As a senior figure and guiding mentor to Kouzuki Oden, Shimotsuki Yasuie held a place of reverence second only to the Kouzuki family itself in the hearts of all the Akazaya Nine.
Everything that Shimotsuki Yasuie had done for Oden—they knew it all. And it was thanks to him that they had come to truly awaken to their identities.
From barely literate street urchins, thugs, and drifters gathered by Oden, the nine of them were taught to read, to write, to observe etiquette, and to train in the martial arts. Under his guidance, they transformed into true retainers worthy of serving a daimyo.
When Oden set out to challenge Kaido, he entrusted his wife and children to Shimotsuki Yasuie for protection, heading to Onigashima with only the Akazaya Nine at his side!
Now, Fleet Admiral Wright had earned the complete trust of Lord Yasuie—and by extension, the trust of the Akazaya Nine as well. What's more, without Fleet Admiral Wright's support, Inuarashi and Nekomamushi dared not imagine what would have become of Yasuie or Wano itself.
And to think... he had begun preparations for all this years ago. The scope of this strategy—it was simply staggering.
Now, he had even dispatched a Warlord of the Sea to liaise directly with Zou. That level of commitment... what a colossal undertaking.
All one could say was—he truly was worthy of being called Fleet Admiral.
"Karoo-chuu~!"
Sweating nervously, Trafalgar Law found his cheeks being rubbed enthusiastically by Carrot, the bunny mink beauty from the Musketeer Squad, and Wanda, the dog mink from the Guardians. He looked helplessly resigned—every day the squirrel mink nurses and deer mink nurses at the hospital greeted him like this.
The Musketeer Squad was the first line of defense Law had encountered when he first arrived at Zou. Though the Minks had an inherent aversion to outsiders, once you earned their trust, their warmth and enthusiasm could be... overwhelming.
Shishilian, captain of the Musketeers, and Pedro, leader of the Guardians, had both greeted Law with this same aggressive affection. If he hadn't already grown accustomed to Bepo's bear hugs, he might've sliced them both into chunks out of sheer secondhand embarrassment...
"Duke Inuarashi has arrived!"
"Master Nekomamushi is here too!"
Pedro and Shishilian, representing their respective squads, entered the room accompanied by Inuarashi and Nekomamushi. The room, located near Whale Forest, served as a secret Mink stronghold.
And now, it had all but become a covert base for Marine Headquarters on Zou—a Lightforged Beacon, gleaming with radiant gold, stood proudly in the center of the room.
"No matter how many times I see it, this marvelous device never fails to dazzle the senses."
Duke Inuarashi admired the beacon with awe.
"If circumstances allowed, I'd love to meet with Yasuie-sama again right away."
"You dumb dog, Yasuie-sama already came here, remember, nya~?"
Nekomamushi shifted his massive frame to the side, casting a glance at Inuarashi.
"He's the leader of the Resistance now. He can't just drop everything to visit us whenever he wants!"
"Foolish cat! I just miss Yasuie-sama!" Inuarashi barked, tongue lolling.
"Even little Toko liked playing with me more last time. You're just jealous!"
"Haah~?! You mutt, say that again and I'll—"
"Ahem."
Law sighed and cut off the rising bickering between the two Mink leaders. These two had been at odds for nearly twenty years. Even after reconciling, they could barely stand to be in the same room without clashing.
"Duke Inuarashi, Master Nekomamushi—the urgent message from Marine Headquarters is the one you've been waiting for."
He handed each of them a sealed letter. Headquarters had thoughtfully prepared two copies, knowing full well what chaos would ensue if only one arrived...
"The first part of the prophecy has come true—Lady Toki's power was real!"
"Kouzuki Momonosuke, son of Kouzuki Oden, along with Kin'emon, Kiku, Raizo, and Kanjuro of the Akazaya Nine... have appeared at the ruins of Oden Castle in Kuri!"
"!!"
Inuarashi and Nekomamushi read the message swiftly, then fell into simultaneous silence—before breaking down in loud, uncontrollable sobs:
"At last! Finally... the day has come!"
"Twenty years! We can finally avenge our lord!"
"Gentlemen…"
Law interjected again, his tone grave.
"You noticed the critical part of the intel, didn't you... regarding the traitor?"
"…"
The two leaders locked eyes, their expressions darkening.
"To think… it was really one of us! Among the Akazaya Nine, there truly is a traitor…"
"While we can't confirm it just yet… we must prepare for the worst, nya~"
Nekomamushi knocked the ashes from his pipe and took a long, heavy draw.
"Momonosuke-sama's safety must be our top priority. If the next report confirms our suspicions…"
He exhaled with a long, bitter sigh.
"I never imagined there would come a day when we'd have to execute one of our own, nya!"
Inuarashi gave a sharp snort.
"If you can't do it, I will! Were it not for that traitor, our lord would never have met such a fate."
"And we wouldn't have had to suffer twenty long years of waiting in fear and uncertainty!"
"You think I'd hesitate, nya?!"
Nekomamushi glared. "I'm just afraid you'd lose the fight!"
"You mangy cat!"
"You flea-bitten mutt!"
"…"
Everyone else in the room looked on helplessly as the two rulers devolved into another shouting match, leaving Law's eyelids twitching.
When Bepo had left Zou, he'd still been too young to understand the deep, 800-year bond between the Mink Tribe and the Kouzuki clan. But the Musketeer Squad and Guardians, as direct subordinates of Inuarashi and Nekomamushi, had long known about this ancient connection—even if they hadn't fully grasped the reasons behind their kings' former feud.
Now, the members of both groups finally understood the source of the long-standing rift between their leaders.
"As of now, that traitor hasn't shown any suspicious behavior… their performance is frighteningly convincing…"
Law couldn't help but feel a touch of admiration. This guy was even more convincing than Corazon had been back in the day—Corazon's acting was always over-the-top. If his identity hadn't been real, he'd probably have been exposed long ago.
"You can rest assured about Momonosuke's safety. The Navy has assigned agents to protect him from the shadows. If anything unexpected happens, we'll be able to extract him. You two—"
Brrr brrr—click!
"Corazon!"
Law's Den Den Mushi chirped—it was Donquixote Rosinante.
He immediately turned away from the bickering cat and dog, his expression serious.
"What's the situation?"
"Law, latest report—Kin'emon's group now has a decent grasp of Wano's current state. They're preparing to sail to Zou and request the Minks' assistance!"
Rosinante's voice was calm but firm.
"I'm heading to Wano to oversee naval operations there. Handling Zou is up to you."
"No problem, Corazon. Leave it to me!"
Law gave a confident grin.
"Duke Inuarashi and Master Nekomamushi have been waiting for this moment—they'll support me!"
"Good… but there's one more thing you must remember—"
Rosinante's voice lowered.
"Kiku has been left behind in Wano to gather intelligence. And Fleet Admiral Wright, Yasuie-sama, and Denjiro are all in agreement—for now, to avoid alerting Orochi, the traitor must not be exposed."
Rosinante paused. Law, Inuarashi, and Nekomamushi all turned solemn.
"In other words, from this moment on… you'll all have to act like the traitor doesn't exist."
"The Navy needs to see how this successor to the Kouzuki clan—Kouzuki Momonosuke—will rise to the challenge."
"After all, while we've made countless preparations… whether or not we truly form an alliance with Wano will ultimately depend on the will of this rightful heir to the shogunate!"
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