A white mist puffed from Brook's mouth as the Shichiseiken flashed and returned to its sheath. In the next moment, Kozuki Oden was encased in solid ice, frozen mid-run like a lifelike sculpture!
"Lord Oden!!!"
The samurai gasped in shock, immediately rushing to Oden's side, shouting his name. Their faces were twisted in anger and vigilance as they turned their swords on these brazen outsiders—how dare they lay a hand on the son of the shogun!?
One by one, the samurai drew their blades, ready to fight Brook and his crew to the death. Even Hyougoro and his men looked hesitant and conflicted, torn between their loyalty to their newly sworn boss and their deep-rooted loyalty to the Kozuki Clan that had ruled Wano for centuries.
After all, they couldn't just stand by and watch the heir of the Kozuki family be harmed.
...
"Shishishishi~ Brook, your Ice is getting stronger and stronger! You froze him solid in an instant—it's almost like a Logia-type Ice Fruit ability!"
Golden Lion Shiki burst out laughing, though a flicker of surprise crossed his face. He had never seen Brook train that seriously... yet somehow the skeleton's strength kept growing at a terrifying pace. Looks like surpassing the Captain would be a long, long road.
...
"Yohoho~~ Don't worry, the kid's fine. I just needed him to quiet down a bit."
Brook chuckled, gazing at the tense samurai. He could feel how deeply ingrained the Kozuki Clan's authority was in Wano. He even sensed the inner struggle on Hyougoro's face.
Clearly, their loyalty to the Kozuki family outweighed any new allegiance to Brook. Taking over Wano wouldn't be easy—not overnight, at least.
This only strengthened Brook's resolve: he had to crush Wano's financial system with platinum and build Kuri into the strongest city in the country, overshadowing the Flower Capital itself!
...
Crack.
With a loud snap, Oden broke free from the ice around his upper body, rubbing his arms frantically for warmth, white mist pouring from his mouth. His face had turned a pale shade of blue.
"So cold! What the heck was that?!"
He immediately started yelling again, making the samurai around him breathe a sigh of relief. However, the fact that they were still standing there with their swords drawn made things awkward fast.
After all, they were still on someone else's ship. Drawing weapons was a serious breach of etiquette—and Hyougoro was silently grateful he had held back just in time.
...
"Um, Brook-dono, please forgive us. We were only trying to protect our lord!"
The samurai quickly bent in a deep ninety-degree bow, lowering their heads in apology, their sincerity clear to see.
"Yohoho~ It's fine. I acted recklessly too."
Brook accepted their apology graciously. Winning their loyalty had to start somewhere. If they remained this loyal even after Kuri's conquest, Brook wouldn't mind adding a few samurai swordmasters to his spectral crew.
...
"Brook-dono, you truly are a man of both virtue and strength! Serving under you would be a great honor!"
The samurai were stunned by how easily Brook forgave them. In Wano, drawing your sword against someone almost always meant a duel—at the very least, blood had to be shed to settle it.
From the side, Redfield and Big Mom exchanged glances. Their eyes grew cold toward the samurai. They already knew: these men would likely never become true crewmates of the Hell Pirates.
...
"Hey! Let me go already! My feet are still frozen!"
Oden's shouting snapped everyone back to reality. The kid was completely oblivious—he almost got his samurai into a deadly fight with their employers, and he didn't even realize it.
"You're way too noisy. This is our ship—you think we're gonna let some brat run wild on it?"
Brook grinned, studying Oden carefully. The boy definitely had the potential for Conqueror's Haki, but it hadn't awakened yet.
Maybe... Brook thought, maybe I should take him? But then again, this kid was meant to inherit Wano. Their ambitions might clash too much.
Unless Oden could somehow be persuaded to willingly hand Wano over to the Hell Pirates... with promises of greater prosperity, maybe he could be tricked.
...
"I'm not some brat! Don't underestimate me!! I'm the terror of the Flower Capital! I kicked down the South Bathhouse and punched out the North Street casino! The whole underground trembles when they hear my name!"
Oden shouted back indignantly, drawing some not-so-friendly glares from the underworld figures onboard.It seemed they'd been worrying about this punk for nothing.
...
"I don't care about all that. Why'd you board my Golden Ark? Does your old man, Shogun Sukiyaki, even know you ran away? Give me a good reason not to toss you overboard!"
Brook leaned in with a teasing smile. He already knew Oden's character—deliberately pushing him would only make him cling tighter.
Maybe he could make use of that.
...
"I wanna set out to sea! And I wanna go help you guys take back Kuri! How cool would that be?! Don't worry about my old fossil of a father, he can't stop me!"
Oden's eyes sparkled with excitement. Whether it was fighting in Kuri or sailing across the seas, he wanted it all—and he wasn't planning to leave this ship anytime soon.
...
"And why should I let you stay onboard? You're not strong enough to be a mercenary yet. If your father blames us, he might even kick us out of Wano!"
Brook's voice was mocking but calculating. The more he rejected Oden, the more the kid would want to stay.
And once Oden was tied to the Hell Pirates, Sukiyaki would have to think twice before acting rashly.
After all, by then, every core officer of the crew would have devil fruit powers at disaster-level strength—intimidating enough to make even a shogun hesitate.
And if that wasn't enough, a few veiled threats to Wano's safety would surely bring Sukiyaki to the negotiating table.
...
"Then... how about I join you guys?!"
Oden's sudden declaration made the surrounding samurai stiffen in horror. Was this guy crazy?! He was the heir to Wano, and he was talking about joining an outsider crew!?
...
"Lord Oden, you mustn't! Wano still needs you! The Kozuki Clan still needs you!"
The desperate samurai tried to stop him.Was he trying to throw away everything he was born to inherit!?
...
"Shut up! My life's none of your damn business!"
Oden snapped back at them fiercely, then turned to Brook with an eager, pleading look.
Waiting for his answer.
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+122 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg