"Lady Toki, I really wonder what she was thinking. Or was it simply because of her ability that she ended up in this era?"
Seeing Kyoshiro and Komurasaki tense up at the information he revealed, yet trying their best to appear indifferent, Daniel Davis suddenly thought of Lady Toki, who possessed the ability to travel through time. It was said that she had traveled from 800 years ago to this era with a specific purpose. However, from what Daniel Davis could see, she hadn't done much after arriving in the future. Instead, she had lived quietly in Wano.
The Poneglyphs hadn't appeared in Wano because of Lady Toki; they had already existed long before her arrival. Given that Lady Toki's original name was Toki of the Amatsuki clan, Daniel Davis suspected that she might have accidentally used her ability to travel to the future without fully understanding it.
After all, Devil Fruit abilities were meant to be tested, and trying out one's ability wasn't unusual. However, Toki's ability to travel through time was unique, and once used, there was no way back. Toki of the Amatsuki clan—her name suggested she might have been a member of the now-extinct Amatsuki clan. Considering Wano's long history, this was entirely possible.
In the world of pirates, due to its unique geography and the presence of powerful individuals, there were many nations that had existed for hundreds of years. For example, the twenty kingdoms that had become the Celestial Dragons. When the royal families of those twenty kingdoms became Celestial Dragons, it didn't mean their original nations disappeared. For instance, the Kingdom of Dressrosa had inherited its royal status from the Donquixote family. Strictly speaking, the Donquixote and Riku families were related by blood.
Without such a blood connection, the Donquixote family wouldn't have passed the throne to the Riku family. The nations that had united to overthrow the Great Kingdom couldn't have been fools. However, over time, and with deliberate manipulation by certain individuals, the current situation had arisen.
The kings of those twenty nations wouldn't have been as arrogant as the current Celestial Dragons. However, over time, and with their isolation on the Red Line, 10,000 meters above sea level, their arrogance grew, leading to the problems we see today.
Even in modern society, where equality is emphasized, there are still instances of city dwellers looking down on rural people, calling them "country bumpkins." In the world of pirates, such attitudes were even more pronounced.
"Do you want to guess why the Red Scabbards were discovered so quickly?" Seeing Kyoshiro and Komurasaki remain silent, Daniel Davis smiled mysteriously and continued, "It's because there was a traitor among the Red Scabbards, planted by Kurozumi Orochi."
In fact, Kanjuro had played a significant role in Kozuki Oden's defeat. Oden, with his trusting nature, never suspected that one of his Red Scabbards would betray him. As a result, not only were all his plans leaked, but a large portion of the Kozuki family's wealth was also embezzled by Kanjuro and given to Kurozumi Orochi.
In other words, Kurozumi Orochi had used the Kozuki family's wealth to defeat them.
"That's impossible!" Kyoshiro shouted angrily, losing his usual composure when it came to the reputation of the Red Scabbards.
"Why is it impossible, Mr. Kyoshiro—or should I say, Denjiro?" The sudden revelation of his true identity made Kyoshiro immediately prepare to attack. This time, the Oniwabanshu didn't appear. Just as Daniel Davis was about to act, Komurasaki stepped in front of Kyoshiro, stopping him.
"So, you know my identity as well," Komurasaki said, her demeanor completely different from before. Gone was the fragile, pitiable aura; instead, she exuded a noble presence befitting the daughter of Kozuki Oden and a princess of Wano.
"Princess Hiyori of Wano, how could I not know?" Daniel Davis calmly revealed Komurasaki's true identity. To be honest, Hiyori was far more capable than her brother, Momonosuke. If not for Momonosuke, elevating her to the position of daimyo would have been an excellent choice, killing two birds with one stone.
But Momonosuke was her brother, and Daniel Davis wanted nothing to do with him.
"Since you know my identity, how do you plan to deal with me?"
"Deal with you? Why would I deal with you? I've already said that Wano is now mine. The Kozuki family's rule over Wano ended twenty years ago. I took control of Wano from Kurozumi Orochi. After twenty years, how many people do you think still remember the Kozuki family?"
Seeing Hiyori's resigned expression, Daniel Davis shook his head with a faint smile. After driving out the Beasts Pirates, Daniel had promptly opened up the Taoyuan Farm, implementing work-for-relief measures to assist the impoverished villagers scattered across Wano.
If Kurozumi Orochi hadn't so brutally oppressed Wano's citizens, after twenty years, only a handful of stubborn loyalists would still support the Kozuki family.
It was similar to the Qin Dynasty in ancient China. If Qin Shi Huang had ruled for twenty years, even after his death, the Qin Empire wouldn't have collapsed in the second generation.
"As long as you abide by Wano's laws, you can even reclaim your identity as Kozuki Hiyori. I called you here today simply to tell you that Wano is now mine. Whatever plans you had against Kurozumi Orochi, you can stop now. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless. I'm not that fool Orochi, who knew your whereabouts but did nothing."
If Hiyori had been a man with the same temperament as Momonosuke, Daniel Davis wouldn't have been so polite—he would have simply killed her. But Hiyori was different.
"Are you planning to kill Orochi?" Hiyori asked after a moment of silence.
"That's none of your concern. If you don't want to stay in the Flower Capital, you can go to the impoverished villages in Kuri. According to my information, Kikunojo is there. You can take my message to them."
"Before you kill Orochi, could you let me do it? Since you know Wano's history, you must understand why I want this. I'm willing to pay any price."
"Any price?" Daniel Davis looked Hiyori up and down, his tone uncertain.
"Yes, any price."
