A Cooperation with Asura Doji

"Understood, we will come down the mountain and prepare in the Capital of Flowers," an old man said.

"I was planning to retire here, and I never imagined I'd have to come down the mountain to help the younger generation clean up their messes in my lifetime." Another old man nodded and couldn't help but sigh.

The other elders were in the same boat. Although they had been staying on the mountain and paying attention to the affairs of Wano Country, they never expected that such a serious incident would occur if they were not careful. If not handled properly, it would be a great loss to the national strength of Wano Country.

"Now that the mission is complete, I'll be leaving." Teach no longer needed to stay here; his heart had been delivered. In front of so many powerful figures, he was still slightly flustered; after all, he wasn't from Wano Country.

"No need. Now that you've climbed this mountain, you're qualified to pay homage to Lord Ryoma," one of the elders said with a smile to Teach.

"Yes, everyone who climbs this mountain has this opportunity." Another elder from the Shimotsuki Clan smiled.

Within this sword domain, there is already an aura of the Dao, the Dao of the Sword. The closer one gets to the core, that is, the ancestral hall, the greater the benefit it brings to a swordsman's cultivation of the Dao of the Sword.

Unexpectedly, he had such an opportunity. Why not take advantage of it? Led by an old man, Teach entered the shrine. However, the other old men did not go in. This was a quiet place, and the peace of the Sword God should not be disturbed too often. This was out of respect for the Sword God.

The shrine was small, but very solemn and full of the feeling of history. What came into view was the Wano Country National Treasure, the Black Blade Autumn Water, placed on the table.

Ryoma's body lay dormant in the coffin beneath the Black Blade Autumn Water.

Teach felt his Sword Intent becoming more active, and in this environment, it seemed to grow slightly stronger. However, this effect was not significant; it was only noticeable on his first visit. It was useful for Swordmaster, and the weaker the sword master, the stronger the effect. But it was useless for swordsmen because their cultivation level was too low.

The effect on the Great Swordmaster is negligible. Although their cultivation levels are quite high, staying here for a long time will accelerate their cultivation.

But such an effect is already incredible, like a legendary blessed land.

Paying homage to the Sword God is very simple, without any complicated procedures; it only requires one bow. However, countless Swordmaster and Great Swordmaster from Wano Country have already paid homage here.

Teach came out and, without hesitation, went straight down the mountain, this time heading towards Kuri.

Before the major incident ends, Kanjuro Kurozumi must be dealt with. He is a spy sent by Orochi to monitor Kozuki Oden's actions and secretly pass messages to Orochi.

It's important to know that Kanjuro Kurozumi was one of the earliest confidants to join Kozuki Oden. At that time, Kozuki Oden was only nineteen or twenty years old, and Kuri had not even been established yet. In other words, the Kurozumi Clan had already begun plotting their second rebellion very early on. The fact that they were able to rebel is enough to demonstrate the strength of the Kurozumi Clan, which was close to that of the Kozuki Clan, and perhaps even stronger than the Shimotsuki Clan.

Kanjuro Kurozumi is Devil Fruit User, but he has always hidden his true strength. Not only is his swordsmanship relatively weak, but his Devil Fruit ability is also quite underwhelming. However, his true strength is very high, and he can defeat several of Oden's samurai confidants.

After Orochi became the acting shogun, he continuously provided information about Kuri and secretly plundered Kuri's wealth, transferring it to Orochi to help Orochi develop his power, thus causing the originally wealthy Kuri to become poor.

The samurai in Kuri are Oden's confidants, and this news should also be told to them, but not to Kanjuro Kurozumi. Teach doesn't know if he has Den Den Mushi, but Kurozumi Semimaru and Kurozumi Kabuto came back from outside, so it's very likely they have Den Den Mushi.

Moreover, he possesses amazing drawing skills and resourcefulness; it's unknown what other methods he might use to transmit messages.

Once we get rid of him, everything will be foolproof. He had some misunderstandings about Orochi's power before and underestimated Orochi. But after seeing the strength of Wano Country, he realized that Kurozumi Orochi had the Kurozumi Clan behind him. Although the rebellion many years ago was quelled and his strength had declined, and he had been exiled for so many years, his strength could not have increased. However, even a lean camel is bigger than a horse, and he still has great power.

