Arceus’ Pirate Journey

“Before Joy Boy appears, the borders of this country need to be opened.”

On Kuri’s beach, Kozuki Oden looked at the fishing boats in the distant inland sea and repeated these words. As a member of Roger’s crew, he had witnessed the sights of Laugh Tale.

Since then, Joy Boy and opening the borders of the country had been constantly on his mind.

Inside Oden Castle, the local residents were quite pleased to see the return of Kozuki Oden. Not because of anything else, but because of the efforts of Kozuki Toki during this period, which temporarily made the local residents forget about his irresponsible actions.

The residents of Wano Country lacked knowledge about the outside world, so the story of Oden’s journey was embellished to some extent. Combined with Kozuki Toki’s persuasive speaking skills, the impression of Oden among the local people underwent some changes.

However, upon returning to his residence, Kozuki Oden noticed that something was amiss.

Both Toki and Momonosuke, as well as his retainers Inuarashi and Kawamatsu, were wearing shabby clothes with visible patches. Even the ordinary civilians outside had better clothing than them.

Furthermore, he discovered that several people were missing. This was not what he expected, as he thought his retainers would be here upon his return.

He left Izou behind on Whitebeard’s ship, but Denjiro, Ashura Doji, and Kin’emon were also not present here.

“Denjiro, Ashura Doji, and Kin’emon, where are they?”

“Ashura Doji went back to the mountains to become the leader of the thugs and bandits. Without you here, it became difficult to control them, so he returned to the mountains.”

“Denjiro is currently borrowing and repaying money across the country, as for Kin’emon…..”

Kawamatsu looked somewhat troubled and then pushed Kin’emon forward. The impact he had suffered back then was quite significant, and he hadn’t completely recovered yet despite his constitution.

“What’s going on?!”

“Regarding this matter, we need to start from the beginning, Oden-sama. Three years ago, Sukiyaki-sama passed away due to illness, and afterwards, that guy Kurozumi Orochi temporarily took over the position of Shogun.”

“What?! Father is no longer with us? Although his health wasn’t the best, and how could Orochi…”

“We are not entirely sure. Afterward, Kurozumi Orochi invited a pirate named Kaido into Wano Country, using him as a military backing to commit many outrageous acts. Many people on the streets were captured and forced into mining camps, including some of Kin’emon’s friends. Kin’emon wanted to rescue them, but…”

They explained Kin’emon’s experiences, including the incident of Paradise Farm being snatched away, although they added some of their subjective interpretations.

For example, in their view, those street thugs were simply ordinary Wano Country citizens, just like Kin’emon’s former subordinates.

“Didn’t anyone resist?”

“No one is a match for the Beasts Pirates, and their behavior is quite peculiar. On one hand, they seem to support Kurozumi Orochi in causing harm everywhere, but on the other hand, they also have conflicts with him. Sometimes, the actions of the Beasts Pirates and Kurozumi Orochi are completely different.”

Compared to Raizo’s account, Inuarashi’s later description was closer to reality, and his assessment of the events in Wano Country was more objective.

However, when they told him about the news of Momonosuke’s assassination attempt and Kozuki Toki’s injury during the New Year Festival, Kozuki Oden couldn’t contain himself any longer.

“Who did it?!”

“At first, there were rumors that the person responsible was from the Beasts Pirates, but later many people said that the individual was actually seen catching goldfish during the festival. So, the assassin should have been sent by Kurozumi Orochi.”

“Kurozumi Orochi.”

Then, he picked up Enma and Ame no Habakiri and charged towards the Flower Capital.

Oden’s furious charge caught the attention of the Wano Country residents. Seeing him wielding his swords and heading toward the Flower Capital, many felt a sense of relief.

“Oden-sama is back? That’s great! Is that Orochi guy finally going to be driven out?”

“Yes, it’s because of Orochi that all this has happened. But what about the Beasts Pirates?”

Initially, they were delighted, but the influence of the Beasts Pirates on Wano Country over the past three years had been substantial. If everything were to disappear, they would find it hard to accept.

“Of course, they will be driven out together with Oden. Those outsiders should never have set foot on this land.”

“The problem is, our current wages come from the Beasts Pirates, as well as the cheap cattle. If they are gone, won’t we lose everything?”

It could be seen that the residents of Wano Country were divided into several categories. One category consisted of those who have been persecuted by Orochi and subsequently taken in by Kojiro’s trading guild. These individuals eventually ended up working for the Beasts Pirates, forming the closest and most intertwined relationship with them. Over time, they have become accustomed to the presence of the Beasts Pirates.

Another category consisted of Orochi’s subordinates, who benefited from his position as the substitute shogun. They were tied to Orochi’s interests.

The group watching Oden’s departure belonged to another category. They had been influenced by Orochi, enjoyed the benefits brought by the Beasts Pirates, and yet still held thoughts of loyalty to Kozuki Oden.

“If Oden-sama can drive out Kurozumi Orochi and continue to cooperate with the Beasts Pirates, that would be great.”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s all Orochi’s fault that led to this situation.”

Seeing the changes brought by the Beasts Pirates, many people began to accept their presence. However, they still disliked the misdeeds of Orochi, which led to these mixed emotions.

“Hey! You haven’t forgotten that Orochi was supported by the Beasts Pirates when he did those things? Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to do them at all.”

“But the actions of the Beasts Pirates are significantly different from Kurozumi Orochi’s.”

They started arguing, which was also a result of the Beasts Pirates’ influence over the years, making the local residents accept their existence while leaving the dirty work to Kurozumi Orochi.

However, their arguments couldn’t change the outcome. Oden quickly arrived at the Flower Capital, cutting down anyone who tried to stop him and heading straight for Orochi’s Castle.

Orochi was responsible for the security of the Flower Capital as per the agreement with the Beasts Pirates. The actions of the Beasts Pirates made him hesitate to entrust his safety to them.

So, when Orochi’s men were cut down, the members of the Beasts Pirates present were merely reporting their own information.

“Captain Kaido, Lord Sacred Beast, Kozuki Oden has returned and is currently attacking Kurozumi Orochi’s residence. At present, two hundred guards outside the Flower Capital seem to have been wiped out, and it will only take him a minute at most to break in.”

In the sky above the Flower Capital, Olga and Elizabeth sat on the back of Millennial Dragon, reporting the news.

“He is so strong.”

Watching Kozuki Oden’s swordsmanship and the sword aura he emitted, Olga, with her years of experience, knew that he was a truly formidable warrior.