Chapter 119: Discount Price, 5 Billion Berries !

The clouds churned as rain poured onto the earth.

The fires caused by the volcanic eruption were gradually extinguished by the heavy downpour.

Arena, fighting stage.

"That was one hell of a fight!"

Gurd sat cross-legged beside Katakuri, stretching lazily.

Katakuri's eyes shifted toward Gurd.

In that final moment, his Mochi Slash had struck Gurd, while Gurd's hand blade had cleaved the ground beside him instead.

Had that attack landed, he would have died without a doubt.

"Why did you hold back?"

"It was just a fight. No need to go that far."

Gurd scratched his bleeding head.

Getting hit by Katakuri's ultimate move had left him dizzy even now—thankfully, his Beast Form came with a helmet.

Heh!

Out of all the armor covering his body, his head was the toughest.

"Besides, I already had the win in the bag. No harm in going easy on you."

"And really, clashing head-on with me? You were just asking for pain. If you'd kept up your Future Sight the whole time, I wouldn't have had a good counter."

"Of course, even then, I'd still be the one to win in the end. Hahaha! What can I say? I'm just a tiny bit stronger than you. Heh, just a tiny bit!"

"..."

Katakuri's face darkened.

This guy... couldn't he read the mood?

"Your siblings are coming."

The ministers of Totto Land were rushing over.

Gurd stood up and waved his hand.

"Let's grab a drink once you've recovered a bit."

"Alright."

Katakuri looked up at the sky.

He had lost.

The image of the perfect older brother he had worked so hard to maintain in front of his siblings had completely shattered in this moment.

The flawless man, the one whose back never touched the ground—it was all a lie.

He had only ever wanted to protect his younger siblings.

"Brother Katakuri!"

"Hurry, bring the medical kit!"

"That damned Earth Calamity Gurd!"

Everyone frantically tended to Katakuri's wounds.

A bitter taste filled Katakuri's heart.

"Sorry... I lost."

"..."

The ministers exchanged furtive glances.

No one dared to speak.

They wanted to comfort him but didn't know how.

Though they struggled to accept their brother's defeat, they had witnessed just how brutal the fight had been.

Their brother had given it his all.

They couldn't even bring themselves to blame him—they were too busy worrying about him.

Time to redirect the anger!

"That damned Earth Calamity must be barely holding on!"

"He probably can't even walk right now!"

"I bet he's collapsed somewhere!"

"Next time, Brother Katakuri will definitely win!"

Katakuri's expression darkened further.

If you don't know what to say, then shut up!

That man was an opponent he acknowledged!

The Central Fighting Tournament had officially concluded, yet very few had witnessed it. Only the major factions knew the final results.

What should have been a widely publicized event remained eerily silent, with even the newspapers barely reporting on it.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

At the port, the Groudon Ship docked.

"Gu Jiang!"

Ulti and Page One rushed up to Gurd, their eyes filled with admiration. They had already heard about the finals.

Defeating Katakuri was world-shaking news—even Kaido had been so shocked he downed several barrels of alcohol in celebration.

Unfortunately, for some reason, the newspapers hadn't published the results, leaving them furious.

That damned Morgans must have taken bribes from the World Government and Totto Land. Everyone knew that money-grubbing miser would sell out for the right price.

Gurd looked at the siblings in surprise.

"How did you get here so fast?"

"We rushed over immediately after returning to Wano Country, y'know!"

Ulti puffed out her chest proudly. She had even reported their work via Den Den Mushi, but they still arrived a few days late.

Gurd nodded.

It was good that they came early. Without a ship, he couldn't leave. If he had to walk, it would take ages to get home.

The siblings then noticed the two people beside Gurd. They recognized Caesar, but the other girl was unfamiliar.

Ulti stared at Chikara.

"Gu Jiang, who's this girl?"

  "She's Chikara, a new employee I recruited a few days ago."

Gurd introduced her casually.

"Come on, let's go to the banquet."

"Banquet?"

The siblings exchanged glances.

After three days, the chaotic situation on the island had finally stabilized, and various factions had begun making their moves. There were over a dozen invitations alone asking Gurd out for drinks.

They didn't have to go far—the venue was right at the harbor.

Or rather, on a ship.

The Mama Queen Anthem!

The gangway had been lowered, adorned with a red carpet. On either side stood numerous Chess Piece Soldiers holding banners.

"Welcome, Lord Gurd!"

The extravagance was in full display.

Gurd led the group aboard, and under the guidance of the ministers, they soon arrived at the open-air banquet hall on the ship's top deck.

It was like a fairy tale world—the banquet hall was fantastically decorated, with candies and delicious pastries everywhere.

All the ministers were present.

As Gurd arrived, they suppressed their indignation, for this banquet was hosted by their elder brother Katakuri in Gurd's honor.

"Caesar, come with me. The rest of you, find seats and enjoy the drinks."

Gurd gave his orders and led Caesar to the main table.

There were only three seats at the main table. Katakuri had already taken his place, and Gurd pulled out a chair to sit as well, leaving one seat empty.

"Fufufufu~~"

Soon, Mingo appeared.

The theme of this banquet was Caesar!

"Joker!"

Caesar nearly burst into tears at the sight of Mingo. Had he known things would turn out this way, he would never have gone to the Pleasure Quarter.

Unfortunately, Mingo didn't even glance at him.

The three took their seats, each casually propping their legs on the table, looking at others with sidelong glances, exuding an air of arrogance.

They might lose a fight, but they'd never lose their swagger.

Gurd solemnly reminded Katakuri, "Let's get one thing straight—we can talk things out slowly, but no using your future sight!"

"..."

Katakuri nodded silently.

Heh, he'd use it secretly.

"Then let's begin."

Satisfied, Gurd picked up his drink.

"First, a toast!"

"Agreed."

With a round of drinks, the banquet finally took on a livelier atmosphere.

"Let's talk first."

Gurd turned to Katakuri and pointed at Caesar beside him.

"The friction between us is because of this guy. To resolve it, we'll need him too."

"..."

Katakuri nodded.

No matter what, Big Mom's orders had to be carried out. He had lost to Gurd and couldn't forcibly take Caesar away. Now, negotiation was the only option.

Gurd smiled faintly. "Katakuri, Caesar is under my protection now. If you want to take him back to Totto Land, it's not impossible."

"What are your terms?"

Katakuri spoke calmly.

He knew full well that the other party wouldn't hand Caesar over so easily—otherwise, things wouldn't have escalated to this point.

Caesar was utterly bewildered.

Lord Gurd is handing him over to Totto Land?

What is going on here!

"Rather than conditions, I'd call this a collaboration between us," Gurd said with a smile. "I can lease Caesar to you!"

"Lease?!"

Katakuri was stunned.

"Yes, a lease."

Gurd chuckled.

Land can be leased. Houses can be leased.

Why not Caesar too?

He was short on money after all!

"Katakuri, Caesar is one of the world's top scientists and a former colleague of that Vegapunk. They worked together for years!"

"His research capabilities are undeniable!"

"I don't know what Totto Land wants with him, but it must be research-related. I can lease his next research project to you."

"Considering Caesar's value of 300 million, plus the fact that research cycles typically take years, this isn't an easy calculation."

"Tell you what—I'll give you a discount!"

Gurd extended his hand, fingers splayed.

"5 billion Berries !"

"Just 5 billion Berries , and I'll lease Caesar's next research project to you. Quite a bargain, isn't it?"

"..."

Katakuri was speechless. With a "crack," he crushed the wine glass in his hand.

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