Oden's Death

In just one week, Wano Country suffered another heavy blow, with one samurai after another falling and dying. These were all well-known and powerful figures from Wano Country.

At the very least, they are all swordsmen who have gone very far in the field of Swordmaster and are proficient in Two types of Haki.

The Evil Worm added ground Grawlin Plant powder to almost all of their food, along with some seasonings and stored water.

Knowing he was leaving, he had no hesitation and threw all the plants he had into the water.

After the Evil Worm disappeared, several more warriors fell, which made the entire Capital of Flowers afraid to touch anything the Evil Worm had once controlled, and they didn't even dare to drink water.

More than twenty samurai have died, and only Kozuki Oden and Asura Doji are still alive.

The two men appeared pale, but in reality, their bodies were already exhausted.

"My lord, I'm going now. You must live on." With words filled with resentment and longing for Wano Country, Asura Doji closed his eyes amidst the surrounding cries of grief.

Unbeknownst to them, World Government agents had already arrived in the sparsely populated Hiyori. Nowadays, most areas of Wano Country are practically deserted, with most people concentrated in the Capital of Flowers, Hakumai, and Reiko.

Beneath the towering sea cliffs, a submarine was stationed, dispatched to retrieve the Road Sign Stone and the special agents.

Submarines may seem more advanced than ships, but they are not commonly used, not just because of technological limitations, but also because the New World is more dangerous due to the presence of large numbers of Sea King living beneath the surface.

Once targeted by Sea King, they can only keep running away. Under the sea, apart from a few ability users, most are unable to make a move and are severely limited.

Only monsters like Bullet and Bondy, who possess Conqueror's Haki, can pilot submarines and roam the deep sea.

Carrying the heavy Road Sign Stone, the only way to leave the New World unnoticed is to take the underwater route.

With numerous powerful agents on staff, even Sea King could be easily killed.

This also helps prevent other forces from ambushing us and stealing our spoils of victory.

It can be said that World Government have taken all aspects into consideration.

"You two stay here. Don't give Wano Country a chance to recover. The Rat Plague can't be eliminated; let it continue." Gaia named the two agents. "The Withered Snake will cooperate with you."

"Yes!"

The Evil Worm's mission is over, but the Withered Snake is not. He will leave a little later, about half a year later, using his influence in Wano Country to continue cultivating Nezumi and causing the Rat Plague to expand again.

Once things are almost over and someone appears to replace the Withered Snake, they will arrange an "assassination," at which point they can return.

Wano Country suffered heavy losses, but a terrifying force still exists. Whether it's the Capital of Flowers, Hakumai, or Reiko, a group of powerful samurai still gather there.

How could such a rich foundation built up over so many years be so easily squandered?

Whitebeard's attitude is still unknown, Wano Country will definitely retaliate against the World Government.

Therefore, the World Government wants Wano Country to be plagued by Rat Plague infestation for as long as possible.

As long as the Rat Plague continues, Wano Country will be unable to recover, and its strength will be continuously weakened.

Wano Country itself is already in a state of disrepair, with its natural ecosystem completely collapsed and some farmland becoming barren.

Preparing for the recovery will take a long time.

Since they have become mortal enemies, it is natural that they will constantly target each other. How could the World Government just watch Wano Country stop, busy dealing with the Rat Plague, unable to intervene in matters on the high seas, and unable to oppose the World Government?

What can the vast Wano Country do with its remaining few hundred thousand people?

After dealing with all this, the group stepped into the submarine, which sank below the surface and headed towards the Grand Line.

The Evil Worm sat quietly in the chair, his gray mask adorned with two twisted dark green worms in addition to his two eye sockets—this was his mask.

His identity is special. As a top agent, and especially as one of the main contributors to this mission, the World Government will definitely reward the Evil Worm.

A suitable Devil Fruit. Devil Fruit are extremely rare; even among Marine Vice Admiral, few are Devil Fruit users.

The Night Pirates on a different level now. They have many ways to obtain Devil Fruit, plus a vast territory and numerous affiliated forces.

An ordinary Devil Fruit, placed elsewhere, could cause a bloodbath.

If it's Zoan, the Beasts Pirates might send someone to steal it if they find out.

Kaido has always dreamed of building a 500-strong army of Devil Fruit users, and even while researching Artificial Devil Fruit, he has not given up on the search for Devil Fruit.

Occasionally, they would send people to visit the Night Pirates' area to trade Paramecia Zoan.

In Kaido's eyes, no Devil Fruit can compare to the Zoan, despite this somewhat perverse pursuit.

However, one thing is true: Zoan offer the best value for money compared to Paramecia.

Even with limited inherent strength, they can easily develop combat power and rapidly increase their strength, unlike Paramecia abilities which require a long period of development and the user's own efforts to achieve combat power.

The Night Pirates can offer advice and suggestions to others, accelerating the development of their abilities.

Whether it's Evil Worm or Withered Snake, both will receive a reward from the World Government: a decent Devil Fruit.

It may not be as precious as Ancient Species, but it's an ability that satisfies them.

