Kozuki Oden was a man of extraordinary talent. From the moment he was born, he stood apart from ordinary people, accomplishing feats others could never achieve.
His personality was just as unrestrained.
Before leaving Wano to sail with Whitebeard, he could be described as completely self-centered—he didn't care about sacrifice, nor did he consider the consequences his actions might have on those around him.
Ironically, after spending a few years out at sea as a pirate and then returning to Wano, he underwent a drastic change, suddenly becoming deeply concerned about his country and its people.
It could only be said that the "education" of the pirate world was truly outrageous—legendary teachers everywhere.
At this stage, however, Oden was still wild and unrestrained. Leading his retainers—"Foxfire" Kin'emon and the others—he hurried along at full speed and was the first to arrive in the Hakumai region.
Looking at the ninja kneeling before him, as well as the stretcher covered with a white cloth, Oden's gaze darkened.
"That is…?" he asked in a heavy tone.
"That is Lord Yasuie," the ninja replied, grief etched in his eyes.
The answer shocked everyone from Kuri, and sorrow quickly spread among them.
Shimotsuki Yasuie had been very close to Oden and his group. Not long ago, when Oden had impulsively declared he would become Wano's "guardian deity" and began training alongside the so-called Nine Red Scabbards, Yasuie had provided them with tremendous support. Even the development of Kuri had been funded in large part by him.
It was no exaggeration to say Yasuie was their benefactor.
"When we arrived at Habu Port, Hakumai's resistance had already been completely destroyed. One hundred and four samurai, along with Lord Yasuie, were all killed," the ninja reported again.
"What!?" Denjiro's face twisted with rage. "All the samurai of Hakumai were slaughtered too? Have you confirmed the enemy's identity? Where are they now!?"
"We investigated the frozen pirate ship at the port," the ninja said quickly. "Based on the flag, the invaders are most likely the Roger Pirates, who've been widely talked about in the outside seas."
Though Wano was closed off, that didn't mean its ruling class was ignorant of the outside world. Information was restricted mainly for commoners. The ruling elite—and especially the ninja who served as their intelligence network—were far from uninformed.
"According to recent intelligence," the ninja continued, "the World Government has labeled the Roger Pirates as extremely dangerous. They claim this crew has been attempting to locate and revive Ancient Weapons—powers that could conquer or even destroy the world. Not long before they arrived at Habu Port, a group of scholars also landed in Wano and were captured by Lord Yasuie. We suspect the two groups are closely connected. Their invasion is likely tied to searching for Poneglyphs and other ancient secrets."
Oden gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his expression ferocious, teeth clenched.
"Damn pirates… daring to covet such terrifying power… and killing Yasuie for it…"
His voice turned cold and murderous.
"I will kill every last one of them. I'll take their heads and offer them in tribute to Yasuie!"
After making that declaration, Oden looked at the ninja again.
"Where are they now?"
"They've made no effort to hide their movements," the ninja replied immediately. "Following their tracks, we've confirmed—they're currently inside Hakumai City!"
At those words, Oden waved his hand and immediately set off toward Hakumai City with the Nine Red Scabbards.
Seeing this, the ninja hurriedly tried to stop him.
"Lord Oden! The Shogun has ordered us to gather here and wait for the other daimyo and their forces before moving together to subjugate the enemy—"
"You want me to stand here, wasting time in front of Yasuie's corpse?" Oden snapped, turning sharply. "I won't wait even a moment!"
With that, he ignored the ninja entirely and led his men straight toward the city.
The ninja wanted to stop him—but he had neither the authority nor the right to block the Shogun's son and the Daimyo of Kuri.
...
Hakumai City — Charcoal Grill Restaurant.
This was one of the more famous barbecue spots in the city, set in an open-air courtyard.
At this moment, the Roger Pirates and the group of scholars sat together in the courtyard. The table before them was filled with Wano-style dishes—sashimi, onigiri, sukiyaki, and various grilled specialties.
Roger picked up a thick slice of fish sashimi and popped it into his mouth, sighing in satisfaction.
"I was planning to catch one of those koi from the sea and try it fresh," he said. "Didn't get the chance before we reached Wano—but good thing we can eat it here!"
"Surprisingly tasty," Gaban said, casually passing some to Valthior.
"Thanks," Valthior replied, not standing on ceremony as he took a bite.
The cool, fresh texture suited his taste perfectly, drawing a satisfied smile from him.
"Not bad."
After a few bites, Valthior turned to Professor Clover and began talking.
"Oh? So you've gone almost a full year without being captured this time? And you've been operating entirely in the New World… found three Poneglyphs?" Valthior asked, clearly excited.
"That's right," Professor Clover said proudly. "Our team is more professional this time, and we have more manpower than before. Surprisingly, we've also been quite lucky with intelligence. In just one year, we've already found three Poneglyphs."
Hearing him talk about "being lucky with intelligence," Valthior almost laughed.
Spandine had really been opening back doors for them.
"What about your Roger Pirates? What have you found?" Professor Clover asked.
"In the past few years, we've made discoveries across various seas. Based on my research, I estimate the total number of Poneglyphs should be—"
Before Valthior could finish, Professor Clover spoke at the same time.
"Thirty in total!"
The two of them paused, then looked at each other—and both broke into smiles.
"I'm very pleased," Professor Clover said warmly. "You truly remembered everything I taught you back then. You've even become a scholar on par with me. Speaking of which… that Spencer—your student?"
"Ah, not at all," Valthior waved it off with a grin. "He's my scapegoat. Because of my… special circumstances, Mary Geoise seems intent on hiding my identity as a scholar. Spencer is our intelligence officer. He's found a lot of the Poneglyph leads, and somehow the World Government ended up labeling him as a scholar instead."
Off to the side, Spencer rolled his eyes while chewing on grilled beef.
"Who am I supposed to complain to about that?" he muttered.
Professor Clover chuckled and shook his head.
"With you, Valthior, nothing surprises me anymore."
Dropping the topic, the two quickly immersed themselves in a scholarly discussion—exchanging insights on Poneglyphs, ancient ruins, historical records, and rare texts.
As the conversation went on, Professor Clover's expression grew increasingly serious. Shock flickered in his eyes, impossible to suppress.
Olvia, seated beside him, said nothing—but she listened intently, equally stunned.
Too fast.
The speed and efficiency at which the Roger Pirates were collecting Poneglyphs was beyond anything they had imagined.
Over the years, Professor Clover had gathered information on eleven Poneglyphs.
Meanwhile, the Roger Pirates were practically on the verge of collecting them all.
Was that even reasonable?
Of course, while the Roger Pirates excelled at gathering Poneglyphs, the scholar team far surpassed them in other areas, such as ancient documents, books, and historical artifacts.
The value of these materials was no less than that of the Poneglyphs—perhaps even greater.
After all, the Poneglyphs ultimately served to uncover the Void Century and guide one to the final island.
But these materials—
In the hands of someone truly capable, they could spark a transformation of the entire world.
And without a doubt, the "capable person" Valthior had in mind was Vegapunk.
"Valthior," Professor Clover said earnestly, "if you want to uncover the Void Century, you don't need to remain a pirate. I sincerely invite you to join our scholar group. If we work together, then surely—"
Before he could finish, Roger suddenly slammed his chopsticks down on the table and turned his head sharply.
"Hey, Professor," Roger said, his tone no longer friendly, "if you keep talking like that, I'm gonna get pissed."
"I hate it when people try to poach my crew."
...
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