The next morning, at dawn.
At the port of Onigashima, a Beasts Pirates ship loaded with food and supplies set sail, headed for the interior of Wano.
On the deck, beneath the mast—
Rogan sat under the mast, hands clasped under his chin, deep in thought about buying property in the Flower Capital.
He had been preparing for this moment for two and a half months. Now, he'd finally saved up enough money and was about to own his first home.
Just the thought made him a little excited.
While he was lost in thoughts of collecting rent, a girl carrying a longbow walked up.
"Well, if it isn't a rare visitor!"
"…"
Rogan's eyes flicked upward.
Long legs. Slim waist. Big—
DING!
Auto-targeting mode activated!
The girl wore a half-blue, half-white fitted jacket with the zipper pulled all the way down to her navel, revealing flawless skin and two round, generous hemispheres.
Wealthy and generous.
After staring with judgment for a few seconds, Rogan broke into a satisfied grin and looked up at her faintly annoyed face.
"Long time no see, Speed."
"It has been a while. You've been acting all mysterious these last few months. What've you been up to?"
Speed pouted slightly.
She was in charge of procurement, and Rogan often asked her to buy the latest newspapers. Over time, the two had gotten familiar.
Speed pulled a warm newspaper out from her chest and tossed it at him.
"Here. Today's news."
"Thanks."
Rogan accepted the warm newspaper.
Because his superior was obsessed with the latest gossip, buying the daily paper became his job. He'd ended up keeping up with the outside world himself.
He casually flipped it open—and raised a brow at the headline.
"What the—?"
"What is it?"
Speed leaned over.
"Nothing."
Rogan shook his head and folded the paper.
The headline was about "Fire Fist" Ace. That guy had just entered the Grand Line—a total rookie.
Probably within a few months, Ace would reach Wano. Who knows what kind of mess that'd stir up.
"Rogan."
Speed sat down next to him and nudged him with her elbow, whispering, "I heard you captured Lady Yamato?"
"Yeah."
Rogan glanced sideways at her.
SMACK!
Speed slapped his rock-hard back.
"You really made a name for yourself!"
The news of yesterday's fight had spread across Onigashima.
No one had expected it—both Page One and Uruti had lost, and some no-name called Rogan had captured Lady Yamato. Everyone was stunned.
Sure, there were some lucky breaks involved, but taking down the Oni's Daughter wasn't something just anyone could do.
A single battle, and he'd made a name for himself.
People had already given him a nickname: "Demon Muscleman."
Rogan hadn't heard about that yet. He changed the subject. "Forget that. How about you? Almost a Shinuchi now?"
"Just one step away!"
Speed raised a little fist and gave him a friendly tap on the chest.
"Ugh—ow."
Rogan rubbed his pec. He knew exactly what she meant.
Her punch was laced with Haki!
While not an official rule, mastering Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) was the baseline to become a Shinuchi.
With her Haki, sharp eyesight, and archery skills, Speed was only short of a major achievement.
As for him—
"Haki…"
Rogan touched his smooth bald head.
He knew what Haki was and understood it conceptually—but after two and a half months, he still couldn't use it.
Killing intent, willpower, fighting spirit…
Turning one's spirit into a weapon—in theory it sounded simple. In practice? Nowhere near easy.
He had no idea when he'd be able to grasp it.
Speed's eyes lit up. "Rogan, did you hear? Lord Kaidou's preparing for an expedition. This could be our big chance!"
"Haha, that's still a ways off."
Rogan smiled and shook his head.
He'd heard the rumors too. For people like him and Speed, it was definitely a shot at climbing the ranks. But the preparations alone would take two or three months.
Besides, he didn't care that much about promotions. What he really wanted was to save money, buy property, and retire early.
"Ugh, you're so boring."
Speed clicked her tongue in disappointment. Then, realizing that Rogan had just gained fame and probably had a ton of money now, her expression shifted.
Pirates being pirates…
She narrowed her eyes. "Rogan, you're heading to the Flower Capital for… what? Don't tell me you're off to the red-light district looking for a girl?"
"Of course not. I have a bit of a… cleanliness kink. If I were looking, I'd go for someone clean and pretty—like you."
Rogan gave her a bold, suggestive look and stared without shame.
He was a pirate now—no point pretending to be a gentleman.
If he wanted something, he'd say it. Who knows—maybe she was into it too. Dry wood meets fire, sparks fly, boom.
After all, pirate women weren't shy. Their desires were no less intense than the men's.
Speed rolled her eyes and laughed, "Sure, if you ever make it to executive rank, I'll warm your bed."
"Heeeh~ You said it! No take-backs or you're a puppy!"
Rogan grinned.
In the Beasts Pirates, the executive level basically meant being one of the Tobi Roppō. They didn't exist yet, just the three All-Stars.
Becoming an All-Star was tough, but making it to the Tobi Roppō? With his cheat powers, not impossible.
Only problem was—this girl would eat a SMILE fruit one day and turn into a centaur.
That's hard to accept—
Wait.
With all his years of research material, he knew female centaurs had many… riding options.
Maybe it's not a dealbreaker.
"Snap out of it! Stop thinking weird stuff!"
Speed scolded as she caught his lewd daydreaming face.
If Rogan really became an All-Star, she wouldn't mind latching on to his coattails.
But realistically?
With their current strength, becoming Shinuchi would already be a stretch. All-Star? Dream on.
"You still haven't said why you're going to the Flower Capital."
"Oh—buying a house."
Rogan didn't hide it.
Buying the house was just the first step. He was planning to rent it out for high profit. No one in this world knew how to manage real estate.
"Buying a house???"
Speed stared at him, completely baffled.
Buy a house?
What kind of pirate buys a house?!
Burning them is more like it!
She resisted the urge to mock him and asked, "What for?"
"Well, here's the deal—"
Rogan perked up and excitedly laid out his grand vision:
Buy property → Rent it out → Use rent to buy another → Rent again → Repeat forever.
And that was just the start.
Damn this urge to share dreams!
Speed listened with wide eyes, then finally muttered:
"Are you… mentally okay?"
"Of course I am! I've never been clearer!"
Rogan raised his chin proudly.
This girl had no clue how good it felt to collect rent.
Stable income. Low risk. Inflation-proof. Property might even appreciate. Way better than endless fighting.
"…Fine. Whatever."
Speed was too exhausted to argue.
"Oh, right—be careful traveling alone. The samurai have been restless lately. Some of our guys have been attacked."
"Don't worry."
Rogan narrowed his eyes.
Anyone who gets in the way of my dream home… is going to die.
(End of Chapter)
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