Under Abel's command, more than a dozen knights from the Kingdom of Cho's Tide Sound Guard captured all of Oden's defeated party.
Afterward, Dimon and Kaido headed to Oden Castle, where Kaido suppressed every resisting samurai.
Seize the city and rule as king!
Dimon had completely taken control of Oden Castle in Kuri.
Dawn had just broken.
The people of Kuri still had no idea what had happened. Half of Oden Castle had been destroyed, proving that last night's commotion had not been a dream.
Quite a few people gathered in the streets, whispering among themselves as they looked toward Oden Castle halfway up the mountain.
"Where's the dragon? That dragon from last night?"
"Is Lord Oden all right?"
"Who'll go find out?"
The people only talked about it. No one dared to take action.
Early that morning, inside Oden Castle.
Kaido drank and ate meat to his heart's content.
"Worororo! Wano Country's liquor isn't bad either. Dimon, want some?"
"I'll go deal with those prisoners. Take your time drinking."
After a simple breakfast, Dimon rose and left.
The captured samurai, retainers, and Kozuki Oden were all imprisoned in the dungeon.
The dungeon was guarded by the Tide Sound Guard, which was enough to keep things under control for the time being.
Dimon arrived at the depths of the prison and found the unconscious Kozuki Oden in a cell on the lowest level.
His entire body was bound in Seastone chains, wrapped up like a dumpling and unable to move.
As if sensing the footsteps, Kozuki Oden's eyelids trembled, and he slowly woke up.
"You're... the one from last night!"
Realizing that he was restrained, Kozuki Oden struggled once, then asked gravely, "What do you want?"
"Good morning," Dimon greeted him, then said flatly, "We want Wano Country."
"What?"
"Your Kōzuki Clan has ruled Wano Country for at least eight hundred years. There is no eternal monarchy in this world. It's time for this country to have a new master."
With a raise of his hand, Dimon created a bottle of Elixir of Immortality.
As he poured Kozuki Oden a drink, he said:
"This is your final drink before you die. Do you have any last words?"
"Why?" Kozuki Oden gritted his teeth. "Why target Wano Country? Are you pirates?"
"There are several reasons. One of them is..."
Dimon paused, then chuckled. "I hate someone named Momonosuke. If you die, he'll die too."
Kozuki Momonosuke was Kozuki Oden's son. If the father died young, the son naturally would never be born.
Yet upon hearing that, Kozuki Oden was utterly confused.
Who was Momonosuke?
"Enough. No more nonsense. Want a drink?"
Dimon grabbed Kozuki Oden by the chin and poured a cup of Elixir of Immortality down his throat.
At first, Kozuki Oden resisted somewhat, but the moment the fine liquor entered his throat, his eyes widened.
Delicious. Calling it the finest wine in the world would not have been an exaggeration!
"What kind of wine is this?"
"Those are your last words? Fine. The Kōzuki Clan will end with your generation."
Dimon reached out and pressed a hand against Kozuki Oden's forehead, silently activating the power of devouring.
Feeling a terrifying force descend from the crown of his head, Kozuki Oden's expression changed drastically.
He wanted to struggle for his life, but his body was tightly bound, leaving him completely unable to move.
"Wait..."
He only had time to leave behind that single word before his entire body turned to dust and was absorbed into Dimon's palm.
At the same time.
Dimon closed his eyes tightly. It was as though he were watching a film, seeing every scene from Kozuki Oden's birth to his death.
In 1464, he was born into this world as an infant, possessing incredible strength from the moment he was born.
At one month old, he violently threw his wet nurse away.
At two, he could catch two rabbits at once, displaying astonishing speed.
At four, he hurled a huge boulder in the wilderness and killed a Bear.
At six, he began frequenting the pleasure quarters of the Flower Capital. Since his body had yet to develop, he could only peep into brothels.
At eight, he drank at a gambling house. After losing too much and flying into a rage, he got into a fierce fight with the gamblers.
At nine, he wandered between brothels and gambling houses. Since he often refused to pay, the underworld blacklisted him. Enraged, he burned down the gambling house and the gang, only to be arrested in the end.
At ten, he entered Udon Quarry as a prisoner to serve his sentence. Thanks to the Kōzuki Clan's talent for stoneworking, he was promoted to foreman.
At eleven, he was released early for good behavior.
At fourteen, he altered a river course because of a drought, causing a massive flood and becoming wanted once more.
At fifteen, he threatened the head priest of a temple and secluded himself there. Every night, he abducted women to build a harem, inciting public outrage and drawing a collective attack. Wano Country called it the "Harem Rebellion."
At eighteen, his thirty-eighth illegal attempt to sail out to sea failed. His father ordered their father-son relationship severed and expelled him from the Flower Capital.
At twenty, he traveled across the country and eventually arrived in Kuri. After restoring public order, he was granted the title of daimyo.
After that came the present moment.
He died in the dungeon of Oden Castle.
"What a short yet wonderful life. Especially his childhood—he was practically a lawless little demon king."
Dimon opened his eyes and could not help laughing.
As expected of someone with a shogun for a father. Everything he did had been beyond expectation.
Of course, he did not mean to look down on Kozuki Oden. If he had a president for a father, he would have gone even further.
"His physical enhancement is ordinary, but his Haki..."
Dimon's gaze sharpened, and a wave of Conqueror's Haki suddenly erupted, sweeping across all of Kuri.
At that moment, tens of thousands of people could feel the overwhelming presence.
Dimon simply had not intended to knock them out. Otherwise, everyone would have passed out.
Kaido, who was eating breakfast, immediately sensed the Haki. His face froze for an instant.
"Dimon's... Conqueror's Haki?" He grinned. "As expected, he has the qualities of a conqueror too!"
Inside the dungeon.
After releasing it for a moment, Dimon swiftly withdrew his aura.
"Not bad. I've finally awakened it. To stand at the summit of these seas, Conqueror's Haki is indispensable."
Next, he needed to find a way to learn Advanced Conqueror's Haki!
Leaving the cell, Dimon returned to the tatami room. Seeing him come back, Kaido asked:
"Why did you suddenly unleash Conqueror's Haki just now? Was there an enemy?"
"Not an enemy. I was just in a good mood. I just killed Kozuki Oden."
Dimon sat down and poured himself a small cup of liquor.
"You had a grudge against him?"
"Not really. I just couldn't appreciate him as a person."
The tactful way of putting it was that he couldn't appreciate him.
The blunt way of putting it was that he disliked him.
Actually, he did not dislike Kozuki Oden that much. He was simply speechless over the man.
If there was someone he truly disliked, it had to be Kozuki Momonosuke. That brat was the truly irritating one.
Kaido gulped down a mouthful of liquor. "He's dead anyway. When are we heading to the Flower Capital?"
"After I finish this drink!"
Flower Capital, General's Mansion.
"No, no! This is bad, Shogun Sukiyaki!"
A ninja hurried into the shogun's study and reported in a panic.
"What happened?"
Kozuki Sukiyaki sat at his desk in a robe, reviewing documents. Seeing the other man so flustered, he could not help frowning.
The ninja dropped to one knee and said urgently, "News has come from Kuri. Last night, thieves broke into the daimyo's residence. Lord Oden was defeated and killed. The thieves have now taken control of Oden Castle and have even sent word of his death!"
"What!?"
Kozuki Sukiyaki's body swayed. He was completely dumbfounded.
Before you continue