Sukiyaki went alone into a sealed underground chamber.
Inside stood a square, monolithic stone slab. Carved into it were strange, ancient characters
a Poneglyph.
Along the wooden shelves lining the room sat dolls of all shapes and sizes, exquisitely crafted. It was obvious Sukiyaki had poured a great deal of care and time into them.
He sat cross-legged on a cushion, facing the Poneglyph, his expression heavy with guilt as he muttered to himself.
"The Kozuki line has reached my generation… and Wano has fallen into chaos again and again."
"And now…"
"Now even the Kozuki Family's rule is facing its greatest challenge."
"I can only hope… that my ancestors will bless us. Protect us."
"If we win this wagered duel, Wano can remain as it has always been."
"But if we lose…"
"Then I can only pray the ancestors will still safeguard Wano "
"that it won't be swallowed by war…"
…
After his wounds were treated and wrapped in fresh bandages, Kozuki Oden finally returned to his residence.
In the courtyard, Kin'emon was practicing swordsmanship while Raizo was working through his ninjutsu. The moment they saw Oden, both turned pale with alarm.
Kin'emon sheathed his blade and rushed over.
"Lord Oden! Why are you injured again?!"
Raizo frowned in confusion, eyes wide.
"Lord Oden… your last injuries haven't even healed yet. Don't tell me "
"Did you challenge Ares again?!"
It had only been a few days since Oden's last defeat, and now he was hurt all over again.
Oden's shoulders sagged.
"I did challenge Ares again."
"But this time it wasn't just me."
"Other daimyō were there. And Father's ninjas as well…"
Kin'emon and Raizo didn't need to ask what happened next.
Their faces stiffened.
Kin'emon swallowed hard.
"Lord Oden… even with other daimyō and ninjas…"
"You still lost?!"
"We lost," Oden said quietly, the fire and swagger that usually defined him nowhere to be seen. "And it wasn't even close."
"Ares' strength… is too overwhelming."
"Even combined… we weren't his match."
This blow was worse than the first two.
Far worse.
Raizo's eyes trembled.
"Ares… has he become so strong that in all of Wano… no one can defeat him?"
The daimyō were already the strongest samurai Wano had.
And even together, they still lost.
Raizo and Kin'emon couldn't even imagine who else could possibly stand against him.
Kin'emon looked dazed, as if his soul had been shaken loose.
"Why is Ares so strong…?"
"He… he doesn't even look that old."
That sentence struck Oden like a spark to dry tinder.
In his mind, the scene replayed Ares launching that terrifying shockwave.
What had he called it?
"Elbaf Spear"…?!
Oden's heart skipped.
"Could it be… could it be that beyond the seas, there are special combat techniques that are that powerful…?"
That single move had shattered their entire combined offensive. The impression it left was burned into him.
Oden strode across the courtyard.
Kin'emon snapped out of it and started to speak, but Oden cut him off.
"I need time to think."
"No one disturb me."
Shiiik
The paper sliding door shut.
Oden sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and forced himself to recall every moment of his fights with Ares.
He couldn't dissect it frame by frame the way Ares could couldn't replay it, slow it down, analyze it like a machine.
But Oden's will was strong.
Remembering battle scenes was easy for him.
The more he recalled, the colder his spine became.
"Ares' fighting style… it carries the shadow of swordsmanship."
"And… his techniques are completely different from Wano's."
But the moment that shook him most was still the same
Ares using his move.
Paradise Totsuka.
The more he thought about it, the more absurd it became, until his heart thundered with disbelief.
"I used it in front of him only once… and he stole seven or eight parts of it."
"And the power was even greater than mine…"
"What kind of monster… is he?"
"And what kind of world lies beyond the sea…"
"to produce a man like Ares?"
In the history of the Amatsuki, there had never been anyone like this
someone who could stand alongside the legendary Sword God, Ryuma.
Unthinkable.
And yet, that was exactly why Oden's yearning for the outside world only grew stronger.
He wanted to know.
He needed to see it with his own eyes.
…
Hakumai Region.
The moment Shimotsuki Yasuie returned and dismounted, he saw Kurozumi Orochi kneeling low on the ground.
Yasuie said calmly, "Prepare medicine. Find a doctor."
"I need my bandages changed."
"Yes," Orochi replied.
As Orochi rose, the corner of his eye caught Yasuie's body
wrapped in layers of bandages.
His heart jolted.
"Shimotsuki Yasuie is that strong… so how did he get injured this badly?!"
Without meaning to, Orochi's mind filled with the image of Ares' towering, devil-sculpted physique.
He brought in the doctor for Yasuie, then sank to the floor again, ears pricked listening carefully to every exchange between Yasuie, the doctor, and Yasuie's concerned family.
When he learned the truth, Orochi's insides clenched.
"I already knew Ares was strong…"
"But I never imagined he was strong to this degree."
"All the daimyō, plus the ninjas…"
"And they still couldn't beat one man…"
In an instant, his throat went dry.
A new fear bubbled up sharp and restless.
"If Ares becomes Wano's shogun…"
"Will I still have any chance of becoming shogun?"
Then another thought followed, greedy and intoxicating.
"But… if I earn merit… if I become a daimyō…"
"That would be hundreds no, thousands of times better than what I have now!"
…
Kuri.
The moment Ares returned, everyone who heard the news rushed over.
Chinjao asked immediately, "Boss Ares did they bring up the wagered duel?"
When Ares nodded, excitement lit up the room.
Kaido's fierce eyes gleamed. He bared his teeth in a grin.
"Wororororo ! I've been itching to fight those samurai for ages."
"Finally, I get my chance!"
"They haven't made the decision yet," Ares said, voice steady. "Sukiyaki still hasn't agreed to my terms."
"But I've already forced him to the edge of the cliff."
"He won't have any choice but to accept."
Then Ares turned toward Ashura Doji.
"Ashura Doji."
"Find some craftsmen."
"Have them forge Seastone cuffs for my wrists and ankles."
"Make several sets different purities."
Ashura Doji blinked, puzzled.
"Boss Ares… what are you going to do with those cuffs?"
"Train with them," Ares answered plainly.
"Seastone suppresses Devil Fruit users."
"If I wear Seastone cuffs while training, it's not just weighted training "
"It also increases my resistance and tolerance."
This idea had come to him during his trip to the Flower Capital remembering that Wano produced Seastone and had master craftsmen who could shape it with incredible precision.
And remembering how Luffy and Kid trained in Udon's prisoner quarry hauling stone as training and making dramatic gains.
Kaido's eyes lit up instantly, excitement surging across his face.
"Ares-brother !"
"I want Seastone cuffs for training too!!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, you like the story? Wow, who knew. Go ahead, drop a review and throw some power stones maybe I'll be motivated to keep going.
The story's already ahead on Patron. Go there if you want to catch up faster!
[email protected]/_theon
Change @ to "a"