Kozuki Oden's Death! Teacher Kai's Unexpected Decision

Three days later, outside the Flower Capital's castle keep, a massive cauldron of oil had been set up. Firewood blazed fiercely beneath it, and the intense heat gradually brought the oil inside to a boil, radiating scorching waves in every direction.

Beyond the fenced-off execution ground stood the citizens who had come to watch. Seeing the oil slowly begin to boil, they could not help murmuring in alarm.

"Is General Orochi going to boil Oden to death?"

"He'll be fried in an instant, won't he?"

"But didn't Kozuki Oden bring this upon himself? He could have just stayed a clown. How dared he rebel?"

The citizens did not care in the slightest about Kozuki Oden's execution.

Over the past five years, Kozuki Oden's clownish behavior had utterly destroyed the prestige the Kozuki Family had built among the people of Wano Country over eight centuries.

At the entrance to the castle keep, Teacher Kai sat leisurely in a broad chair atop a hastily constructed platform, drinking from his enormous gourd.

Ian and Yamato stood on either side of him.

"Guhahahaha!"

Kurozumi Orochi stood pompously at the edge of the platform ahead. "The heinous criminal Kozuki Oden defied his lord and plotted rebellion! His crimes are unforgivable! Today, he shall be executed!"

Kozuki Oden sat cross-legged beneath the platform, a collar around his neck connected to four chains. Four burly men each held one end of the chains.

On top of that, Kozuki Oden's entire body was bound in Seastone chains. Seastone could not only suppress Devil Fruit users; it was also an extraordinarily durable material, making it highly effective for restraining the strong.

Yet Kozuki Oden did not struggle. He sat listlessly on the ground, eyes lowered.

"Guhahahaha!"

Kurozumi Orochi looked down smugly at Kozuki Oden's dejected back.

The Kurozumi Family had once been a Daimyo family of Wano Country as well. But long ago, they had been punished by the Kozuki Family after plotting a rebellion.

From then on, the Kurozumi Family had become sinners in Wano Country. Anyone bearing the Kurozumi surname would suffer discrimination from the people.

Orochi himself had endured endless hardship since childhood.

And now, the Kozuki Family—the source of the Kurozumi Family's tragedy—was finally about to meet its end at his hands!

"Kozuki Oden!"

Kurozumi Orochi looked down at him with the expression of a victor. "Do you have anything else to say?"

Kozuki Oden did not even raise his head. He simply remained silent.

"Execute him!"

Kurozumi Orochi gave the order.

The four strong men immediately pulled the chains, dragging Kozuki Oden toward the steps beside the cauldron.

"He looks like a dog."

Yamato suddenly spoke.

Ian nearly failed to hold back his laughter.

Dragged across the ground, Kozuki Oden left a trail behind him. He really did resemble a disobedient dog being pulled along by its owner.

"Nothing but a stray dog."

Teacher Kai lowered his wine gourd and snorted. "Disgusting."

Apparently, he still had not enjoyed the fight.

"Mr. Kaido,"

At that moment, King hurried up the stairs behind the platform and spoke quietly. "Latest news: the three Daimyo of Udon, Kibi, and Ringo held an emergency meeting. They have decided to send troops against us together."

"They are beneath notice."

Teacher Kai did not even lift his eyelids. He merely glanced at Kozuki Oden, who had already been dragged up the steps. "This country's hope was cut off long ago."

The strong!

Only the truly strong possessed the power to change everything.

"Understood."

King nodded lightly.

He did not think this group could cause any real trouble. Either he or Queen would be enough to deal with them.

Even sending the brat would yield much the same result.

At the edge of the cauldron, Kozuki Oden was lifted high into the air by the four burly men.

The heat pouring from the cauldron made even the four men's expressions change. Not daring to linger, they flung Kozuki Oden straight into the boiling oil.

Scalding oil splashed everywhere. One of the men was caught full-on before he could react. With a sizzling sound, he screamed and fell into the cauldron. In the blink of an eye, his body began to shrivel, then turned into dried meat.

The other three burly men stumbled backward in terror and fell heavily down the steps, but at least they survived.

Inside the cauldron, Kozuki Oden could not help letting out a scream as well.

"Arghhhh!"

Once heated to its limit, the specially prepared oil could reach temperatures close to a thousand degrees. Though it was still far inferior to Teacher Kai's Fire Dragon Great Torch, it was by no means something flesh could easily withstand.

"Tch."

Ian frowned slightly.

