"Who the hell upset Lord Shogun in the middle of the night now!?"
As the saying went, a cowardly general breeds cowardly troops.
Under Kurozumi Orochi's leadership, the samurai guards in his mansion were hardly good people themselves.
During the time Orochi had been indulging in wine and pleasure, more than eighty percent of them had already slipped away to enjoy themselves outside.
So now that they had suddenly heard Orochi's emergency summons, they were naturally panicking.
But among the crowd being gathered, there was one figure whose movements were unusually swift and eye-catching.
That man was Kyoshiro, Orochi's personal bodyguard, hired on the strength of his overwhelming power.
But at the same time, he also had another hidden identity—
Denjiro, one of Oden's retainers who had joined the Kozuki Family together with Kin'emon.
That's right!
He was, in fact, a spy the Kozuki Family had planted right at Kurozumi Orochi's side!
Unfortunately, compared to Kanjuro, Denjiro was clearly far worse at being an undercover agent.
Over all these years, not only had he diligently played the role of the cynical, frivolous Kyoshiro, but because he believed in that damn prophecy...
Even though he had had multiple chances to assassinate Kurozumi Orochi, he had insisted on waiting for the day the prophecy came true.
Perhaps Kozuki Oden really did possess some kind of magic.
Anyone connected to him seemed to become unbelievably brain-dead.
Just like Kaido's biological daughter, Yamato.
This time, when he received Orochi's urgent summon, Denjiro originally thought it would be the same as usual—that Orochi had once again discovered someone talking behind his back and was gathering men to give that person a lesson they would never forget.
However, the moment he arrived at the assembly point, he instantly realized this operation was different.
There were simply too many people!!!
The enormous rear courtyard of Orochi's mansion was packed wall-to-wall with heads.
Because samurai were proud and unruly by nature, even though these men were Orochi's mansion guards, there was not the slightest trace of military discipline on them.
But on the other hand...
Every one of them who had been recruited as mansion guards was an elite warrior.
Put them out on the sea, and matching some so-called Mountain Bandit King in bounty wouldn't be a problem at all.
"Hey, hey~ what's going on here?"
"Why did Lord Shogun summon so many people!?"
Within the crowd, people quickly noticed the same abnormality Denjiro had and began discussing it curiously.
"Could it be... that Kurozumi Orochi wants to launch a full-scale assault on the Beasts Pirates!?"
"I heard Kaido and the Beasts Pirates' top officers all disappeared in the outside world. It's been almost a month now, and there hasn't been any news at all."
"Now that you mention it! You really might be onto something!!!"
"The Beasts Pirates are leaderless right now, but they still occupy huge stretches of Wano's territory. If we could take back Onigashima and those factories under their control..."
"Wouldn't that mean Lord Shogun could achieve complete control over Wano!?"
"No wonder he called so many people."
The mansion guards analyzed the situation with great confidence, and even Denjiro found himself nodding along.
I see.
Kurozumi Orochi had finally decided he could no longer tolerate the dragon looming over his head...
So the news about Kaido and the Beasts Pirates' upper ranks meeting with disaster was true.
This was perfect. If Orochi and the Beasts Pirates tore into each other like dogs fighting dogs, both sides would inevitably suffer heavy losses, laying the groundwork for the young lord's return.
Sure enough, the prophecy was real!
Denjiro's expression remained calm, but inwardly he was overjoyed.
For the first time in twenty years, he felt vengeance was finally within reach.
After all, Kurozumi Orochi alone, stripped of the Beasts Pirates' strength, was nothing more than a long reptile with a few extra lives.
As long as he could gather the Kozuki retainers still hidden throughout Wano, they could reclaim the country.
The cold moonlight draped softly over the gathered samurai like a thin veil.
Yet even the chill of the autumn night could not cool the blazing heat in Denjiro's heart.
But that was fine.
When it came to putting out flames, you needed the right specialist!
Tap! Tap!...
At that moment, a series of firm wooden-sandal footsteps rang out.
All the samurai present immediately fell silent.
No matter how arrogant they were, they were still retainers of the Kurozumi clan, and their samurai nature made them deeply respectful toward their master.
Yet the instant Kurozumi Orochi opened his mouth, Denjiro suddenly realized he might have been fantasizing far too much!
Flap, flap, flap...
The moment Orochi appeared, several enormous portraits suddenly dropped from above the castle like banners, unfurling before everyone's eyes.
