Wano Country — Flower Capital — Shogun's Mansion.
Kozuki Oden dashed through the streets, jet boots blazing, his face alight with excitement. Wearing his newly acquired wind-propelled boots from the Hell Pirates, he burst into the grand living room of the Shogun's Mansion, where his father, Kozuki Sukiyaki, sat sipping tea and reviewing government documents.
"Old man! I need those Fruits you've been hoarding!"
CRASH!
A single kick from Kozuki Sukiyaki sent Oden sailing straight out the sliding doors.
"How could I have fathered a fool like you?!" the furious shogun roared.
He was livid. Over the years, he had cleaned up countless messes left behind by this reckless son. He had even gone so far as to buy the legendary sword Enma from Shimotsuki Kozaburo, supplementing it with Ame-no-Habakiri—his own masterpiece—for Oden's use.
And now this ungrateful brat had the gall to barge in, begging for patterned Devil Fruits, not for himself, but to hand over to that outsider, Brook!
It was intolerable.
"I ought to disown you and start over with a new child—one that can actually be trained!"
Oden dusted himself off and frowned. "Tch. Why are you being so stingy with some fruits? Master Brook's willing to pay good money for them—and he even gave me two pairs of these flying shoes. Here, take a pair and chill out!"
He tossed another set of jet boots toward his father with a grin.
"GET OUT!"
Sukiyaki's voice cracked with fury. His chest heaved, his face purple with rage. "Oniwabanshu! Throw this idiot out of my mansion!"
The elite guards appeared immediately, grabbing Oden—now casually adjusting his scarf—and bodily tossing him out of the palace grounds.
Sukiyaki gritted his teeth. Either the boy wanted to run away to sea, or he came back to ask for favors. Never anything in between.
The shogun paced his room in frustration. This idiot has no idea how precarious things are. Wano teeters on the edge. Brook's influence grows stronger by the day. And here I am, still trying to protect the ancient secret—Pluton.
He sighed heavily.
He'd once considered telling Oden the truth—the secret that the Kozuki clan had guarded for 800 years. But then he imagined his reckless son blurting it out to Brook over sake, and nearly vomited in horror.
What a nightmare.
"If this continues, the secret will die with me…" he muttered, already calculating whether he could still father a better heir.
"I'm only in my thirties," he reasoned to himself. "I could still sire a proper Kozuki Miyama… or Mirin… or Mitang… or Mimaki… anything but another Oden!"
Still fuming, Sukiyaki stormed off toward his hidden collection room. If Oden was sniffing around for treasures, then it was time to secure everything more tightly.
Deep within the Shogun's Palace, beyond layers of traps and misdirection, was Sukiyaki's private vault—a secret chamber where he forged legendary swords, studied ancient texts, and stored his most prized possessions.
The air here was heavy with history—and eccentricity.
One side of the room displayed rows of pristine dolls modeled after beautiful women from various lands. A shameful indulgence, perhaps, but a man needed hobbies. If word got out about these… my image as a dignified shogun would be ruined!
He quickly tossed a silk cloth over them and locked them in a carved chest.
On a separate wooden shelf rested two fearsome blades: the cursed swords known as Kitetsu. One was the Second Generation Kitetsu, crafted by his legendary ancestor, Tenguyama Guche. The other, forged by Sukiyaki himself under the alias Tenguyama Hitetsu, was the Sandai Kitetsu.
Both were dangerous and unpredictable. The cursed metal in their blades whispered to their wielders and brought tragedy to the unworthy.
Originally, Sukiyaki had considered offering the Sandai Kitetsu in exchange for Enma from Shimotsuki Kozaburo. But with tensions growing between the Kozuki and Shimotsuki families, he opted to pay cash instead—leaving both Kitetsu blades in his own vault, untouched and unclaimed.
Let them gather dust. They were too dangerous for Oden, and too sacred to give away.
Beside the blades were two Devil Fruits locked in a seastone box—the kind of magic that had fascinated and terrified Wano for centuries.
Sukiyaki examined them carefully. Their swirling patterns seemed to pulse with unknown power.
