Kuri lay in the southwestern part of Wano Country. It had once been the lawless region of the country, where bandits and ronin gathered.
That was until Kozuki Oden arrived, defeated the bandits there, and began organizing the people to rebuild their homeland. Because of that, he became Kuri's Daimyo.
However, Kozuki Oden, once deeply beloved in Kuri, had now become as notorious as a rat crossing the street.
He had ignored the state of Wano Country, danced naked everywhere like a fool, bowed and scraped before Kurozumi Orochi, and watched helplessly as the country fell into hell. No one loved him anymore.
So today, as the sun set and the lingering glow resembled blood, when the neatly dressed Kozuki Oden walked through Kuri's streets with his nine fully armed retainers toward the outskirts, people felt more surprise than anything else.
They were surprised at what madness that fool Kozuki Oden was up to this time.
Kozuki Oden did not care what the people he loved thought. There was only one thing on his mind now.
Defeat Kaido!
There was only one path left if he wanted to make up for his mistakes and save this country.
Defeat Kaido!
As long as Kaido was defeated!
They set out at dusk without stopping, heading toward Onigashima.
They would arrive during the night, then cut off Kaido's head while he was drinking!
Next, they had to pass through Udon.
At the same time, while they traveled from Kuri to Onigashima, another group was traveling across Wano Country's inland sea from Onigashima to Kuri.
The Golden Flying Dragon soared through the sky in brilliant light.
"Ian! Fly faster!!"
The white-haired little girl on his back urged him on.
"Sorry, this is already top speed."
Ian's voice was somewhat listless as he struggled to beat his wings. "The people sitting on my back should stop talking so casually."
Especially since he was not flying alone right now. He was carrying three people on his back.
Yamato, Jack, and Black Maria.
Yamato was fine; she was relatively small. But Jack and Maria were rather heavy.
Flying with a load was exhausting.
"Speed up, Ian!"
Yamato was full of anticipation. "If we hurry up and finish the task Dad gave us, we might still catch Dad's fight with Kozuki Oden."
"I said this is already top speed."
Ian replied weakly.
She really never listened to anyone, just as always.
This time, their destination was over a thousand kilometers away.
"But are the few of us really enough?"
Black Maria nervously kneaded a spider doll with her small hands. "Even though the officers have left, there should still be quite a few samurai stationed there, right?"
Jack looked utterly confident. "Who do you think Brother Ian is? With him here, no enemy is worth mentioning!"
Ian's mouth twitched.
How could he say that in such a proud tone?
Was this really the same thickheaded Jack Ian remembered?
"Don't worry, Maria!"
Yamato declared grandly, "We'll protect you!"
Ian added, "Besides, you're an Ancient Zoan user. Ordinary samurai are no match for you. Don't worry."
"Mm."
Only then did the blond little girl nod cautiously.
After crossing the inland sea, they reached Wano Country's interior. They flew past the edge of Udon and finally entered Kuri.
By then, the sky was completely dark, and a bright moon hung high overhead.
The gold on Ian's body had lost much of its brilliance in the dim light, but beneath the moonlight, it still shimmered with a captivating glow.
Looking down at Kuri from above, Ian saw endless farmland and scattered villages.
Unlike the other regions, there were still very few factories here.
Kozuki Oden had been somewhat useful after all.
Ian suddenly remembered something.
"Come to think of it, where is Oden Castle?"
"Huh?"
Yamato tilted her head blankly. "Ian doesn't know?"
"That seems a little troublesome."
Ian held back a laugh and let out a strategic sigh.
It seemed they would have to ask for directions first.
Udon.
Late at night.
Deep within the mountain forests, a group of ten raced forward in haste.
Kozuki Oden and his nine retainers were on their way to Onigashima.
They intended to reach Onigashima by tomorrow night, then strike Kaido a fatal blow while he was off guard.
Soon, the forest came to an end, and they arrived atop a cliff.
The next instant, Kozuki Oden's pupils shrank. The muscles in his face abruptly tightened, his eyes widened in disbelief, and his teeth clenched hard.
Before the cliff, on a distant hill, a monster lay coiled.
Its slender body stretched for hundreds of meters around the mountain, and its enormous head nearly touched the dark clouds!
Below that monster, along the mountain's gentle slope, countless pirates laughed and welcomed their arrival!
How could this be!
Kozuki Oden could hardly believe it.
They had been ambushed!
But how was that possible!
How could Kaido know about this!
"I've been waiting a long time, Kozuki Oden!"
The monster's laughter was like thunder, making the dense forest tremble. "Are you ready? Let's begin this final battle!"
"Kaido!!"
Kozuki Oden stepped forward to the cliff's edge and roared with all his might, "It was all a lie, wasn't it?!"
"Yeah. Worororororo! All of it."
Kaido's body slowly rose as he grasped flame clouds and circled through the sky. "If you really were the reckless madman the rumors described, that would have been troublesome. But fortunately, you possess the same naivety as Roger and Newgate."
"At this point, you might as well go back to dancing. Naked, mocked by everyone—that's the life more suited to you."
"I have nothing left to say about the past."
Kozuki Oden slowly drew the two swords at his waist. Black haki coiled around them as he lowered his body and tensed his legs. "Let's talk about this country's future instead!"
"Kaido! Get out of this country!"
Kozuki Oden leaped from the cliff.
"Follow Lord Oden!!"
The retainers followed close behind.
"Worororororo!!"
Kaido laughed loudly. "Men! Meet them in battle!"
"Yeah!!"
The battle began.
The time returned to a little earlier.
Kuri, Boro Town.
This town lay beneath Oden Castle, which stood atop a small hill nearby.
The town was completely quiet in the dead of night. Its people had no idea what earth-shaking changes would take place in their country tonight.
Above the town, the Golden Flying Dragon silently pierced through the clouds and arrived.
"That should be it, right!"
Yamato climbed onto Ian's head, gripping the sapphire on his forehead as she excitedly looked down at the small hill below.
At the top of the hill stood a castle.
Ian was utterly helpless. How had they found someone to ask for directions and immediately gotten the exact location? Were the people of Wano Country really this simple and honest?
Below, within Oden Castle.
In the courtyard of the castle tower, a man with explosive blue hair sat cross-legged beneath a pine tree, holding a samurai sword as he silently gazed at the bright moon in the distance.
Quite a few samurai were scattered around the courtyard as well.
"I've really troubled you, Lord Kanjuro."
A beautiful woman with long green hair emerged from the house. "The children have already fallen asleep. Why don't you rest first as well?"
A sword hung at her waist.
"No."
The man named Kanjuro shook his head and said solemnly, "Brother Oden asked me to come protect you. No matter what, I will stand guard here until everything is settled."
He paused. "Lady Toki, please prepare yourself mentally. The opponent is Kaido. Even Oden cannot be certain of victory."
Kozuki Oden's wife, Toki, gently pressed her lips together, her brows knitting faintly.
"But there's no need to worry too much."
Perhaps feeling that his words were inappropriate, Kanjuro added reassuringly, "Oden is absolutely not a man who would be easily defeated—mm!"
Before he could finish, he suddenly looked up.
Something was falling from the sky!
Before you continue