Kozuki Sukiyaki's body stiffened. He could not even spare a thought for grief over his son's death. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Ian put the doll back where it had been.
You said you didn't know?
Then how had Kozuki Oden learned Ancient Text?
Was he born knowing it?
"A hundred people."
Ian raised one finger.
"What?"
Kozuki Sukiyaki did not understand.
Ian said, "For every day you refuse to teach me Ancient Text, I'll kill a hundred people from Wano Country."
"What?!"
Kozuki Sukiyaki sprang to his feet in shock, but the next second, Ian pressed a hand to his shoulder and forced him back down.
So weak.
Was this man really Kozuki Oden's father? His strength was pitifully weak. At best, he had trained a little; he had nothing to do with true powerhouses.
No wonder Kurozumi Orochi and the others had so easily schemed against him.
Ian thought Sukiyaki was pathetically weak.
Sukiyaki, however, found Ian terrifyingly strong.
He could not resist this power at all.
He was even stronger than Oden had been at this age!
But this was not the time to think about that.
"No! You can't do this!"
Kozuki Sukiyaki cried out agitatedly.
"King Ian,"
Fukurokuju, renowned for his loyalty, respectfully spoke up. "Shall I capture people for you?"
"What is your answer?"
Ian asked Kozuki Sukiyaki.
Of course, he was not bored enough to capture people just to kill them.
Although Ian had no sense of belonging to any country in this world, and did not care whether they prospered or perished, he was not a murderous maniac.
Ian simply felt that this level of verbal threat was enough.
As always, being threatened by villains was a pirate tradition for good people. It had to be experienced.
"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 flashed the adorable smile unique to a child. "Now then, a world where no one gets hurt has been achieved, hasn't it?"
Kozuki Sukiyaki merely clenched his teeth. For a child to be this vicious... should he say it was only fitting for Kaido's disciple?
"Keep an eye on him."
Ian told Fukurokuju.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Fukurokuju gladly accepted the task.
Next, it was time to find Teacher Kai.
Ancient Text was not really something worth keeping secret anyway. Ian had no interest in the Great Treasure at all.
History, truth—he cared even less about those.
He could leave Teacher Kai to fuss over that stuff.
The moment he emerged from the secret chamber, he saw Yamato excitedly running in through the main gate.
The little girl's face was flushed red. 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 skipped over to him and eagerly held out the candied apple in her left hand. "This is for you."
"Mm. I'm going to see Teacher Kai now. There are still a few things to handle."
Ian nodded, accepted the candied apple, and took a lick. "So sweet."
"Hehe, it's delicious, right?"
Yamato also stuck out her little tongue and lightly licked her candy. "The Flower Capital is so lively! You should have come with us."
While Ian had gathered the ministers for a meeting, the girls had gone to tour the Flower Capital.
"Yamato was disappointed that you didn't come too, Ian."
Black Maria chuckled. Ian noticed that several hairpins now held up her hair. She had probably just bought them.
"Ian and I are always together!"
Yamato bit into her candy and said it as though it were only natural.
"We can play together later."
Ian raised a hand and rubbed the girl's head. She really was clingy. "Do you want to come see Teacher Kai with me?"
"No!"
Yamato shook her head. Grinning, she revealed the gap where her two front teeth were missing. "We're going to play hide-and-seek in the city!"
Ian looked at the more-than-three-meter-tall Jack and Black Maria, then pursed his lips.
In an earnest tone, he advised Yamato, "You should be the seeker more often."
After seeing off his three little companions, Ian went to find Teacher Kai.
As usual, Teacher Kai was drinking heavily in broad daylight. By the time Ian found him, he was already thoroughly drunk.
However, the instant Ian mentioned that Kozuki Sukiyaki understood Ancient Text, the haze in his eyes vanished.
"Kid! Are you serious?"
Teacher Kai immediately sat upright.
"Kozuki Sukiyaki admitted it himself."
Ian said, "It shouldn't be false."
