Meeting Kozuki Oden

Wano Country, Flower Capital.

This was the capital of Wano, and the most prosperous place in the entire nation.

At the city's center stood a gnarled, towering tree, upon which General Orochi's Tenshukaku was built.

At this moment, on the top floor of the Tenshukaku, a grand banquet was in full swing.

"Ughahahaha! What a thoroughly satisfying victory!"

Though his body was wrapped in bandages, Kaido was still in high spirits.

He clutched his large gourd of sake, drinking heartily as he laughed, "Kozuki Oden, you didn't waste all those years I waited!"

Several geisha in gorgeous kimonos leaned against him, laughing along with him.

"Guhehehehe! Now the last hidden threat is gone!"

Orochi, seated beside Kaido, was also beaming with joy. He pulled two geisha close, his hands roaming freely as they playfully scolded him while refilling his sake.

"From today onward, Wano Country belongs to us completely!"

This was the victory celebration after defeating Kozuki Oden. The executives of the Beasts Pirates and the high-ranking officials under Orochi were all gathered together.

Sirius and Yamato were there too.

They sat with King and Queen, currently wolfing down the food in front of them.

During those two days watching Kaido and Oden fight out in the wild, they hadn't eaten well or slept well. Now they had to make up for it.

"Waaah! Damn it! When will I ever get to have a fight that exhilarating again?!"

Suddenly, Kaido, who had been roaring with laughter moments ago, burst into tears. He looked utterly grief-stricken, tears streaming uncontrollably in huge drops as he began to wail.

"Damn you, Oden!! Why couldn't you have held on a little longer!"

"Honestly, Boss Kaido's at it again."

Queen, looking completely used to it, just muttered a complaint and went back to flirting with the geisha in his arms.

Sirius looked up from his meal, casually wiping his greasy mouth. "Is Uncle Kaido always like this?"

"Yeah, always has been."

Yamato was gnawing on a bone-in rib, her cheeks stuffed full, her small face as greasy as Sirius's. She mumbled, "He'll be fine in a bit."

Sirius glanced at Kaido.

Laughing loudly one moment, sobbing wildly the next.

Scheming and cunning at times, upright and honorable at others.

This was Kaido.

What a contradictory man, what a reckless and unrestrained life.

Sirius smiled and went back to devouring his food.

Just as he was eating happily, a cold voice suddenly rang in his ear. "Even if Boss Kaido doesn't plan to make a big deal out of it, don't think this is over, you brats."

Sirius looked up at King, who was still wearing his mask even while eating.

King tilted his head, his eyes lowered as he looked at Sirius. "Once we're back on Onigashima, I'll make you understand what it means to break the Rules."

"Especially you, Sirius. I guarantee you'll regret having that recovery ability of yours."

"Wow, that's great! Sirius will definitely get stronger fast this way!" Yamato said happily. "Uncle King is really good to you."

Sirius's scalp tingled.

But it wasn't just because of King and Yamato's terrifying words—it was also because of the way Uncle King was eating.

As everyone knew, like a bullfighter, King never took off his mask.

But eating still required opening his mouth, so King used a genius method.

When he ate, his mouth partially transformed into an animal form, becoming a long beak. It would dart out, snatch food from the table, then retract before he started chewing.

In other words, King kept his arms crossed the whole time, his body and head completely still, with only his mouth shooting out and pulling back.

And all of this was paired with his stern speech.

Sirius's chubby cheeks twitched as he struggled to hold it in.

What was up with this guy? Was he being serious while pulling off a deadpan comedy routine?

"U-understood."

Sirius lowered his head, his small shoulders trembling.

He really couldn't bear to look at King anymore.

"Muhahahaha! Poor little brats!"

Queen, completely unfazed, looked down at Sirius and taunted, "Getting targeted by a sadist like King—your days won't be easy from now on."

"Queen's an idiot, but he's right for once." King's cheeks bulged as he crunched away, but his tone stayed cool.

"Hey! Who're you calling an idiot, you leather-clad bastard! Want me to cool you down with some Oshiruko?"

"Then I'd better prepare a pot to squeeze the oil out of you, you fat pig."

Lord Sirius couldn't be bothered with them, indulging himself in gluttony without restraint.

With an infinite appetite, why not thoroughly satisfy his cravings?

"Come on, Sirius! Third round, settle it once and for all!" Yamato beside him was already getting restless again.

Was Lord Sirius about to indulge her?

The banquet stretched from noon until dusk. Lord Sirius's mouth had long gone numb to taste, and he lay lazily on a cushion, belly protruding, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Damn it, I lost again!"

Yamato sat nearby, her face full of reluctance. This time she'd lost even worse—midway through the feast, she'd already run out of strength to fight, forced to watch helplessly as Lord Sirius ambitiously conquered territory.

"Let me repeat: when it comes to eating, I'm very confident."

Don't challenge my profession with your hobby.

Lord Sirius casually wiped his mouth and sat up, turning his head to glance at Kaido and the others.

If Lord Sirius had an infinite appetite, then Kaido and his crew probably had an infinite capacity for alcohol.

They'd been drinking since noon and were still at it.

King's face was hidden behind his mask, impossible to read, but Kaido, Orochi, and Queen already had faces as red as monkey butts.

Lord Sirius shifted his seat, sidled up to Yamato, nudged her with his shoulder, and leaned close to her ear. "Want to sneak out and have some fun?"

Yamato's eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded eagerly. "Yeah, yeah!"

Lord Sirius jerked his head. "Then let's go."

No one paid them any mind—everyone was already dead drunk. The two of them slipped out of the banquet hall in a flash and raced down the stairs of the Tenshukaku.

"Lady Oni-Hime! Lord Sirius!"

The Beasts Pirates stationed along the way greeted them respectfully.

Lord Sirius grabbed one of them at random. "Where's Kozuki Oden being held?"

The pirate froze for a moment, then answered instinctively, "In the dungeon."

Yamato asked in surprise, "Sirius, are you going to see Kozuki Oden?"

"Don't you want to?" Lord Sirius asked with a smile.

"Of course I do!"

Yamato's eyes sparkled. "He's the samurai who went toe-to-toe with Father!"

"Then let's go see him!"

Lord Sirius pulled her along as they ran downward. Since they called it a dungeon, it had to be underground.

If they couldn't figure out the exact route, they'd just ask a few more people—after all, no one dared refuse questions from Lord Sirius and Yamato.

They entered the heavily guarded dungeon without any hindrance. The dungeon was huge; at a glance, there were dozens of cells.

Building so many prisons inside one's own home was exactly the kind of thing Orochi would do.

But the cells were all empty—probably cleared out in advance.

Going further in, Lord Sirius spotted the Red-Sheath Samurai, all bound tightly with thick chains, their faces bruised and swollen, staring at the two of them in astonishment.

At the deepest part of the dungeon, Lord Sirius finally saw Kozuki Oden, bound by layer upon layer of chains, suspended in midair.