And the figures painted on them were none other than Momonosuke and the others who had just come from twenty years in the past.
"W-What!?"
Looking at the faces that had existed only in his memories, Denjiro's expression instantly froze, his eyes trembling as he stared at the portraits in disbelief.
Then he heard Kurozumi Orochi shout from above:
"Samurai!!!"
"Just moments ago, I received word that the last bloodline of the Kozuki Family, Kozuki Momonosuke, has once again appeared on the soil of Wano!"
"At this very moment, he is leading the Kozuki clan's former retainers, foolishly trying to seize control of Wano again!"
"How laughable! A defeated remnant actually dares dream of reversing fate!"
"Today, use the blades in your hands to make those pirates dreaming in broad daylight understand reality!!!"
"Whoever slays a former Kozuki retainer shall be rewarded with one thousand gold!!!"
"Whoever slays Kozuki Momonosuke shall be rewarded with ten thousand gold!!!"
"Everyone, follow me out!!!"
Boom!!!
Orochi's body suddenly swelled, and the head atop his neck split into eight heads nearly equal in size to his body.
In the blink of an eye, a vicious, hideous Yamata no Orochi stood before all the mansion guards.
Immediately afterward, the elevated pavilion he stood on suddenly shook, then detached itself from the castle.
"Heave! Ho! Heave-ho! HEY!!!..."
A chorus of laboring shouts rose from beneath the pavilion.
Then a group of burly men bearing the crest of the Kurozumi clan abruptly appeared.
And like men carrying a palanquin, they actually hoisted up the pavilion above them, bearing Kurozumi Orochi and moving toward Momonosuke's location.
While Kin'emon and Raizo had been busy building a ship, Kanjuro, who was supposed to be watching over Momonosuke, had long since secretly used the tips of his hair to draw large numbers of flying insects, leaving marks all along the road and guiding Orochi's army here.
"W-What is going on!?"
Seeing how Orochi seemed to have full command of Momonosuke's movements and a perfectly clear objective, Denjiro's heart instantly tightened.
But what unsettled him even more was...
The mansion guards around him had already raised their swords and weapons, shouting as they followed behind Kurozumi Orochi.
Because Wano had closed itself off from the outside world, it did not use the World Government's Beli as currency like the rest of the seas.
Instead, it used the old system of platinum, gold, and silver.
Normally, five silver was enough to cover a regular family's expenses for a week.
And now, in order to completely eradicate the Kozuki clan's lingering threat, Orochi had actually offered rewards of one thousand gold and ten thousand gold.
It would be stranger if these mansion guards didn't go mad!!!
Nearly a thousand mansion guards advanced in a mighty stream toward Wano's border.
Denjiro, moving among them, found himself trapped in a dilemma.
On one hand, he wanted to go to the scene and see exactly what was happening...
On the other hand, he desperately wanted to find some way to break the situation.
"What do I do!?"
"Could it be... that I have to kill Kurozumi Orochi right here!?"
Denjiro silently placed a hand on his sword hilt, killing intent swirling in his eyes, yet he did not draw.
Killing Orochi here was absolutely not a good idea.
After all, Orochi's Devil Fruit ability granted him formidable vitality.
If Denjiro couldn't kill him in one strike, escaping from a thousand mansion guards wouldn't be too much of a problem—but it would alert the enemy, and his twenty years of undercover work would go completely to waste.
"Damn it..." Denjiro clenched his fist tightly, but in the end, he chose to follow first and see the situation for himself.
At the very least, judging from the portraits Orochi had displayed, it wasn't just Young Lord Momonosuke who had traveled here from twenty years ago.
The stirred-up army moved through the streets of the Flower Capital like a swarm of locusts crossing the land.
And the commotion on this side was quickly discovered by the Beasts Pirates, then relayed toward Onigashima by means of a Den Den Mushi that did not actually exist in Wano.
...
...
"I see."
Onigashima, inside an old-fashioned room.
Who's-Who set down the Den Den Mushi in his hand and turned to look at the other five Tobiroppo who had been waiting for news.
Because Drake had been intercepted by the Straw Hat Pirates before he could enter the New World, the current Tobiroppo not only included the five seen in the original story, but also one additional user of the Dog-Dog Fruit, Ancient Zoan, Model: Antarctic Wolf.
