Shopping, Oil Pot Punishment

Sirius and Yamato listened to Kozuki Oden tell stories all the way until midnight.

There was no denying it—Oden was truly a man who knew how to spin a tale, narrating his adventures with vivid detail and heartfelt emotion. No wonder Yamato in the original story had become so utterly captivated by his journal.

Just listening to him recount the adventures he'd had after leaving Wano Country gave Sirius a yearning in his heart.

Racing across the boundless sea with close, inseparable companions, clashing with the mightiest enemies, meeting the most breathtaking sights, and encountering the most moving beauties—how could that not stir one's soul?

"Whitebeard... what an incredible man."

After Oden finished another segment of his adventure story, Yamato, sitting on the ground with her short legs tucked in and her knees hugged, spoke with pure longing, "Who's stronger, him or Father?"

"Whitey's super strong."

Kozuki Oden said it as a matter of fact. "He's as strong as Roger—the strongest man in the world!"

"Who's Roger?"

Yamato blinked and asked curiously.

"Roger..."

A trace of sorrow and nostalgia flickered across Oden's face. "He was an incredible man—the king of all pirates! He accomplished an unprecedented feat, conquering the Grand Line as the Pirate King!"

"The... king of pirates? Pirate King!" Yamato's eyes went wide, and she jumped straight up. "There's someone like that?"

"That's a story for later."

Kozuki Oden smiled. "Alright, time to go to sleep, you little brats. Staying up late will stunt your growth."

"Ehh!"

Yamato was deeply disappointed. "Come on, just a little more, Plate Head Uncle!"

"I told you not to call me that, you little brat!"

Sirius, sitting beside Yamato, stood up with a smile, brushed the dust off his pants, and tugged at Yamato's sleeve. "Alright, Yamato, it's already late. Don't disturb Uncle Oden's rest."

"Oh."

Yamato nodded, looking very disappointed.

"Then we'll be going now, Uncle Oden."

Sirius smiled and bid Oden farewell.

Oden didn't answer. He had already closed his eyes and even started snoring.

Asleep? That fast?!

Sirius's mouth twitched.

He led Yamato out of the dungeon, and all the way, Yamato cheerfully poured out her excitement to Sirius, who smiled and went along with it.

Then the two of them each returned to the rooms Orochi had prepared for them.

After washing up, Sirius went to bed.

These past few days had been quite interesting.

He'd witnessed the highest-level clash on the seas and seen Kozuki Oden's defeat.

Now he'd even heard Oden personally recount his adventures with the Whitebeard Pirates.

Truly fascinating.

Sirius smiled as he drifted off to sleep.

The next day.

"Sirius! Get up!"

Sirius opened his eyes to see Yamato, her face full of impatience. "Time to go see Oden!"

Was she really that eager for Oden's next story?

Well, to be honest, so was I.

Sirius quickly got up and dressed, and Yamato immediately said, "Then let's hurry and find Oden."

"Hold on,"

Sirius waved a hand. "How about we grab something to eat first? I'm really hungry, Yamato."

They hadn't had dinner last night.

"Let's go into the city and get some food, alright? Let's check out this town." Sirius said. "We can't set sail for now, but we can still have a little adventure."

Yamato's eyes lit up instantly. "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, I want to go!"

Exploring the unknown was an adventure in itself, and the Flower Capital was certainly unknown to the two of them.

But to go out and eat, the essential thing was money.

Sirius, of course, had no money on him, and Yamato didn't even know what the concept of money was.

Still, getting some cash was easy enough for them. They simply found a pirate from the Beasts Pirates, explained what they wanted, and immediately received a stack of Wano Country currency under the pirate's respectful gaze.

With money in hand, the adventure could begin. The two of them happily ran out of Tenshukaku and truly set foot on the land of the Flower Capital.

But Sirius noticed that after they stepped out of Orochi's Tenshukaku, a few pirates had followed them.

Not surprising—safety precautions, after all.

Sirius didn't care about that; all his attention was drawn to the Flower Capital.

Everywhere he looked, it was a scene of prosperity. Though most of the buildings were wooden structures of no great beauty, shops of all kinds stood in close array, and the intricate eaves and soaring rafters of various tall buildings left Sirius dazzled. The constant flow of people on the streets also testified to the city's commercial vitality.

It was a remarkably beautiful and bustling ancient town. Walking along the streets, he couldn't see any trash or beggars at all.

Sirius almost started to believe that Kurozumi Orochi was a wise and valiant ruler.

The reason he couldn't see them wasn't that they didn't exist—it was just that they'd been thrown out.

Yamato, on the other hand, wasn't thinking as much as Sirius. Having barely left Onigashima since birth, everything she saw was a source of fresh wonder. One moment she'd drag Sirius to look at this, the next she'd dash over to check that out, her cheerful laughter ringing without pause.

As they strolled, they bought food from the shops and stalls along the street.

All kinds of snacks and breakfast items, bought and eaten as they went—Sirius felt like he was experiencing the joy of a snack street in another world.

"Mmm, this is really good!"

Yamato held a box of oden, her cheeks stuffed full. Suddenly, something occurred to her, and she grinned foolishly. "Sirius, we're eating Oden!"

Sirius shot her a look. Still playing with puns—oden was oden, and oden was oden.

"Sirius, try this! It's super good!"

Yamato shoved a fish ball into Sirius's mouth.

Chew, chew.

Sirius nodded. "Mm, not bad."

"Try this one." Sirius skewered an octopus ball. Yamato opened her mouth, and Sirius fed it to her.

"Oh! This is great too!"

The two of them ate as they walked, almost completely forgetting about Kozuki Oden.

But then they suddenly noticed a crowd gathered at the street corner ahead.

They didn't even need to go over—a man standing on a high platform in the middle of the crowd shouted loudly, "The Shogun has decided! In three days, the criminal Kozuki Oden and the samurai under his command will be subjected to the Boiling Punishment!"

The surrounding crowd immediately buzzed with discussion.

"Is that idiot lord finally going to die?"

"He should have died long ago. The Kozuki Family's honor has been completely disgraced by him!"

"Well done, Shogun Orochi!"

So it's finally here?

Sirius swallowed what was in his mouth. Breakfast was over.

"Boiling Punishment?"

Yamato beside him blinked. "What's that?"

"Probably being boiled in oil," Sirius said. "Come on, let's go back and find Oden."

The two of them returned to the Tenshukaku in a flash, but Oden was no longer in the Tenshukaku dungeon. He had been transferred to a cell in the Magistrate Office that faced the street.

Passersby could all see him, though the surrounding guards prevented anyone from getting close.

When Sirius saw him again, the man no longer had heavy chains on him, but his hands, feet, and neck were still bound with shackles.

Ignoring the guards outside the cell, the two of them came up to the bars.

The moment she saw Oden, Yamato panicked and clung to the railing, shouting, "This is bad, Oden! They're going to boil you and eat you!"

"Huh?"