"Aiya, aiya, don't worry, I trust the intel from Kogestu and the others," Kozuki Oden waved his hand casually. In most matters, he always seemed a bit thick-skinned and careless.
As long as it was something he had set his mind on, unless an accident had already happened, he would believe in it until the end.
This time's Holy Land incident made him enemies with the World Government.
But hatred was hatred, his personality wouldn't change.
If it were him, he would definitely magnanimously take care of Rosse's daughter.
Now handing her back to Rosse wasn't something unacceptable to him either.
The key point was, right now Wano was in troubled times. He hadn't even driven out Kaido and Kurozumi Orochi yet, and he had no spare effort to think too much.
They also weren't in a position to provoke another powerful enemy now.
Otherwise, with Rosse's strength, he really could bring Wano a crushing disaster.
"Then I have nothing else to say," Kozuki Toki avoided Kozuki Oden's outstretched arm, and with a cold expression left the reception room.
She already knew Kozuki Oden's stance.
If today it had been her being taken away, maybe his words would've been exactly the same.
Not even trying once, how could she possibly entrust the hope of the future to Kozuki Oden?
"Oden-sama," Denjiro frowned as he walked up beside Kozuki Oden.
Kozuki Toki's behavior had made them all feel uncomfortable.
But this matter wasn't theirs to control.
"Forget it, she's just angry right now. In a bit she'll calm down," Kozuki Oden didn't feel anything about it, casually said one line, then threw the matter of Kozuki Toki to the back of his mind.
Compared to comforting Kozuki Toki, clearly it was more important to take care of the injured retainers.
Kozuki Toki hadn't been hurt at all, but Kin'emon had actually lost an arm because of this.
———
Half a day later, in the Flower Capital.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Hearing what had happened today at the Kozuki mansion, Kaido burst into loud laughter, his laugh filled with mockery toward Kozuki Oden, "Stupid!"
Just one short word summed up Kaido's evaluation of Kozuki Oden.
In fact, even the actions of Kozuki Oden and his retainers were basically within his expectations.
Back then in the Flower Capital, when Kozuki Oden backed down because of his and Orochi's threats, he had already known the man was a powerhouse in strength but trash in mentality.
What kind of person who accomplishes great things would care about such flimsy threats?
Last time, Kozuki Oden backed down before him and Orochi because of Wano's citizens.
Next time he threatened again, Kozuki Oden would never be able to stand firm.
Wano's soft underbelly, he could feast on it for life.
"Kaido-san, do we need to do anything now?", King stood by his side, his expression not changing much.
Kozuki Oden was an enemy. The World Government and Rosse were even more enemies.
That fact would never change.
If the two sides fought, he'd only want to clap from the sidelines.
"We don't need to do anything. That Rosse wants to slowly play the Kozuki family to death, let him. Best if we don't make a sound at all," Kaido grinned and gulped down a huge mouthful of liquor.
"Hm? But didn't Rosse already leave the Kozuki family, ready to pull back?", King asked, puzzled.
Just now Kanjuro's intel said Rosse hadn't even noticed Kozuki Oden, and simply left normally with Kozuki Hiyori.
"Foolish," Kaido sneered, "You don't really think Kozuki Oden's fake death could trick that Rosse, do you? Even though I haven't met him, I can be sure, he's not someone easy to deal with."
"So you mean Rosse already knew about Kozuki Oden's fake death?", King was stunned, "Then why? Wouldn't it be easier to just kill them all?"
"He's not a pirate, he doesn't go by the rule of cutting clean in one strike. Those Celestial Dragons, their hearts are far dirtier than pirates," Kaido snorted with mockery in his tone.
He knew very well what fun those noble lords liked.
What else could it be, if not the cat-and-mouse game.
Honestly, he liked that game too.
Watching prey get excited because of a shred of hope, then sink into utter despair in the end, that really was endless fun.
Rosse doing this, Kaido didn't particularly dislike. On the contrary, he appreciated it.
Because Rosse was strong enough, and his achievements in battle were worthy of recognition.
As for those other noble lords, Kaido simply disdained them.
'What level are you people? You dare use the same amusement as me?'
"This matter, in the end, we probably won't be left out of the play," Kaido suddenly spoke, his rough voice carrying a trace of coldness, "Heh, with that guy's nature, he'll definitely calculate us in too. He wants to take care of Kozuki Oden, and along the way clear us out as well."
When Rosse had first appeared, Gion and King had already clashed once, so Kaido had ended up with some connections to Rosse too.
After that, all intel about Rosse he would review and study.
Kaido always had a hunch, Rosse would definitely come to Wano.
Now, his hunch had come true.
The earlier demands Rosse had made of him, he hadn't bothered to respond to a single one.
Now that the man himself had come, how could he possibly let Kaido off.
All of this Kaido had always known, he just disdained thinking too deeply about it.
So what if he came, so what if he schemed.
In the end, it all came down to strength.
As long as Rosse was in Wano, he wouldn't clash directly with Kozuki Oden.
Even if it was about their five-year pact, he would immediately withdraw with his men, then return after Rosse left.
If you want to plot against him, then show real strength.
Fight him.
As long as he lost, any scheme would be fine.
Even if it meant stepping on his head and kicking him out of Wano.
If your strength isn't as good as his, then no matter how clever the plan, it is useless.
Rosse couldn't possibly stay in Wano forever. As long as he left, Kaido could come back anytime.
"Then should we make the first move, or maybe work with Kozuki Oden?", King asked, a little uneasy.
He didn't think as far as Kaido, he just simply felt the World Government was troublesome, and should be handled carefully.
"Heh, can you beat Rosse?", Kaido sneered.
"No," King shook his head honestly.
Conqueror's Haki pressing all of Kuri to its knees, that wasn't even the same level.
"Then can you make Kozuki Oden cooperate with me?", Kaido asked again.
"Probably not...", King hesitated, "He should be misled by Rosse's moves. Even if we go try to persuade him, it probably won't work."
These simple points, he could figure out.
Kozuki Oden, put it bluntly, he was just a stubborn fool.
He'd already given away his daughter. How could he possibly agree to cooperate with them?
At this point, Oden and his people were probably only thinking about sending Rosse away, not wanting to do any extra things.
"Heh, since you already know, then what the hell are you even saying," Kaido cursed with a laugh, but didn't take it to heart.
From the moment Rosse set foot in Wano, it was never going to let them and Kozuki Oden cooperate.
It wasn't up to them to decide, and with that idiot Oden, it was impossible anyway.
Compared to driving Rosse away, clearly driving them away was the real priority.
But at this moment, Kaido instead felt a bit excited.
If Rosse didn't have the ability, then it wouldn't be fun.
'Since you came, then let's have a good fight.'
He's not good at schemes, but he does know a bit about fists and kicks.
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