Kozuki Sukiyaki's Usefulness, Teacher Kai's Teachings

Kozuki Sukiyaki's body stiffened. He no longer had the energy to mourn his son's death. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Ian placed the doll he was holding back in its spot.

You say you don't know?

Then how did Kozuki Oden gain knowledge of the Ancient Text?

Was he born knowing it?

"One hundred people."

Ian held up one finger.

"What?"

Kozuki Sukiyaki was confused.

Ian said, "If you don't teach me the knowledge of the Ancient Text for one day, I will kill one hundred people from Wano Country."

"What!!"

Kozuki Sukiyaki jumped up in shock, but the next second, Ian pressed down on his shoulders, forcing him back down.

So weak.

Is this guy really Kozuki Oden's father? His strength is pitifully weak, only having undergone training, not comparable to true powerhouses at all.

No wonder he was easily tricked by Kurozumi Orochi and the others.

Ian found Sukiyaki pitifully weak.

Sukiyaki, however, found Ian terrifyingly strong.

He couldn't resist this power at all.

It was even stronger than Oden was at his age!

However, now was not the time to consider this matter.

"No! You can't do this!"

Kozuki Sukiyaki shouted frantically.

"Your Majesty Ian,"

Fukurokuju, known for his loyalty, spoke respectfully, "Shall I go and capture people for you?"

"What's your answer?"

Ian asked Kozuki Sukiyaki.

Of course, he wasn't so bored as to actually capture people to kill.

Although he had no sense of belonging to any country in this world, whether they prospered or were destroyed was of no concern to Ian, but he wasn't a murderer either.

Ian just felt that this level of verbal threat was enough.

As the saying goes, good people being threatened by bad people is a pirate tradition, not to be missed.

"I understand!"

Kozuki Sukiyaki gritted his teeth. "I'll teach you! As long as you don't harm the people of Wano Country!"

"Excellent."

Ian revealed a childlike, cute smile. "This way, a world where no one gets hurt, isn't that achieved?"

Kozuki Sukiyaki just gritted his teeth, thinking how wicked such a child could be. It was to be expected of Kaido's disciple, wasn't it?

"Keep an eye on him."

Ian said to Fukurokuju.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Fukurokuju happily accepted the task.

Next, it was time to find Teacher Kai.

The knowledge of the Ancient Text wasn't something worth keeping secret, after all, Ian had no interest in the Great Treasure.

He cared even less about history or truth.

Let Teacher Kai deal with it.

As he emerged from the secret room, he saw Yamato excitedly running in through the main entrance.

The little girl's face was flushed, and she held a candied apple in one hand, with Jack and Black Maria following behind her.

"Ian! Are you done with your meeting?"

Yamato's eyes lit up when she saw Ian. She hopped and skipped over, saying expectantly as she offered the candied apple in her left hand to Ian, "Here, for you."

"Mm, I'm going to see Teacher Kai now, I have something to do."

Ian nodded, took the candied apple, and took a lick. "It's so sweet."

"Hehe, it's delicious, right?"

Yamato stuck out her little tongue, gently licking the candy in her hand. "Flower Capital is so lively! You should have come with us."

When Ian was holding a meeting with his ministers, they went to Flower Capital to play.

"Yamato was also very disappointed that you didn't go with us, Ian."

Black Maria chuckled. Ian noticed that her hair had already been tied up with a few hairpins; she must have bought them recently.

"Ian and I are always together!"

Yamato said matter-of-factly, chewing on her candy.

"We'll play together later."

Ian raised his hand and ruffled the girl's head. She was quite clingy. "Do you want to go see Teacher Kai with me?"

"No!"

Yamato shook her head, grinning and showing her two missing front teeth. "We're going to play hide-and-seek in the city!"

Upon hearing this, Ian glanced at the three-meter-tall Jack and Black Maria, pursing his lips.

He earnestly instructed Yamato, "You be the ghost more often."

After watching his three companions go off to play, Ian went to find Teacher Kai.

Teacher Kai was, as usual, drinking heavily during the day. By the time Ian found him, he was already quite drunk.

