Wano Country — Flower Capital.
Kozuki Oden returned with secret weapons, offshore brews, and a brain full of schemes. This time, he was playing it smart. No shouting, no sword-swinging, no kicking down doors.
He didn't provoke Kozuki Sukiyaki. Not even once.
Instead, for two whole days, Oden behaved like a model son. He stayed quiet, wore modest robes, and pretended to study in the garden, head buried in books. His suspiciously serene demeanor immediately caught the attention of the Oniwabanshu.
"Has the young master gone mad?" one whispered.
"Maybe he's possessed," another muttered.
Even Kozuki Sukiyaki began to wonder. The Oden he knew didn't sit still for five minutes, let alone two days straight. Could he have really changed?
Then, on the third day, Oden made his move.
Tears streaming down his face, he burst into the main hall clutching a worn book titled Biographies of Filial Sons, sobbing like a repentant criminal.
"I've been an unfilial fool!" he wailed. "I've caused Father so much grief. I must apologize!"
The Oniwabanshu, caught off guard, exchanged glances—and then nodded solemnly. Maybe the boy had turned over a new leaf. They quickly reported the emotional display to Shogun Sukiyaki, their voices tinged with hope.
Later that evening, Oden entered his father's chamber with a bow and a humble heart—well, an expertly forged one.
"Father," he said with uncharacteristic calm, "I've brought you my finest collection of overseas wine… as a token of my repentance. I will no longer drink. Please, allow me to offer you tea instead of sake."
Sukiyaki narrowed his eyes, his brow twitching.
"…Is this wine poisoned?" he asked, half amused.
Oden's fake hurt expression was near Oscar-worthy.
"Father, how can you say such a thing?! Here, I'll drink it first!"
He poured himself a generous portion, gulped it down in one go, then smacked his lips and nodded approvingly.
"World-class quality. Truly divine."
Sukiyaki hesitated, but seeing no ill effects on his son, he relaxed slightly.
"Ha! I suppose even you can grow up. Alright, let the others try it too."
He waved over two Oniwabanshu guards.
They sipped the wine, glanced at each other, then nodded. Nothing seemed off. No dizziness. No foul smell. No bitter aftertaste. They deemed it safe.
"Well then," Sukiyaki said with a rare chuckle. "For once, I'll drink with you."
He raised the cup and downed it in one smooth motion. "Not bad."
"Thank you, Father!" Oden exclaimed, pouring again.
He made the rounds, pouring drinks and offering apologies to every guard present. He bowed deeply, praised their hard work, and berated his past self for being immature.
The Oniwabanshu accepted the toasts graciously, none suspecting that the wine had been carefully prepared to avoid suspicion—until the final act.
"Father," Oden said as he approached with a grin. "I brought back all sorts of curiosities from Sea Rock Island. You didn't want the wind-propelled shoes last time, but I've got something even better."
He pulled out a white spiral shell.
"This is a Sound Dial. It can record music or speech—you can replay your favorite operas as often as you like!"
Intrigued, Sukiyaki leaned closer as Oden activated it. A melodic tune played, and the shogun's stern face softened in curiosity.
Oden followed up quickly, pulling out another shell. "And this is a Scent Dial—it captures smells! Here, take a whiff of the fresh mountain spring aroma!"
As the fragrant air spread through the hall, the Oniwabanshu inhaled deeply…
…and then dropped like flies.
"Oden… you—!"
Sukiyaki's eyes rolled back as he collapsed to the floor with a thud.
"Hahahaha! The A+B mixture really does work!" Oden roared, hands on his hips in triumph. "Hyogoro's potion combo is a masterpiece!"
The wine alone was harmless. But add the scent from the Scent Dial—which activated the second half of the drug—and the effects became instantaneous.
Oden wasn't taking chances this time. He had already taken the antidote earlier.
He dragged the unconscious Sukiyaki and the guards to the side hall and locked them inside. That dealt with the inner circle. All that remained now were the treasury guards.
He rushed toward the national treasury with Sukiyaki's personal seal in hand, confident the guards would let him pass.
They didn't.
"This token doesn't grant you access, Young Master."
Frustrated, Oden sighed. "You guys leave me no choice."
With a flick of his wrist, he activated a Smoke Dial and tossed it into the crowd. Chaos erupted as he dashed through the fog, knocking guards out one by one, careful not to kill them.
Soon, the path was clear.
