What? I wasn't even the first choice?!
And also... the Komurasaki... she's actually Kozuki... Kozuki...???
Hiyori!!!"
Upon hearing Gawain's words, Kurozumi Orochi was so angry that his tongue trembled slightly. He had been searching for the Kozuki clan for more than a decade, only to find that the person he was looking for was often invited to perform at banquets!
It's definitely the case that what's under your nose is the darkest spot!
Who would have thought that the daughter of a noble general's family would hide her identity and become a stunning courtesan in Kabukicho?!
It must be admitted that Kyoshiro... that is, Denjiro, did put in a lot of effort in ensuring Kozuki Hiyori's safety.
Without being able to go to sea, it would be virtually impossible to protect a stunningly beautiful woman from being discovered by Kurozumi Orochi.
No matter where Kozuki Hiyori is hiding, anyone who sees her will covet her or try to give her to a daimyo or shogun in order to gain power and status.
It's not that the Gawain have corrupted women; it's just that in an environment like Wano Country, this is the prevailing value system among the people, from top to bottom.
Wano Country is not like other countries at sea. Having always been closed off from the world, and without contact with powerful women like Big Mom, they inevitably limit the value of women to bearing children and being used.
Building on this, Denjiro went against the grain, directly placing his beauty, which was destined to be coveted, in Kabukicho, which he controlled.
This action, while disrespectful to Oden's daughter and his young lord, was not entirely appropriate.
Ultimately, this not only concealed Hiyori's identity and protected Hiyori safety, but most importantly, the environment of Kabukicho also provided Hiyori considerable experience!
Meanwhile...
Looking at Hiyori, whose mouth was slightly agape in shock, in his arms, Gawain pondered with a smile.
Yamato did do a good deed by delivering Kozuki Hiyori to him, which was indeed a rather excellent tool.
Gawain drafted more than thirty plans for dealing with the future of Wano Country, but the vast majority of them inevitably involved massacres.
The traditions and samurai values of Wano Country were truly unsuitable for Gawain's administration, and the appearance of the Poneglyph and other such things also proved that Wano Country had a widespread tradition of holding grudges.
If Gawain wants to manage this place perfectly, he will inevitably have to kill some, suppress others, and support puppets to manage it.
Aside from Kurozumi Orochi, Shimotsuki Yasuie, and others, the most suitable person to be supported as a puppet is Kozuki Hiyori!
Others, whether they are heirs of powerful families like Kurozumi Orochi or Shimotsuki Yasuie, could potentially secure their positions as shoguns after Gawain's purge of Wano Country.
Only Komurasaki...
Elevating a woman to the highest position would inevitably lead to distrust from the people. Even if Kozuki Hiyori is Oden's daughter, she lacks the gender foundation that would make her universally loved by the people of Wano Country.
Besides, Kozuki Hiyori was also once a courtesan...
This experience will undoubtedly make Komurasaki an even bigger topic of conversation among the people of Wano Country.
Gawain supports Komurasaki's rise to power, he can use her status Oden's daughter to slightly suppress Wano Country, which is about to undergo major reforms by Gawain.
At the same time, Komurasaki, who lacks a foundation of public support, must rely on Gawain's support in order to secure her position as the female general!
Ah, the whole courtesan thing isn't really Denjiro's fault.
After all, Denjiro never intended to raise Hiyori, this young lady, as a daimyo or shogun in the first place...
Even if Denjiro showed great respect to Hiyori, it was actually just his respect for his young lord.
In Denjiro's heart, the only one qualified to inherit the position of Shogun of Wano Country is Kozuki Oden, the son of Momonosuke!
As for Hiyori, in Denjiro's mind, once the prophecy comes true, Hiyori will most likely use marriage to lay the foundation for her future lord's rule and absorb the upper echelons of other major families in Wano Country.
With this in mind, Komurasaki, who grew up in Kabukicho and constantly learned how to deal with men, possesses considerable wisdom and experience. She will obviously become an excellent mistress so that after marriage, she can continue to control her husband's family's resources to support the Kozuki Family!
See? If you analyze it from this perspective, you'll understand what Denjiro meant.
Komurasaki is a terrifying woman who can easily seduce even a swordsman like Zoro without him even realizing it.
According to Denjiro's script, Kozuki Hiyori is destined to become a powerful ally of General Momonosuke in the future.
But based on this, Gawain wanted to slightly reverse their positions!
This isn't some stroke of genius; it's simply a straightforward, open strategy.
If power is given to someone who is qualified but should not have power, then that person will naturally be controlled by the entity that gave them the power.
Because power is always a cup of poison.
That kind of poison isn't fatal, but it's like a leech, something you can't let go of!
Gawain even thought that if Hiyori had served as shogun in the new Wano Country for four years...