He smelled meat roasting.

It made him a little sick.

"Guhahahahahaha!!"

Kurozumi Orochi threw back his head and laughed triumphantly.

The surrounding citizens could barely bear to watch. It had nothing to do with Kozuki Oden's status; watching a living person get fried alive before their eyes would make anyone uncomfortable.

"AAAAARGH!!"

Kozuki Oden's screams echoed through the sky.

But he was not dead yet.

He was still alive.

Ten minutes, twenty minutes, half an hour.

Nearly an hour had passed. The onlookers were tired from standing around, yet Kozuki Oden was still alive.

"What—what is wrong with this guy?!"

Kurozumi Orochi shrieked in terror and rage. He grabbed a warrior. "Did you cut corners? Why isn't he dead yet?!"

The watching citizens were utterly stunned as well.

What kind of monster was Kozuki Oden?

Amid the crowd, a mysterious figure dressed in a black cloak with their face hidden beneath a hood had begun trembling uncontrollably. Large tears streamed down from beneath the hood, dripping from their pointed chin.

At that moment, Kozuki Oden seemed to sense something as well. His screams paused for an instant.

Toki, have you come to see me off?

The corners of his mouth actually curled upward.

"RAAAAAAGH!"

An even more vigorous scream rang out once more.

"Kaido!!"

With great effort, Kozuki Oden turned his head within the cauldron of oil and looked at Teacher Kai, who was watching him as well. "I won't die!"

"..."

Teacher Kai, who had seemed disinterested from the very beginning, finally sat up straight. "Oh?"

"That day will come! It definitely will!"

Kozuki Oden roared at the sky. "Someone will shoulder all that has come before! They will bring hope to this country! They will open this country's borders!"

"Worororororo!"

Kaido burst into laughter. "As long as I'm still around, that day will never come!"

"Hahaha! Before then, do your best to become even stronger, Kaido!"

Kozuki Oden even started laughing.

"What are you laughing at?!"

Kurozumi Orochi snapped at the sound of Kozuki Oden's laughter, roaring himself hoarse. "What are you laughing at, you mangy cur?!"

"Open fire! Shoot him dead!"

The surrounding warriors instantly raised their muskets and aimed them at Kozuki Oden.

"Don't worry, Kozuki Oden!"

Kurozumi Orochi sneered again. "I've captured many others too. They'll be buried with you."

"I think he's the one who looks more like a dog now," Ian said.

A mongrel that bullied others by borrowing someone else's power.

Being even more hateful than Kozuki Oden was no easy feat.

"Mm."

Yamato nodded repeatedly with a serious expression. "This guy is super annoying!"

She tugged on Teacher Kai's sleeve. "Dad, can you kill him?"

Teacher Kai stood up and took out a pistol.

The next instant, a gunshot rang out.

Blood instantly sprayed from Kozuki Oden's forehead. His body fell backward, plunging completely into the cauldron of oil.

He died.

In the crowd, the cloaked figure covered their mouth at the sight, their tears now completely unstoppable.

On the platform, Ian raised an eyebrow.

As everyone knew, in the Pirate World, all kinds of world-destroying ultimate moves rarely killed anyone, and slashes capable of cleaving mountains and seas rarely killed anyone either. Yet it was the most ordinary flintlock shots that so easily took lives.

Kozuki Oden had survived being boiled in oil for an hour, only to be shot in the head and killed by an utterly unremarkable bullet.

"Kaido?"

Kurozumi Orochi turned back in confusion.

"This guy was worthy of dying by my hand."

Teacher Kai held up his gun and spoke blandly. "And then—"

Bang.

A second gunshot rang out.

Huh?

Ian's eyes widened in disbelief.

Had he seen that right?

The one who had been shot was—

Kurozumi Orochi?

A bullet hole had appeared in the center of that detestable man's broad forehead as well. His face was full of bewilderment as his massive body toppled backward and fell from the high platform.

Ian abruptly turned to look at Yamato.

Could it be that, over these past few years, Teacher Kai had become an unimaginably doting father? Yamato merely acted a little cute, and he had decided to kill Kurozumi Orochi?

Teacher Kai's character had completely fallen apart.

"Now that Kozuki Oden is dead, you're no longer of any use."

Teacher Kai casually tossed aside the flintlock in his hand and looked at Ian.

"Kid, starting today, you'll be the shogun of Wano Country!"

Huh?

Me?

Wasn't that a bit too predetermined?

Was this what he had meant by telling me to be prepared?

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