If only I knew what abilities they held… If they could unleash lightning like Redfield or grant flight like the Golden Lion, they'd be worth the risk. But if they turned the eater into some animalistic monster, they'd be branded as sorcerers—and exiled or executed.
In Wano, samurai were the honored class. Sorcerers—especially those who transformed into beasts—were seen as cursed beings. Even fishmen and mink were sometimes mistaken for monsters and slaughtered by ignorant villagers.
So much fear. So little understanding.
Sukiyaki let out a weary sigh. "If only our people knew the truth about the world beyond these shores."
He glanced once more at the corner of the vault, where a hidden door lay sealed. Behind it was the greatest secret of all—the ancient ruins of Wano and the resting place of the legendary weapon: Pluton.
Only Sukiyaki knew the entrance. Not even Oden had earned the right to learn this secret.
Not yet.
With a sigh, he closed the seastone box, locking the Devil Fruits away. He carefully tucked the cloth around his doll collection, boxed it, and locked that too.
Then, taking one last look around, he sealed the vault completely.
If Oden finds the fruits, so be it. But if he ever discovers these dolls… my political career is over.
Outside the secret chamber was a decoy treasury filled with gold, trinkets, and ceremonial weapons. Sukiyaki emerged through it, adjusting his robe.
"These next few days, triple the guards around the treasury. I want constant watch, no blind spots!" he barked.
"Yes, Lord Sukiyaki!" the head of the Oniwabanshu bowed deeply and relayed the order.
Sukiyaki strode back toward the main hall, intent on disciplining his son… only to find the boy had already vanished.
"Oden left?!" he snapped.
"Yes, milord," one of the Oniwabanshu replied. "He left the mansion swearing under his breath. Said something about going to Yukuokabukicho to… 'relax.'"
Sukiyaki's eyebrow twitched. "That bastard…!"
Beyond saving… utterly beyond saving.
He took a deep breath and shouted so loudly the rafters trembled.
"Until Brook leaves Wano, that ungrateful brat is banned from the Shogun's Mansion—and from leaving the Flower Capital!!"
A dozen Oniwabanshu bowed in unison, then vanished into the shadows to carry out the order.
-----------------
In the Flower Capital, deep within the lively red-light district of Yukuoka Kabukicho, Kozuki Oden was sulking with a jug of sake in hand. His grumpy face said it all.
That nagging old man actually turned him down again!
Seriously? They're just a few patterned fruits—what's he even doing with them? Hiding them like gold? Stingy old fossil!
No. He couldn't let this go.
He needed those fruits to complete the mission Brook had entrusted him with. If he pulled it off, he'd finally have the freedom to set sail—his long-cherished dream! And then, every day could be spent sparring with that two-horned lunatic.
Kaido… Just thinking of that name got Oden fired up.
He had to admit, the guy was a monster. Just ten years old, and already one of the strongest new stars under Master Brook's command. Not only could Kaido match Oden blow-for-blow, but he had earned Oden's respect as a true rival. That was no small feat.
Most kids in the Flower Capital couldn't last a minute against him. Even elite Oniwabanshu had fallen under his blade in training duels.
"Tonight… I'm robbing the old man's treasury!" Oden declared, slamming the sake cup down. "Those patterned fruits must be hidden inside!"
He stood up and bolted from the tavern—without paying, of course. But Boss Youguo didn't even blink. He knew someone would clean up the mess.
Sure enough, not long after, the butler from the Shogun's Mansion arrived with a resigned sigh, paid the bill, and muttered, "Young Master Oden… again..."
Meanwhile, in Kuri Province at Haikdou Castle, Brook had just finished dealing with a threat of his own.
Kurozumi Kanjuro—the young deceiver who hadn't yet risen to infamy—was now dead.
The Brush-Brush Fruit had been successfully recovered.
Brook examined the devil fruit with a pleased grin. "It's a nice idea to raise a magic brush master." he mused. "But the fruit needs someone with top-tier painting skill to reach its full potential."
The more lifelike the drawing, the more powerful the result.
