"He used to be a retainer of Kozuki Oden!"
"Only in that era could he possibly have forged a solid friendship with a noble and righteous thief."
Daikoku's pupils constricted in shock as he said, "Are you implying that the Ushimitsu Kozō is one of Kozuki Oden's retainers?"
"I am merely guessing."
Good said calmly, "If both of them are Kozuki Oden's retainers, then the Ushimitsu Kozō truly has reason to save Shutenmaru. Aside from that, I cannot think of any other possibility."
"This--"
Daikoku's face went pale, and cold sweat streamed down his cheeks.
That possibility genuinely existed!
Fifteen years ago, on the day Kozuki Oden was subjected to the "boiling punishment," he had also been present and participated in the subsequent manhunt.
Oden's nine retainers had scattered in all directions to flee for their lives. Several of them had run back to Oden Castle and vanished into the blazing inferno, while the rest had disappeared without a trace.
Could it be that they had returned?!
Good put down his teacup, his gaze icy.
"Daikoku, you should understand that as far as we are concerned, the Kozuki Clan must vanish. We must never give them a chance to make a comeback!"
"Yes!"
Daikoku drew a deep breath.
If the Kozuki Clan were still around, they would inevitably seek revenge against them.
Good said coldly, "Daikoku, you witnessed the Ushimitsu Kozō's might with your own eyes last night. Across all of Wano Country, samurai with such strength can be counted on one hand!"
"Indeed."
Daikoku's expression was grave.
The terrifying slash from last night was definitely not something an ordinary swordsman could possess, especially now that swords were banned in Wano Country and the number of samurai had plummeted.
He also realized that Good's conversation with him was not merely an attempt to win him over, but carried a much deeper meaning.
Good produced a few strands of blue hair.
"Last night, Princess Yamato smacked down the Ushimitsu Kozō's headscarf. This is the hair he dropped, which I deliberately collected. It is an extremely vital clue."
"Blue hair?"
Daikoku looked at the strands of long hair on the table, and after staring in a daze for a few seconds, a figure abruptly surfaced in his mind.
Blue hair was already rare, and a blue-haired samurai possessing formidable strength was even scarcer than phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, yet exactly such a samurai happened to exist within the Flower Capital!
Boss Kyoshiro!
The man was currently inside the banquet hall drinking with Orochi!
"This is impossible!"
Daikoku sprang up abruptly, his face filled with horror.
Everyone in this country knew that Boss Kyoshiro was Shogun Orochi's most loyal dog, having committed all sorts of vile deeds for Shogun Orochi over the years. How could he possibly be an Oden retainer?!
"Daikoku, there is nothing absolutely impossible in this world."
Good dipped a finger into some tea, then drew a pattern on the teatable, resembling a bird spreading its wings.
Daikoku looked at the pattern on the table, his heart experiencing another shock.
It was the Kozuki Family Crest.
"I have heard that retainers of the Kozuki Clan carve the Kozuki Family Crest onto their backs, using it to represent their loyalty to Kozuki. Is that correct?"
"Correct!"
Daikoku understood Good's meaning.
To determine whether Boss Kyoshiro was a remnant of the Kozuki Clan, one only needed to verify whether the Kozuki Family Crest existed on his back.
Wait!
Daikoku suddenly realized something, and the look he cast toward Good was filled with absolute terror.
Could it be that he had known Boss Kyoshiro's true identity all along?
Yesterday evening, Good had intentionally dispatched him to carry word back to the Flower Capital, reporting the victorious news of having heavily injured Shutenmaru, and after locating the Bandit Stronghold, had dragged things out until the Hour of the Rat late at night before launching the attack.
Given Boss Kyoshiro's status, he would inevitably have received the news at the earliest possible moment, and would have been able to rush to Atama Mountain in Kuri just before the stroke of midnight.
Everything had suddenly become crystal clear!
Now that he thought about it, this man's true objective had been to use Shutenmaru as bait to lure Boss Kyoshiro out into the open.
He wanted to eliminate Boss Kyoshiro!
No, what this man truly wanted to eliminate was Shogun Orochi!
Daikoku broke out in a cold sweat, the clothes on his back soaked through with perspiration.
Kyoshiro was Shogun Orochi's most trusted right-hand man and also the strongest samurai under his banner. If Kyoshiro were lost, Shogun Orochi's influence would suffer a devastating blow.
The problem was that if Kyoshiro truly was a retainer of Kozuki Oden, regardless of the cost, he had to be eliminated.
