"Huh? Sig? What brings you here?" Yamato looked at Sig in surprise.
"The right time is getting closer and closer... Hiyori need to discuss something with you. Let me know you're here." Sig didn't say much in front of the others.
At this Yamato, around Yamato were four of the Nine Red Scabbards — Denjiro, who had undergone psychological plastic surgery, as well as a cat, a dog, and a kappa.
As for Ashura Doji, he's not very interested in the Nidai Kitetsu. He's currently training the Armament Legion, and... he has a special mission coming up later.
In addition, Shimotsuki Yasuiie, who is not a swordsman, was also present.
Sig was slightly surprised, because while Shimotsuki Yasuiie, as the Daimyo of the Shimotsuki Clan, knew Swordsmanship, he wasn't exactly an expert; he was probably the weakest in terms of pure martial prowess...
Moreover, the Yasuie is known for being the most mature and prudent; who would have thought they'd also join in the fun?
As for the other people, their reactions upon seeing Sig varied.
The Yasuie, needless to say, exhibits a routine of "wariness towards outsiders," but at the same time, they are also grateful, which is not contradictory.
Denjiro and Kawamatsu's feelings were purely "gratitude," while Nekomamushi and Inuarashi's were more complex—on the one hand, they couldn't tolerate any questioning of Sig's help to Wano Country and the Kozuki Clan; on the other hand... Shanks' matter clearly still bothered them.
Unlike the others, the cat and dog had been on Roger's ship and recognized Shanks.
As for Yamato, needless to say, he wasn't taken seriously at all— the Captain? He couldn't even rely on his own father, let alone be the Captain... The Sig brothers must have their own reasons!
"If it's not urgent, let's wait and see. We need to go and see Master Tenguyama Hitetsu first." Yamato said, looking at the mountain path beside him.
It seems that Tenguyama Hitetsu is still living on the mountain?
Now that Kaido's oppression has ended in Wano Country, the people are no longer burdened with excessive labor, and the imprisoned samurai have been released; some are recuperating, while others have already recovered...
Under Yamato advocacy, the mines, weapons factories, and so on were not abandoned. However, a large portion of the latter were converted into factories producing civilian goods. Efficiency was sacrificed, and everything was changed to minimize pollution. The workload was reduced to a normal level, and trade with Tesoro continued.
Although "efficiency" has decreased significantly, Wano Country is actually financially well-off on paper because Kaido is no longer the middleman. It just needs some time to transform this financial surplus into real wealth.
As for Kaido, the "former middleman," he failed to take the profits with him either; most of them were converted into the Armament Legion, which is now under Hiyori's control.
Hunger and similar conditions have essentially disappeared from Wano Country...
Accompanying this was a massive post-disaster reconstruction and pollution control effort, which naturally allowed the last remaining small group of rebels who had been hiding to come down from the mountain with complete peace of mind.
As for the real bandits, those are the ones that need to be eradicated!
However, it seems that Tenguyama Hitetsu is still living on the mountain.
"General, Tenguyama Hitetsu is still living on the mountain and is deliberately spreading news of the Nidai Kitetsu instead of directly presenting him to the General's mansion. I'm afraid he has ulterior motives..." Shimotsuki Yasuiie said to Yamato with a gloomy face.
Yamato and asked, "Huh? Was the shogun of Wano Country allowed to freely ask other samurai or swordsmiths for their swords?"
"Well, that... it's not quite like that." Shimotsuki Yasuiie paused upon hearing this.
Yamato looked at the Yasuie with a puzzled expression, as if to say, "If no one would do that, what are you talking about?"
Seeing that Yamato had already turned and walked up the mountain, the Yasuie showed a look of relief and a sense of accomplishment... at the same time, a look of reassurance!
"The hook is straight and the bait is salty..." Sig glanced at the Yasuie and said something that the Yasuie didn't quite understand, but could figure out the meaning after thinking about it carefully.
That's right, the Yasuie was just fishing!
As for the purpose, it was certainly not to harm Yamato, but rather to put him to the test.
At the same time, the Yasuie's actions also made Sig realize the identity of Tenguyama Hitetsu on the mountain... he was probably not a "swordsmith".
And why is "he" here...?
Sig could roughly guess the reason; once they met, he would naturally be able to confirm his guess!
On the way up the mountain, Nekomamushi couldn't help but walk up to Sig and ask, "Mr. Sig... about those rumors about you and Shanks."
"Huh? Shanks? Who's that? He's dead!" Sig said, picking his nose.
Nekomamushi, Inuarashi:...
Seeing that Sig was unwilling to bring it up at all, and that his attitude was indeed quite self-righteous, the two decided to assume there was something going on and didn't ask any further questions.
After all, they had joined the ship halfway through the journey, and they weren't even Roger's crew members, but rather Oden's Oden. Therefore, they were still a layer apart from Shanks and didn't question the benefactor of Wano Country because of this.
Sig had already made some guesses about Shanks' origins.
Shanks and Buggy were indeed on Roger's ship from a young age, but the problem is that they were "too young"—they were on Roger's ship as babies!
Furthermore, Sig later calculated that the year Shanks and Buggy were born was also the year of the God Valley Massacre...
Roger's ship certainly wouldn't have taken in two babies for no reason. They were most likely "orphans" adopted after the God Valley Incident. The God Valley Incident was caused by Rocks intercepting a group of Celestial Dragons, and Shanks is probably a descendant of that Celestial Dragons.
As for the elders, they should all be dead, otherwise they wouldn't have been adopted by the Roger Pirates. As for re-establishing contact with Mary Geoise, that happened after Roger's death and before the Red-Hair Pirates were formed.
Upon reaching the mountain and seeing "Tenguyama Hitetsu," with its Big Wings and a red tengu mask, Sig's previous guess was completely confirmed...
The feeling of Devil Fruit powers.
Moreover... it's the same fruit that "another Sig" researched not long ago— the Revive-Revive Fruit)!
Tenguyama Hitetsu is also Underworld-Underworld Fruit user)!
Unlike Brook, he wasn't quite dead yet and was still a "power user," though he also carried some aura of the underworld.
He's dead, but not completely dead.
This is the true "resurrection".
And this basically confirms Sig's original guess about Tenguyama Hitetsu's identity!
On one hand, in the original work, Tenguyama Hitetsu is a "collector of beautiful girl Marionette," and Brook also discovered a collection of puppets in Orochi Castle; on the other hand, Yasuie's emotions just now seem to be "testing" Yamato on behalf of someone.
And the only person whose status is high enough for the Yasuie to "replace" him, and who can also place his collection in Orochi Castle, also known as Kozuki Castle, is... the former Shogun of Wano Country, Kozuki Sukiyaki!