Chapter 167 Poneglyph, Going All the Way Down
Standing before Brett were Kurozumi Orochi's ninjas, called the Oniwaban.
Of course, the ninjas of this world were vastly different from those of another world. Without Devil Fruits, they were no different from ordinary people—just various strange martial arts combined with tools.
Brett's assessment of these guys was that they were even worse than the Nine Red Scabbards—pure trash.
"Who the hell are you?"
With his subordinates blocking his path, Kurozumi Orochi regained some courage. He said angrily, "You dare break into this shogun's castle tower—you've got some nerve!"
"Shogun-sama, judging by this man's attire, he seems to be from overseas."
The leader of the Oniwaban, a man with a large bald head and long earlobes, Fukurokuju said calmly.
"O-overseas?"
Kurozumi Orochi's expression suddenly changed drastically. He said with some terror, "You bastard, don't tell me you're with the Charlotte Family?"
This country had been isolationist for eight hundred years—the citizens knew nothing about the outside world.
But Kurozumi Orochi was naturally an exception.
Though the omnipresent World Economic News Agency's news birds couldn't cover this country, they could at least deliver newspapers to Onigashima.
As Hundred Beasts Kaido's collaborator, Orochi naturally knew about the Charlotte Family. He even knew the Charlotte Family had come to Wano Country to cause trouble for the Beasts Pirates—they might even be fighting right now.
This guy's timing was too coincidental—he was very likely connected to the Charlotte Family!
Brett was too lazy to deal with this guy. "Anyway, can you move aside?"
Kurozumi Orochi had no other strengths except durability.
In the original work, his Yamata-no-Orochi ability didn't display any other special powers—just multiple lives. He could revive after death, and even completely recover from previous injuries after revival, even if his head had been cut off.
This ability would naturally be overpowered on other strong fighters of the seas, but for Kurozumi Orochi—
He could just cling to life a few more times.
Killing him would take some time.
"Don't be so arrogant before Orochi-sama!"
Fukurokuju said coldly. He formed hand seals, and his two long ears suddenly began dancing like snakes.
Interesting martial arts.
Probably related to Life Return somehow?
Brett thought this.
The other ninjas also became alert, various weapons already in hand.
"How troublesome."
Since they wanted to block his path, he'd have to eliminate these guys first.
Brilliant electric current crackled across Brett's body.
The ninjas were shocked.
An ability user?
But before they could react, Brett had already thrown his punch.
"Current Propulsion - Murakumogiri!"
Electric current, water waves, combined with advanced Haki formed a shockwave that instantly roared forth.
Without picking and choosing, without favoritism—whether Shogun Orochi or nameless ninjas, everyone blocking Brett's path was swallowed by the shockwave.
Then, without anyone able to mount any decent counterattack, everyone was blown away in an instant.
The upper section of the castle tower was completely pulverized by the shockwave in the blink of an eye, directly becoming dust dancing in the air.
After the impact dissipated, only a gaping hole in the castle tower remained before Brett. The other guys had already been blown who knows where.
Orochi definitely wasn't dead, but Brett was too lazy to chase after him.
Wano Country's affairs had nothing to do with him.
"Now then, where's the passage going down?"
Brett simultaneously released Conqueror's Haki and Observation Haki.
The Conqueror's Haki was to quiet the people in this building, while the Observation Haki was to hear the passage's voice.
Brett's Observation Haki wasn't skilled at observing non-living things—he couldn't hear distant thunder in the sky or see meteors crossing through space like Fujitora.
But he could hear various different voices.
Every object had a different voice.
Stones had stones' voices, soil had soil's voice.
So within the surrounding voices of soil and stone, the only voice belonging to air extending downward was probably from a passage.
Brett quickly found that hidden passage.
Following the castle tower downward, Brett soon arrived before a hidden door.
Though the door had multiple layers of sealing, it obviously couldn't stop Brett. With one kick, he sent both wall and door flying, entering an underground room.
The underground room contained many wooden dolls.
Brett knew these were the collection of Kozuki Sukiyaki, who was now going by the alias Tenguyama Hitetsu.
After his shogun position was usurped by Orochi, this guy had been under house arrest here. Later he found a chance to escape, only to discover the damage was already done—Wano Country was finished. In despair, he became a swordsmith and started slacking off.
Brett was too lazy to comment on the Kozuki family. Consider it Wano Country owing them.
In this underground room, Brett found a passage leading down. Following this path would lead to his destination.
This downward path was very long.
As Brett continued down, in the Flower Capital, Kurozumi Orochi was fleeing in panic. Only the blood-covered Fukurokuju guarded him—both looked shell-shocked.
"Monster! That damned monster!"
Kurozumi Orochi cursed as he ran.
In just an instant, his life count had decreased by one, and only Fukurokuju remained alive from the Oniwaban ninjas.
That was a true monster!
Go find Kaido—only by Kaido's side could he find protection.
Wano Country's shogun fled.
Brett continued downward.
This path was truly long, though that wasn't strange—after all, it led to the ancient site of Wano Country from eight hundred years ago.
Eight hundred years ago, Wano Country's towns were originally built near sea level, but later walls separating inside from outside were erected. Water flow gradually formed an inland sea, so the towns moved to the mountainside.
Following the sloped stairs downward for a long distance, windows appeared on one side of the path.
Looking through the glass windows, one could see ancient Wano Country buildings from eight hundred years ago, now submerged underwater.
This was quite close now.
Sure enough, Brett soon arrived at another room.
This sealed room contained a massive stone.
Red-colored, with many incomprehensible characters carved on the front.
This was one of the four Road Poneglyphs necessary to reach the final island.
Brett could clearly hear extraordinary sounds from the stone.
But unfortunately, these sounds had no meaning.
He pulled out a Den Den Mushi and took several photos of the stone, recording the text.
Though he had no plans to become Pirate King and couldn't understand what was written, who knows when it might come in handy?
Besides, though he couldn't read it, others could.
There was even one person in Wano Country right now—that guy Sukiyaki.
But on this trip, the stone wasn't the main point.
The main point was what was hidden even further below.
Sukiyaki had said so—Pluton was hidden in an even deeper place.
Then let's dig down.
Scales, claws, tail, and horns quickly grew from Brett's body.
Time to dig!