Chapter 96: 96. Apply Ice to that burn
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With the return of the Whitebeard Pirates, the unrest on Hachinosu finally ended.
The once bustling pirate town had become a barren land, surrounded by a circular ruin formed by a large amount of rubble.
Clearing the ruins and rebuilding the pirate town were both massive undertakings, which completely stunned the pirates of Hachinosu.
Night fell.
Bonfires were lit in the ruins.
"Bring all the wine from the ship!"
"And food!"
"Wahahaha, I hunted a Sea King!"
Although it wasn't a banquet, the drinking atmosphere was not bad. After all, repelling an Admiral from Marineford was certainly worth celebrating.
The captains sat together, raising their wine glasses to Daichi.
"Mr. Daichi, we toast you!"
"Thanks to you for blocking Kizaru."
"To be evenly matched with an Admiral, that's truly remarkable!"
Pirates always respect the strong. Even among the many captains, fewer than three could fight an Admiral and not fall behind in a short time.
If Daichi's generosity had previously earned their goodwill, then Daichi's strength now earned their heartfelt respect.
Strong, generous, and especially caring for his younger brother—they couldn't find a reason to dislike Daichi.
Even Izo, who was once a Kozuki retainer, put aside his prejudices.
Hatred and personal friendship were two different matters.
He couldn't transfer his hatred for Kaido onto Daichi personally just because Daichi was a member of the Beast Pirates, even if they might become enemies in the future.
Among the captains, only Ace knew Daichi's evil side, but Ace had trouble speaking out and could only bitterly accept his enemy as a brother.
Moreover, Daichi's intervention in this incident was indeed greatly appreciated.
"Hahaha, cheers!"
Daichi laughed and drank with the captains.
After three rounds of drinks.
Marco bit into a pineapple, puffed out his cheeks, and asked, "Daichi, are you really planning to take on the reconstruction of Hachinosu? That will cost a lot of money!"
"That's right!"
Daichi held an oak wine glass in his left hand and a large skewer of meat in his right.
"Let me tell you, my ancestors for three generations were workers, best at construction. I inherited this trait, and my biggest hobby is buying land and building houses!"
"If you don't believe me, you can ask Ace. He's been to Wano Country. Let him tell you what Wano Country looks like now!"
"If you're interested, you can also visit Wano Country as my guest. I'll cover all expenses for the entire trip!"
The captains' faces were covered in black lines.
Is there anything worth bragging about in that?
However, the reconstruction of Hachinosu was indeed a headache for them.
"Oh, right!"
Daichi looked at Izo, his gaze sharp.
"Captain Izo, I remember you're from Wano Country, aren't you?"
"I am a retainer of Oden."
Izo spoke calmly.
He never thought of hiding his identity. When the prophesied day arrived, he would unhesitatingly go to Wano Country.
Daichi nodded slightly.
"If you have free time, you can go back to Wano Country to take a look. I can promise you that as long as you don't do anything out of line, the Beast Pirates will absolutely not act against you."
Izo remained silent for a long time.
If he had any other wishes, besides avenging Oden, it was only to return to his homeland.
He wanted to mourn Oden and see the cherry blossoms in his hometown. At this season, the cherry blossoms must be in full bloom.
"There's one more thing I need to tell you."
Daichi spoke lightly.
"Orochi is dead."
"What?!"
Izo stood up in shock.
Orochi, dead?
His hatred for Orochi even surpassed that for Kaido.
He was now a pirate and had no right to criticize Kaido's pirate actions. His hatred for Kaido mainly stemmed from Oden's death.
But for Orochi, it was a deep-seated hatred, not only because of Oden but also because of the suffering endured by the people of Wano Country.
Orochi, in collusion with Kaido, was the greatest culprit in harming Wano Country, the mastermind behind the demise of the Kozuki clan!
Daichi pointed to Ace nearby.
"Ace killed him. What, didn't Ace tell you about this?"
"Huh?"
Izo looked at Ace in a daze.
Ace had only officially joined the Whitebeard Pirates recently, and they hadn't interacted much. Moreover, Ace was very secretive about his experiences in Wano Country, never willing to mention them, so he hadn't asked much.
"Ace, is this true?"
"It's true, that shogun named Orochi was indeed killed by my own hands."
Ace gave Daichi a resentful look.
If Daichi hadn't instructed him, why would he have gone to kill Orochi, and almost been beaten to death by that white-haired girl?
Just thinking about it made him angry!
Izo sat down, somewhat lost in thought. The revenge for years of deep hatred made him momentarily emotional, and he raised his hand to cover his face.
"Drip~ Drip~~"
Tears kept falling through his fingers.
Ace was about to speak to comfort him but was pulled back by Marco, who secretly made a shushing gesture.
Everyone quieted down.
A long time passed.
Izo composed himself and bowed his head to Daichi in thanks.
"Thank you."
"No need."
Daichi shook his head.
Telling Izo these things was merely to deepen trust with the captains, prove his infrastructure capabilities, and prepare for the future.
It was always right to prepare for a rainy day. After Whitebeard's death, all the captains would become lost souls. If he could recruit them, they would be a great help.
His real estate company still needed a group of strong security captains. Even recruiting them into the property management department would be good.
Izo took a deep breath and asked somewhat hesitantly, "Mr. Daichi, I'd like to ask, who is the current Shogun?"
"It's my wife, Yamato."
Daichi answered very casually.
"Huh?!"
The captains couldn't help but widen their eyes.
"You have a wife?!"
"What? Is that strange?"
Daichi held his wine glass and sneered contemptuously.
A bunch of losers!
The captains were speechless. In their minds, a rough female giant image automatically formed, and they tacitly began to exchange glances.
Mr. Daichi's wife must be an incredibly robust woman, right?
Definitely!
Probably strong enough to punch bears to death!
Daichi saw all their expressions and said with a smile, "She's a super cute beautiful girl!"
"Hehe."
The captains scoffed.
Do you think we'd believe that?
Look at what you look like yourself!
Daichi sighed, took out a thick wallet from his embrace, pulled out a photo of Yamato, and waved it in front of the captains.
When it's time to show off, you absolutely cannot be soft-hearted.
Especially when facing a group of single dogs.
"See?"
The captains looked at Yamato's happy smiling face in the photo, and the mockery on their faces gradually turned into jealousy and anger.
She really is a beautiful girl!
"It's her!"
Ace's face turned considerably paler when he saw the photo.
"Ace, what's wrong?"
"I... I lost to her!"
Ace turned his head away, struggling to hold back tears of grief and indignation.
His smooth life had taken a 180-degree turn ever since he met Daichi; he was either getting beaten or on his way to getting beaten.
Even Daichi's wife had beaten him!
The captains' faces all darkened.
Not only is his wife a beautiful girl, but she's also stronger than Ace and so rich. How did this scoundrel get all the good things?
Daichi seemed to remember something and pointed to Ulti not far away: "Oh, and that girl is also my wife."
The captains' eyes instantly became bloodshot.
Not only does he have a wife!
He has two!!
And both are beautiful girls!!!
"You scoundrel, come on, let's have a drinking contest!"
"Today, I'm definitely going to get you drunk!"
"Wuwu-aoh, I'm not envious at all!" (T/N: Same here)