Teach had woven such a giant net for Kurozumi Orochi, and he certainly didn't want any mistakes or loopholes.

Compared to the prosperity of Capital of Flowers, Kuri is far less prosperous, but it is full of vitality, a thriving vitality, like spring flowers in full bloom.

Kuri was a newly established town. In the original Wano Country, it was a chaotic place where countless lawless elements gathered, fighting and killing each other uncontrollably. Even though Wano Country had sent people to deal with it many times, they could not solve the problem. It was a mess in Wano Country, a filthy place that made people want to run away just by hearing about it.

At that time, Kuri was synonymous with chaos in Wano Country. However, everything changed after Kozuki Oden arrived. He single-handedly defeated all the rogue samurai in Kuri, as well as the monster Asura Doji from Kuri. They fought for days and nights, solidifying Kozuki Oden's reputation as a "monster." But he was only nineteen years old.

He defeated all the thugs in Kuri with his own strength, led them to establish their own home in Kuri, and gained everyone's recognition. In a short period of time, he turned this chaotic place into a paradise on earth, and was given the title of "Kuri Daimyo" by his father Wano Country Shogun Kozuki Sukiyaki.

It's only been a few years since Oden left, and this place is still a very beautiful place. It has a different scenery from the Capital of Flowers, and it doesn't have the historical feel of the Capital of Flowers or the Hakumai area. Instead, it has a brand new look.

This is Oden's great achievement.

Oden's arrival went unnoticed. By the time he arrived in Kuri, it was already night, and the night view of Kuri was incredibly enchanting. Teach had to admit Oden's extraordinary abilities, and of course, the scenery of Wano Country itself was also quite beautiful.

Oden's Daimyo's Mansion was built on a small hill, Teach could see at a glance. He released his Observation Haki. Kuri Capital of Flowers, after all, it was established less recently. As the population increased, Kuri would continue to expand in the future.

Teach could already sense the aura of the Daimyo's Mansion. The politicians and Oden's retainers inside were still somewhat weak, mostly only at the level of Vice Admiral or close to Vice Admiral. The strongest were Asura Doji and Kanjuro Kurozumi, but Kanjuro Kurozumi had hidden his strength very well.

Asura Doji now possesses the strength of Admiral Candidate, truly deserving of the title of the monster Oden for days and nights to defeat. These retainers still have much room for growth, while Teach's target is Kanjuro. It's impossible to easily defeat Kanjuro; he's not weak, and he also possesses the power of Devil Fruit. Teach doesn't know what special methods he has.

He needed to find an ally, a powerful ally who knew Kanjuro Kurozumi and could draw him out.

That's Asura Doji. If he hadn't suffered a mental breakdown and a decline in strength in the future, he might have become even stronger, since he's still young.

Furthermore, being a former mountain bandit, he knew the wickedness of human nature. Although he and Kanjuro were both retainers, he did not share the same deep friendship with Kin'emon as Kanjuro did, and he trusted Kanjuro implicitly.

Asura Doji had just returned from patrolling outside and went back to his room. It was another repetitive day, but he wasn't bored at all. Compared to his previous aimless days, this was all thanks to Oden.

Oden has been gone for almost four years now. Inuarashi, Nekomamushi, Izo secretly followed Oden on his voyages. He couldn't help but feel a little envious and missed them very much, especially Oden.

Suddenly, he froze. He saw a piece of paper under his pillow on his bed, with a corner sticking out. Who left it? Was it deliberately shown to him? He felt a little curious, but more cautious. The defenses in the Daimyo's Mansion were extremely tight. He and Kin'emon had been guarding Daimyo's Mansion during the day. How could someone have gotten in?

He strode forward, pulled the paper from under his pillow, held it up to his face, and looked at it. Asura Doji frowned deeply, remaining silent for a long time. After a long while, as if he had made up his mind, he picked up his sword, walked out of his room, and out of the Kozuki's Daimyo's Mansion, without telling anyone or disturbing anyone.

