life, desperate for the satisfaction of feeling needed.

Kids were like that.

A few words of praise, and they'd work themselves to the bone.

But Marco? Why was he acting all proud of his labor too? He was the commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' First Division!

Well, well. If he liked it, fine by him.

Gurd quickly clapped.

"Wow, Marco, you're amazing!"

"These trees are growing so well!"

"Who knew you were such a landscaping expert!"

Marco scratched his head, embarrassed by the praise. "Ah, it's not that impressive. I just helped out occasionally."

"Don't be modest! If it were me, I could never grow such beautiful greenery!"

Gurd gave a thumbs-up.

Top marks!

The two strolled through the community.

Thanks to the construction team's efforts, the residential area was nearly complete.

The wide main road was lined with trees and greenery, flanked by rows of five-story apartment buildings.

In the center of the residential area, a commercial street was built around the central garden, along with a small clinic and school, making daily needs like dining, shopping, and medical care easily accessible.

Further ahead lay the upscale villa district, consisting of fifty units. Not only were these properties spacious, but they also boasted superior environments, each equipped with a small yard for growing vegetables or flowers.

Additionally, the seaside section of the community was specially developed into a beach resort area, complete with a small port for transporting supplies.

Though small in scale, it had all the essential amenities.

Compared to the outside world, the living conditions here were dozens of times better.

And most importantly—safe!

The sturdy walls were armed with numerous cannons, and countless Surveillance Den Den Mushi were installed throughout the area. After the community became operational, a security patrol team would also be recruited.

Gurd grew more and more satisfied as he looked around, then turned to Marco beside him.

"Marco, do you like it here?"

"Of course I do."

Marco's eyes held a hint of envy.

Having participated in the construction, he knew exactly how comfortable living here would be—at the very least, he wouldn't have to worry about attacks while sleeping.

But he couldn't afford to buy a place now.

The houses here were expensive!

Especially in the villa district, where each unit was priced as high as 100 million Berries !

Gurd grinned.

"I'll give you a villa!"

"Not just you."

"Every captain gets a villa!"

After all, the captains were shareholders!

If he tied them down like this, wouldn't they work as free bodyguards?

Keh keh keh~~