Kill Kurozumi Semimaru

The Kozuki Clan's territory was heavily guarded, with powerful warriors standing watch in the courtyard. Hidden in the shadows, Teach's Observation Haki spread silently, unnoticed by anyone. He concealed his presence with his Observation Haki and blended into a transport convoy.

This transport team consisted of members of the Kozuki Clan who went out to purchase ingredients. Two strange beasts pulled a cart, and inside the cart were the ingredients.

Teach hid under the vehicle, his presence completely concealed, as if he didn't exist, and the transport team didn't notice anything amiss.

The group included several samurai and some ordinary people. Of course, ordinary people in Wano Country all know how to use swords and are quite strong.

The transport team continued to advance towards the territory of the Kozuki Clan. To enter safely and undetected, the only way was to use this method of sneaking in.

Within this territory, Teach could sense powerful auras; it truly was a land of warriors. However, none of them noticed Teach.

Teach gradually learned about the situation of the Kozuki Clan's territory. Teach was very careful, so he did not allow himself to be discovered.

He had also found the location of Kozuki Sukiyaki. It was a powerful yet very weak aura. If he wasn't mistaken, that person was Kozuki Sukiyaki. And there weren't many people around him; the guarding samurai were all outside the villa.

In the annex where Kozuki Sukiyaki was staying, there were several maids. Teach didn't know which one was Kurozumi Semimaru in disguise. If they wanted to keep poisoning her, it must be one of Kozuki Sukiyaki's maids. However, he could sense the emotions of these maids.

These maids expressed a mixture of respect and worry. They were all orphans who had been adopted and raised by the Kozuki Clan, so Kozuki Sukiyaki in high esteem.

Teach sensed an extremely powerful and profound malice from one of the maids closest to Kozuki Sukiyaki.

"Master Sukiyaki, don't work too hard, have some tea." In a secluded courtyard, a beautiful maidservant placed a cup of tea on Kozuki Sukiyaki's table and said with concern.

Kozuki Sukiyaki smiled upon hearing this, "It's alright. I can hold on for a while longer before Oden returns. Although Orochi is Oden's most trusted younger brother, his abilities are still somewhat lacking."

The maid who had served him tea slowly retreated, her heart filled with malice as she thought, "You won't last until your son returns. When that happens, my Kurozumi Clan will rise to power, and the Kozuki Clan will be completely wiped out. This is my Kurozumi Clan's revenge on the Kozuki Clan!"

She specifically sought out this poison on the high seas; it continuously devours the life force of the poisoned, weakening them further and further. However, it takes effect slowly, which is also to avoid being exposed. In Wano Country, there is no cure for this poison.

Suddenly, Kozuki Sukiyaki's expression changed. He took out a handkerchief, covered his mouth, and turned pale. "Cough cough cough cough!" Kozuki Sukiyaki coughed incessantly.

The maids around him looked at him with great concern. "Sukiyaki, are you alright?" Kozuki Sukiyaki shook his head, waved his left hand, and dismissed them.

In secret, Kozuki Sukiyaki hid the handkerchief in his hand, making sure no one else could see it. Only he knew that the handkerchief was stained with blood.

"Oden, come back soon, I can't hold on much longer," Kozuki Sukiyaki thought to herself.

He was well aware of his own physical condition; his vitality was weakening, and the disease was constantly eroding his body.

He used to be able to hold on, but now he's getting weaker and weaker.

Then, feeling a bit tired, he took a sip of hot tea to moisturize himself. Meanwhile, Kurozumi Semimaru, who had transformed into a maid, looked at Kozuki Sukiyaki and thought to herself, "Drink up, drink up," as she smiled.

However, he didn't show it at all on the surface. He's a veteran actor who has lived on the sea for so many years, and with the power of the Copy-Copy Fruit, even such a sharp-eyed swordsman couldn't detect it.

Suddenly, Kozuki Sukiyaki stopped what he was doing, looked up, and seemed to realize something. He sensed that someone hidden had already made a move. He was very vigilant, but surprisingly, this person did not seem to be hostile towards him. The target of this person's attack was not him, but one of the maids.