Simple things like cranes that could carry people were impressive, sure—but with true talent, the user could create perfect doppelgängers, summon soldiers with a brushstroke, even generate sentient illusions.
There were two promising candidates so far: Tianmulan from the Three-Eyed Tribe and Charles from Ohara. Both were devoted to Brook, obedient, cultured, and had painting skills that bordered on mastery.
Obedience and talent. A rare combo. Brook chuckled. "With the Fruit, they'll be able to draw any number of dazzling characters for me... Yohohoho!"
He could already envision the chaos and charm.
As for the other fruit—the Dango Fruit—its development route was clear: raise an army of beasts. Imagine taming the monsters on O-Kan Island or Ruskaina Island. Even Luffy in Gear 4 would have to tread carefully.
With Vegapunk's help? These beasts could evolve into something far more terrifying.
A true Beast King could be born.
"Kanna, want to be the Beast Queen?" Brook teased, turning to his daughter with a grin. "Or should I find you a White Dragon Fruit instead?"
Kanna blinked her wide eyes up at him, clearly not understanding a word—but that only made Brook chuckle harder.
The contrast of a cute little girl commanding an army of monsters was too delicious.
Still, he discarded the idea. The physical boost from the Dango Fruit was too limited. If he were to invest in Kanna's strength, it would have to be a Mythical Zoan.
Meanwhile, the outside seas were in chaos.
The Navy's three Admirals had launched a daring raid on the Rocks Pirates. Disguised as logistical crew, they infiltrated Rocks' fleet and struck with terrifying coordination.
Caught off-guard, Rocks had been forced into a brutal confrontation.
But an overlord is an overlord.
Despite the ambush, Rocks had foreseen the danger using his advanced Observation Haki. His ability to read the future was razor sharp. The Admirals, lacking top-tier Conqueror's Haki, found themselves outmatched in sheer willpower.
Still, Rocks wasn't invincible. The Golden Buddha, Sengoku, hadn't yet reached the pinnacle of Haki, but the three Admirals together were overwhelming. Several of Rocks' officers were slain in the clash, and the Navy purged all nearby buffer islands in the chaotic sea.
If they hadn't feared provoking Brook and the Hell Pirates deeper in the New World, they might've stormed Rocks' base on Hachinosu—Hive Island—itself.
The Rocks Pirates now looked like a shadow of their former selves. Weak, fragmented, reeling.
Brook's presence had shifted the balance.
In the original timeline, Rocks had unified the New World and led a full-on raid against the Valley of the Gods. Only Garp—and a surprise appearance by Gol D. Roger—had turned the tide. Rocks died in that battle, and the crew shattered.
But now? The Navy was stronger, and Brook's Hell Pirates had stolen away his most promising recruits: Newgate, Shiki, and Linlin.
Rocks watched his weakened forces with bitter frustration.
If I attack the Valley of the Gods now, the losses would be catastrophic—even with Brook's help. No… I need patience.
He adjusted his plan. He'd wait. Wait for one of the three Admirals to return to Marineford to report or rest. That would be the moment to strike. The Admirals must not remain united.
Once they captured the Valley and its hoard of top-tier Devil Fruits, he and Brook would use that power to cleanse the New World of the Navy entirely.
Then… they'd turn on each other.
Only one could rule.
Only one could become king of the world.
But when Rocks looked at his current subordinates—sloppy, undisciplined, and outclassed—he couldn't help but grit his teeth.
Why does that bastard Brook have all the powerful elites?!
It made no sense.
He, Rocks D. Xebec, had the charisma, the ambition, the power. Yet Brook—the smiling bastard in a top hat—had a crew that looked like something out of a legend.
If those four core officers of the Hell Pirates had been his men, Rocks would've crushed the Navy already and claimed the Valley of the Gods without hesitation.
Now, all he could do was wait. Lie low. Watch.
To the Navy, it would seem like the Rocks Pirates were scared. That the chaos had subsided. That peace was returning to the New World.
But Brook knew better.
Even he found Rocks' sudden silence… uncharacteristic.
Too quiet.
Like a beast lying in the tall grass, waiting for just the right moment to pounce.
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