Issho shocked expression confirmed it—he was indeed from Wano Country...
It made sense. Between his archaic speech patterns, the constant wearing of kimonos and clogs, and that Supreme Grade blade forged by the Fugetsu family, nobody would believe he wasn't from Wano.
"So you really are from Wano, Uncle..." Sherwin face took on an "I knew it" look, and he got straight to the point.
"That what I wanted to ask you about earlier. Since you're so strong, Uncle, why don't you constantly bring up that Kozuki Oden guy like the other Wano people or those two Minks from Zou?"
"Kozuki Oden? That lord with the terrible reputation?"
Issho description of Kozuki Oden left Sherwin a bit speechless...
"Just when exactly did you leave Wano? Did you never go back after that?"
"I was in my teens when I set out with the Fugetsu family fleet. We unfortunately encountered a storm mid-voyage, and I was separated from the others. I had no way of returning, and over time, I lost the desire to go back... Wano gambl—er... entertainment options were simply too few."
You were definitely going to say gambling options, weren't you?
Sherwin looked at Issho with skepticism as the older man sheepishly rubbed his head.
However, if that was the case, it actually made sense. When Issho left Wano, Kaido was still running around with Rocks.
As a commoner who might have already been blind by then, he naturally wouldn't have known about the situation in Wano, which had almost no contact with the outside world.
By the time he became an Admiral and learned the truth about Wano, he couldn't exactly act recklessly against Kaido, who had already become one of the Four Emperors.
Wait... something still feels off...
After pondering for a moment, Sherwin suddenly spotted a blind spot.
"That not right. Wasn't Kozuki Oden disowned by Kozuki Sukiyaki because he kept trying to set out to sea? How were you and the Fugetsu family able to organize a fleet and leave?"
"I was young at the time and didn't understand the specifics, but I vaguely recall that the Fugetsu family received permission from the Shogun to legally set sail."
Well, that was plausible. The rules for a national heir and everyone else are usually different. Besides, if Wano absolutely forbade anyone from leaving, Shimotsuki Village and Zoro wouldn't exist in the East Blue.
"Could you tell me about the current state of Wano? And what is this business regarding Kaido?"
After answering Sherwin doubts, Issho impatiently asked in return.
Although his memories of Wano Country had grown blurred, it was his hometown after all, and from Sherwin description, the situation seemed quite dire.
"To understand that, we have to start from the time Kozuki Oden was driven out of the Flower Capital..."
While Sherwin did not like Kozuki Oden, he did not deny the achievements of integrating Kuri. He told Issho everything that had happened in Wano Country over the past twenty years, one by one, without interjecting any of his own biases.
"...A prophecy?" Issho sighed, shaking his head and murmuring, "That is likely the only hope they can see. If there were any other way, who would pin their hopes on a vague and ethereal prophecy?"
Perhaps out of respect for the loyalty and righteousness of the Akazaya Nine, Issho even took the initiative to find excuses for them.
However, this reaction left Sherwin somewhat uncertain of the situation...
It couldn't be, right? When Issho left Wano Country, wasn't Kozuki Oden reputation terrible? Could one be infected just by hearing about his deeds?
With such doubts, Sherwin asked, "Then, what is your opinion of Kozuki Oden?"
"Lord Oden?"
The way Issho addressed Kozuki Oden made Sherwin heart skip a beat, but fortunately, Issho quickly continued,
"Judging by his style of doing things, he must have been a heroic man, but as the heir to Wano Country, he was far too naive and immature. Had Kaido and Kurozumi Orochi not existed, Lord Oden might have slowly learned to become a decent Shogun. Unfortunately..."
He shook his head with a touch of regret.
Although the evaluation remained mostly positive, Issho view of Kozuki Oden was much more grounded than Sherwin had anticipated. As expected of someone who had left Wano Country in his teens to travel the world, his horizons were far broader...
Wait, Kozuki Oden, Nekomamushi, and the others had also followed Whitebeard and Roger around the Grand Line, yet their horizons didn't seem to have expanded much at all? Perhaps it was because Issho had been away from Wano for so long that he had no filter regarding the Kozuki family, and since he had never met Kozuki Oden personally, he hadn't been infected by the Oden Virus?
Just as Sherwin was habitually complaining about Kozuki Oden, Haibara Meow, who was sitting beside him, put down her snacks and nodded her little head in approval...
"I thought you would be like those other fools, Uncle, believing that Kozuki Oden and his son—who knows where he is—are the saviors of Wano Meow. It seems your intelligence is quite normal after all, Uncle Meow."
(=`=)
Even when this little black-bellied cat gave a compliment, it didn't exactly sound like a kind word.
"Watch your tone, that incredibly rude!"
Sherwin would usually let it slide when it was just among themselves, but he still paid attention to the Felyne words and behavior when dealing with outsiders.
He decisively pressed the kitten head down and offered an apology to Issho. Although the kitten pouted, she still obediently followed suit.
However, immediately afterward, she grabbed Sherwin hand and began to gnaw on it fiercely.
"They likely want to reclaim Wano from Kaido legitimately, which is why they have been holding onto the Kozuki name. Furthermore, as Lord Oden retainers, it is only natural for them to insist on the Kozuki as the rightful rulers."
After waving his hand to indicate it was no issue, Issho offered a brief defense for the Akazaya Nine.
No, no, no, that because you don't know how potent the Oden Virus is! Sherwin grumbled frantically in his mind.
Those people aren't just using the Kozuki banner to reclaim their country they truly view that failure of a man, Kozuki Oden, and that perverted brat, Kozuki Momonosuke, as saviors!
In Sherwin eyes, the Akazaya Nine attitude toward the Kozuki family was no different from how CP0 treated the Celestial Dragons.
"Thank you for the information, Excellency. I shall not disturb you any further."
Issho stood up and gave Sherwin a deep bow, then departed with a heavy, preoccupied expression.
Clearly, his mind was now entirely focused on Wano and its occupation by Kaido. He had no time to ponder if there were any loopholes in what Sherwin had said earlier... he didn't even have the spare energy to consider joining the Navy at the moment.
As for whether Issho would later want to borrow the Marine power to deal with Kaido, that was beyond Sherwin control.
However, the Marines had just backed down from the Four Emperors recently. Given that Issho could clearly discern Kozuki Oden true capabilities,
he should be able to realize that even joining the Marines would leave him powerless against Kaido, right? In any case, Sherwin had done all he could.
If Issho still joined the Marines in the future, there was nothing he could do about it, was there? At worst, it would just be the convergence of the world line no big deal.
Moreover, as long as Issho didn't push for the plan to abolish the Seven Warlords system like in the original story, they were still allies in a sense.
Actually, Sherwin had considered bringing Issho along when the time came to cause trouble in Wano, much like he had with Doflamingo. But the moment he thought of the "big project" Klee Meow and the others were working on, that idea was quickly extinguished...
Pushing those stray thoughts aside, Sherwin and the Felynes packed up their snacks and drinks and continued wandering around the island.