The Kozuki Reunion
The appearance of naval uniforms was like throwing a boulder into a still lake.
The crowd in the square surged instantly, but not with cheers; instead, it was a suffocating silence, a feeling of utter oppression.
The Kurozumi Orochi serpent was in a terrible state, scrambling and crawling out of the Shogun's Residence gate, his face covered in tears and snot, his robes trailing on the muddy ground.
"Marine Captain!! Thank you for defeating Kaido... and liberating Wano Country!!"
His tone was sharp, and he was in tears, as if a loyal subject had been rescued.
However, what flickered deep within those eyes was fear and a venomous scheming.
This scene filled countless people with nausea.
But they simply lowered their heads, their shoulders trembling; numbness and fear were ingrained in their very bones.
Even though Kaido is dead, they still can't believe the world has changed.
Upon Yamato this, Yamato clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, and blood oozed out.
Looking at the faces in the crowd, etched with the marks of time and numbness, her heart ached.
This is Wano Country under Kaido's rule...
Even joy and freedom have been completely stripped away.
In the crowd, Kyoshiro Kozuki Hiyori's pupils constricted and their hearts pounded violently at the same time.
"The Navy... it was them... who defeated Kaido?!"
Kozuki Hiyori's breathing quickened, and when her gaze passed over Roy and landed on the two familiar figures, she froze completely.
--Zoro, the green-haired Zoro, stands beside Kuina, whose beauty is as sharp as a blade.
"It's... they?" Hiyori's eyes welled up with tears; the joy in her heart almost suffocated her.
Roy ignored all of this.
He didn't even bother to glance at the obsequious and ugly behavior of the Kurozumi Orochi, but simply walked to the center of the plaza and muttered to himself:
"The spatial anchor point... shall we do it here?"
"Buzz--!"
The void trembled suddenly, and a dark spatial rift opened abruptly, as if tearing open a crack in the world!
The next instant, several figures fell from the crack!
The one leading them was a thin, small boy.
Her head was shaved on top, with only her hair tied up in a bun at the back. She wore a pink kimono and wooden clogs.
Her pink kimono and wooden clogs looked slightly disheveled, but they couldn't hide the silliness in her eyes.
--These are Momonosuke and the others who were transported to the future by Kozuki Toki 18 years ago.
"Momonosuke... brother?!!"
Kozuki Hiyori burst into tears in an instant, her scream almost tearing her throat!
Kurozumi Orochi was struck dumb, his face turning deathly pale, and a piercing scream erupted from his throat, "Kozuki... a remnant?!"
Momonosuke stumbled and fell to the ground, looking around blankly.
When he saw the imposing Shogun's Residence and the hideous face of the Kurozumi Orochi, his pupils contracted instantly, and fear surged forth like a tide.
"Ah... it's... it's Orochi!!"
He was instantly terrified and scrambled to the side, but at the same time, several figures blocked his way.
"Young Master!!"
Kin'emon, Raizo, Kikunojo roared simultaneously, protecting Momonosuke!
Momonosuke and the others were still in a daze of time and space distortion, looking around blankly at the unfamiliar world.
"Brother!!" A sob broke the silence.
Unable to contain herself any longer, Kozuki Hiyori, along with Kyoshiro, rushed out of the crowd and threw herself into Momonosuke's arms!
Tears streamed down her face as she clung tightly to the boy before her, her voice almost hoarse from sobbing, "Brother! You're finally back!!"
Momonosuke was stunned for a moment, then a lewd smile suddenly appeared on his face.
His nostrils flared, his eyes were unfocused, Hiyori his chest.
"Ahhh... I don't know who you are... but you're so soft... so comfortable~"
"???!!"
Upon Yamato this, Yamato froze instantly, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked and veins bulged.
Her face was filled with disbelief, as if her worldview had been shattered. "This is... Oden's bloodline???"
Hiyori was stunned for a moment, then her cheeks instantly turned red, and she pushed Momonosuke away abruptly.
She wiped away her tears, suppressing her emotions, but her tone was extremely serious. "Brother! I'm Hiyori! I'm your sister!!"
"Kaido has been defeated by the Marines!!"
"Wh... what?!"
Momonosuke and the Red Scabbards exclaimed almost simultaneously, their eyes filled with shock.
Kin'emon and Raizo gritted their teeth in disbelief. "That monster... is really dead?!"
Hiyori nodded solemnly, pointing directly at Roy, her voice trembling but unwavering:
"It was this Marine—he defeated Kaido! If we can also eliminate Kurozumi Orochi, our Kozuki Family... can restore our nation!!"
"Restore... restore the kingdom?!"
A surge of overwhelming hope welled up in Momonosuke's heart. His eyes welled up with tears, and he turned sharply to look at Roy, as if he were looking at the arbiter of fate.
But when he met those cold, abyss-like eyes, he froze instantly.
It was an indescribable pressure, as if the entire world was pressing down on his shoulders, and even his breath was being forcibly taken away.
"Whoa--!"
Momonosuke a sudden scream, his legs went weak, and he lost control of his bladder on the spot. Urine gushed down his wooden clogs, forming a puddle on the stone path.
He scrambled and crawled, crying and screaming, hiding behind Kin'emon, his whole body trembling like a leaf, tears streaming down his face:
"Oh... how scary!! Help--!"
Kin'emon and the others were ashen-faced, with veins bulging on their foreheads, wishing they could immediately cover up their utterly humiliating state.
But no matter what, they could only grit their teeth and desperately protect Momonosuke, their eyes filled with humiliation and helplessness.
Whispers could no longer be suppressed among the crowd, "This is... Oden's son?"
Just as rumored... there's not a trace of Oden...
"Can this kind of person really protect Wano Country?"
The whispers cut through the air like knives, reaching the ears of the Red Scabbards members and burning their insides.
Roy's unfathomable eyes remained Momonosuke was trembling and urinating uncontrollably.
Indifferent and ruthless, as if scrutinizing a vulnerable ant.
They showed not even the slightest bit of respect for the "Kozuki bloodline".
The air froze instantly, so oppressive that it almost suffocated those present.
Yamato stood to the side, his breath caught in his throat, his mind in turmoil.
Once upon a time, the name Oden was as majestic as a lighthouse in her heart, but the ugly state of the so-called "son of Oden" before her eyes was too much for her to bear.
Her fists clenched, her nails digging deep into her palms, a sinking feeling settling in her heart: Is this the hope of Wano Country?
In the deathly silence--
"Sir Navy!!"
The Kurozumi Orochi scrambled forward again, landing right in front of Roy's feet.
His face was covered in snot and tears, his smile was so obsequious it was nauseating, and his voice was shrill and grating.
"You see? These are the remnants of the Kozuki Family! Heh, where is even a trace of a monarch's demeanor?!"
"If such a person were to truly restore the country, it would only plunge Wano Country into new chaos and turmoil!"
"Only I, your humble servant, know how to govern this land! With just a word from you, Lord Navy Commander, I am willing to give my all and pledge my complete loyalty!"
He kowtowed desperately, blood splattering from his forehead, and even secretly glanced at the crowd, hoping the people would join in.
However, the surrounding people simply lowered their heads and remained silent.
Their eyes were numb; they had long been accustomed to fear and kneeling, and they didn't even have the courage to "cheer" or "deny".
It doesn't make much difference who becomes their ruler.
In the deathly silence, the voice of the Kurozumi Orochi grew increasingly shrill and obsequious.
Roy ignored Kurozumi Orochi's despicable fawning and simply uttered:
"The navy will not interfere in your country's internal affairs..."
Kurozumi Orochi was overjoyed upon hearing this!