However, when Ian mentioned that Kozuki Sukiyaki understood Ancient Text, the haze in his eyes instantly disappeared.

"Kid! Are you serious?"

Teacher Kai sat up straight in an instant.

"Kozuki Sukiyaki admitted it himself,"

Ian said. "It shouldn't be false."

"I knew it! That's how that bastard Roger found the Great Treasure! That's why he poached Kozuki Oden from the Whitebeard Pirates!" Teacher Kai became instantly excited. "Guhaha! Good! You did well, Ian!"

With that, only three Road Poneglyphs remained until the Great Treasure.

Linlin had one! Only two were left!

"Haha, it was nothing,"

Ian scratched the back of his head sheepishly. He continued, "Also, that Kozuki Sukiyaki guy seems to be the foremost blacksmith in Wano Country."

Not just foremost, he even forged Nidai Kitetsu, one of the Twenty-One Great Swords. Putting aside his eccentricities, he was indeed a truly top-tier blacksmith.

Even though Ian himself didn't use weapons, he could forge a Mace of the Twenty-One Great Swords level for Yamato.

"Is that so?"

Teacher Kai understood Ian's intention and nodded gently. "Then bring that guy to Onigashima and have him forge weapons!"

Coincidentally, Teacher Kai had established a weapons industry in Wano Country.

"Oh, right, Teacher Kai,"

Ian still felt he should report on important matters. "Regarding this country—"

"It doesn't matter."

However, Teacher Kai was uninterested. "How this country is doesn't matter at all, as long as the Weapon Factory can operate normally. You can do whatever you please with the rest."

That was such a fitting statement for his character.

"Oh, right, before we go back, there's one more thing I need you to do."

Teacher Kai took out his wine gourd again.

Before going back?

Ian blinked, a little confused. "Huh? Teacher Kai, am I going back too? Then what about the affairs of this country?"

Teacher Kai took a swig of wine and said impatiently, "Didn't I just say it? How this country is doesn't matter at all. You just need to let it exist as a Weapon Factory. Let your subordinates handle everything else. Do you really fear anyone would dare disobey you?"

He looked down at Ian. "Kid, you need to understand one thing! More than any damn King, you should become a strong person, a true powerhouse!"

I know that, of course. This is why I, as King, feel so uninvolved. Is this what you meant by preparing me?

When I wasn't King, I was beaten on Onigashima. Now that I'm King, I'm still being beaten on Onigashima. What was the point of me becoming King?

"If all else fails, you can just use a Wisdom Snail to contact them," Teacher Kai added, perhaps afraid of discouraging the child.

Because Wano Country was in isolation, they didn't have Den Den Mushi. However, they had a relative of the Den Den Mushi here, called Wisdom Snail, which functioned basically the same way, except its signal was weaker. A leader snail was needed every so often to act as a relay.

Ian sighed.

Fine, I guess.

Offline Monarchy. I'll just consider it a tribute to the benevolent African rulers.

Anyway, Wano Country isn't that big. It only takes about two hours to fly from Onigashima to Flower Capital.

"Then, Teacher Kai, what is the thing you wanted me to do?" Ian asked.

"Several Daimyo have raised armies and are heading towards the Flower Capital. Ask King for the details."

Teacher Kai burped, "In short, you go deal with them."

Ian pointed to himself, "Me, alone?"

If he remembered correctly, weren't those Daimyo who raised armies quite powerful in the original story? One of them was even related to Zoro, a descendant of Ryoma.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Suppressing domestic rebellion, isn't that what a King should do?"

Was I a King at this moment?

Teacher Kai, I really can't figure you out.

However, if it's the King suppressing a rebellion, then it should be fine for me to bring the Ninja and Samurai along, right?

Ian pondered.

Right, there was one more crucial question.

"Teacher Kai,"

Ian became a little more serious, "How did you do that Fire Dragon thing the other day? The flames clearly had no form, yet you made them condense into a physical entity, even able to imbue Haki?"

"Hmph, you're interested in this?"

Teacher Kai seemed somewhat pleased. He snorted and took another drink, "Because of willpower."

"Huh?"

"If you want to do it, you can do it."

"Huh?"