Roy turned around and leaned against the ship's railing, the sea breeze ruffling the stray hairs on his forehead.
"I do have a solution! But it will take a while."
Kaido took a swig of sake and asked with interest, "Tell me about it."
"What was Kozuki Oden's greatest advantage? It wasn't his strength, but his reputation."
Roy said slowly,
"In the hearts of the people of Wano Country, he remains the beloved heir who once traveled through Kuri, implemented new policies, and was known as the ' Lord Fool.'"
"So what we need to do is not to defeat him directly, but to destroy his reputation first."
Kaido raised an eyebrow. "How do you destroy it?"
"It's simple, just make him do something that will disappoint everyone."
Roy's lips curled into a meaningful smile.
"Exploit his character weakness—his strong sense of loyalty and his deep attachment to 'family' and 'partners'."
Kaido seemed to have guessed something, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.
Roy continued,
"Have Kurozumi Orochi arrest a group of people who support Oden, especially those he once helped or protected."
"Then he made a public threat—either Oden would dance naked in the streets of the Flower Capital every day, foolishly trying to please the Shogun and the Beasts Pirates;
Or, kill a hundred people every day.
"Given Oden's character, he would definitely choose to sacrifice his own dignity to protect the people."
Upon hearing this, Kaido couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Hehehehe... Roy, you're quite the cunning one!"
Hearing Kaido's slightly mocking words, Roy rolled his eyes speechlessly.
"Don't call me insidious. Isn't this just the plan you carried out against Kozuki Oden in the original story?"
However, Roy could only complain about these things to himself.
"That's not all,"
Roy, speechless, added,
"We could set a time limit—for example, make him dance naked."
"If he agrees, he will release one hostage every day and allow Oden to lead Wano Country to open its borders in the future."
Kaido stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"That's a good idea. This period is enough time for everyone to see a former hero turn into a clown."
"By then, even if he does gain his freedom, no one will support him anymore."
"That's right."
Roy nodded.
"Moreover, during this period, we have ample opportunity to gradually weaken his power and sow discord among his retainers."
"Most importantly, it can ensure the stability of Wano Country and prevent World Government spies from taking advantage of the situation."
Excitement gleamed in Kaido's eyes.
"Great! I love this plan! We don't have to start a war right away, and we can slowly wear him down!"
But soon, Kaido thought of something else.
"However, Oden isn't stupid; would he believe us?"
"Therefore, we need Kurozumi Orochi's 'sincere' cooperation."
Roy said,
"We need to convince Oden Kurozumi Orochi only wanted to humiliate him, not that he really wanted him dead."
"After all, killing him outright would provoke a greater backlash, while humiliating him would both vent anger and destroy his prestige."
That makes sense.
Kaido grinned.
"That good-for-nothing Kurozumi Orochi is best at bullying the weak and fearing the strong, and manipulating power. Having him play this role is perfect for him."
After discussing some details, Kaido immediately contacted Kurozumi Orochi.
When Kurozumi Orochi heard about this plan, he was first shocked, then his eyes revealed a glint of excitement and cruelty.
" Kaido... this... this is absolutely wonderful!"
Kurozumi Orochi's voice trembled with excitement.
"I've wanted to humiliate Kozuki Oden for a long time!"
"Let him dance in the Flower Capital every day, so everyone can see that their hero is nothing but a clown!"
"But..."
Kurozumi Orochi hesitated again, " Kozuki Oden is so strong, what if he changes his mind or tries to rescue them by force..."
"With me around, would he dare to act recklessly?"
Kaido.
"Moreover, the hostages will be dispersed and held in various locations, with heavy troops stationed to guard them."
"If he dares to make any rash move, the hostages will die immediately."
"This... this is wonderful!"
Kurozumi Orochi was completely relieved.
"I'll arrange it right away!"
"First, arrest a group of people closely associated with Oden, then publicly announce the conditions!"
"Remember, when you're acting, you have to go all the way."
Kaido instructed,
"You need to act like a petty person just venting their anger, not someone with a bigger conspiracy,"
"You need to convince Oden that you only hate him, not that you want to destroy the entire Wano Country."
"Understood! Understood!"
The Kurozumi Orochi nodded repeatedly.
After the call ended, Kaido looked at Roy and grinned, " Roy, if your plan succeeds, Kozuki Oden will be completely finished. However..."
He paused. "Did you already have all this planned out?"
Roy smiled calmly.
This is just the optimal solution derived from intelligence analysis.
Our primary objective now is to protect the research base; any factors that could trigger large-scale unrest must be eliminated beforehand.
"And Kozuki Oden was that biggest destabilizing factor."
Kaido gave Roy a deep look, said nothing more, and simply raised his gourd.
"Cheers to our 'insidious' plan!"
Roy smiled, raised a wine glass he'd somehow acquired, and clinked it against Kaido's.
Two wine glasses clinked together in mid-air, making a crisp sound.
Meanwhile, in the Kuri region of Wano Country.
Kozuki Oden sat in a Japanese-style room in a secluded base, facing nine loyal retainers—the future " Nine Red Scabbards."
Kin'emon, Denjiro, Kikunojo, Ashura Doji, Kawamatsu, Inuarashi, Cat Viper, Izo, Raizo.
The nine people sat solemnly together, discussing countermeasures.
" Oden, Kurozumi Orochi has increased his defenses; the Flower Capital is now as impregnable as an iron fortress."
Denjiro reported,
"Furthermore, according to intelligence, Kaido personally went to the Shogun's mansion and had a long private conversation with Kurozumi Orochi."
Oden frowned.
" Kaido himself has intervened... It seems Kurozumi Orochi has completely sided with the Beasts Pirates."
"That's not all."
Ashura Doji said in a deep voice, "We've also discovered that some strangers have been active in various parts of Wano Country recently, their movements are mysterious, and they don't seem like ordinary merchants or travelers."
"They might be from the World Government."
Oden speculated,
"That good-for-nothing Kurozumi Orochi will do anything to protect his position."
"So what should we do now?" Kikunojo asked. "Should we attack the Flower Capital directly?"
Oden pondered for a moment, then shook his head.
"No!"
"A direct assault would result in too many casualties and would also affect innocent civilians."
"Let's concentrate our efforts on taking down Kurozumi Orochi first."
A determined glint flashed in Oden's eyes.
" Kaido will lose his 'legitimacy' in ruling Wano Country if Kurozumi Orochi is eliminated."
"Then, we'll unite with resistance forces from all over the world and gradually drive the Beasts Pirates out of Wano Country."
"However, Kurozumi Orochi is protected by Devil Fruit User the Barrier-Barrier Fruit."
Raizo reminded him,
"Your last raid on the General's mansion failed because of the barrier."
" Barrier-Barrier Fruit..."
Oden gripped the sword at his waist tightly.
"It is indeed a problem. But every ability has its weaknesses, and we need to find a way to overcome them."
"Furthermore, we need to contact those samurai and daimyo who still have loyalty to the Kozuki Family as soon as possible."
Oden continued his deployment, " Shimotsuki Yasuie, Fuugetsu Omusubi, Ugetsu Tempura... these people may outwardly submit to Kurozumi Orochi, but there must still be a spark of rebellion within them."
"As long as this spark is ignited, Wano Country can rise again!"
The nine retainers responded in unison, "Yes, Oden!"
After the meeting, Oden went outside alone and gazed at the bright moon in the night sky.
Having been away from Wano Country for so many years, he had seen the vastness of the world by following Whitebeard and Roger.
They also understood the drawbacks of Wano Country's policy of isolation.
This country needs change, it needs to engage with the outside world, and it needs to embrace a new era.