"I knew it! How else could that bastard Roger have found the Great Treasure? That's why he poached Kozuki Oden from the Whitebeard Pirates!"
Teacher Kai instantly became excited. "Wororororo! Good! You did well, Ian!"
That meant only three Road Poneglyphs remained before they could reach the Great Treasure.
Linlin had one! Only two remained!
"Haha, it was nothing."
Ian scratched the back of his head awkwardly, then added, "Also, Kozuki Sukiyaki seems to be Wano Country's foremost swordsmith."
He was far more than merely foremost. Even Nidai Kitetsu had been forged by him. It was one of the Twenty-One Great Swords. Setting aside his brains, he really was a top-tier swordsmith.
Although Ian did not use weapons himself, he could have a Great Sword-grade spiked club made for Yamato.
"Is that so?"
Teacher Kai understood Ian's meaning and lightly nodded. "Then bring that man to Onigashima and have him forge weapons!"
That was perfect, since Teacher Kai's industry in Wano Country was weapons.
"By the way, Teacher Kai,"
Ian still felt he should report the important matter. "About this country—"
"Doesn't matter."
But Teacher Kai showed little interest. "What happens to this country is completely irrelevant. As long as the Weapon Factory operates normally, that's enough. Do whatever you want with the rest."
That was such a fitting thing for him to say.
"Oh, before we head back, there's one more thing you need to do."
Teacher Kai pulled out his wine gourd again.
Before heading back?
Ian blinked, somewhat confused. "Huh? Teacher Kai, am I going back too? Then what about this country's affairs?"
Teacher Kai took a swig and impatiently said, "Didn't I just say it? What happens to this country is completely irrelevant. You only need it to exist as a Weapon Factory. Let your subordinates handle everything else. Are you afraid anyone would dare disobey you?"
He lowered his head to look down at Ian. "Kid, get one thing straight! Rather than some damn King, what you should become is a powerhouse—a true powerhouse!"
I know that already! But this makes me feel like I barely get to participate as King. Was this what you meant when you told me to be prepared?
Before becoming King, I got beaten up on Onigashima. After becoming King, I'm still getting beaten up on Onigashima. Didn't I become King for nothing, then?
"If it really comes down to it, can't you just use a Wisdom Snail to communicate?" Teacher Kai added, perhaps afraid of crushing the child's enthusiasm.
Because Wano Country was closed off, it had no Den Den Mushi. However, it had relatives of the Den Den Mushi called Wisdom Snails. Their function was basically the same, except their signals were weaker, and a lead snail had to serve as a relay station every certain distance.
Ian sighed.
That would work too.
Offline Monarchy. He would take it as a tribute to Africa's benevolent rulers.
Wano Country was not that large anyway. Flying from Onigashima to the Flower Capital would take less than two hours.
"Then, Teacher Kai, what is it that you want me to do?" Ian asked.
"Several Daimyo have raised troops and are marching on the Flower Capital. Ask King for the details."
Teacher Kai let out a drunken burp. "Anyway, go deal with them."
Ian pointed at himself. "Me alone?"
If he remembered correctly, the Daimyo who had rebelled in the original story were pretty formidable. One of them was even related to Zoro, a descendant of Ryoma.
"What stupid nonsense are you talking about? Suppressing a domestic rebellion—isn't that what a King is supposed to do?"
Now I'm a King again?
Teacher Kai, I really can't figure you out.
But since the King was suppressing a rebellion, it should be fine for him to bring the ninjas and samurai too, right?
Ian thought.
Right, there was one more important question.
"Teacher Kai,"
Ian grew a little more serious. "How exactly did you make that fire dragon the other day? Flames clearly have no form, yet you condensed them into something solid, something that could even be infused with Haki?"
"Hmph, interested in that, are you?"
Teacher Kai seemed somewhat gratified. He snorted, took another drink, and said, "Through willpower."
"Huh?"
"As long as you want to do it, you can do it."
"Huh?"
Before you continue