Oden Arrives, Orochi on the Brink

Tears welled up in Oden's eyes. "Kanjuro!" Whether it was anger or sorrow, Kanjuro had followed him closely, making great contributions along the way. He was also Oden's retainer and one of the earliest retainers to follow him. Someone like Oden had a deep affection for Kanjuro.

However, Asura Doji had done everything he could, and his actions were not wrong. In fact, it was the best course of action, allowing him to leave behind a good reputation. For Kanjuro, this was the best possible outcome.

Izo, Inuarashi, Nekomamushi remained silent.

The group walked out of the forest. Their powerful aura kept any wild beasts away. Even the fiercest beasts only dared to steal a glance at them before quietly leaving.

Both Whitebeard and Oden were monsters among monsters; beasts are always more acutely aware of danger.

"Let's hurry on our way. Once we get out of this forest, we'll reach the Hakumai region," Teach said with a smile.

The commotion of nearly a thousand people quickly attracted the attention of many people after they left the forest. The warriors, seeing so many strangers exuding a dangerous aura, mistook them for enemies and rushed out with their weapons to confront Teach and his group.

"Oden, Oden!" Some of them clearly recognized Oden. In order to find Oden, who had returned from the sea, as soon as possible, these Daimyo sent many samurai to the small towns and villages along the coast of Wano Country to wait and find Oden's whereabouts.

Two Wano Country samurai who recognized Oden walked up to Oden. They were samurai from the Shimotsuki Family and hadn't expected to be so lucky as to run into Oden so soon.

"Oden, Kanjuro specifically asked me to wait for you here. Who are they?" The two samurai bowed slightly to Oden, then looked at the terrifying pirates who were clearly from outside, especially Whitebeard, a giant rarely seen in Wano Country, and his powerful, suffocating aura.

"Haha, they are my companions on the high seas! Take me to see the Kanjuro, it's been so long!" Oden laughed heartily, having recovered from his grief. One must always look forward and not dwell on the past. Besides, Kanjuro is dead. Although important, he is incomparable to the entire Wano Country. Oden is a smart man, and he understands what is more important.

Moreover, he still has to face the Kurozumi Clan's enemies, and he can't face them in such a bad state. This would be a significant blow to the reinforcements and samurai who support him.

"Alright, then follow me. We'll ride the Flame Deer to the Capital of Flowers. Kanjuro and the others have already gone to the Capital of Flowers to assemble." A samurai said to Oden, then looked at the members of the Whitebeard Pirates, unsure how to put it. Since they were Oden's companions, they were guests of Wano Country.

"What's wrong?" Oden asked, frowning.

"Oden, there are too many guests. We don't have enough mounts, only a few." The samurai was on the verge of tears under the gaze of so many people.

"Gurararara! It's alright, Oden, you go ahead, we'll catch up soon." Hearing the samurai's words, he looked at Oden and laughed loudly.

"Alright, I'll head over there first." Oden understood that this was a crucial battle, and he couldn't afford to delay. The sooner he dealt with the Kurozumi Clan, the better. The Kurozumi Clan might have already noticed something was amiss, so he needed to get there quickly.

Sitting atop a Flame Deer, whose body and antlers were the color of flames, this strong, four-meter-tall creature was one of the rare mounts in Wano Country, making it extremely precious.

"Kids, let's keep up with Oden now, hahaha!" Whitebeard laughed. Their speed was naturally no worse than that of the Flame Deer, but Oden rode the Flame Deer more to conserve his energy for the upcoming battle.

Whitebeard, naturally unwilling to let Oden fight alone, took the lead, his massive body moving so fast that the earth trembled.

At Whitebeard's command, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates cheered and started running alongside Whitebeard. It was a competition between comrades!

Marco spread his arms, which then transformed into blue Phoenix Wings. With a flap of his wings, he soared into the air and immediately took the lead. Jozu, having now eaten the Glitter-Glitter Fruit, could turn his entire body into hard diamonds, earning him the nickname "Adamantine Shield."

