"Before Joy Boy appears, this country needs to open its borders."
On the beach of Kuri, Kozuki Oden looked at the distant fishing boats in the Inner Sea and muttered this sentence again. As a former member of Roger's crew, he had also witnessed the sights of Laugh Tale.
Since then, the matters of Joy Boy and opening the country had always been on his mind.
In Oden Castle, the local residents were quite happy about the return of Kozuki Oden. It wasn't because of anything else, but because of Kozuki Toki's efforts during this time, which made the local residents temporarily forget his irresponsible actions.
The residents of Wano Kuni had little understanding of the outside world. They had processed the stories of Oden abroad, and along with Kozuki Toki's oratory skills, the local people's impression of Oden had changed somewhat.
However, upon returning to their residence, Kozuki Oden sensed that something was amiss.
Whether it was Kozuki Toki, Momonosuke, Inuarashi, Kawamatsu, or the other retainers, their clothes were very shabby, with patches being the norm, not even matching up to the common civilians outside.
Moreover, he noticed that several people were missing, which didn't make sense. Logically, those retainers should have all been here after his return.
Izou remained on Whitebeard's ship and didn't return, but Denjiro, Ashura Doji, and Kinemon were not present here.
"Where have Denjiro, Ashura Doji, and Kinemon gone?"
"Ashura Doji went back to Head Mountain to become the leader of those hooligans and mountain bandits. After you left, he couldn't suppress them anymore, so he returned to the mountains.
Denjiro is borrowing and repaying money throughout the country, as for Kinemon..."
Kawamatsu looked somewhat embarrassed to the side, and then Kinemon was pushed out. The impact caused earlier was somewhat significant, and even Kinemon's vitality had not fully recovered.
"What on earth happened?!"
"Lord Oden, this matter needs to be explained from the beginning. Three years ago, Lord Sukiyaki passed away due to illness, and after that, that guy Kurozumi Orochi temporarily assumed the position of General."
"What! Father is gone? Although his health was poor... how could it be Orochi?"
"We don't know much about that. Afterward, Kurozumi Orochi brought a pirate named Kaidou into Wano Kuni. Relying on him as a military support, he did many excessive things.
Many people on the streets were captured and sent to mining camps. Several friends that Kinemon knew were among them, and afterward, Kinemon tried to rescue them, but..."
They explained Kinemon's encounter, including the matter of Peach Blossom Spring Farm being taken over, though they added some of their subjective views.
For instance, they saw those street hooligans as ordinary citizens of Wano Kuni, and the same went for Kinemon's former subordinates.
"Didn't anyone resist?"
"No one can match the Hundred Beasts Pirates, and their actions are very strange. On one hand, it seems like Kurozumi Orochi harms everyone, and on the other hand, there's a conflict between the Hundred Beasts and Kurozumi Orochi. Sometimes the Hundred Beasts do things completely different from Kurozumi Orochi."
Compared to Raizo's description, Inuarashi's later description was closer to reality, and his assessment of the happenings in Wano Kuni was more objective.
However, when news of Momonosuke's assassination attempt during the New Year's festival and Kozuki Toki getting injured were spread, Kozuki Oden could no longer contain himself.
"Who did this?!"
"Well... at first, there were rumors that the person was from the Hundred Beasts Pirates, but later many said that during the New Year's festival, that person was always catching goldfish, so it should be someone sent by Kurozumi Orochi..."
"Kurozumi Orochi..."
Then he picked up Enma and Ame no Habakiri and directly charged towards the Flower Capital.
The rampant Oden caught the attention of Wano Kuni residents. Seeing him charging towards the Flower Capital with his swords, many felt relieved.
"Lord Oden is back? Great, that guy Kurozumi Orochi is finally going to be driven away?"
"Yeah, it's all Orochi's doing that caused these issues. But what about the Hundred Beasts?"
Initially, they were very happy, but over the past three years, the influence of the Hundred Beasts in Wano Kuni wasn't small. If it all disappeared, they might not be able to cope.
"Of course, Lord Oden should drive them all away. Those outsiders shouldn't set foot on this land."
"But... our salaries are currently being paid by the Hundred Beasts, right? And those cheap oxen too. If they're gone, wouldn't all these things disappear?"
The residents of Wano Kuni could be categorized into several types. One group was persecuted by Orochi and then taken in by Kojiro's trading company, eventually working for the Hundred Beasts. These people had the closest ties with the Hundred Beasts and had become accustomed to their presence.
Given the current situation, they did not want the Hundred Beasts Pirates to leave. The changes the Hundred Beasts brought had thoroughly influenced their lives.
Another group comprised the followers of Kurozumi Orochi, those who benefited after Orochi became Acting General; their interests were tied to Orochi.
The ones watching Oden leave belonged to yet another group, those affected by Orochi but who also received benefits from the Hundred Beasts, all while still harboring thoughts of Kozuki Oden.
"If Lord Oden could drive away Kurozumi Orochi, and then continue to ally with the Hundred Beasts Pirates, that would be great."
"Yes, yes, it's all Orochi's fault for causing this situation."
Seeing the changes brought by the Hundred Beasts Pirates, many began to accept their presence, but at the same time, they disliked the reckless Orochi, creating such sentiments.
"Hey! Have you forgotten that when Orochi did those things, the Hundred Beasts Pirates supported him in the background? Otherwise, he couldn't have done them."
"But the actions of the Hundred Beasts Pirates are really different from Kurozumi Orochi's..."
For a moment, they argued heatedly. This was also the result of the Hundred Beasts Pirates' past few years of influence, getting the locals to accept their presence while making Kurozumi Orochi handle the dirty work.
However, their arguments couldn't change the outcome. Oden soon rushed to the Flower Capital, cutting down the Mimawarigumi who blocked his path and headed directly towards Orochi City.
Orochi himself managed the security of the Flower Capital, as he had negotiated this with the Hundred Beasts Pirates. The behavior of the Hundred Beasts made him wary of entrusting his safety to them.
So when Orochi's men were cut down, the members of the Hundred Beasts only reported their information.
"Captain Kaidou, Lord Saint Beast, Kozuki Oden has returned, and he is currently attacking Kurozumi Orochi's residence. From appearances, all 200 Mimawarigumi outside the Flower Capital have been annihilated, and he could reach inside within a minute at most."
In the sky above the Flower Capital, Olga and Elizabeth sat on the back of the Thousand-Year Dragon, reporting the news.
"That guy seems really strong."
Watching Kozuki Oden casually split the staircase with a swipe, the Sword Qi he emitted was impressive by Olga's years of experience, marking him as a formidable warrior.