Prison Scroll

Kozuki Sukiyaki had initially wanted to intervene and stop Luo Ji, but when he heard his granddaughter's name, he trembled and halted.

The portrait puppet Kikunojo quickly moved into action, taking down Nidai Kitetsu as well and handing it to Luo Ji.

Luo Ji did not draw Nidai Kitetsu to test the cursed blade. He simply placed it in the Storage Scroll.

"Where is Hiyori? How is she doing? Who exactly are you? No outsider could know so much information."

Kozuki Sukiyaki gritted his teeth as he asked. Leaving aside the fact that he was hiding in Amigasa Village, no one knew that he had hidden Enma and Ame no Habakiri.

He had concealed his identity for so many years, yet he still had not found any trace of Kozuki Hiyori or some of his retainers.

And yet this unfamiliar young man seemed to know everything.

That left him trembling with fear, as though he had seen a ghost.

"You concealed your identity and became a swordsmith, while your granddaughter concealed hers and became an oiran."

"Back then, Kozuki Oden even danced that humiliating dance for five years in the Flower Capital."

"Tsk, tsk. You Kozuki Family really know how to have fun."

Inside Kozuki Sukiyaki's secret chamber, Luo Ji and the puppet Kikunojo stuffed every blade they liked into another Storage Scroll.

That shameless, looting-like attitude made Sukiyaki's eyelids twitch and his mouth spasm as anger welled up inside him.

"Oiran..."

Kozuki Sukiyaki clenched his fists. He had never imagined that the princess of the Kozuki Family would fall so low, becoming a mere singer and courtesan.

Even the hand gripping his sword trembled.

Was heaven punishing the Kozuki Family?

Seventy or eighty years ago, the Kozuki Family had nearly become extinct, and the Kurozumi Family had plotted to seize the position of shogun. At that time, Kozuki Sukiyaki, the family's sole surviving heir, had been born and had fortunately preserved the Kozuki bloodline.

More than fifty years ago, Kozuki Sukiyaki had only one son, Kozuki Oden.

Unfortunately, Oden was an unruly man who stirred Wano Country into turmoil.

Later, he even went out to sea and became a pirate.

If Oden had not found a wife and children in the outside world, Sukiyaki feared that the Kozuki Family would have died out.

But Wano Country still suffered a great calamity. The Kurozumi Family successfully usurped the position of shogun, and the Beasts Pirates invaded.

Now Oden was dead, and Momonosuke's whereabouts were unknown.

This left the old man Sukiyaki utterly despairing.

Perhaps the Kozuki Family's legacy truly would end with them.

···

"Are these the tools you use to carve the Poneglyphs?"

Luo Ji found some tools that Kozuki Sukiyaki had carefully preserved. Some of the engraving knives were heavy in his hand and felt exceptionally sturdy.

Perhaps these were the tools used to process Seastone products or carve the Poneglyphs.

"I'll teach you the Kozuki Family's stonemasonry techniques if you help me find and rescue Hiyori..."

Kozuki Sukiyaki pleaded helplessly. He still found it difficult to accept the truth that his granddaughter was an oiran.

"Just teach me how to open Seastone handcuffs."

Luo Ji smiled faintly. This was the second skill he had prepared for abducting Yamato.

Of course, if his Flowing Cherry Blossoms Haki proved sufficient to open the Seastone explosive handcuffs on Yamato, this unlocking technique would merely be a backup plan.

Still, learning such a skill would be extremely useful in the future, whether for saving himself or rescuing others.

"Go rescue Hiyori first!"

"Old man, you're in no position to bargain with me.

"But I'm going to the Flower Capital anyway. I'll take you along to see your granddaughter while I'm there!"

Luo Ji gave him an indifferent smile. He intended to go to the Flower Capital and take away the red Poneglyph hidden in the underground chamber.

Of course, he first needed to gather some information.

He wanted to see whether the Beasts Pirates had begun their great expedition.

