One Piece: Capitalist Brook's Crew Expansion Plan
Chapter 137:  - 137: Hyougoro

Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Hyougoro

Among the spectators stood a burly thug with pale blue, flame-like hair and a goat-like beard. His eyes gleamed with excitement as he watched the battle between the local daimyo and the foreign outsiders.

Known as a rising star in the underworld of the Flower Capital, Hyougoro had already made quite a name for himself. Though only eighteen, he was already the boss of an entire district.

The street where Kozuki Oden caused his latest ruckus? That was Hyougoro’s turf. Originally, he’d come to teach Oden a lesson—only to stumble into this spectacle instead.

And that hundred-pound gold bounty? Hyougoro wanted it too. With that kind of cash, he could recruit a fresh wave of underlings—gathering a hundred new lackeys wouldn’t be a problem at all.

From the crowd, Brook also noticed the guy with the strange hairstyle—it looked like actual blue fire grew from his scalp. Was he some kind of special race or mutated human?

Could he be as rare as the Lunarians?

In the future, this guy would turn from a seventy-year-old, one-meter-tall geezer into a towering young warrior in his prime—like flipping a switch. That kind of explosive power was no joke.

Using his Life Detection, Brook could feel the man’s immense vitality. No wonder he would go on to become Straw Hat Luffy’s crash-course teacher in Ryuo. Brook wondered if Hyougoro had already become the infamous underworld boss of the Flower Capital.

If not, Brook was tempted to recruit him. After all, when Oden caused the infamous "Harem Uprising" at age fifteen, Hyougoro had already amassed over two hundred subordinates and took part in the chaos. NovelFire

He led his men into battle, joining forces with rival gangs and even samurai whose women had been "stolen," all to suppress the wild and lawless son of the shogun! NovelFire)

What’s more, Hyougoro was known for being especially kind to the common people. A man of strength and virtue, he commanded respect wherever he went. He embodied bushido: fierce yet honorable.

The more Brook watched, the more he liked him. The only question was: would this man be willing to leave Wano and sail aboard his Golden Ark?

"You there, samurai," Brook called out, walking straight up to him. "Your strength is impressive. Interested in seeing the world? Meeting mighty warriors across the sea?"

That was the perfect bait. The samurai of this land admired strength above all else—there was no better way to appeal to them than the promise of fighting powerful foes.

"You’re the leader of those three outsiders?" Hyougoro asked, eyes gleaming with interest. "That means you’re strong too, right?"

He stared at Brook with rising battle intent, his beloved blade already vibrating with excitement. Don’t let his age fool you—he had already developed his own sword style: One Sword Style of the Flower.

His power was acknowledged by other gang bosses, and at such a young age, he already controlled a thriving district with fifty to sixty loyal men under his command.

"What’s this? You want to fight me?" Brook asked with a wry smile. "Alright then. How about this: if I win, you become my retainer. If you win, the hundred pounds of gold is yours. Dare to take the gamble?"

Brook gave him a meaningful smile, hoping the bold gangster wouldn’t back down.

"What did you say?! Who do you think you are, trying to make our boss your retainer? You’ve got a death wish!"

Hyougoro’s subordinates immediately burst into rage. Their boss, someone else’s vassal? That was a joke. How would they ever show their faces in the underworld again?

They had faith in Hyougoro’s strength, but the guy in front of them didn’t seem weak either. His three subordinates were holding their own against the daimyo, after all.

If Hyougoro actually lost, they’d be bossless. And they weren’t ready to give up their righteous leader so easily.

"Enough!" Hyougoro barked at his men. "Don’t disrespect a strong warrior!"

Then, turning back to Brook, he shook his head.

"Outlander, I won’t leave Wano. Can we change the terms?"

He knew he was strong—but not yet at his peak. There was no guarantee he’d win. And he wasn’t about to sell himself short.

This man had just arrived in Wano. Hyougoro knew nothing about him—was he a hero, or a villain? How could he pledge loyalty to someone he didn’t even understand?

Brook gave a regretful sigh.

"Shame. I really do appreciate talent like yours. Alright then, let’s change the terms. Do you know about Seastone?"

"Seastone?" Hyougoro raised a brow. "That stuff’s pretty useless. Hard as hell, and impossible to work with unless you’re a master craftsman. Only the shogun uses it—for shackles and such..."

In Wano, Seastone wasn’t widely used. People didn’t know it suppressed Devil Fruit abilities. In this closed-off country, ability users were called "sorcerers" and often met with suspicion.

It wasn’t until Kaido conquered Wano and enslaved the nation to mine Seastone that it became widely known. Later, with Doflamingo as the black market kingpin, Seastone products flooded the world.

This abundance led to Vegapunk’s invention of Seastone-lined ship hulls, allowing passage through the Calm Belt.

Even now, the World Government’s Seastone stockpile was limited—mostly old remnants from eight hundred years ago and what little they’d collected from Wano over the centuries. Enough for prisons and some Marines, but not much else.

Throughout the years, Wano citizens occasionally fled the closed nation. Especially during the power struggles between the Kozuki and Kurozumi clans. When the Kurozumi daimyo attempted a coup and poisoned the other four daimyo, the chaos forced many to flee.

With the birth of Kozuki Sukiyaki, the people’s loyalty returned to the Kozuki clan. The Kurozumi daimyo died in disgrace, and his family fell into ruin. Many fled abroad—taking Seastone with them.

...

"How about this," Brook offered. "We fight. If you win, the hundred pounds of gold is yours. If I win, the gold is still yours—but you’ll gather a thousand pounds of Seastone for me. Deal?"

He figured if Hyougoro was going to lose, there should still be something at stake.

"Say yes, boss!" his underlings suddenly urged, as if they’d just struck a goldmine. Brook realized he may have overestimated Seastone’s value in Wano.

"This deal sounds too good," Hyougoro said, eyes narrowing. "But I’m not the type to take advantage. If I lose, I’ll hand over all the Seastone I collect. It’ll be more than a thousand pounds."

Brook smiled. This guy had honor.

"One last question," Brook said before the fight. "If Seastone’s so strong, why hasn’t anyone forged weapons from it?"

He hadn’t seen a single blade made of Seastone since arriving in Wano...

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