However, the fact that Drake could replace him was enough to show that his strength was among the lowest in the Tobiroppo, making him an unimportant figure.
Nearby, Black Maria, dressed in a black kimono like some underworld queen of Wano, set down her pipe and sighed in disappointment.
"What a pity~"
"I thought we might be able to use this chance to completely seize control of Wano."
"Who would've thought Kurozumi Orochi would still be such a coward~"
"Can you stop joking around at a time like this!?" Sasaki, a burly man with curly green hair, frowned.
"Even if Orochi hasn't chosen to betray the Beasts this time, if Captain Kaido never comes back, that'll happen sooner or later."
"We should hurry up and discuss how to handle this situation."
"I've also made some effort to understand certain prophecies related to Wano."
"Captain Kaido!? Hah!"
Sasaki looked rough and boorish, but in truth, he was one of the rare honest, steady-headed types.
Yet the moment his words fell, Who's-Who suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"You really think Captain Kaido still has any chance of coming back!?"
"The idiots in Wano may not understand, but don't tell me you don't!?"
"Kaido has already been completely defeated by the Straw Hat crew! There is... no chance of him returning!!!"
"..."
"..."
Who's-Who's merciless words silenced both Black Maria and Sasaki.
How could they not know?
It was just that they had long grown accustomed to Kaido's overwhelming might, and did not dare think about matters that crossed that line.
As for the less experienced Ulti, Page One, and the Antarctic Wolf user, they simply shrank into the corner in silence, not daring to say a word.
Who's-Who clearly had a very different temperament from the others.
Perhaps it had something to do with his personal experiences.
Seeing everyone fall silent, saying nothing, the corner of his mouth suddenly curled into a sly, ferocious grin.
"Now then..."
Who's-Who suddenly spoke again, shattering the silence.
Crack!!!
At that very moment, a blinding bolt of lightning suddenly flashed across the sky above Onigashima. The massive burst of light threw the entire world into stark shadows.
Then they heard Who's-Who say softly:
"You lot... interested in joining me to overthrow Kaido and become the new masters of the Beasts Pirates!?"
"W-What did you say!?"
Under the unending flashes of lightning, Sasaki abruptly gripped his sword hilt with one hand, staring at Who's-Who as though he were looking at some terrifying beast.
The others in the room also cast wary glances at him.
The atmosphere in the Beasts Pirates wasn't exactly friendly, but that didn't mean they were disloyal to Kaido.
However, Who's-Who—once a member of CP9, only to be betrayed by the World Government—clearly had ideas unlike those of ordinary pirates.
"Hey, hey, hey, why are you all making those faces?"
Who's-Who smiled lightly, as if nothing had happened, and continued:
"Don't make it sound like I'm trying to stage a rebellion."
"It's just that although Captain Kaido and the others haven't returned, the Beasts Pirates still have no choice but to keep operating."
"And if we're going to keep operating, then the Beasts Pirates need someone with real authority in charge."
"With the captain and the All-Stars absent today, aren't we Tobiroppo the biggest voices left in the Beasts Pirates?!"
"If that's the case, then why should we let the Beasts Pirates sit around idling on Onigashima, instead of inheriting Captain Kaido's ambitions and continuing the Beasts Pirates' adventure!?"
"Watch your damn wording, bastard!!!"
Although Sasaki had relaxed slightly after Who's-Who's explanation, the moment he heard the phrase "Captain Kaido's ambitions," he still couldn't help but snap back irritably.
Black Maria, on the other hand, had a gleam in her eyes, as though she had been persuaded.
She lightly tapped the stem of her pipe, then raised her alluring gaze and asked Who's-Who directly:
"But... if it's just the few of us, moving the Beasts Pirates' 30,000 pirates around would still be rather difficult, wouldn't it?"
"No!"
Knowing that the others had already been swayed, Who's-Who grinned broadly and answered Black Maria's question:
"It's not just the few of us!"
"Have you forgotten?"
"Young Master Yamato... is still imprisoned on Onigashima!"
"Although Captain Kaido was never fond of Young Master Yamato, that is still Captain Kaido's own flesh and blood—and someone who inherited Captain Kaido's potential."
"If Young Master Yamato were to step forward and acknowledge our authority, then even if there were some dissenting voices within the crew, they would soon be drowned out by the legitimacy of that bloodline..."
"Well then—what do you all think!?"
(End of Chapter)