Otherwise, with the Beasts Pirates stationed in Wano Country, Luo Ji had no intention of causing trouble.

Only after the Beasts Pirates left would he have a chance to invade Shogun's Castle and then abduct Yamato from Onigashima.

"You!"

Kozuki Sukiyaki had only just started to speak when Luo Ji suddenly attacked him.

In the brief battle, Sukiyaki's sword, Gama Pachi, was knocked flying by Luo Ji once again, and Sukiyaki himself was kicked to the ground.

"Perfect. I can test the effects of my Scroll Prison."

Luo Ji summoned a scroll depicting a prison and threw Kozuki Sukiyaki inside.

This move was modeled after Mondor's Book Prison, which could imprison living beings.

Mondor also had another technique, Book World, which could trap enemies inside a story world.

Meanwhile, Luo Ji's Scroll World was still being developed and perfected.

Now that he had a direction, all he needed to do was experiment with his stamina.

"Where is this...?"

Amid Kozuki Sukiyaki's terrified voice, the Prison Scroll rolled itself up, shrank, and flew back in front of Luo Ji.

"Take a good look at reality, old man!"

Luo Ji put the miniature scroll into the scroll belt around his waist.

"Let's loot the place and leave!"

Luo Ji released his other portrait puppets and had them thoroughly ransack Kozuki Sukiyaki's library and secret chamber, making sure nothing valuable was left behind.

That said, Kozuki Sukiyaki had fallen into Amigasa Village, where he could barely eat or stay warm. Apart from those few swords, he truly had nothing else.

Luo Ji recalled his spoils and portrait puppets, then returned to Amigasa Village in high spirits.

This time, he had obtained three famous blades of Great Grade: Enma, Ame no Habakiri, and Nidai Kitetsu.

He had also obtained Gama Pachi, a Fine Grade blade, along with some Seastone and tools for processing Seastone and carving the Poneglyphs.

The gains from this trip were incredibly bountiful.

After returning to Tama's home, Luo Ji quickly dismissed his portrait clones and spent an ordinary night with Tama.

The next day.

Luo Ji left Amigasa Village with Tama and Komachiyo, heading toward Udon.

Now he needed to inquire about the Beasts Pirates' movements.

Furthermore, traveling from Kuri to the Flower Capital meant passing through either Udon or Kibi District.

Amigasa Village happened to be right beside Udon.

Luo Ji led Tama along the coast toward Udon.

"Hahaha! The cheat is seriously amazing. I'm not afraid of seawater!"

Under Tama's envious gaze, Luo Ji laughed heartily and swam merrily in the sea.

The [Xingshang] cheat truly had removed the curses of the three Devil Fruit abilities, transforming them into pure rule-based powers and merging them into Luo Ji's body.

"Why isn't Brother Luo Ji, the sorcerer, afraid of seawater?"

After Tama had eaten a strange and awful-tasting fruit, she had gained the Dango Ability, but she had also become a landlubber who feared seawater.

"Don't call me a sorcerer in the future. Call me an ability user."

In a cheerful mood, Luo Ji rubbed Tama's little head and smiled.

After playing along the way, the two reached Udon, while Luo Ji tossed Komachiyo into the Scroll World.

As a production zone for Seastone mines, Udon was far more prosperous than Kuri.

When Luo Ji entered the town of Tokikage Port in Udon, the town's underworld samurai immediately targeted him because of his unusual clothing.

Anyone bold enough not to wear Wano Country's traditional attire, or the clothing of the Beasts Pirates, was definitely an outsider.

Suspicious people like that had to be taught a lesson and driven out.

Several underworld samurai carried their swords and walked toward Luo Ji and Tama with hostile expressions.

"Brat! Where are you from? Don't you know that failing to wear a topknot and Wano Country clothing is already a grave crime?"

A blond samurai with a topknot, a long sword at his waist, and a brown-and-purple kimono glared viciously at Luo Ji and Tama.

Seeing their soft, delicate skin, he looked at them as though they were two lambs, his eyes brimming with aggression.