For Hiyori, avenging her family and reclaiming Wano had been her lifelong goals. But with Wano possibly lost forever, her only remaining desire was revenge against Orochi.
In recent days, Esdeath's reputation had spread throughout Wano. Her stalemate with Whitebeard had reduced Wano's resistance by at least half, thanks to Kaido's influence.
It had to be said that Whitebeard's reputation in this world was immense. Even the isolated Wano knew of his strength.
"I still have use for Orochi. At most, I can give you his corpse." After some consideration, Daniel Davis made his decision. Orochi's corpse was of no use to him, so giving it to Hiyori was no loss.
"Thank you, my lord." While not being able to kill Orochi herself was disappointing, being able to use his corpse to honor her father was the best outcome.
"Alright, you may leave." Daniel Davis waved his hand, signaling that Hiyori and Kyoshiro could go.
As they reached the door, Hiyori couldn't help but turn back and ask, "About the traitor among the Red Scabbards..."
Hiyori naturally didn't want to suspect the Red Scabbards. She owed her life to their protection, and Kozuki Oden had trusted them implicitly. However, the fact that Kin'emon and the others had been discovered so quickly was hard to ignore.
This wasn't just because of Daniel Davis' words. Even when Kyoshiro had been Orochi's trusted subordinate, he had heard some things that made him question the Red Scabbards, though he had never dared to suspect his comrades.
"It's true," Daniel Davis said with a mysterious smile. "The Red Scabbards—such a grand title. But do you know their backgrounds? From what I've heard, they were nothing but bandits, thieves, and swindlers. Do you think such people would be hard to bribe?"
Before Hiyori could respond, Daniel Davis continued, "Take Kin'emon, for example. He once captured a mountain god's cub for money, causing a disaster that killed many. Do you think someone like that would be hard to bribe? Ashura Doji was a notorious bandit leader defeated by Kozuki Oden. Do you think he harbored no resentment? As for the others, I'm sure Denjiro would be even easier to bribe."
"Nonsense! Kin'emon isn't like that!" Denjiro immediately denied the accusation. He held Kin'emon in high regard.
"I'm just repeating what I heard from Orochi. As for which of the Red Scabbards is the traitor, I don't know. In fact, even Orochi isn't sure. Their communications were conducted using code names, with money exchanged for information."
While Daniel Davis wasn't concerned even if all the Red Scabbards united against him, sowing discord among them was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
If it had been Kozuki Oden, he might not have doubted his retainers. But Hiyori and the current Red Scabbards were a different story.
Even Whitebeard's own son had betrayed him after a few words from Akainu. In this world, anything was possible. Even if the attempt to sow discord failed, Daniel Davis had nothing to lose. After all, this information came from Orochi. And with Kin'emon already dead, if his body couldn't be found, would they suspect he had fled to avoid exposure?
With that, Daniel Davis left the hall, ignoring Hiyori and Denjiro.
"Have you found any information about the World Government?"
"Not yet. I might need to finish reading these books to determine if there's any relevant information. Perhaps we'll need to see Kaido's Poneglyphs to learn more."
In the palace library, Robin had been conducting research since they took control of Wano. By now, she had some theories about the history the World Government had hidden. Just as Daniel Davis had distorted some facts to consolidate his rule over Wano, the World Government had done the same, only on a much larger scale.
"That's simple. Once Kaido returns, we'll fight him and take his Poneglyphs." Having Esdeath fight Kaido would not only satisfy her desire to battle strong opponents but also demonstrate their strength to the people of Wano, deterring any potential resistance.
"Morgan, I have a big story for you. Interested?" The opening of Wano was a significant event, and to maximize its impact, Daniel Davis called Morgans, inviting him to send reporters to cover it.
Morgans, always eager for a scoop, was immediately interested. The potential for a clash between Daniel Davis' group and Kaido's forces was too good to pass up. Daniel Davis didn't even need to pay for the coverage—the bird-like news mogul agreed immediately.
With his near-monopoly on the world's newspapers, Morgans was one of the wealthiest individuals in the world, possibly rivaling even Tesoro.
After all, unless it was a major story, whether a news piece was published depended entirely on Morgans. Even for advertising, people were willing to pay a hefty price.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
In the waters surrounding the Moby Dick, Whitebeard's flagship, the air was filled with the sounds of thunder, lightning, and explosions. The sea itself was churning, with waves reaching dozens of meters high.
"Whitebeard, you're old. The new era is here, and it's time for you to step aside. Hand over the Road Poneglyph!" In the sky above the Moby Dick, a blue dragon hovered, its massive eyes fixed on Whitebeard, who stood on the deck with Marco and Ace beside him. Both Marco and Ace bore signs of injury.
"I've already told you, I don't have it. You know I have no interest in the Road Poneglyph," Whitebeard said, gripping his naginata tightly as he stared at Kaido.
"Then hand over your territory. You know you're no longer fit to hold so much land." Whitebeard's battle with Esdeath had severely weakened him, to the point where Kaido dared to confront him alone.
With his ability to fly using his dragon form, Kaido was a difficult opponent for the aging Whitebeard. Only Ace and Marco could pose any real threat to him, and even then, it was only a minor one.
"Don't get any ideas. As long as they fly my flag, I will protect them to the end. Or are you looking to fight me to the death?"
"I wonder how long you can keep protecting them." Seeing Whitebeard's determination, Kaido hesitated. After all, Whitebeard was still the world's strongest man. Even in his weakened state, a desperate fight would be costly.
"Kaido, you should worry about your own backyard. Esdeath and the others are heading to Wano as we speak."
(End of Chapter)
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