The banquet hall was filled with the clinking of glasses and continuous laughter. The retainers toasted one another, their faces beaming with joy.
Amidst this lively atmosphere, "Kouzuki Oden" suddenly stood up and theatrically tapped his wine cup.
The crisp sound echoed through the hall, and the boisterous banquet gradually quieted down. All eyes gathered on this "daimyo."
"Everyone," the false Oden scanned the crowd, deliberately raising his voice, "I have an important matter to announce."
At these words, the retainers present were all stunned. They looked at each other, unable to understand why Lord Oden would announce important news at this moment. Kin'emon set down his wine cup, his brow slightly furrowed; Kurozumi Kanjuro also put down his chopsticks, his face full of confusion.
"Today I met my best friend in life, Mr. Kaidou," the false Oden's voice reverberated through the hall, "Therefore, I have decided to abdicate the position of daimyo of Kuri to Mr. Kaidou."
This statement exploded like a thunderclap in the banquet hall. The retainers' expressions instantly froze, and the air seemed to solidify with it.
Kin'emon was the first to stand up, his hands trembling slightly: "Lord Oden, what are you saying?" His voice quivered with shock.
"Yes, Lord Oden," Kurozumi Kanjuro immediately rose as well, his face filled with disbelief, "Only you can be the daimyo of Kuri!"
"Lord Oden, please do not issue such reckless orders." The retainers present chimed in one after another. Except for the members of the Beasts Pirates, everyone opposed this sudden command.
"Lord Oden's" face darkened, a flash of malice in his eyes: "Silence! Are you questioning my decision?" His voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable authority.
Kurozumi Kanjuro hesitated to speak, his face full of bewilderment: "We wouldn't dare, but Lord Oden, your command is truly..."
"Yes, why, Lord Oden?" Other retainers also asked, their voices filled with confusion and concern.
The false Oden snorted coldly, waving his hand with an exaggerated gesture: "Hmph, after I abdicate the daimyo position to Mr. Kaidou, I can bid farewell to this stuffy place and set off for the free world." His voice carried a deliberately crafted excitement, unable to conceal its falseness.
Hearing these words, Kin'emon, Inuarashi, Nekomamushi, Kawamatsu, and others finally understood why "Lord Oden" hadn't mentioned going to the outside world before. So this was what he had been waiting for.
"Damn it!" Kin'emon clenched his fists. Not daring to vent his anger at the false Oden, he could only turn to Kaidou and his group. "I knew it, whenever you're here, Lord Oden always... Please leave immediately after the banquet ends."
"You bastard, are you looking to die?" Seeing Kin'emon dare to speak disrespectfully to Kaidou, King immediately stood up, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Kin'emon, you shut up!" the false Oden directly scolded Kin'emon.
But this time, Kin'emon did not respond to the false Oden. Instead, he continued to stare at the members of the Beasts Pirates, his eyes burning with flames of anger.
"Bastard!" The fake Oden turned to King. "Mr. King, please don't be angry. I'll gift you the 'King of Hell' as an apology." As she spoke, she directly handed a sword to King.
King glanced back at Kaidou, and after receiving a nod of approval, he accepted the "King of Hell."
"Lord Oden, please reconsider!" Kin'emon urgently pleaded. "The 'King of Hell' is your weapon!"
"Please reconsider, Lord Oden," the others chimed in.
"All of you, shut up!" the fake Oden roared. "It's my sword, and I'll give it to whoever I want!"
At that moment, Kaidou suddenly burst into laughter: "Wororororo! Oden, my good brother, I only came here to attend your banquet. Don't even mention handing over the daimyo title to me - I'm not interested. I'll be leaving this place tomorrow." He paused before continuing: "Moreover, since you're the daimyo here, you have responsibilities toward the people. Stop talking nonsense about leaving."
Hearing Kaidou's words, the retainers who had been hostile toward the Beasts Pirates immediately viewed Kaidou in a much more favorable light.
"This... very well," the fake Oden said with feigned reluctance. "Let's continue the banquet then!"
Although the banquet resumed, the atmosphere in the hall was no longer the same as before. The retainers drank silently, occasionally exchanging confused glances. Kin'emon sat in a corner, his brow furrowed deeply; Kurozumi Kanjuro kept glancing at the fake Oden, his eyes filled with doubt.
As the candlelight flickered, the atmosphere in the banquet hall grew increasingly tense. Everyone was filled with questions, yet no one dared to voice them easily. The fake Oden sat in the main seat, wearing a strained smile as he occasionally raised his glass to drink with Kaidou. Beneath the surface calm, undercurrents were swirling.
...
Early the next morning, as dawn was just breaking, Kin'emon hurried to Oden's room door. As a retainer, he had tossed and turned all night, unable to let go of Lord Oden's desire to go to sea. In his view, Lord Oden was an indispensable pillar for Kuri, and indeed all of Wano Country - he absolutely couldn't leave like this.
"Knock! Knock! Knock!" Kin'emon pounded forcefully on the door. "Lord Oden, pardon the interruption of your rest, but I have urgent matters to report!"
Silence greeted him from within the room, with no response whatsoever. A sliver of unease passed through Kin'emon's heart, and he increased the force of his knocking: "Lord Oden! Are you awake?"
Still, no one answered.
Sweat began to form on Kin'emon's palms. Setting aside propriety, he pushed the door open directly: "Lord Oden, I beg your forgiveness for this intrusion!"
The empty room made Kin'emon feel as if he had fallen into an icy abyss. The bed was neatly made, as if no one had slept there at all. His eyes searched the room frantically until they suddenly noticed a letter on the table.
"This is bad!" Kin'emon rushed to the table in three quick steps, his hands trembling as he opened the envelope. The bold, flowing handwriting on the letter paper clearly stated:
"I, Kouzuki Oden, Daimyo of Kuri and future Shogun of Wano Country, hereby declare: From this day forward, I appoint Kaidou as the new Daimyo of Kuri. Until my return from sea, all retainers must obey Mr. Kaidou's commands. Those who disobey are unworthy of being my retainers and will be subject to immediate execution by decapitation."
"This is disastrous!" Kin'emon cried out in alarm, his voice echoing through the empty corridor.
The exclamation startled the entire Oden Castle. Ashura Doji and Denjiro were the first to arrive, having just returned from outside.
"What happened? Where is Lord Oden?" Denjiro asked urgently.
Kin'emon's face turned pale, the letter in his hand rustling as he trembled: "Lord Oden... he has set sail!"
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