Teach had already made his move, secretly concealing his presence. As he unleashed his power, he also used Observation Haki to hide his aura, and his speed was incredibly fast.

Even if Kozuki Sukiyaki wanted to warn them, it was too late. The invisible spiritual shock caused the surrounding maids to freeze, their eyes becoming lifeless.

Kurozumi Semimaru's attention was entirely focused on Kozuki Sukiyaki, and she had no idea that someone would be attacking her.

She wasn't a primary combatant; based on her abilities, her main responsibility on the Rocks Pirates was intelligence gathering. While she was quite strong in her youth, her strength has severely declined due to her age, forcing her to rely solely on her Devil Fruit powers. Her eventual death at the hands of Kaido demonstrates her weakness.

She was very confident in her abilities and could never have imagined that someone would attack her.

This old man dedicated his final years to the Kurozumi Clan, hoping to revive them and destroy the Kurozumi Clan Kozuki Clan, who had once exiled them.

But today, all of that has come to an end.

Kurozumi Semimaru felt a chill run down her spine as a black figure appeared behind her. Although so many years had passed, her fighting instincts were still there, but somewhat dulled, and her body simply couldn't react in time.

The outcome was already decided. Kozuki Sukiyaki's eyes narrowed; even he had to take this move seriously.

"Demon Claw - Heart Piercer!" Teach's cold laughter rang in her ears. With a "sizzle," Kurozumi Semimaru's eyes widened. She wanted to turn her head to see who it was, but she could feel her life rapidly slipping away, unstoppable. In her chest, a demonic finger pierced through her chest. Teach grabbed her beating heart, and the heart's rhythm was slowing down.

"You!" Kozuki Sukiyaki looked at Teach, wanting to speak, but then he froze, his pupils shrinking as he saw the maid's appearance gradually change, transforming into a tall, thin old woman.

At this moment, the other maids had all been knocked unconscious by Teach, and Kurozumi Semimaru was already dead. He pulled his hand out of her chest in an instant.

"Her, who is this?" Kozuki Sukiyaki didn't know what to say, but he was certain that Teach had no ill intentions towards him, and he had never known that there was such a person in his life.

"Kurozumi Semimaru is a member of the Kurozumi Clan, and the real culprit behind your illness. You've actually been poisoned, and this poison only exists outside of Wano Country; there's no way to cure it here," Teach explained with a smile.

"Kurozumi, that Orochi!" Kozuki Sukiyaki remembered something. Kurozumi, the Kurozumi Clan. He knew that Orochi was from the Kurozumi Clan, but he was a kind-hearted person. Kurozumi Orochi was not only Kozuki Oden's trusted younger brother, but he also felt some guilt towards the Kurozumi Clan. Although Kurozumi Orochi was a member of the Kurozumi Clan, that was a matter of the previous generation, the generation before that. The sins should not be implicated in the next generation.

Therefore, he supports Kurozumi Orochi so much. The Kurozumi Clan was once an appendage of the Kozuki Clan, and the punishment over the years has been enough. He is also consciously helping the Kurozumi Family rise to power.

If this was a scheme by the Kurozumi Clan, then... Kozuki Sukiyaki can hardly imagine that Kurozumi Orochi is now the acting shogun.

"Oden, who once recommended Kurozumi Orochi Oden you, was transformed from this Kurozumi Semimaru," Teach said, pointing to the already dead Kurozumi Semimaru on the ground. "As you can see, she possessed the ability to transform into other people; she was a user of the Copy-Copy Fruit, not just in appearance, but also in aura and voice."

"Devil Fruit is what they call it outside; here it's called sorcery. Eating a strange fruit grants you abilities," Teach explained.

Now, Kozuki Sukiyaki understood that the Kurozumi Clan had tricked him. "How despicable! Kurozumi! I trusted him so much, and it turns out it was all a lie!" Kozuki Sukiyaki said angrily. At the same time, he couldn't help but feel a little scared, and he couldn't help but recall how Oden had recommended Kurozumi Orochi to him.

He quickly discovered many flaws; there were certain things and actions that Oden would never have done.