Inside the treasury, he scoured the vault top to bottom—shelves, crates, cabinets—tossing aside gold and jewelry in search of the patterned Devil Fruit.
Nothing.
"WHAT?!" he shouted, eyes twitching. "I knocked out the entire palace for this?!"
He was ready to scream in defeat when he suddenly heard a low creaking sound.
Thud… creak…
His ears perked. He wasn't alone?
"Who's there?! Show yourself!"
No answer.
But the sound led him to a seemingly solid wall. He began knocking on panels and pulling levers. Eventually, he found a hidden mechanism and a secret door opened before him.
His eyes lit up.
"Hah! Jackpot!"
He dashed in without hesitation, ransacking everything. He smashed open drawers, pulled down scrolls, and tossed aside boxes—until something soft and unsettling rolled past his foot.
"…What the hell?"
He picked it up. A beautifully dressed porcelain doll.
"…Tch. Father's weird hobbies…"
Soon, he stumbled upon two black seastone boxes—heavy, locked, and humming with suppressed power. They had to be Devil Fruits. He shook them lightly to confirm.
Rather than risk damaging them, he packed the boxes carefully into his satchel.
Just before leaving, he noticed two swords mounted on a wall, their aura thick with menace. The Second and Third Generation Kitetsu.
"Perfect. Gifts for Master Brook."
He pulled them from their mount and stashed them with the rest.
Before exiting the secret vault, Oden glanced at a pitch-black corner in the chamber. Something about it felt… ancient. Important.
But he shook the thought away.
Not today.
He closed the secret door behind him, ran out of the treasury, and even paused to politely shut the main doors behind him.
"They are technically our family treasures," he muttered.
Then, slinging his bundle of boxes and blades over his shoulder, Kozuki Oden disappeared into the night—headed straight for Isshin.
--------------
In the side hall of the Shogun's Mansion, Kozuki Sukiyaki slowly regained consciousness. As the memories came rushing back, his face turned crimson with rage, and his voice erupted like thunder.
"Oden!! I sever our father-son ties! From this day forward—you are dead to me!!!"
Fury ignited in his blood, Sukiyaki staggered to his feet and bolted toward the treasury. Along the way, he passed unconscious guards strewn across the halls like fallen leaves. The Three Corpse Gods, his elite, had also been taken out.
He pushed open the secret vault.
And froze.
The once-hidden chamber was in shambles. Porcelain dolls were shattered, ancient artifacts tossed like garbage, and—worst of all—the two Devil Fruits and two demon swords were gone.
His knees buckled.
"Damn it… that rebellious brat actually found this room?!"
He frantically checked the top-secret passage—still intact. Thank the heavens, Oden hadn't found that. If the secret of Pluton, the ancient weapon sealed beneath Wano, had been exposed...
But even with that relief, Sukiyaki trembled with fury.
His collection. His pride. His secrets. Violated!
"Rebellious son… ungrateful spawn! What divine punishment have I earned to be cursed with a child like this?!"
First things first—he gently, carefully gathered his prized collection of beautiful girl dolls. They must never be seen by others, especially the Oniwabanshu. If his shameful hobby was exposed, it would be a social execution!
After tidying the chamber, he slammed the secret door shut and returned to the main treasury. There, he smashed shelves, vases, anything in sight. The sound of porcelain and gold shattering echoed through the halls like thunder.
The Oniwabanshu captain arrived moments later, skidding to his knees at the entrance.
"My lord! I've failed in my duty. Please… give the order. I accept all punishment!"
He looked deathly pale. Being drugged and outsmarted by a ten-year-old—not just any boy, but the shogun's son—was the height of disgrace.
"Forget it! We don't have time to cry over spilled wine! Issue a full-scale warrant for Kozuki Oden. Use every man, every resource—hunt that traitor down!!"
Sukiyaki's voice cracked with fury. "Bring back the two Devil Fruits! And the demon swords!!"
His fists trembled.
"I should've thrown that brat into the Underworld when he was born!"
"Yes, Lord Sukiyaki!"
The captain vanished in a blur. Even he, once loyal to young Oden, now seethed with betrayal.
---
Meanwhile, far from the Flower Capital, the golden ship descended upon the Isshin Forge.
Inside, the forge roared with fire. Prometheus, the Sun Homie of Charlotte Linlin, blazed over a crucible as Redfield carefully melted down the legendary Gungnir Sacred Steel. With lava channels and geothermal flame flowing beneath, it still took days to smelt even a fraction.