The Evil Worm's Paramecia -type Devil Fruit, the Stick-Stick Fruit, allows it to stick its body to other objects like paper. With further development, its body will match the color of the object it is stuck to, creating an invisibility effect.

The chameleon fruit of the Withered Snake.

Both of these abilities are extremely useful for spies, greatly assisting their missions and work, and to some extent, also concealing their combat capabilities.

In comparison, neither is superior to the other; each has its own advantages.

The Whitebeard Pirates finally arrived in Wano Country, reaching the port of Hakumai. The place they visited was in ruins, a stark contrast to the Wano Country they had seen before.

Seeing this, they finally realized just how terrible the rat plague that Wano Country had experienced truly was.

The most spectacular sight was outside the Capital of Flowers, where the sky was dyed red. The flames lit after the Rat Tide were still burning, incinerating the corpses of many Wano Country residents and countless Nezumi.

To prevent contamination and plague, samurai from Wano Country continuously carried Nezumi carcasses to the burning area.

Arriving in the Capital of Flowers, entering the General's Mansion, a tall figure with Whitebeard strode in.

Seeing Whitebeard and the many familiar figures behind him, Kozuki Oden's face lit up with a joyful smile. "Hakukichi, you've finally arrived."

Kozuki Oden looked at the Whitebeard, and with difficulty raised his hand. His body was now filled with an aura of death, and his hair was graying, making it seem as if he would die soon.

Keep in mind that Kozuki Oden is only forty-nine years old, the peak of his life, and his strength could still continue to improve.

His impending death was a sad sight. Whitebeard didn't shed a tear, but it was clear he was deeply grieving.

Oden was dying. Whitebeard had always considered Oden his sworn brother, as a younger brother. How could Whitebeard, who always valued family ties, accept this situation?

A raging fire burned within him, ready to erupt at any moment. It was hatred for the World Government, that such despicable means were an insult to a world-class powerhouse.

"Oden, are you alright?" The tall Whitebeard figure sat on the edge of the bed, taking Oden's slightly raised hand in his.

"Haha, I feel pretty good. I'm happy to see everyone." Oden's face lit up with a bright smile, but his companions around him were not happy at all. The more Oden looked like this, the sadder they became.

Oden has never changed; he remains the same in his interactions with friends and comrades.

This is frustrating and infuriating. Oden is undoubtedly a monster, yet he is about to die from a strange and deadly poison, and there is nothing they can do about it.

Marco's Phoenix Blue Flame continued to protect Oden's body, aiding in his recovery and resisting the corrosive effects of the poison.

Without saying anything discouraging, Oden chatted happily with Whitebeard about the past, those strange adventures, and his adventures after leaving Wano Country.

He first followed the Whitebeard Pirates, and later joined the Roger Pirates.

The adventure was short, lasting only about four or five years, but it was a precious experience for Oden throughout his life.

His frequent bursts of laughter made people almost forget that Oden was about to die.

"Baiji."

"I'm listening, Oden."

"Use your eyes to see the future for me, that man."

"What a pity! I won't be able to live to see that day."

"What a pity... for the sea..." Oden's breathing became heavy, his words were intermittent, his eyes filled with longing for the sea, and finally he closed his eyes.

Oden's breathing had stopped; he lay there quietly, still tightly holding Whitebeard's hand.

The air froze; they all knew Oden was dead.

The legendary samurai who led the opening of Wano Country, restored the samurai's name to the seas, the shogun of Wano Country, and the man who helped the Pirate King Roger become Kozuki Oden, died at the age of forty-nine.

The whole nation mourns; everyone's heart is filled with endless sorrow.

The news was not kept secret for long; it quickly spread throughout the world following Oden's burial.

It was too shocking, too sudden. Countless people knew about the Rat Plague in Wano Country, but no one had ever imagined that the Wano Country Shogun, Kozuki Oden, this world-class powerhouse, the monster who fought the Sea Emperor Kaido of the Beasts, for days and nights, would actually die.

He wasn't killed by a powerful enemy, but rather by some unknown poison.

Few could truly empathize with the grief of Wano Country; they were more interested in knowing what poison had afflicted Kozuki Oden, and what other powerful samurai could have killed such a formidable figure as him.

No one would be unafraid of a poison capable of killing even top-tier experts, especially since this poison is controlled by the World Government.

Not only the Great Pirate, but also the Four Seas Alliance mobilized their manpower to investigate what kind of poison it was.

There are many capable people in this world. Based on the physical condition of the poisoned individuals and the form of poisoning provided by the Whitebeard Pirates, they quickly identified the culprit as the Grawlin Plant.

After learning about the Grawlin Plant and related information, the Whitebeard Pirates investigated the food in the Capital of Flowers and easily found Grawlin Plant powder, confirming that the poison Kozuki Oden suffered from was caused by an excessive intake of Grawlin Plant.

This indicates that the World Government began poisoning the world a long time ago.

The exposure and confirmation of the Grawlin Plant relieved the various powers at sea, as there was nothing to fear about such a poison.

Unexpectedly, the World Government still possessed this forbidden plant. It was the World Government that initially announced the destruction of the Grawlin Plant, yet they secretly kept a batch.

