The Kozuki Family in Wano Country was actually a family of "stonemasons" who processed stone for generations, possessing higher technical skills than today.
800 years ago, the indestructible writings created by the Kozuki Family were the poneglyphs—the family that created the poneglyphs scattered across the world.
The Kozuki Family's monarchs inherited the deciphering method of ancient texts for generations, knowing the entire content of the poneglyphs.
This elder was none other than Kozuki Oden, a former crew member of Pirate King Roger, whom the entire world believed to be dead.
Kozuki Oden fell into deep recollection due to Reno's answer, recalling his life, and couldn't help but shed old tears… From birth, he was full of turmoil, possessing extraordinary physical abilities from the moment he was born.
At 0 years old, he violently threw his wet nurse.
At 2 years old, he could catch two rabbits simultaneously, demonstrating astonishing leg strength.
At 4 years old, he threw a giant rock, killing a giant bear.
At 6 years old, he began frequenting pleasure quarters.
At 8 years old, he got into a big fight with gamblers while drinking.
At 9 years old, he was blacklisted by an underground organization, and in his rage, he burned down their casino, leading to his arrest for violent assault.
At 10 years old, he entered a stone quarry as a prisoner to serve his sentence, and due to the Kozuki Family's talent, he rose to become a master stonemason.
At 14 years old, he caused a major flood by rerouting a river during a drought, and was once again wanted.
At 15 years old, he threatened a temple abbot and secluded himself in the temple, abducting women every night to build a harem.
These women were usually free-spirited and simply captivated by Oden's charm, but this nevertheless provoked public outrage, leading to a collective assault.
Oden gleefully met the challenge, an event known in Wano Country as the "Harem Rebellion."
41 years ago, Oden was 18 years old, and his 38th attempt to illegally sail out to sea failed.
Kozuki Sukiyaki decided to disown Oden and banish him from Flower Capital.
At this time, the Mountain God incident erupted in Flower Capital, where a giant wild boar charged into Flower Capital, causing destruction.
Oden stepped in and defeated the Mountain God, saving Flower Capital, and Kin'emon was also saved by Oden.
Oden learned that his father was disowning him and simply laughed it off.
Denjiro and Kin'emon voluntarily followed Kozuki Oden.
Oden left Flower Capital and went to Hakumai, visited Shimotsuki Yasuie, and met the young Orochi.
Oden left Hakumai, preparing to travel through various regions of Wano Country, with Kuri as his final destination.
In Ringo, he met Izo and Kiku, the two brothers of the former Hanayanagi School's head family.
In Kibi, he subdued Kanjuro, known as a demon.
In Udon, he accepted Raizo, a Kozuki Family Ninja who had left the Oniwabanshu.
Oden arrived at Kuri, the lawless region of Wano Country, and ventured into the Kuri area alone.
He conquered the entire Kuri in just one day, defeating all the villains, including the most infamous monster, Ashura Doji, Shutenmaru.
39 years ago, Oden was 20 years old.
Oden decided to embrace all strengths, connections, and talents, transforming Kuri, pacifying its security, subduing most of the villains at the time, teaching them farming and construction techniques, cultivating farmland to provide food, and overseeing the construction of facilities in the Kuri region, earning deep affection from the residents.
This great feat led General Kozuki Sukiyaki to revoke his order of disownment and bestow upon Oden the title of Daimyo of Kuri.
33 years ago, Oden was 26 years old.
Oden rescued and took in Kawamatsu, Inuarashi, and Nekomamushi by the sea.
At Shimotsuki Yasuie's request, Oden's retainers began to learn etiquette, acquire knowledge, and train themselves, aiming to become the guardians of Wano Country.
30 years ago, Oden was 29 years old.
The Whitebeard Pirates drifted to Kuri, Wano Country's Itate Port, and Oden, who had been unable to leave the country, decided to seize this opportunity to set sail.
Oden's gradual approach made Whitebeard wary, sensing that he would be a formidable opponent, and the two clashed.
Because of Oden's strength, Whitebeard recalled the Rocks Pirates, and thus Whitebeard refused Oden's request to join.
Oden was determined to join Whitebeard, so Whitebeard decided to test him.
Oden, hearing a woman's cry for help, abandoned the test, met and rescued Tianshi on a small island, thus earning Whitebeard's admiration, and boarded Whitebeard's ship to travel the seas.
Accompanying Oden were Izo, Nekomamushi, and Inuarashi.
Gol D. Roger, upon seeing this in the newspaper at the time, expressed a desire to meet this samurai from Wano Country.
28 years ago, Oden was 31 years old.
On Whitebeard's ship, Oden and Tianshi had become husband and wife and had given birth to Momonosuke.
As the crew grew in number, Whitebeard made Oden the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division.
26 years ago, Oden was 33 years old.
