"Worship that so-called genius?"
Luo Yu took a swig of his earthy liquor and shook his head with a grin.
"Come on. A guy who couldn't even protect his own country? That kind of fool is worth worshipping?"
"What are you saying?!"
Yamato froze, then immediately grew agitated.
"Kozuki Oden is the greatest hero in Wano! He endured humiliation and died for his people. He was beloved by the Nine Red Scabbards! How can you say he's not worthy of admiration?"
"Why would you say that?!"
She gripped her kanabo tightly, muscles tensing.
She had thought she'd finally met a fellow Oden devotee.
She never expected someone to call him a fool right off the bat.
She couldn't accept it.
"Why?"
Luo Yu swirled his gourd and smiled.
"You call yourself Kozuki Oden. So tell me—if you were him, what would you have done back then?"
"Would you have believed a pirate's lies, gone to be humiliated, then gone berserk when you realized you were tricked—dragging the Nine Red Scabbards down with you and letting the people of Wano suffer? Is that a hero?"
"Someone with no sense of the bigger picture is like a rat ruining the whole pot."
"Kaido may be ruthless, but at least he's a successful tyrant."
"But Oden, as shogun of Wano, was played like a fool. He caused the mess, then left it for someone decades later to clean up."
"If he'd swallowed his pride and asked Whitebeard or Roger for help, would Kaido and Orochi have taken over? Would Wano have fallen into chaos?"
"Let's say he couldn't bring himself to ask. Even then, with tens of thousands of loyal samurai, powerful daimyos, yakuza bosses, and the Nine Red Scabbards—if he had led them, could Kaido have taken root in Wano?"
"Remember, Oden didn't sacrifice himself for Wano. As shogun, he failed Wano. He dragged it down."
"He wasn't even on par with Kaido. So tell me—does that kind of fool deserve admiration?"
Yamato stood there, stunned.
She looked at the notebook she always carried like a treasure, unable to respond.
The shining image of Oden in her heart… wavered.
Luo Yu's hypothetical scenario had forced her to step into Oden's shoes.
And suddenly, she realized—if that wasn't foolish, what was?
"No! I don't believe it! Oden was still loved by the Nine Red Scabbards!"
Yamato clutched her kanabo and insisted,
"I heard Ashura Doji has called the samurai to open the country. That must be for Oden's will! I'll take his place and lead them!"
"I'll prove to you that I didn't admire the wrong person! Oden wasn't a fool! Come with me—I'll show you it's all real!"
She clutched her journal tightly, eyes full of urgency.
Luo Yu took another sip and smiled.
"I was planning to check it out anyway. Let's go together."
Meanwhile, in the Flower Capital—
With Ashura Doji's call to arms, the capital was in motion.
Thousands—tens of thousands—of samurai surged in from all directions.
The city felt like a storm was brewing.
Even nearby villages were stirred.
After ten years of silence, this was the biggest upheaval yet.
People, young and old, hobbled toward the capital.
In the past, Orochi would never have allowed this.
He would've purged anyone who posed a threat.
But this time, following Kyoshiro's advice, he allowed the unrest to surface—hoping to crush it all at once.
As more people entered the city, the tension thickened.
The Flower Capital felt like a powder keg.
Still, the flow didn't stop.
The city swelled with ragged samurai, once proud warriors now reduced to beggars.
The capital buzzed with uneasy energy.
At the city gate, Orochi sat with the Oniwabanshu and Kyoshiro's men behind him.
He looked down at the growing crowd, smiling cruelly.
He glanced back at his ten thousand-strong force.
"Kyoshiro, don't you think Ashura Doji's lost his mind? Why else would so many come just to watch him die?"
He swirled his wine and laughed.
According to the summons, the gathering would begin at sunrise.
Only thirty minutes remained.
Orochi was eager to see if his trap would spring.
Kyoshiro glanced at the warriors behind him, his heart heavy.
He had secretly raised 1,200 samurai under Orochi's nose—his own force for the day of revolution.
If Ashura Doji was truly ready, he'd rise up without hesitation.
But if Ashura failed…
It would be a nightmare.
All his hard work would be wasted.
He glanced at Hiyori.
She understood immediately and shook her head sadly.
Since Luo Yu's departure, she had searched everywhere.
After witnessing his strength, she knew—if he joined the fight, they might stand a chance.
But even Sukiyaki had failed to find him.
This uprising, driven by Ashura's passion alone…
Was it really worth betting everything on?
If they were wrong, it wouldn't just be Ashura's bandits who'd fall.
Even Kyoshiro's carefully trained warriors might be lost.