Kozuki Sukiyaki looked at Kozuki Oden with deep satisfaction.
The order Oden had established in Kuri had taken him by surprise.
His travels had also made him much steadier.
If Oden had shown no signs of changing, Sukiyaki had planned to hand the position of shogun of Wano Country to Shimotsuki Yasuie.
But now, Kozuki Oden had the greatest potential in Wano Country.
Everything he had been through was the stuff of legend. Everyone in Wano Country knew his story. He was a born powerhouse.
After subduing Kuri's many vicious bandits, Kozuki Oden also commanded the strongest force of any daimyo.
It was even stronger than the force Kozuki Sukiyaki commanded.
As long as Kozuki Oden kept growing stronger, those foreign pirates would be no problem.
War was about to begin. Wano Country would launch an all-out attack against them.
The Kurozumi Clan learned of this at once and passed the news to the pirates in Udon.
The news put every pirate on alert.
If an all-out battle broke out, they might not be able to hold their ground.
This time, all of Wano Country's strongest fighters would take the field, not just a few as before.
Once a powerful nation woke up, the force it could unleash was astonishing.
With such a clear advantage in strength, Wano Country could sweep aside any scheme it chose to confront.
All the Kurozumi Clan's maneuvers were nothing but paper tigers.
The unknown inspired fear, but much of what the Kurozumi Clan had arranged was now out in the open.
As it happened, Kurozumi Mucicic had returned.
"Kee-hee-hee-hee!" Dressed like a shrine maiden, she had brought quite a few new guests to Onigashima.
More than a dozen pirate crews had been drawn by the rumors she spread and had come to Wano Country.