"Lord Brook," Shimotsuki Kozaburo said, wiping sweat from his brow, "I must ask… without additional rare metals, do you think this new weapon can surpass the Supreme Grade?"
He sounded uncertain. Crafting a supreme-grade blade once was already a miracle. Doing it again—let alone surpassing it—was another matter entirely.
"Yohoho~ Just use Gungnir Steel," Brook replied, pulling out the Seven Star Sword with a theatrical flourish.
The blade pulsed with a strange green hue, its aura almost alive. It wasn't known for its material strength—it was infamous for its malevolence. It had devoured centuries of blood, wrath, and resentment. Brook himself had fed it with souls from the Underworld, further nurturing its cursed spirit.
The sword's soul had long outgrown its steel. It could even abandon its physical body and possess others while retaining its strange powers.
In the legends of the old world, this blade had once possessed a swordsman named Saga and cleaved half an island with a single strike.
Now, infused with the power of Hell, the Underworld, and thousands of spirits, Brook's Seven Star Sword was hungry—on the verge of evolving.
---
On the third day, Kozuki Oden arrived at Guiqiao Town.
The moment he spotted the golden ship hovering above the forge, his eyes lit up.
"I made it in time!!"
He sprinted toward the forge and burst through the doors, panting, shouting.
"Master Brook!! I'm here—I brought the Pattern Fruits!!"
Brook turned around in surprise. "Yohoho~ Oden? You actually did it?! Don't tell me… Sukiyaki died from the shock?"
Before Brook could laugh again, his sword twitched violently.
The Seven Star Sword shivered with anticipation, vibrating in its sheath.
Brook narrowed his eyes. Two ominous auras radiated from the bundle slung over Oden's shoulder.
"…How did you pull it off? Did your father just give in?"
"Don't ask!" Oden said, shoving a heavy satchel toward him. "Inside are two seastone boxes—and two demon swords as gifts for you! Now will you take me out to sea?!"
He immediately turned and began raiding the forge's pantry, stuffing food in his mouth like a starving beast.
Brook chuckled as he carefully cut through the wooden casing around the seastone boxes and extracted the Devil Fruits.
The first was large, apple-shaped, and deep crimson. The second was odd—light green, shaped like two curled cucumbers fused together, almost resembling a scroll.
"…Could these be the Scroll-Scroll Fruit and the Ripe-Ripe Fruit?" Brook murmured. "The ones that future Oniwabanshu members Raizo and Shinobu use?"
Just then, Shimotsuki Kozaburo stepped forward, face pale.
"These… these swords…"
He knelt beside the open bundle and picked up the two blades.
"The Second Generation Kitetsu… and the Third Generation Kitetsu…"
His hands trembled.
"These are… swords of the Tenguyama lineage. Why are they here?!"
"Yohoho~ Maybe Tenguyama Hitetsu sold them to the Kozuki clan?" Brook offered playfully.
The moment the Kitetsu blades were unsheathed, the room's temperature dropped. Malice and spiritual tension filled the air.
Brook's Seven Star Sword howled.
It lit up in eerie green flames and floated slightly above the forge, trembling with excitement.
The Kitetsu swords also began to hum—but their vibration felt like fear.
"They're… scared," Kozaburo whispered in awe.
Could it be? Had these blades developed sentience?
Even the famed Enma and Ame-no-Habakiri—still at Oden's waist—trembled in response, resonating with the unseen pressure building in the room.
Brook's gaze sharpened.
"My Seven Star Sword wants to devour them. It's craving their metal. Their aura aligns with its spirit."
Kozaburo looked alarmed. "You want to destroy two renowned demon swords… just to feed your own blade?"
"This isn't destruction," Brook replied smoothly. "It's evolution. Strong fusion."
"If I melt down the Kitetsu swords into the Gungnir Steel, and let the Seven Star Sword devour them… it'll surpass even the Supreme Grade."
There was no hesitation in his voice. Only certainty.
Brook placed the cursed swords beside the forge and unsheathed the Seven Star Sword, letting its malevolent spirit flare.
<><><><><><>
Read Advanced Chapters on:
~ Patreon.com/FanficLord03
~ Every 100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter!
~ Push the story in the rankings using your
[Power Stones]
~ https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9