Despite his massive size, he was incredibly fast and agile.

Next up is Vista, a swordsman who always maintains elegance, with speed being his forte.

Whitebeard ran alongside Oden, Marco hovering above him, with the other members of his pirate crew following closely behind—a truly spectacular sight.

Watching the pirates run off happily, Teach didn't make a move. Mobius and the others followed beside Teach. "Boss Teach, aren't we going to keep up with them?" Mobius asked.

"Haha! Why waste our energy like this? It's still a long way to the Capital of Flowers," Teach laughed. "We should do things the smart way."

They were also very curious about what Teach would do next. At their speed, it was impossible for them to catch up with Oden and the others; they would run out of energy after only a few steps.

"Teach, are you sure this is okay?" A Giant Boar, over ten meters tall, had two large, red, swollen bumps on its head and tears of grievance streaming from its eyes. It had been lying there fast asleep when a human suddenly came and gave it a severe beating.

"Haha, no problem, hold on tight!" Teach laughed, making a makeshift saddle out of a bent plank and ropes, and then covering it with a blanket. The four of them sat on the back of the Giant Boar.

"Run! Take me to my destination and I'll let you go. Otherwise, I'll roast you and eat you. Your meat should be very delicious." Teach's cold voice reached the wild boar's ears. The boar's eyes widened. Thinking of being roasted and eaten, it thought, "Are you a devil?" It shook its head desperately.

Shaking his body, he ran forward desperately, creating a hurricane-like sensation as he went, it truly felt like flying.

The ground shook violently. As if sensing the huge commotion behind them, some pirates turned around, their eyes wide. "Hey! What's that? I see a wild boar!" One pirate rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing things.

"Idiot, it's a wild boar, it's coming towards us!" a pirate nearby cursed, drawing his weapon.

"Be careful, it'll be trouble if we get hit."

"Hey! Little pig, run to the side and go around these people in front of you," Teach commanded, using the nickname he had given the wild boar.

What little pig? That's disgusting! I am the mighty and Haki Boar King! The Boar King ran wildly, his mind racing, hot breath puffing out of his nose and mouth, but outwardly he dared not make the slightest sound.

It didn't want to get beaten up again by the guy on its back; it was already mentally defeated, and it was afraid it would end up shitting itself if it wasn't careful.

At the same time, it had already made up its mind that it would move to a deeper, denser forest, far away from humans. Humans were truly terrifying.

Following Teach's orders, while maintaining this rapid speed, he turned around and bypassed the still-running pirates.

"Hey! I'm going first, you guys take your time, haha!" Teach laughed loudly. The Giant Boar simply bypassed them. At such close range, they could see Teach and the others on the boar's back and hear Teach's voice.

"Where did they find this? It's like they're cheating!" The tremor of the ground made them stop in their tracks, watching as the wild boar that Teach was riding galloped past them in a flash, out of their reach.

The running wild boar attracted a lot of attention. Watching Teach ride his mount while they ran across the wilderness, they felt inexplicably inferior, and even their passion for running diminished considerably.

The Capital of Flowers: A large number of samurai are gathering here from all over Wano Country. This is the center of Wano Country and the final battlefield.

With the news of Oden's return spreading, all the Daimyo were mobilized, dispatching their powerful military forces. Samurai from all sides gathered, a scene that could be described as a once-in-a-century event.

To prevent the civilians of the Capital of Flowers from being injured, all the civilians received the news early in the morning and were all transferred outside the Capital of Flowers in a short period of time. This was naturally thanks to Kozuki Sukiyaki, who, as a former general, still possessed amazing prestige and power.

Many civilians were evacuated early in the morning, and the rest, after receiving news of Oden's return, successfully left the Capital of Flowers with the help of the Kozuki Clan samurai.

At this moment, besides the Kurozumi Clan members and Kurozumi Clan supporters, the entire Capital of Flowers had become an isolated city. How could the Kurozumi Clan not know about such a commotion? How could Kurozumi Orochi not know?

