Brook studied the so-called "filial son" standing before him—Kozuki Oden, who seemed to have a dozen rebellious bones in his body. With a moment's pause, Brook offered a silent prayer for Kozuki Sukiyaki that lasted all of 0.1 seconds. But to Brook, as long as Oden could serve as the blade in his hand, he would be a useful child.
"Years from now, Oden," Brook said with deliberate gravity, "the world and Wano will thank you for your great decision. You are the hero who will save this land!"
He tossed a metaphorical slice of "hero's pie" into Oden's face. The twelve-year-old boy lit up instantly, his chest swelling with pride, eager to prove himself as a worthy guide.
If Kozuki Sukiyaki resisted, Oden even promised to help Brook detain his own father. With Oden's support, Brook could seize Pluton and, in turn, bring Wano into the wider world.
Such a "filial son" earned thirty-six silent likes from Brook. "Broad-minded and awakened to Conqueror's Haki," Brook thought. "Yes… a very good boy indeed."
And so, with their purpose clear, the Hell Pirates' flying fleet set its course for Wano.
In the Flower Capital, Kozuki Sukiyaki sat in the Shogun's Mansion, plagued by unease. His eyelids twitched endlessly, left and right, refusing to stop.
Oden had been gone far too long. What disaster was about to strike?
"Could it be… something has happened to Oden?" Sukiyaki thought with dread. Rumors claimed fathers and sons shared a strange telepathy over great distances. The ominous weight in his chest made him wonder if his only son was already dead.
Before he could dwell further, the sliding doors burst open. Captain Shizo of the Oniwabanshu rushed inside.
"General! Brook's flying fleet has returned!"
Sukiyaki's breath caught. His first thought wasn't of reunion—it was of horror. Was Brook here to return his son's body?
Shizo, sensing his master's fear, quickly added, "Don't worry, sir! Young Master Oden is alive and well! He's on the golden ship."
Through his spyglass, Shizo had glimpsed the boy's orange kimono aboard the fleet. Though his heart soured at Oden's antics, he could not deny the boy lived.
"That's… that's good," Sukiyaki exhaled, though his twitching eyelids betrayed his unease. Something was wrong—terribly wrong. He rose, intending to confront Brook and Oden directly.
The worries in his heart grew heavier. Hyogoro's Kuri flourished, Haikdou City prospered, and even Ugetsu Maigan's Udon surpassed the Flower Capital in wealth. Once the proud center of Wano, the capital now fell behind.
And then, the storm arrived.
"Old man! I'm back!"
From atop the fleet, Kozuki Oden leapt down, landing boldly on the high pavilion of the mansion. His voice boomed across the courtyards.
"I've awakened the aura of a king! From this day on, leave Wano to me!"
If Sukiyaki refused, Oden was prepared to take control by force—and ally with Brook to remake the nation.
"What nonsense!" Sukiyaki barked. "I'm not even old yet! But… what did you say? Conqueror's Haki?"
The old man's anger faltered, surprise etching his face. Awakened already? After just one voyage with Brook?
"I will open Wano's borders!" Oden declared, his eyes burning. "No more waterfalls to block us from the world! Father, don't stand in my way!"
Sukiyaki's pupils shrank. Oden knew. Brook knew. The secret of Pluton was no longer safe.
"Get out of my sight! I won't acknowledge such an unfilial son!" Sukiyaki's voice shook with panic.
"Father!" Oden shouted. "I know the truth! Beneath the waterfalls lies the ancient Wano. Tear down the walls, and we will gain new lands and join the world as equals!"
His words were filled with fervor. To him, it was all gain, no loss.
"Silence, you rebellious brat!" Sukiyaki roared, striking his son across the face. Cold dread filled him. Everything was exposed. Brook had known all along.
The shogun's chest tightened. The Kozuki family's eight-hundred-year vigil would end with him.
"Father!" Oden's voice thundered, his Conqueror's Haki crashing down like a storm. "Why do you cling to isolation? Wano's samurai are strong—our spirit unbreakable! What are you afraid of?!"
Sukiyaki trembled under his son's will. "You know nothing!" he bellowed, even as the pressure bore him to the floor.
Oden stood over him, his aura blazing. "Then Wano does not need a weak Daimyo!"
Captain Shizo trembled in place, drenched in sweat. The mansion shook with Oden's power.
From the distance came Shimotsuki Toramaru, daimyo of Suzuki. He stopped, sensing the boy's aura. The kingly will was undeniable. Perhaps, he thought, if Oden ruled, Wano might finally stand among the great powers of the world.
Toramaru held back. So did his brother, Shimotsuki Token of Hakuma. Both chose silence.
But not all shared their restraint.
"To raise your hand against your father—are you usurping the throne, Kozuki Oden?!" thundered Fugetsu Kamisawa, daimyo of Hime. His voice was filled with fury at such rebellion.
Yet before his words could settle, a blade flashed.
A forty-meter slash carved through the air, spearing clean through Kamisawa's belly.
The sword came from twenty meters away. Standing with grim resolve, long blade in hand, was Kuri's daimyo, Hyogoro. His strike carried not one slash, but two—another spectral twenty-meter blade that split Kamisawa wide.
Blood sprayed. Gasps erupted. Warriors froze where they stood.
------------
Hyogoro gave a cold snort. The forty-meter blade in his hands shrank instantly back to normal size. Beside him, Ashura Pengnan stood with his sword resting in his arms, expression unreadable, an icy aura radiating from him that warned strangers not to approach.
The warriors around them froze. Steel hissed from sheaths as blades were drawn, every samurai tense, eyes fixed on the bloodied courtyard. The retainers of Daimyo Hime, in particular, dripped cold sweat.
What had just happened? The shogun and his son were at each other's throats, and now Daimyo Kuri had struck down Daimyo Hime. Was Wano truly about to plunge into civil war?