On Whitebeard's ship, Hiyori was also born.
The Whitebeard Pirates encountered the Roger Pirates.
On the island, the Whitebeard Pirates and the Roger Pirates battled fiercely for three days and three nights, stopping on the fourth day.
Roger expressed his desire to borrow Kozuki Oden from Whitebeard for one year.
Whitebeard strongly objected, as he would not allow anyone to take his family.
However, Oden was very interested in Roger and voluntarily expressed his desire to join Roger's ship for only one year.
Whitebeard had no choice but to agree.
Izo remained on Whitebeard's ship, while Nekomamushi and Inuarashi secretly boarded Roger's ship.
On the ship, Oden learned that Roger had only one year left to live, and together with Roger, he embarked on a new adventure, going to Sky Island and carving text.
Afterward, they passed through Water 7, and on Fish-Man Island, they made a rubbing of one of the "Road poneglyph."
While passing through Wano Country, Lady Tianshi, due to illness, disembarked with her two children in Wano Country.
Inuarashi and Nekomamushi also stayed behind to look after them, and Oden also made a rubbing of one of the "Road poneglyph" located in Wano Country.
Finally, in Zou, he made a rubbing of the last "Road poneglyph," including the "Road poneglyph" he had previously copied from BIG MOM.
The Roger Pirates gathered all four "Road poneglyph," calculated the location of the final island, and set off.
25 years ago, Oden was 34 years old.
Oden and Roger arrived at the final island together, learning all its secrets.
Oden accompanied Roger on his final voyage, bid farewell to the Roger Pirates, and refused the Roger Pirates' help, waiting for the opening of the country more than 20 years later.
20 years ago, Oden was 39 years old.
Orochi and Kaido allied, and Oden, to protect his retainers, was to be executed.
With the help of his subordinates, he escaped by a trick.
His wife, Kozuki Tianshi, originally named Tianshi, came from eight hundred years ago.
Due to the Time Fruit, she knew Oden was not dead and had escaped.
To protect her husband's life and the Kozuki Family's secret, she ultimately chose to use her ability to send her son and loyal retainers twenty years into the future to meet her husband, while she and her daughter, Hiyori, stayed behind and were burned alive (but did not die).
The reason Oden chose to survive was for the unfinished dream in his heart: to achieve the construction of the ancient weapon "Pluton," the evil battleship, and to decipher the other two ancient weapons.
The underground ancient city in the Alabasta Kingdom was Oden's last undeciphered poneglyph, and also the most difficult one.
Therefore, when Crocodile was quietly gathering archaeologists to decipher the poneglyph, he concealed his identity and mingled among them.
Because he knew more than other archaeologists during the deciphering process, he stood out and was noticed by Crocodile, who put him in charge.
"What is your third question?"
Looking at the elder, who seemed pained by his memories, Reno asked softly after a long wait.
"The third question? ..." His thoughts were pulled back by Reno's voice.
Oden pondered his third question, believing there was no need to ask it.
Because Oden's original intention was to ask what Reno and his group intended to do after deciphering the poneglyph, but now it seemed Reno had already answered his third question in his second answer.
Since that was the case, Oden no longer hesitated and said directly, "I already have the answer I wanted for the third question.
Let me state my request."
Reno remained silent, his gaze signaling Oden to speak freely.
"My request is very simple… Since you have the ambition to reach the Peak of the world… then let me follow you and fulfill my dream…"
"I will share everything I know to help you succeed, and what you have to give… is simply to achieve my dream, do you agree?… "
Oden had carefully considered his request before making it.
Many forces in this world were untrustworthy.
Once other forces knew he was alive, it would cause a huge disaster, an absolute world-class war.
All forces would try every possible way to get him or kill him.
Rather than putting himself in the hands of any uncontrollable force in this world to be used, it was better to use this new force to help each other and fulfill his dream.
After all, Oden was confident in his own strength.
Oden possessed Three-Color Haki and the ability to hear the voice of all things.
His swordsmanship was extremely strong, and he created the very powerful "Oden Two-Sword Style," using two great swords, "ame no habakiri" and "Enma."
Oden's strength was considerable; Whitebeard and Roger were captivated by him.
Oden had once wounded Kaido, leaving two indelible, huge scars on his right abdomen.
Oden's former nine subordinates were called the "Nine Red Scabbards" in Lady Kozuki's prophecy, and several of them were very powerful.
Inuarashi, Nekomamushi, and Ashura Doji all demonstrated strength comparable to that of the Four Emperors' top executives.
"I don't know what your dream is… and I don't have the right to agree to your request… but the one who can make the decision is outside.
If you don't mind, why don't you meet our leader and discuss it face-to-face… I believe Pain will agree, because he has that power," Reno said truthfully.
"Good," Oden replied simply and clearly.
"Then let's take them and go up together…"
To be continued…