After a brief encounter, Giō had successfully defeated the trio.
In his mind, his mission had been a success: find wandering humans and offer them to his starving village as food, hoping to regain the trust of those who had come to resent him.
And so, with the trio wounded and unconscious, Giō captured them and headed toward Nepa, his hometown.
...
The next morning...
SPLSSSH!
"HA—WHAT?!"
Kutcher jolted awake as a splash of ice-cold water struck his face.
"Good morning, Sunshine♡" a familiar voice mumbled nearby.
As Kutcher's eyesight struggled to adjust to the dazzling glare of the morning sun, he could barely make out the vague silhouette of someone standing in front of him.
"What's... going on?"
"Urgh!"
He attempted to move his hands, only to realize that they were restrained.
"What the—"
"What's going on here?!" he shouted.
As his vision gradually cleared, he frantically looked from side to side, cautiously observing his surroundings.
Then, he noticed something else.
This can't be real!
My body's covered in bandages... and I'm tied to a post?!
And isn't that the guy who attacked us?!
Giō stood before him.
"You...!" Kutcher's expression hardened as he glared at the assassin.
But suddenly—
"Kutcher!" Prīōra's voice called out from nearby.
He turned toward the sound and immediately noticed that she was restrained as well.
Her limbs were tied to a long wooden pole, and her body was wrapped in bandages.
"Prīōra!" Kutcher shouted in disbelief.
Only then did he notice Tuziku, who was also restrained to a pole.
And that wasn't all.
The three of them were on display before a large crowd of deprived-looking individuals who had gathered around them.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Kutcher demanded, panic slowly crawling up his spine.
"This can't be happening!" Prīōra burst into tears.
Suddenly—
"Kutcher!" Tuziku called out to him.
Kutcher turned toward his Captain.
"Tuziku, what's going on? And where the hell are we?!"
"It's Nepa," Tuziku replied. "And these people actually plan to eat us!"
Kutcher's expression turned pale as he glanced toward the crowd.
The villagers gazed at the trio with drool running down their lips, as though they were staring at a five-star meal.
"Mommy, are we gonna get to eat those people?" a little girl asked excitedly, drooling as she pointed toward them.
"Yes, honey! That kind man brought us food!" her mother replied, pointing toward Giō.
"WHAT... THE HELL IS HAPPENING?!" Kutcher shouted, desperately struggling to free himself.
But suddenly—
"It's no use!" Giō said as he slowly approached him, his unusually long weapon resting on his back.
"In your weakened state... you'd never be able to break free from those restraints!"
"And besides, I wouldn't struggle too much if I were you."
He pointed at Kutcher, who gazed back at him in utter confusion.
"Your wounds..." Giō continued, keeping his finger pointed toward him.
"I only applied first aid to your wounds so that you guys wouldn't bleed out and die right away. But you're all still very much on the brink of death."
He let out a smirk.
"You bastard! Let me down, right now!" Kutcher shouted.
"Ugh! Quit being such a child," Giō replied with a shrug.
"Just because you shouted doesn't mean I'll do what you said."
Kutcher stared at him, dumbfounded.
"Anyways... long story short, these guys are starving, and I plan on roasting you three and feeding you to these suffering individuals!" Giō announced sarcastically, turning toward the villagers.
"YEAAAAAAHH!!!" the villagers roared in celebration.
"Then... what the hell was the point of giving us first aid?!" Kutcher demanded.
Giō tilted his head.
"Hmm? Oh, that?"
"The people of Nepa believe that human flesh should only be consumed immediately after a person is killed. Something about the body being more pure."
He scratched his chin awkwardly.
"I don't really get it, and I've never been too keen on human flesh."
"Then why are you doing this to us?!" Prīōra snapped, shooting Giō a nasty glare.
Giō turned toward her, wearing an eerie grin.
"You three... are necessary sacrifices to help me regain these guys' trust."
Prīōra fell silent.
Suddenly—
"You said something similar last night..." Tuziku remarked softly, glaring at Giō.
Giō scratched his chin as he gazed up at the sky.
"Did I? I can't recall... although it is entirely possible."
"Is that what this is...?" Tuziku asked.
"You mean to tell me we were simply caught in the middle of your redemption plan?!"
His voice rose with anger.
Giō gazed at him in silence.
"If that's the case... then let my friends go," Tuziku continued.
"I'll gladly offer my flesh to your people!"
"Tuziku, no!" Prīōra shouted.
"What are you saying, Tuziku?!" Kutcher snapped.
"Shut up!" Giō interrupted.
He turned toward Tuziku and let out a grin.
"As touching as that was, I'll have to refuse."
"It'll be difficult enough to share the three of you among hundreds of starving villagers, let alone just one."
He smirked.
"And besides... I've already captured all three of you. Why would I let the other two go just to keep you?"
Tuziku remained silent for a moment.
Then—
Cough! Cough!
He broke into a nasty coughing fit before lifting his head again.
"If you let the other two go, I'm willing to let this slide and turn a blind eye to what you've done, because I understand what you people are going through," Tuziku said, still restrained to the wooden pole.
"However, if you still refuse, I promise you... things won't go the way you expect them to!"
His expression hardened as he glared at Giō.
Giō tilted his head in amusement.
"Are you threatening me? In your current state?"
"Hahaha!" He burst into laughter.
"Giō... you said that was your name last night, right?" Tuziku replied.
Giō gazed at him in silence.
"The reason I've set out as an Underdog is to change the lives of people like you guys... people like us!"
Tuziku's voice grew firmer.
"That's why I'm willing to offer myself. But what I won't allow is you sacrificing my crewmates to your village without their consent!"
He clenched his fist, glaring intensely at Giō.
For a moment, Giō wore a blank expression and said nothing.
"I'll make you an offer one last time," Tuziku declared.
"Let my two friends go... and I promise I won't hurt you!"
Kutcher and Prīōra stared at him in confusion.
Giō burst into laughter.
"Or else you'll do what exactly?"
He slowly walked forward until he stood directly in front of Tuziku's restrained body.
Tuziku clenched his fist, glaring furiously at the assassin.
CHAPTER 73 END!