The World Government immediately declared that the Grawlin Plant had been destroyed. Although few people believed it, the message was clear.

Knowing about the Grawlin Plant, everyone will be careful, as this plant will be difficult to use in the future.

This also means that the World Government acknowledges that it was responsible for what happened in Wano Country. There's nothing that can be done about it; everyone believes that the World Government was behind it. Therefore, it would be shameless, even foolish, to deny it to the death.

Besides, the agents' actions were filmed, providing solid evidence. But what good is it if they admit it?

The same news also spread that the Road Sign Stone had been stolen by the World Government. One of the four Roadstones leading to the Laugh Tale had been taken by the World Government, and unless it could be taken back from the World Government, it would be difficult to determine the location of the Laugh Tale.

This is a blow to some Pirate King who aspire to become the Pirate King and find the One Piece.

However, this was not a problem, as someone quickly came up with a solution: the three Road Sign Stones could also lead to the Laugh Tale.

You can reach the Laugh Tale by simply sailing along the line between the two islands diagonally opposite each other on the road sign, because the Laugh Tale lies on this line.

The Laugh Tale is itself the focal point of two diagonals, so it must be on one of them.

In this way, with some time, the One Piece can still be found. In other words, the World Government stealing one Road Sign Stone cannot stop the pirates from finding the One Piece. At least two Road Sign Stones are needed, and three Road Sign Stones are the safest bet.

The news invigorated the pirates on the high seas, enabling them to seize the Road Sign Stone, but it did not have the intended effect of dampening their enthusiasm.

In contrast, finding the Laugh Tale might not require collecting all four pieces; with good luck, just two pieces might be enough to find the One Piece.

This put the Gorosei in a bad mood, and they hated the person who released the message via video.

The two Sea Emperor joining forces could very well find the One Piece, so how could they be happy about that?

However, at present, the chances of the Big Mom Pirates joining forces with the Beasts Pirates are slim. Even if Big Mom wanted to, it would be difficult to bypass the Night Pirates.

It's just as impossible as the Whitebeard Pirates, who might possess the fourth Road Sign Stone.

Of course, this was within the World Government's expectations. It's unrealistic and somewhat wishful thinking to assume that stealing a Road Sign Stone would prevent the Laugh Tale from being found.

The members of Roger Pirates are still in hiding. Although it's unclear why they haven't said anything since they came out, there must be someone among them who knows everything.

As long as they exist, news of the Laugh Tale could be leaked.

The fact that they were able to inflict heavy damage on Wano Country and kill Kozuki Oden is a result that would satisfy the World Government.

News of Kozuki Oden's death continues to spread.

In the Sabaody Archipelago, a disheveled, silver-haired coating worker enters a tavern, carrying two bottles of liquor. Looking at the message displayed on the screen, he is filled with complex emotions and falls silent.

I sat at the bar and drank quietly.

Rayleigh also had feelings for Oden, though perhaps not as deep; they remained companions from the same boat as before.

There was some sadness, some melancholy, but no anger.

This was all Oden's own choice. That's just how the sea is. If Wano Country had closed itself off from the world, things wouldn't be like this now.

They won't become a thorn in the side of World Government, and naturally, they won't be targeted in this way.

When a man sets foot on the sea, he has already disregarded his own life and death; he may die, but he is prepared for it.

Kozuki Oden was undoubtedly a man of the sea.

On the other side, the Red-Haired Pirates, the Red-Haired Shanks, was unusually silent, without his usual smile.

He had many fond memories with Kozuki Oden, and now that he's gone, Shanks' heart is far from at peace.

The other crew members who knew Shanks' past identity also unusually refrained from disturbing him.

They knew that their captain would recover in a few days.

Death is commonplace on the sea. In the war against the Demon Pirates, the Red-Haired Pirates suffered the greatest pressure, losing nearly half of their almost one hundred crew members, all of whom were brothers who had spent every day together.

If you can't even accept this, how can you possibly sail the high seas?

In the Beasts Pirates' Demon Palace, Kaido, while simultaneously tilting his head back and drinking fine wine.

"The governor has started again."

The Beasts Pirates members around them looked somewhat helpless.

"Oden, you bastard, you're dead just like that? I was planning to fight you again sometime."

The exposed cross-shaped scar on Kaido's abdomen is the only one that hasn't healed; it was left by Oden.

There are not many people who can fight him, especially a man like Kozuki Oden who can bring him a sense of oppression and leave indelible scars.

I thought we could have another big battle someday, but now it seems that's just wishful thinking.

Deep down, Kaido was still a great pity.

The Night Palace.

"He's dead!" Teach received the news but made no comment, which was entirely expected.

He held the bottle, took a sip, and then poured it all into the pool.

Several beautiful mermaids, unaware of what Teach was doing, simply swam over, pressed their bodies together, and welcomed the spilled wine with their full, white breasts.

It even raised its head and opened its mouth.

However, Teach has no desire now, and Oden's death still has some impact on him.

It's a bit of a pity that the ocean will be missing such a top-tier expert in the future.

More often than not, there was indifference, but unfortunately, they were blocking his way!