In the forest south of Kuri, Asura Doji continued to walk forward. With his burly body, cherry-red hair, and terrifying aura like that of an Asura, he truly lived up to his name.

Looking around as if searching for something, Asura Doji shouted, "I'm here! Come out now! Is everything written here true?"

At that moment, Teach appeared before him, smiling as he looked at Asura Doji. He took out a letter in his hand, a letter from Oden to his retainer. Just as Teach had guessed, Asura Doji admired Oden, his Oden, and Oden immense strength, and his bonds with others were very weak.

He trusted his own judgment. Teach 'Orochi usurpation on a piece of paper, as well as the news that Kanjuro Kurozumi was an undercover agent. Asura Doji didn't trust anyone else and didn't tell anyone else either, so he came to verify it himself.

Asura Doji stared intently at Teach, took the letter from Teach hand, Teach smiled, introducing himself, "Marshall D. Teach, a member of the Whitebeard Pirates and Oden's comrade. I've returned to deliver a message for Oden and also to find a famous swordsmith to reforge my sword."

Teach slowly revealed his origins, "Are you from the ship that the lord boarded when he left Wano Country?" Looking at the information on the letter, Asura Doji was somewhat convinced; it was indeed the lord's handwriting and the tone of his voice. However, he still found it hard to believe the person in front of him and asked again for confirmation.

"Yes, that's right." Teach nodded. He understood and appreciated Ashura's wariness. "Kanjuro, full name, Kanjuro Kurozumi, is a member of the same clan as Kurozumi Orochi. He is also a spy planted by the Kurozumi Clan by Oden's side. I'm here to eliminate him and prevent the plan from being leaked."

"Oden will be back soon. I need to kill Kanjuro before then. You know Oden's personality, so we can't let him know. We need to resolve all the unexpected events before he returns."

Kanjuro was his companion, a retainer of his lord just like him. He didn't want to do this, but Asura Doji somewhat believed Teach's words.

He couldn't see any sign that Teach was lying. Oden was the future shogun of Wano Country, and the fact that Kurozumi Orochi had become the acting shogun was highly suspicious. He had never heard of this person before, and his faction's retainers were very dissatisfied. How could there be such a thing as an acting shogun?

"How can I believe you?" Asura Doji asked. Teach couldn't help but smile at his words. He couldn't sense any malice from Asura Doji, which meant that Asura Doji already believed him in his heart.

"Kanjuro manages the finances of the Kozuki's Daimyo's Mansion, so there must be a lot less money there. Every time Kurozumi Orochi borrows money from Kuri, Kanjuro lends him double the amount," Teach said. Asura Doji frowned, somewhat angry. He knew about the borrowing and the financial shortage. When Oden was alive, the Oden was very wealthy, but after Oden left, it gradually became poorer. He hadn't expected it to be for this reason.

"I'll find an opportunity to lure him out and have a big fight with him. He's been hiding his strength all this time, and I'll force him to show his true power. Then you can help me take him down together," Teach revealed his plan.

"Yes, I agree." This was without a doubt. Although he believed Teach's words now, it was only Teach's side of the story. Once Kanjuro showed Teach that he had displayed power far exceeding his usual strength and was hiding his true power, then there would be evidence. He would then have a reason to take action, not only for himself but also for his lord.

Teach also had an idea on how to lure out Kanjuro. He would send a letter to Kanjuro, just like he did to Asura Doji, telling him in his heart his true identity and that he was sent to Kanjuro by Kurozumi Orochi.

Although he didn't know how Orochi usually communicated with him, Kanjuro wasn't sure if it was true or false. What he was certain of was that the person who sent him this paper clearly knew his identity and would have suspicions and curiosity. If it wasn't Orochi who knew his true identity, he would definitely eliminate them to prevent his own identity from being exposed, and also for the sake of the Kurozumi Clan's great cause.

Therefore, Kanjuro Kurozumi will definitely come at that time, and he will come alone, since very few people know his true identity.

Teach told Asura Doji about Teach plan, and Asura Doji agreed. He would keep a close eye on things, and once Kanjuro revealed his true strength, he would help Teach and then kill Kanjuro.