Even if I didn't deal with Momonosuke back then, Hiyori would probably have been able to make a move and turn my brother into a cute, useless person.
Thinking this, Gawain reached out and gently patted Hiyori's forehead.
"Hiyori, you don't need to hide your identity from me, then give me a response."
Do you think you can do what Kurozumi Orochi can do?
You should understand what a spokesperson means, and you should also know that I don't need two spokespeople, right?
So, do you think I need you more, or Kurozumi Orochi more?
As he finished speaking, Gawain gently placed the trembling Hiyori on the ground.
Hancock sighed in disappointment as she watched Hiyori's soft feet escape from her grasp.
Hiyori, an ordinary pretty woman with no particular strength, has slightly more body fat than both Hiyori and Gion, and her skin isn't as firm as theirs, but rather smoother and softer.
Even Hiyori's fair heels were almost softer than the soles of her feet; they felt wonderful to the touch.
Unfortunately, Hiyori didn't have time to appreciate Hancock's affection. After landing tremblingly on the ground, she immediately curled up her soft body and knelt down in front of Gawain.
At the same time, not far away, Kyoshiro took a deep breath, then knelt down behind Hiyori and before Gawain.
Since Gawain has already discovered Hiyori's identity, then Denjiro certainly can't escape either.
So, he stopped pretending!
Beside him, he saw his trusted subordinate actually run up behind Hiyori and kneel down.
The Kurozumi Orochi's head suddenly grew even larger.
"W-what, Kyoshiro, why are you kneeling there!"
"Is it not just Komurasaki, but even you...?"
"That's right!"
Kyoshiro interrupted Kurozumi Orochi by pressing his head to the ground, and said softly.
"I'm sorry, General, I'm not just the down-on-his-luck wanderer you think I am, but a loyal subordinate of Oden."
My name isn't Kyoshiro, I'm Denjiro, one of the Nine Red Scabbards!!!
As soon as he finished speaking, Denjiro looked up and quickly started fiddling with his hair.
A moment later, his strangely curly hair was straightened out.
Looking at Denjiro, who had changed his hairstyle and seemed to have a completely different face, Gawain couldn't help but roll his eyes.
This bizarre head-swapping technique seems to have a market everywhere...
Beside him, as Kyoshiro gradually transformed into the image he remembered, Kurozumi Orochi's chest heaved even more violently.
However, perhaps because two negatives make a positive, after he was angry enough to be furious, he calmed down.
He pursed his lips, knelt on the ground, kowtowed to Gawain, and continued speaking.
"Gawain, no wonder I failed to govern Wano Country well enough in the past years!"
No wonder even with my brutality, I couldn't destroy Wano Country!
The Nine Red Scabbards were hiding right beside me! It must have been those bastards who influenced my judgment!
Otherwise, hehehehe!
Now that their identities have been revealed, they are no longer capable of replacing me or standing in my way!
Please rest assured, without their influence, I will be able to deliver a peaceful and tranquil Wano Country to you as quickly as possible!
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Gawain smiled and nodded, then raised his hand to give the order.
Tell me your plan.
"Yes, sir!"
Hehehehe, those civilians are just trash controlled by stupidity. To make them obedient enough, all we need to do is raise our knives!
I will bring my men, gather all the prominent figures in each village and town who have some support, and then attack them one by one!
At the same time, I will unite with various powerful families to force them to make a choice!
As long as you can unite the opinions of the large families and keep the ignorant commoners from speaking out, you can manipulate them however you want!
In this regard, hehehehe, I'm extremely experienced!!!
As soon as he finished speaking, Kurozumi Orochi looked expectantly at Gawain's face. Meeting Kurozumi Orochi's intense gaze, Gawain tilted his head and turned to look at Komurasaki, whose body was trembling slightly.
Upon hearing Kurozumi Orochi's words, Hiyori shook her head frantically and quickly said to Gawain.
"My lord, I... I'm so sorry I lied to you before."
I should have revealed my identity the moment I met you and been completely honest with you!
Admittedly, I made a mistake, but I would prefer that you punish me alone.
Please don't listen to Kurozumi Orochi! The common people are innocent, Wano Country can't afford any more trouble!
My identity can appease the nobles within the Wano Country, and my reputation as a woman and a courtesan will make the people more willing to listen to my voice!
Believe me, sir, we don't need to raise the butcher's knife!
The people of Wano Country have suffered under Kaido and Kurozumi Orochi for far too long. If we just take them down, the people of Wano Country will immediately become obedient!
They will be completely convinced of who you and I were back then!!!
As soon as she finished speaking, Komurasaki placed her hands on the ground, then bowed down obediently.
At that moment, her full curves were fully revealed to Gawain.
