King's search warrant spread throughout the entire Beasts Pirates that very night.
Before dawn, the port of Onigashima was already bustling with activity.
Squads of Beasts Pirates soldiers boarded ships and set sail towards Wano Country's main island.
The leaders were all high-ranking officers of the Flying Six, each holding a search warrant that Jin had hastily prepared overnight, bearing only a few lines of text—
Tenguyama Hitetsu, a swordsmith who wears a mask with a long nose. Find him, bring him back, and you'll be richly rewarded.
There is no portrait, and no more detailed description.
With only these few pieces of information, finding someone in the vast Wano Country is like finding a needle in a haystack.
But neither King nor Kaido cared.
As long as he's still in Wano Country, the Beasts Pirates will find a way to bring him back.
Over the next two days, the Beasts Pirates ransacked every town, village, Wano Country.
Soldiers went door to door, questioning people, ransacking shops, and stopping passersby to check their identities.
Some complained, some cried out, but no one dared to rebel.
Meanwhile, the central figure in all of this— Tenguyama Hitetsu —is currently in a small hut in the back mountains of Amigasa Village, completely unaware of the impending danger.
Amigasa Village is a small place, located in a valley on the edge of Wano Country. It has inconvenient transportation and a small population.
The Beasts Pirates came here a few times back then, but found that there were neither minerals nor labor, so they never came back.
Kozuki Sukiyaki chose to hide here precisely because of this.
His current identity is " Tenguyama Hitetsu ", a swordsmith.
He wore a long-nosed celestial dog mask, dressed in coarse cloth, and lived in a small wooden house on the back mountain.
He forges swords in the backyard during the day and studies ancient texts left by the Kozuki Clan at night.
He would occasionally go to the village to exchange his knife for rice and grain, living a secluded life and avoiding conflict with the world.
For over a decade, there has never been a problem.
But today, a problem has arisen.
On the third day at noon,
When Kozuki Sukiyaki went to the village to buy rice, she noticed that something was wrong with the atmosphere there.
The usually deserted streets were now filled with several Beasts Pirates members, who were knocking on doors and questioning people.
He vaguely heard the words " Tenguyama Hitetsu ", and his back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.
He didn't even buy rice; he turned around and headed towards the back of the mountain.
His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of his throat the whole way.
The face beneath the mask was taut, each step faster than the last, until finally it was almost a run.
The Beasts Pirates are looking for him.
Why did you contact him?
He had been living in anonymity for over a decade, even using a false name when forging knives, and had severed all contact with anyone who might expose his identity.
Even former members of the Kozuki Family didn't know he was still alive.
How did they know?
There was no time to think about Kozuki Sukiyaki.
All he knew was that he had to leave immediately and disappear without a trace before being found.
He took a shortcut around the village entrance and ran back along the dry riverbed.
Halfway there, two soldiers from the Beasts Pirates appeared ahead.
The two men were clearly searching the area.
Seeing Tenguyama Hitetsu was wearing a mask with a long nose, running towards them, the two exchanged a glance and simultaneously drew their weapons.
"Halt! Are you Tenguyama Hitetsu?!"
The Kozuki Sukiyaki has never stopped.
He dodged the first soldier's slash by sidestepping, and with a backhand strike, knocked the man to the ground.
Before the other soldier could react, the purchasing basket in his hand had already smashed into the man's face, scattering rice and grain all over the ground.
While the two soldiers were rolling on the ground and howling in pain, Kozuki Sukiyaki had already rushed into the woods behind the mountain.
His movements were so agile that they didn't seem like those of a blacksmith.
Although he was old and not as strong as before, he still had the foundation he had as the shogun of Wano Country, and those young soldiers couldn't keep up with him at all.
He walked through the woods, around the stream behind the mountain, and slipped into his cabin via a secluded path.
He started packing his things as soon as he entered the door.
Ancient books, forging tools, and the Nidai Kitetsu he had treasured for many years—everything that could prove his identity had to be taken away.
Quicker, even faster!
The Beasts Pirates could catch up at any moment.
But he was still too slow.
As he was stuffing the ancient books into his bundle, three terrifying auras descended from the sky, crashing down without any attempt to conceal themselves outside the wooden house.
Kozuki Sukiyaki's hands stopped moving.
The package slipped from his fingers, scattering the ancient books all over the floor.
Although his Observation Haki was not as sharp as it was in his youth, he could still clearly sense the intensity of the three auras outside the house.
A somber and sharp line, like a knife hanging in mid-air. It was Ash.
A violent and savage beast, like one that could tear everything apart at any moment.
It's Kaido.
There's another one--
Cold sweat beaded on Kozuki Sukiyaki's forehead.
This aura is completely different from the previous two.
It is not very aggressive; in fact, it can be described as quite peaceful.
But that peace is not weakness, but a sense of absolute control.
Heavenly Dao Emperor, Roy.
Three powerful figures appeared simultaneously outside his small wooden hut.
There's no escaping it.
Kozuki Sukiyaki a deep breath, put the tengu mask back on, and smoothed out the wrinkles on her coarse cloth clothes.
He walked to the door, paused for a moment, and then pushed it open.
Kaido, Roy, and King stood in the open space in front of the wooden house, surrounded by several soldiers from the Beasts Pirates.
When the soldiers saw Tenguyama Hitetsu emerge, they instinctively took a step back.
Their two colleagues, whom the blacksmith had previously knocked down, were still on the ground.
Kozuki Sukiyaki stood at the door, his mask concealing his expression, but it couldn't hide the sudden surge of aura emanating from him.
It wasn't murderous intent, nor was it intimidation; rather, it was a dignity that refused to bow down, no matter the circumstances.
He was once the shogun of Wano Country and the head of the Kozuki Clan.
Even if one lives in anonymity for more than a decade, this pride etched into one's bones will not be worn away by time.
" Tenguyama Hitetsu."
Roy spoke first, his voice calm and unhurried, as if calling the name of an old friend.
"Or perhaps I should call you— Kozuki Sukiyaki, the former Shogun of Wano Country."
Kozuki Sukiyaki's body trembled almost imperceptibly.
Kaido's eyes narrowed, and King's right hand rested on the hilt of his sword.
None of them knew Tenguyama Hitetsu's true identity, and Roy had never mentioned it before.
Everyone present knew what the name "Kozuki Sukiyaki " represented in Wano Country.
Kozuki Oden's father.
The last monarch of the legitimate government of Wano Country.
The silence lasted for a few breaths.
Then Kozuki Sukiyaki raised her hand and slowly removed her mask.
Beneath the mask was a wrinkled but still dignified face.
His hair was white, and his eyes were sunken, but the light in his eyes had not yet been extinguished.
"I am no longer a general."
His voice was hoarse, but every word was spoken steadily.
"Just an ordinary commoner from Amigasa Village. Tenguyama Hitetsu."
"May I ask what brings you three distinguished guests to my humble abode?"
Roy smiled.
Stop pretending.
"I've come here for only one thing—tell me where Pluton is hiding."
Kozuki Sukiyaki's expression changed in that instant.
It wasn't the kind of feigned surprise, but a genuine, bone-deep shock.
He had been a blacksmith for over a decade and had long since developed a calm and collected demeanor, but the words " Pluton " coming from the mouth of someone he hadn't expected still broke through his defenses.
The location of Pluton's hiding place is a top secret passed down through generations of the Kozuki Clan.
Only the head of the family knows that even Oden died before he could inherit the family business.
This secret should have been buried with him in his grave.
How did Roy know?