[One day Later]
[Kuri]
Kurozumi Orochi left the Kozuki residence with a relaxed face, under the angry gazes of Kozuki Oden's retainers.
His mission was done.
The future Wano Country would completely fall under his rule.
"Oden-sama, are you really going to listen to him and fake your death to leave Wano?", The short‐statured Raizo knelt before Kozuki Oden, not able to hide the anger in his expression.
Back then, because he failed to stay behind and guard properly, Kurozumi Orochi had used the opportunity to rise to power.
Now that guy was even more outrageous, even forcing Kozuki Oden to fake his death. He simply could not accept it.
"If I don't accept, what can I do? It's my fault… Inuarashi also died because of me," Kozuki Oden held the sake cup in his hand, a trace of sadness on his face.
"If only you hadn't gone then, Inuarashi wouldn't have sacrificed himself," Kanjuro frowned at the side.
This time, when Kozuki Oden left with Nekomamushi and Inuarashi, it definitely wasn't a clean retreat.
Inuarashi was surrounded and died on the Holy Land.
A big pirate like Inuarashi, dying like that, there were countless who died like him on the sea, and many were even stronger than Inuarashi.
"Bastard! What kind of crap are you saying? Boss Whitebeard was kind to us. That old dog helped us break through. He closed his eyes with a smile," Nekomamushi cursed angrily, glaring deathly at Kanjuro.
He had long since seen this guy wasn't any good. Sooner or later he would become a traitor.
"What's the use of saying all this, go resist that guy called Rosse then," Kanjuro snorted coldly.
"I'll go, I'll go. I, old cat, only have this rotten life," Nekomamushi stretched his neck, not afraid at all.
'What's dying? Everyone dies the same.'
He had seen Rosse make a move at the Holy Land, and felt that even ten of himself stacked together wouldn't be a match.
Even Golden Lion wasn't a match, so a yellow cat like him was even more useless.
"All right. Quiet down, both of you," Kozuki Toki's gentle voice rang out, finally making the two noisy sides stop for the moment.
She held the cute little girl in her arms, and looked at Kozuki Oden with a soft gaze, "Oden, tell us your thoughts. No matter what you decide, we will follow."
Indeed, ever since they returned to Wano, Kozuki Oden's behaviour made her extremely disappointed. But on the big matters, she was still willing to follow.
One thing never changed.
All of them had gathered together because of Kozuki Oden.
"Oden-sama, Toki-sama is right. No matter what choice you make, we will obey!", Kozuki Oden's head retainer Kin'emon spoke up, looking at Kozuki Oden with absolute respect and admiration in his eyes.
Rosse, Whitebeard… none of them, in his eyes, could compare to Kozuki Oden.
"For the sake of Wano, this step we must retreat," Kozuki Oden took a deep breath and raised his head to voice his decision.
Although it was difficult, there were some words he had to say, some decisions he had to make.
"Wano Country cannot withstand the torment of the World Government. With those Celestial Dragons being so brutal, once they know I'm in Wano, they will definitely slaughter this place clean. That's why I cannot stay," Although most of the time he didn't act properly, Kurozumi Orochi had thrown all the analysis right in his face. He definitely had to react properly, and couldn't pretend he didn't see it.
"What, what's so great about the World Government anyway," Raizo muttered softly.
"Pah, 'what's so great', even if all of us went together, maybe we still wouldn't beat even one of them," Nekomamushi snorted.
He had personally experienced that battle. The battlefield where Rosse and the others fought, he couldn't even step in.
And he even heard that Rayleigh and Gaban both ultimately died at Rosse's hands.
That was Rayleigh and Gaban, guys strong like monsters.
"Raizo, you've never left Wano. You don't know how strong the World Government is. Any random one of them is stronger than all of you," Kozuki Oden shook his head.
After having been persuaded by Kurozumi Orochi, he was very calm right now.
Being calm, he would naturally make the calmest choice.
So, in order not to implicate Wano, he decided to leave alone and hide for a few years in the place where Whitebeard was.
"Your Highness Oden."
The always‐silent Denjiro adjusted his glasses and suddenly spoke, "You and Kurozumi Orochi keep talking about how evil and strong the World Government and that Rosse are, and say that all his enemies end up killed by him, with even countries and wives taken by him."
"In that case, is it not possible that even if you die, we of Wano and Toki-sama will still fall victim to him, and since you are not around, we will have no strength to resist?"
"Huh?"
Denjiro's words threw the Oden residence into a strange silence.
"Outrageous!"
Raizo and Kin'emon jumped up, glaring angrily at Denjiro.
'What kind of rubbish is that, isn't he cursing us?'
"I'm only analysing rationally. If I don't say it, does the situation not exist?", Denjiro said, his gaze behind the glasses looking fervently at Kozuki Oden.
Ever since Kozuki Oden came back, it was as if he had shed all his energy, like a pile of dead mud, being manipulated randomly.
This wasn't the Kozuki Oden in his eyes, nor was it the Kozuki Oden that Wano needed.
"Th… that might be possible?", Kozuki Oden hesitated for a moment, and had to admit that Denjiro was right.
But he still remained as different as always. Instead, he suddenly laughed loudly, "Once a person dies, debts disappear. If I were still alive, he might go a bit too far. But if he knows I am dead, a strong man like him surely won't be too excessive. At that point, it might be Toki-sama who has to suffer a bit."
"Oden-sama?"
Nekomamushi looked at Kozuki Oden in disbelief, 'What kind of logic is that, selling your wife to survive?'
'Even if the World Government is powerful, isn't this going too far?'
Kozuki Toki also slightly knitted her brows, subconsciously tightening her arms around the girl in her embrace, but still did not say anything.
She could not accept Kozuki Oden's actions. But if this was his decision, she was still willing to do it.
It was just that in her heart, she didn't know why, but there was a sudden feeling of emptiness.
"Your Highness, please speak carefully. Toki-sama's situation is another matter, but you will not die," Kin'emon spoke with a serious face, trying to correct Kozuki Oden's words.
"Yes, Your Highness. You will only die in name, you must not do anything foolish," Raizo also said nervously.
The other retainers all tried to persuade as well, but their thoughts were strangely unified. They only tried to persuade Oden to stand firm, and didn't mention Toki-sama's matter at all.
After being killed by the enemy, taking possession of everything belonging to them, this, in the eyes of Wano, was completely normal.
Especially since Kozuki Oden had killed so many of the Rosse's clan.
Under such circumstances, if Rosse didn't take Kozuki Toki after killing Kozuki Oden, they would even think he was useless, and laugh at him behind his back.
They didn't care about Kozuki Toki's life or death. As long as Kozuki Oden was alive and the young lord Momonosuke was still around, then Toki's life or death simply wasn't their primary concern.
They would protect Kozuki Toki only because she was Kozuki Oden's wife.
Nothing more.
And hearing the people around her, somehow, Kozuki Toki, who had accepted the ideas of the outside sea, suddenly felt a chill rising in her heart.
Just like darkness had always shrouded around her, and she had remained completely unaware, happily enjoying herself in it like a FOOL.
[T/N: The Silk Song is real!]
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