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[Even though Kozuki Oden's cognitive capacity wasn't particularly expansive, witnessing the Uchiha clan and Kurozumi clan standing together triggered instincts even a fool couldn't ignore. The scent of conspiracy hung thick in the air, almost tangible. Was the Kozuki clan being abandoned by fate itself this time?
"Joyboy will definitely save Wano Country," Oden declared with unshakeable conviction, voice carrying desperate certainty. "He is the symbol of the sun, the embodiment of light itself. He would never align with darkness."
The samurai stubbornly refused to believe that Kaido the Beast could be Joyboy. The two figures framed together proved completely incongruous, fundamentally inconsistent with the legendary liberation fighter of myth. Even with evidence presented directly before his eyes, Kozuki Oden remained obstinate, clinging to his cherished beliefs with white-knuckled desperation.
The four Kurozumi Orochi copies all wore identical contemptuous smiles simultaneously. Then they took initiative, moving together fluidly until their forms merged, slowly consolidating back into a single person. He understood Kozuki Oden better than anyone else alive—otherwise, he never could have successfully deceived both father and son across years of careful manipulation.
The Kozuki family had been isolated from the wider world for far too long. Sometimes their ideological perspectives proved dangerously naive as a result.]
["Kozuki Oden, have you ever considered that more than eight hundred years have passed since those legendary times?" Kurozumi Orochi's voice carried mocking patience, the tone of someone explaining simple concepts to a slow child. "Historical legends have long since become little girls that anyone can dress up according to preference. People in later generations prove particularly fond of beautifying heroes—and in that beautification process, perhaps even the original prototypes of characters gradually disappear entirely. Joyboy, as a legendary liberation fighter, represents the perfect example of this phenomenon. Am I correct, Madara-sama?"
What exactly was Joyboy, truly? As stories passed from generation to generation, mouth to ear across centuries, nobody actually knew his genuine nature anymore. But people yearning for beauty and freedom had consistently projected their hopes onto this liberation fighter regardless of historical accuracy. Were they genuinely that stupid? That pathetically naive?!
Modern people suffering under oppression believed in an illusory legend, waiting passively for an ancient man to save their miserable lives. This represented the funniest joke in the entire world. If Kurozumi Orochi didn't have so many practical matters demanding attention, he'd genuinely consider establishing a religion dedicated to Joyboy. Then loyal believers would pay generous donations in the form of atonement fees, and he'd make an absolute fortune to spend on women and luxury.
Kurozumi Orochi was a realist to his core. The type of people he hated most intensely were idealists—because he understood viscerally that spiritual concepts couldn't be eaten, couldn't be spent, couldn't protect you when enemies arrived with swords. People looked forward to Joyboy's eventual arrival with desperate hope. But would this liberator save the Kurozumi clan when he finally appeared? The Shogun's position currently warming Orochi's buttocks hadn't been obtained through divine blessing or destiny—he'd seized it through personal conspiracy and intrigue, through calculated treachery.
The people he disliked most were exactly like Kozuki Oden—dreamers who believed the world operated on principles of fairness and justice rather than power and cunning.
Uchiha Madara regarded Kurozumi Orochi with genuine admiration, recognizing a kindred spirit. Realists would employ any means necessary to achieve their objectives, morality be damned. And as an ancient survivor navigating today's Wano Country, nobody understood Joyboy's true nature better than him.]
[Madara pointed directly at the samurai, crimson eyes boring into Oden's soul.
"Joyboy was an extraordinarily naive person—exactly like you, Kozuki. The massive utopia he wanted to create was probably doomed to destruction from its very inception. All intelligent creatures possess inherent selfish desires. Where selfish desires exist, conflict inevitably follows. And where conflict festers, mutual slaughter becomes unavoidable."
In Uchiha Madara's experienced assessment, Joyboy had been one of the world's most powerful combatants and simultaneously a rare genuinely good man. He'd wanted to construct a huge kingdom without racial discrimination, where everyone was born equal regardless of origin or bloodline. He'd taken practical action toward this impossible ideal, gaining tremendous numbers of devoted followers through charisma and demonstrated virtue.
Joyboy had been like gentle light, illuminating portions of the darkness plaguing the world. But ultimately, that light had been swallowed by encompassing darkness it couldn't overcome.
Joyboy failed eight hundred years ago. Pinning hopes on a historical loser proved simply unreasonable—why would defeat transform into eventual victory through passive waiting? The Joyboy of this modern era must not follow the same doomed path. Kaido, the King of Beasts, shouldn't be that stupid, that willing to repeat mistakes.