"Daimyo Hime, are you alright?!" Captain Shizo of the Oniwabanshu rushed forward, catching the trembling Fugetsu Kamisawa as he staggered, blood seeping from his lips. The sight shocked even the most seasoned of samurai. Were the daimyos truly about to clash?
"You… Hyogoro! You dared attack me?!" Kamisawa's voice cracked with disbelief as he spat blood, finger trembling as it pointed at the daimyo of Kuri.
Hyogoro's reply was as sharp as his sword. "No one slanders Brook-sama's disciple. From this day, Wano belongs to His Highness Oden, who has awakened the aura of a king. I've said my piece—who stands with me? And who stands against me?"
His bloody blade remained unsheathed, gleaming in the torchlight.
"I absolutely do not appro—!" Kamisawa tried to retort, but a swift kick from Kozuki Oden cut him short, sending him crashing across the floor. Even Captain Shizo froze, torn between loyalty to Sukiyaki and shock at Oden's strength.
"I agree," came a measured voice.
All eyes turned to Udon's daimyo, Ugetsu Mugen, who stepped forward. His tone was calm, but the weight of his decision was clear. "His Highness Oden is young, yet already commands the aura of a king—a gift granted to one in a million. Our Ugetsu family stands with Daimyo Kuri."
The hall fell into silence.
The daimyo of Suzuki, Shimotsuki Toramaru, and the daimyo of Hakuma, Shimotsuki Token, remained impassive. They neither raised objection nor pledged support, their silence unreadable. But silence, too, was an answer.
The tally was clear: Udon and Kuri supported Oden, Udon aligned itself as well. Suzugo and Hakuma abstained. Only Daimyo Hime opposed—and he lay wounded, his blood staining the tatami.
"You fools!" Sukiyaki's voice rang with anguish. "You'll regret this betrayal!" His gaze swept across the room, lingering on Toramaru and Token, then falling at last on his son, eyes filled with despair. "Oden… my own blood… even you?"
"No, Father," Oden said firmly. "I will not betray you. I will lead Wano to strength. The Hell Pirates stand with us. Together, we will stand above all but the World Government itself!"
At that moment, six monstrous auras surged from the golden fleet in the sky. The weight of their Conqueror's Haki rolled over the Flower Capital like a storm, pressing every warrior to the ground. Even Shimotsuki Toramaru—the strongest blade of Wano—widened his eyes in fear.
Brook's crew had grown too strong. Stronger than Wano could ever hope to resist.
Sukiyaki's shoulders sagged. He knew the truth.
"…Very well," he rasped. "Today, I hand the title of Shogun to you. But I beg one thing—spare Kamisawa's life. He alone has remained loyal to me. Let him live."
"Hahaha!" Oden's laugh rang through the mansion. "Father, do you think I crave the title of Shogun? No—I crave the sea! From today, you remain Shogun, to govern Wano's affairs. I will command its armies. Kamisawa shall serve as your deputy. And Ashura Pengnan… will take the seat as Daimyo of Shimei!"
The declaration left the room in stunned silence. It was swift, decisive, and ruthless—yet undeniably effective.
Ashura Pengnan bowed with a grin. "My thanks, Lord Oden. I will serve faithfully." He had risen from a mere mountain bandit to daimyo of Shimei, all because of Brook. His clan now bent knee fully to the Hell Pirates, and even his young son dreamed of becoming Brook's strongest warrior.
"Hahaha! Then let us welcome Lord Brook! From today, Wano opens its gates to the world. The age of isolation is over!" Oden cried. "Uncle Toramaru, come sail with us—see the world beyond!"
The Oniwabanshu, sensing where the wind now blew, pledged loyalty to Oden at once. Sukiyaki closed his eyes, heavy with defeat. He gave the order for the imperial physician to tend to Kamisawa, his most faithful ally. But in his heart, he knew: his authority was broken.
Only once the dust had settled did Brook himself descend with the Hell Pirates' cadres. Their shadows fell across the Shogun's Mansion.
"Well done," Brook said with a grin. "Swift and decisive—admirable."
His praise was genuine. Though backed by the overwhelming might of the Hell Pirates, Oden had proven himself capable of acting with clarity and strength.
"Master Brook!" Oden said eagerly, bowing low. "Lend me your live-streaming Den Den Mushi! I'll announce the end of Wano's isolation to the people!"
Brook waved a hand, signaling Antonio, his intelligence agent, to prepare it. Then he turned to Redfield. "Read Sukiyaki's memories. I want to confirm the location of the red Poneglyph."
Sukiyaki stiffened, but he could do nothing. He was skilled, yes—one of the greatest swordsmiths, creator of Ame no Habakiri and Sandai Kitetsu, and a master engraver of the ancient script. But he was no king. Not a ruler. Merely a craftsman.
Brook mused on it. "Better suited to forge swords and carve stones than rule men. Like the calligraphy emperor of Song… or the carpenter emperor of Ming. A talent, but not a leader."
Soon after, Redfield guided Brook down into Sukiyaki's secret treasury. A passage yawned below, spiraling deep beneath the Flower Capital.
Brook chuckled as they passed shelves lined with life-sized dolls of women. "So, Sukiyaki's tastes run strange. Hah! I ought to make a few of these myself…"
They descended a thousand steps into the depths. At last, they reached a vast chamber. There, bathed in torchlight, stood a monolithic stone. Carved upon its crimson surface were the ancient letters of the Kozuki clan.
Brook's eyes gleamed. "The third Road Poneglyph… already in my grasp. Only Zou remains."
Through the glass of the underground chamber, he gazed out upon the drowned lands of ancient Wano, sealed beneath the sea. His voice was low, cold.
"But where… where is Pluton?"
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