No one could tolerate having the sharpest blade suspended directly above their head!
"Lord Good--"
"Shh! Quiet!"
Good made a shushing gesture, lowering his voice to instruct, "Daikoku, when dealing with enemies, you must make thorough preparations and never give the other party even a shred of a chance to escape. If you let a tiger back into the mountains, the ones who die in the future will very likely be you and me!"
"Understood, Lord Good!"
Daikoku replied in a low voice.
He knew what he needed to do.
As for the struggle between the shoguns and their factions, he was just an ordinary ninja; he had neither the ability nor the qualifications to meddle in it.
"I'm tired and want to sleep for a bit."
Good stretched lazily, then reclined sideways and waved his hand to dismiss him: "Go. Remember to tell the Shogun that if there is any need, I will certainly lend a hand."
"Lord Good, I shall convey your words."
Daikoku turned and left, but a voice suddenly came from behind him.
"The captain of the Oniwabanshu is named Fukurokuju, right? Tsk tsk, such a hard name to pronounce. Can't he change it to something simpler?"
A hint, a blatant hint!
Daikoku resolutely quickened his pace.
He felt that if he stayed here, even his iron-clad will would be warped; that man's ability to bewitch people's hearts was terrifying.
"Bam!"
The door closed tightly.
"He runs really fast."
Good glanced at the door, shook his head, and turned over.
He had originally thought it would take some time to reach today's situation, but Orochi letting him suppress bandits had accelerated that process.
Now only the final surprise troop remained.
Calculating the time, they should be arriving soon!
Half an hour later.
"Durlurulu~ Durlurulu~~"
The sound of a snail came from inside his robe.
He was getting a call.
Sleepy-eyed, Good fished out the snail.
"Moshi moshi?"
"Lord Good, word has come from the Kuri waterfall that an illegal pirate ship has entered our borders. Judging by the flag on the ship, there's a high probability it's the Spade Pirates, a rookie crew currently making waves!"
Just this afternoon, the Spade Pirates had entered Wano Country through the Kuri waterfall and defeated the Beasts Pirates on guard duty.
A smile surfaced in Good's eyes.
"Good. Send men immediately to search for the whereabouts of the Spade Pirates."
"Yes!"
The connection cut off.
Kuri, Amigasa Village.
"A pirate ship has washed ashore!"
"Quick, grab them!"
"Snatch all their food!"
Villagers on the verge of starvation shouted as they swarmed toward the pirate ship, tied up all the pirates, and then cheered as they shared food and water.
Their wolfish gorging made them look like starved ghosts reincarnated.
Beneath a tree, the Spade Pirates crew were tied together. Watching the villagers snatching food, they didn't look angry at all.
The crew members asked softly.
"Captain Ace?"
"Let them finish eating."
Ace shook his head slightly.
From the tattered clothes of the villagers, he could tell they were impoverished commoners struggling to fill their bellies. He was actually quite happy to be able to help them.
When the villagers had eaten their fill, the ropes around Ace's wrists burst into flames, and his subordinates also used various methods to untie their bonds.
This sight frightened the villagers.
However, Ace had no intention of exacting payback on them, and instead asked with a smile, "Where can I find some after-meal dessert? Filling your belly and then having some dessert afterwards is the happiest thing ever!"
"Eh?"
The villagers froze.
This pirate seemed to be a weirdo!
Today's single update is a massive chapter of over 4,000 characters, just to hit an even-numbered chapter count, otherwise it would feel uncomfortably awkward in my heart.
Let me talk about the update schedule.
Since it hits serialization at 100,000 words...
After the serialization begins, it will start at 6,000 characters per day.
Thank you for your understanding, dear reader lords.
By the way, I'm asking for votes. I haven't asked for votes since the book started, and it's currently on its first recommendation, so I really need the support of my reader lords.
Monthly votes and retention reads are truly important, thank you!
Chapter 47: Ace: Let's Go Take Down Kaido!
West of Amigasa Village.
Ace held bamboo strips, carefully weaving a conical hat, but a moment of carelessness caused the hat in his hand to catch fire.
"Hahaha, Ace messed up again."
Other villagers weaving hats couldn't help laughing, their gazes filled with warmth. After a brief interaction, they had already felt Ace's goodwill.
Although Ace was also a pirate, he was different from the evil Kaido.
Tama sat next to Ace, curiously tilting her head to ask, "Ace, what did you guys come to Wano Country for?"
"This, you see."
Before you continue