Tuziku extended an arm toward Giō.
"Giō, if we team up and work together, I'm sure we can help sustain your village in no time!"
"So, what do you say?" Tuziku asked, wearing an innocent smile.
SMACK!
Giō slapped his hand away.
"CUT THE BULLSHIT!" he snapped as he slowly rose to his feet.
"You lied to me! You honestly still expect me to trust you after that?!"
"Hahaha!"
He burst into laughter.
The trio watched him in silence.
Suddenly, Giō's expression turned furious.
"Don't be foolish!" He shot Tuziku a nasty glare. "My people are starving because of you! ...You'll pay for deceiving me like that!"
He clenched his fist.
Suddenly—
A chilling sensation ran down Giō's spine as he met Tuziku's gaze.
Tuziku glared back at him with a menacing expression.
"Tuziku..." Prīōra called out softly.
"Giō, let me make one thing clear, right here and now," Tuziku said sternly.
"Your plan was to feed my friends and me to your village. You nearly killed us, then had the audacity to leave us barely alive, on display as food, while you basked in the glory of your accomplishment."
Tuziku clenched his fist.
"Naturally... I planned on killing you the very first chance I got," he added casually, his expression remaining neutral.
Kutcher and Prīōra remained silent.
"W-WHAT?!"
Panic began to spread across Giō's face.
"However..." Tuziku continued. "If we put all that aside... you're the ideal guy we've been looking for to join our cause!"
Tuziku flashed him a brief grin.
Then—
His expression suddenly hardened.
"So, you can decide right now, Giō!"
"We can work together to save your people, or we can choose to kill each other."
FWOOSH!
A sudden burst of violent wind erupted around Tuziku.
"The choice... is yours!"
He clenched his fists, his gaze unwavering.
Kutcher and Prīōra stepped forward, taking their places beside their captain.
Giō fell silent, instinctively avoiding their gazes.
His eyes eventually settled on his weapon, which lay on the ground just a few centimeters in front of Tuziku.
Ōcēanō...
"Tch!"
Giō gritted his teeth, frustration written all over his face.
Damn it...
After everything that's happened, fighting this guy again just isn't worth it.
If I try anything, there's a good chance I'll end up worse off than before. And if I get myself killed, who's going to save Nepa?
He clenched his teeth.
"Fine! I'll agree to a temporary team-up until we've managed to save my village!"
"But let's make one thing clear... I don't plan on joining your crew!" Giō declared with a shrug.
"Now, now! Like I said earlier, let's work together first. After that, you can give me your answer!" Tuziku replied with an excited grin.
"Now then..."
Tuziku approached Giō and extended his arm once more.
"Let's shake on it!"
Giō reluctantly stared at the outstretched hand.
Then—
He finally gave in and shook hands with Tuziku.
Kutcher and Prīōra silently watched as the two sealed their alliance.
"THAT SETTLES IT!" Tuziku shouted excitedly.
"As of this moment, Giō has officially joined the Black Scabbards temporarily!"
"HUH?! I HAVEN'T JOINED YOUR CREW!" Giō protested, his expression twisting with annoyance.
"I said temporarily..." Tuziku replied softly.
" 'Officially' and 'temporarily' aren't two words that should be used in the same sentence."
Giō sighed, resting a hand against his forehead.
"In any case... can I have my weapon back now? She's very precious to me."
"Hmm? Oh, that's right!"
Tuziku turned toward Kutcher and Prīōra.
"Kutcher, could you give him his weapon back?"
Kutcher glanced at Giō hesitantly.
"Are you sure that's a good idea, Tuziku?" he asked with concern.
Tuziku simply nodded.
Kutcher let out a sigh before retrieving the weapon.
"Here, catch!"
He tossed it toward Giō.
"HEY! BE CAREFUL!"
Giō barely managed to catch it in his arms.
He then shot Kutcher a nasty glare.
"I really don't like you!"
Kutcher responded with a grin.
"Me neither!"
Prīōra sighed before approaching Giō.
"What's up with you and that weird rifle, anyway?" she asked, pointing at his weapon.
Giō shot her a nasty glare as well.
Tuziku scratched his chin.
"Now that Prīōra mentions it... your weapon is pretty strange," he remarked.
"At first, I thought it was just some kind of customized weapon. But instead of bullets, it shoots water. And to top it all off, you can land incredibly precise shots even with your eyes closed!"
He paused, examining the weapon.
"That's not normal."
"Tch! Would you guys just shut up?!" Giō snapped.
"It's not weird or strange! And it has a name!"
"ŌCĒANŌ!" he declared.
"Ōcēanō?" Kutcher repeated, puzzled.
"Why the hell would you name a weapon?" he asked.
"Hmph! You're a swordsman, and yet you're asking me that?" Giō sneered.
Kutcher fell silent.
"It's only natural to name something I spend most of my time with. And besides... my weapon..."
He paused dramatically.
"IS ALIVE!"
Giō's expression hardened.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Kutcher shouted.
"Are you dense or something?" Giō retorted.
"I understand what you said! It just doesn't make any damn sense!" Kutcher shot back.
Suddenly, Tuziku interrupted their bickering.
"Giō... I'm with Kutcher on this one. I don't understand what you're saying either!"
Giō let out a sigh.
"You know that demonic powers exist in this world..."
"Yeah, Abyssal Abilities, right?" Tuziku replied.
Giō nodded.
"There's one of those... inside my weapon."
"WHAT THE—?!"
Kutcher's jaw dropped in disbelief.
"Is something like that even possible?" Prīōra wondered aloud.
Giō continued explaining.
"At first, it was just a piece of scrap metal I'd put together..."
"But one day... something happened to it. And ever since then, it's been able to produce water at will!"
"For some strange reason, I can communicate with it through its vibrations... and it can even feel pain!"
He shot Prīōra a pointed glare, remembering when she'd kicked his weapon away earlier.
"So, I decided to give it a name... Ōcēanō!"
A grin spread across his face.
"This weapon has saved my life more times than I can count!"
He hugged it affectionately.
Kutcher and Prīōra stared at him in awe.
"I see..." Tuziku murmured, scratching his chin.
"Putting aside your weird relationship with your weapon, I never knew something like this was possible!"
Tuziku's eyes lit up with excitement.
"You're definitely the guy we need on our team!"
"I ALREADY TOLD YOU—"
Giō stopped himself and let out an exhausted sigh.
"Forget it..."
"Anyway, we need to come up with a plan to feed all these people!" Giō declared.
"But first, we should get out of this village before the villagers come after you again!"
Tuziku scratched his chin, contemplating their next move.
"He's right, Tuziku," Prīōra added.
Tuziku turned toward her and flashed a grin.
"Alright, then. Do you have somewhere in mind, Giō?"
Giō smiled.
"I may know a spot!"
CHAPTER 76 END!