Facing such a firm idealist in the past, Uchiha Madara had once entertained thoughts that Joyboy's philosophy might actually succeed despite improbability. But ultimately it had proven nothing more than beautiful fantasy without substance. Utopia would never exist. Shangri-La remained forever beyond reach.
Madara wanted to end all disputes plaguing the world permanently through his own methods, completing a grand plan that would succeed where Joyboy's compassion had failed.
As time marched forward relentlessly, the legendary liberation fighter had even lost his actual name to history's erosion. In truth, "Joyboy" was a pseudonym or codename bestowed by later generations rather than his birth name. Even Uchiha Madara had to acknowledge with melancholy that time's power could erase virtually everything eventually.
Since his resurrection from hibernation, Uchiha Madara had tried extensively to locate traces of history from eight hundred years past. But apart from Poneglyphs and Ancient Weapons proving Wano Country hadn't changed fundamentally, only one other element remained: a supposed "clan of gods" that had appeared seemingly from nowhere after Joyboy's defeat.
Celestial Dragons? Clan of Gods? Who granted them audacity to employ such noble nicknames for themselves? The coalition of Twenty Kings hadn't overthrown Joyboy's rule through superior might—the Man of Light himself had simply chosen not to resist at critical junctures. Even Uchiha Madara didn't presume to call himself a god despite his considerable power.
These nobles shouldn't take themselves too seriously simply because they'd taken advantage of another's mercy. Class mobility was destined to continue flowing throughout history—nobody could remain permanently above all others forever. Stagnation meant death.
Now that even Joyboy himself had been replaced by Kaido in modern incarnation, Uchiha Madara felt the title of "Ninja God" should rightfully belong to him instead. Then he could dance properly with his followers, establishing new order according to his vision.]
["Madara-sama served as head of the Uchiha clan eight hundred years ago," Kurozumi Orochi explained, playing tour guide to legends. "The flame fan mounted on his back provides the best proof of authentic identity. Since his disappearance from Wano, the Uchiha clan lost this legendary ninja tool. Otherwise, you and my ancestors would have paid far greater casualty prices to seize the Shogun's position from them."
This villain Kurozumi Orochi possessed absolutely no skill at managing facial expressions. His desire for something showed on his features without any reservation whatsoever. He'd been coveting the Uchiha clan's legendary ninja tools for extended periods, virtually drooling with avarice. If he believed he could defeat this ancient monster, he'd definitely attempt snatching the treasure through force.
What made the situation even more frustrating was that Uchiha Madara had zero intention of lending the flame fan to anyone. Kurozumi Orochi could only salivate over the treasure from safe distance—he couldn't touch it, couldn't examine it, couldn't even smell it properly. This conflicted emotional state made him profoundly uncomfortable.]
[Whether Joyboy was Kaido or not, Kozuki Oden no longer wanted to argue extensively with these two conspirators. He wanted only to reclaim his country, allowing Wano to return to the Kozuki clan's rightful embrace. Even if this samurai died here on the spot today, he needed to express his demands clearly before the end.
"Wano Country will always belong to the Kozuki clan," Oden declared, voice resonating with finality. "If you want to steal it permanently, you must step over my dead body."
Kozuki Oden's entire aura shifted dramatically in that moment. He'd prepared himself for death, made peace with mortality. The samurai had abandoned everything in his heart—priorities, fears, future plans. As for the life and death of his wife and children waiting desperately for his return, he'd completely forgotten them in his overwhelming desire to die heroically.
This sudden shift made Kurozumi Orochi break out in cold sweat despite his earlier confidence. He absolutely hated dealing with such fools—they always wanted to fight and kill rather than negotiate reasonably. Hours of careful argumentation proved useless, just wasted emotions and breath.
"Oden Two-Sword Style: Samurai Great Soul!"
The samurai demonstrated his sword technique once more with renewed desperation. Kozuki Oden remained focused on eliminating Kurozumi Orochi first, then considering the subsequent problem of dealing with Uchiha Madara afterward. After all, he couldn't handle two powerful opponents simultaneously—priorities demanded strategic focus.
However, this represented an old, tired story of heroic death. Kurozumi Orochi didn't want to follow the samurai's desired script. It would be wasteful for Kozuki Oden to die like this, in glorious but pointless combat.
He still had his own historical mission to complete.]