For now, it is better to let a local be the nominal leader of the Shinsengumi. After all, the current Shinsengumi in Wano is going to be a violent agency responsible for maintaining internal security. While the Beasts Pirates function as an external army, the Shinsengumi serves as an internal armed police.
Kojiro is the most suitable person to be the leader, but if he cannot handle the workload, he can be the nominal leader. For this role, Beasts Pirates can still find qualified professionals.
Kojiro was quite satisfied with this outcome. After all, he didn’t even have time to pet his dog before.
At the same time, following Arceus’ requirements, Kojiro found himself an assistant. Musashi, who had been the head of security guard, was gloriously promoted to full-fledged role.
Flower Capital and Oden Castle were still under reconstruction. Most of the residents’ lives hadn’t changed much. The effects of the new policies would take some time to come into full effect.
For example, the Kentaro family continued to lead their usual agriculture and animal husbandry’ life. Kentaro, now in his teens, went about his routine of milking the Miltank, having become the primary workforce in his family.
Currently, they were saving money for him because he had reached the age when he should be getting married. However, the process was still quite lengthy. The savings from their jobs had just been used to renovate their house, so at this point, everything was starting from scratch.
With milk bottles stacked on a cart, Kentaro skillfully milked Miltank. Then, he went to prepare fresh feed for them. After several years, he had gradually figured out what Miltank liked to eat.
As he collected berries from a shrub, he stumbled upon something strange on the ground – a fruit that resembled a mushroom, but its red and green colors made it peculiar.
“Is this thing poisonous?”
The more vibrant the colors of fruits and mushrooms, the more likely they were to be toxic. Kentaro couldn’t identify this wild fruit, so he didn’t dare to feed it to anyone, including himself. However, he decided to collect it.
Whether it was herbs or poisons, they could fetch a good sum of money from the Beasts Pirates, so they often collected herbs on the mountains. His instincts told him that this thing was worth a pretty penny.
When he delivered the milk, he also brought along the fruit.
Meanwhile, at the purchasing station of Paradise Farm, a pirate with a prosthetic limb was inspecting crops. He was over sixty years old now; he had joined the Beasts Pirates as an older pirate eleven years ago.
During a battle, he had lost a leg, and since then, he had taken up a retirement job here.
“Uncle Hafat, here’s today’s milk.”
“Got it, it’s already recorded. Just wait for your payment at the end of the month.”
“By the way, Uncle, I found something strange today. How much do you think this is worth?” Kentaro said as he put down his backpack and started searching inside.
“Herbs? Ordinary herbs don’t fetch much money. Didn’t you go up the mountain today? We usually don’t…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he saw the peculiar mushroom that Kentaro had taken out.
“What’s the matter, Uncle Hafat? Don’t you accept this?”
“Gulp…”
Hafat swallowed hard and then said, “Of-of course, we accept it. Kentaro, my boy, you’ve earned big. This is a treasure worth 500-gold!”
With its unusual colors and spiral patterns, there was no doubt that this was a Devil Fruit.
Prices in Wano Country didn’t correspond to the outside world, but the Beasts Pirates had regulations for this. If someone presented a Devil Fruit, they would receive a reward of 500 gold, and their family would receive special protection from the Beasts Pirates.
In Wano Country, this was a dreamlike sum, and Kentaro couldn’t believe that an ordinary “poisonous mushroom” would be worth so much money.
Although Kentaro is ignorant, Hafat had no intention of secretly hiding the Devil Fruit to eat it or exchange it for money. While this position is typically reserved for disabled pirates, it has also undergone internal scrutiny by the Arceus Cult.
They possess better qualities than regular pirates, and there’s also a notice posted above. However, Kentaro hasn’t come across it yet. It wouldn’t be in his best interest if Kentaro made a big fuss once he discovers the truth later on, and there’s another critical issue to consider.
His own talent was just so-so. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have retired after getting an ordinary prosthetic limb. Most people with combat talent, like Scotch, continued to fight on the front lines even after modifications.
He never really had a habit of saving money. Whether he should enjoy a good time for a short while after pocketing this money or rely on the Beasts Pirates to live the second half of his life, he was quite clear about that.
At this point in his life, he had achieved Mandrell’s life goal – a smooth retirement.
However, Mandrell was far from retirement age, and as he gradually gained control over more things, he had bigger ambitions. His goal was to retire as a high-ranking officer, but that was still a long way off.
“I’ll take it away with me for now. 500 gold is not a small amount. It needs to be applied for and approved, and once the money comes through, I’ll bring it to you.”
About half a month later, Hafat arrived at Kentaro’s home and placed a stack of gold coins on the table. They found it somewhat hard to believe.
“Five-Five hundred gold?”
“Of course, it’s all here. You can count it yourself. In addition, there’s this.”
As he spoke, Hafat took out a small sign.
“You can choose to join the Beasts Pirates as a pirate or go to the Shinsengumi as a samurai. Of course, if you don’t like fighting, you can become a team leader in a weapons factory or something similar. In short, you can choose a profession you like within certain limits.”
Pirate, samurai – Kentaro had no interest in these. He didn’t want to engage in violence, and the factory was too far from where he lives in Kuri. In the end, he gave an unexpected reply.
“Kid, you only get one chance. Are you sure?”
“I’m sure, Uncle Hafat. Let me be your assistant at the purchasing station.”
As someone who traded agricultural and livestock products for money at the purchasing station every day, he thought it was a great profession. This windfall had allowed his family to achieve financial freedom, so a job close to home was already to his satisfaction.
“That’s it then. I thought you wanted to become a samurai.”
“That was a childhood dream. Dreams can change, you know.”
As for the fruit that had made Kentaro’s family rich overnight, it was now in the treasure vault on Onigashima – the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan type, Model:Onyudo.
In addition to this fruit, Kaido had also acquired another powerful fruit through a trade – a fruit that resembled an orange persimmon, which was placed in a box – the Dog-Dog Fruit, Mythical Zoan type, Model: Okuchi no Makami.
“Worororo, two Mythical Zoan fruits. It’s quite a haul.”
“Okuchi no Makami-Ice Wolf Deity. Kaido, give me that fruit. I want to try something.”
“What do you intend to do? This is a powerful fruit that I obtained at quite a cost.”
“Just a small experiment, but I’m not sure if it will work.”
Chapter 322 Onyudo and Okuchi no Makami
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