It's important to understand that there are still hidden spies among other forces. Although these powerful Swordmaster have been observing their surroundings throughout the journey, and anyone attempting to secretly pass messages would be discovered, the spy exposed, and eliminated to prevent leaks, some messages still manage to get out.

Kurozumi Orochi drank his wine in large gulps, while Kurozumi Kabuto stood quietly behind him. The surroundings were empty; the usually obsequious officials were gone, and the guards and maids had all disappeared.

One moment it was full of singing and dancing, the next it had turned into this: the news of the Kurozumi Family's rebellion had been exposed, and they had Kozuki against the Kozuki family and the entire Wano Country.

The entire general's mansion was in a state of panic. Some people hid away, gathering their money and valuables, hoping to escape.

Then there were samurai and ninjas, all members of the Kurozumi Family, the power of the Kurozumi Family, standing outside the general's mansion, seemingly waiting for something.

The Orochi raised its head, its hand holding the wine bottle high, its mouth agape. The bottle was upside down, a single drop of wine falling from the neck. It shook vigorously, but nothing appeared.

The wine was gone, and empty bottles were scattered all around on the ground.

The Orochi looked drunk, swaying its head as if everything before was a dream, and now, the dream was over.

Hearing the chaotic sounds below, one of his trusted men entered. "Shogun Orochi, those people have started to escape. Should we send someone to stop them, or kill them?" He was absolutely loyal to Orochi, and even at this moment, he stood firmly on Orochi's side, willing to die for Orochi.

"Heh, where can they run to? The Capital of Flowers is surrounded. No matter what, they can't escape. Wipe your sword clean and don't waste your energy on these trash." Kurozumi Orochi sat cross-legged on the ground, leaning back, his left hand supporting him on the floor. His eyes were clear and cold as he sneered.

"Yes, Shogun Orochi," the trusted aide replied respectfully. "Otofu, you should run away. If you run now, there's still a sliver of hope for survival!" Orochi said softly, looking at the trusted aide who had followed him for so long.

"No, even at the very last moment, I will stay by your side, Shogun Orochi," the man named Otofu said firmly, his voice filled with determination.

"Is that so? Hahahaha!" Upon hearing his words, the Orochi burst into satisfied laughter, its eyes gleaming brightly.

Kurozumi Orochi stood up, wearing a yellow kimono with many black crescent-shaped five-pointed patterns. A patterned black cloak draped over his back swayed from side to side as he walked forward until he reached the balcony. From there, he could overlook the entire Capital of Flowers from the towering General's Mansion.

"The scenery of the Capital of Flowers is truly beautiful!" The Orochi looked at the enchanting Capital of Flowers and couldn't help but open his arms and close his eyes. Today, the cherry blossoms that had been blooming in the Capital of Flowers were exceptionally bright and fragrant.

He usually looked down upon the bustling Capital of Flowers like this, ruling over everything here. Now it was empty, yet it filled him with contentment. Back then, the Capital of Flowers did not belong to him, but now, he was the sole ruler of the Capital of Flowers. His outstretched arms seemed to embrace the entire sky and the entire Capital of Flowers.

And so, quietly, Otofu and Kurozumi Kabuto stood behind Orochi. The Orochi of today seemed to have shed his former hypocrisy, his former weakness, and his former rage.

Now, he is a true king, a tyrant, the patriarch of the Kurozumi Clan. Under his leadership, the Kurozumi Clan has risen again and will unleash its final roar.

Looking at the Orochi now, Kurozumi Kabuto realized that he was not loyal to the Kurozumi Clan, but to Kurozumi Orochi. Although he had remained silent all along, he had seen the hidden side of Kurozumi Orochi: extreme forbearance, suppressing his true nature, and putting on a face that he hated.

He firmly believed that with Kurozumi Orochi around, the Kurozumi Clan would reach a new peak, and he saw it for himself. Unfortunately, time was too short. For some reason, his long-standing plan was exposed and he was targeted. He didn't even have time to react or prepare before he was surrounded.

Although it's a pity, he's willing to follow the Orochi to the very end.