And then there's the maid who's been by his side all these years, the one who's always brought him tea. The fact that an old woman disguised as a young girl has deceived him like this makes him feel disgusted. And the fact that there's poison in the tea he drinks makes him realize how treacherous the Kurozumi Clan is.

"Thank you. May I ask who you are?" Kozuki Sukiyaki asked. He didn't know the identity of this mysterious person yet, which was something he needed to know. He could also tell that Teach wasn't from Wano Country. The taijutsu this person had just used was something that didn't exist in Wano Country, or rather, the style was completely different, as was the aura he exuded.

"I'm now a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, and I'm Oden's crewmate. I originally came back to deliver a message for Oden, but I noticed some changes in Wano Country. After investigating in secret, I discovered this incident," Teach explained with a smile. "Don't reveal this news yet; let's wait until Oden returns."

"It's true! Oden is coming back!" Upon hearing Teach's identity, Kozuki Sukiyaki breathed a sigh of relief, and at the same time, felt a surge of gratitude. If it weren't for Teach discovering the Kurozumi Clan's conspiracy, he wouldn't have survived much longer, Wano Country would have become. He was extremely excited to hear the news of Oden's return, as he hadn't seen Oden for a long time since he went to sea, and he missed him dearly.

"Yes, I already informed Oden. He'll be back on Pops's ship soon," Teach said, looking at Kozuki Sukiyaki. "Right now, let's not act rashly. Before coming here, I spoke with Shimotsuki Yasuiie, the Daimyo of Hakumai. He's contacting the other Daimyo. To prevent a major upheaval in Wano Country and to ensure Oden's return as a hero, we must gather the greatest possible strength."

Kozuki Sukiyaki listened and nodded. He was also very clear that the stability of Wano Country was extremely important. He was currently in the Capital of Flowers, and there were definitely Orochi's people watching him from the outside.

Even though the Kurozumi Clan was exiled, they still possessed considerable power. Besides Kurozumi Orochi, they found and brought back many other members of the Kurozumi Clan, supporting them to take power and gaining the support of some merchants and politicians. The power they accumulated over the past two or three years was truly formidable.

With the help of the other Daimyo, plus his own strength and Oden's return, the overall situation would have been settled by then.

"You need to rest and recuperate now. You can't fight, as that will only damage your life force. Once your Pops arrives, the ship's doctor should be able to cure your poison." Teach could feel the Kozuki Sukiyaki's body.

The poison was eroding his body. Even if the poison was eliminated, the damaged vitality would never return. He needed to recuperate properly and strengthen his life force in order to live a little longer.

"I can't move right now. You're a swordsman, right?" Kozuki Sukiyaki knew his physical condition and looked at Teach. Although Teach didn't have a sword on him right now, he could still see that Teach was exuding a sharp aura of a swordsman.

"Well, I've had my sword reforged by Tenguyama Hitetsu. Is there something you need?" Teach asked, clearly sensing that Kozuki Sukiyaki had something to ask him.

"Yes, please deliver a letter to the shrine where the National Treasure is enshrined. There's a powerful force from Wano Country there that can be helpful for this operation," said Kozuki Sukiyaki. "However, to get in, you'll have to fight your way up and eventually gain the approval of those seniors."

"Seniors?" Teach, somewhat puzzled. There was a powerful force hidden there, the force of those veteran warriors.

"Well, you can borrow my sword for now," said Kozuki Sukiyaki, taking down a magnificent golden sword hanging on the wall behind him. "Chongguang, this is my sword."

Teach took the sword. It was undoubtedly a fine sword, no less powerful than the Purgatory Blade. This showed the profound heritage of Wano Country. If each generation of the Kozuki Clan had such a sword, then there would be many swords passed down through generations. In addition, Wano Country also had many hidden strongmen.

He couldn't help but admire Kaido; conquering Wano Country in the future would require a great deal of effort.

These swords are nameless in the original work, which is because Wano Country is closed off from the world.

Hanging the Kogetsu Sukiyaki Chongguang at his waist, Kozuki Sukiyaki began writing a letter. After a while, he finished writing it and handed it to Teach. Without a word, Teach knew what it said.

What intrigued him even more were the powerful figures who guarded the National Treasure.