However, Gawain's eyes showed no amazement, only wise contemplation.
Looking at Komurasaki and Kurozumi Orochi kneeling down, Gawain said with a smile.
"Kurozumi Orochi, perhaps Hiyori is right. Compared to you when you were alive, you who died alongside Kaido were the best tool."
What do you think?
"I think Oden's daughter is just spouting nonsense!"
Given her status as a woman, even if she could use her experience as a courtesan to control men with the curves of her skirt, she couldn't possibly open her legs to every man!
Woman, ugh!
What ability do women have to govern a country? All they know how to do is play with perfumes and cosmetics, and spend their days gossiping about trivial family matters that annoy men!
The only way to get her to control Wano Country is for her to marry you as the heir to the Kozuki Family!
But doing that would be too slow, and what you want is the fastest way to stabilize Wano Country.
Only I have the right and prestige to do everything you need in the shortest time. I can immediately gather all the major families and then bring together those dead men who are relatively more prestigious in the countryside!
If you want speed, I'll speed it up for you. Perhaps before Kaido is completely defeated, I can give you the answer you want!
Please allow me to demonstrate something!
At this point, Kurozumi Orochi placed his hands on the ground and kowtowed heavily several times.
Looking at the Kurozumi Orochi with blood flowing from its head, Gawain narrowed his eyes in satisfaction.
"Is that so? Only a few hours? Wano Country isn't small. This speed proves that you have a very strong control over Wano Country."
At this point, Gawain gently waved his right hand.
"Go ahead, don't just talk the talk, show us your abilities."
Also... Shiryu!
As Gawain finished speaking, a tiny bolt of lightning instantly reached Shiryu's ears.
At that very moment, he was leading his men to wipe out looters taking advantage of the chaos on the street when he heard Gawain's call. He quickly turned around and disappeared into the street with a few leaps.
A moment later, Shiryu suddenly appeared in the ruins of the Castle Keep and nodded to Gawain.
Gawain pointed at the Kurozumi Orochi on the ground, looking at Shiryu.
"Follow him, watch him do what he's supposed to do, and if he doesn't do it well, then kill him."
"Yes, sir!"
Shiryu narrowed his eyes excitedly. The big-headed guy next to him was none other than the ruler of Wano Country, the Shogun Kurozumi Orochi!
This guy is practically the king of a great nation!
It feels so good to join forces with the boss! If it were me in the past, would I ever have had the chance to overthrow a king?
Thinking this, Shiryu picked up Kurozumi Orochi and started walking towards the outside of the Castle Keep.
After the Kurozumi Orochi was taken away, Hiyori immediately shrank back.
If only one representative will be needed, then isn't Kurozumi, Orochi has already been asked to do things, the one left behind?
Seeing Hiyori trembling, Gawain gently raised his hand.
"What are you trembling about, Hiyori? Lift your head."
"Hmm."
Upon hearing this, Hiyori, and her face immediately reminded Gawain of a scene he had witnessed in the past.
It's a video of a Korea woman kneeling on the ground being splashed with wine by the host, the first wife, followed by a plaintive, whimpering sound.
Tsk tsk, she really is pitiful to look at.
Meeting that face, Gawain smiled and shook his head, saying...
"There was a very interesting thing you said before: you said that the dead Kurozumi Orochi was more useful than the living one."
"Hehe, I think so too. Although he's still somewhat useful while alive, Kurozumi Orochi, who embodies the hatred of three generations of Wano Country, is indeed more suitable as a tool to appease people's hearts."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gawain nodded in the incredulous look in Hiyori's eyes, and then he continued.
"So, Hiyori, go and make some preparations. Think carefully about how to be a qualified leader."
Kurozumi Orochi will die at the right time, I assure you, provided you can indeed do everything I ask of you!
At this point, Gawain waved his hand, Denjiro immediately and respectfully helped Hiyori up, leading her away from the dilapidated Castle Keep.
Even with Denjiro's support, Hiyori took small, backward steps, bowing all the way to Gawain as she left.
Watching them leave, Hancock turned to Gawain and gently gestured with her lips.
"I never imagined that there would actually be such an elfin-like girl in a small place like Wano Country."
But... a courtesan?
This kind of woman must know a lot, right?
So, can I find some time to hang out with her? I might even need her to teach me something.
Also, Gawain ~.
"Your orders shouldn't be limited to these, should they?"
After saying that, Hancock raised her head, gently leaned close to Gawain's chest, and sniffed Gawain scent.
As for Gawain...
He nodded and then snapped his fingers lightly.
"Rayleigh!"
He spoke to the air.
"Adjust the fighting direction of the three All-Stars, so that they... occasionally hit suitable targets."
Sister Shakky has already done her research; you should know which place is suitable!