Agreeing to the Marriage Alliance
In less than a minute, Komurasaki returned with Denjiro in tow.
Denjiro had already drawn his blade.
He threatened, "Are you going to surrender quietly, or should I just finish you off?"
Ryōsuke sighed. "Is this how you show your gratitude? How disappointing."
His Rinnegan locked onto Denjiro, activating a genjutsu.
Denjiro instantly felt an inexplicable pressure and cursed inwardly. *'This is bad.'*
He tried to lunge forward and take out his opponent first, but before he could even move a single meter, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Robin's expression changed drastically.
*'What did this man just do? It was just a single glance, and it wasn't Haki either.'*
*'Yet he managed to make such a formidable fighter pass out instantly.'*
Robin felt a lingering sense of dread.
*'Am I really going to have to bear this man's children?'*
*'This mysterious man is incredibly strong.'*
*'I was too careless. I shouldn't have agreed to his terms so easily.'*
Kozuki Hiyori hadn't expected Denjiro to be defeated so effortlessly either. Her face darkened as she glared at him.
"Who exactly are you?"
*'Someone with this kind of strength couldn't possibly be a nobody.'*
Ryōsuke introduced himself. "I suppose I haven't properly introduced myself yet, have I?"
"I am the Emperor of the Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets."
"Seeing your confused expression, I'll make it a bit clearer for you."
"I have already assimilated the Beast Pirates into my ranks."
"Now you should have a clear understanding of my power."
"Killing someone like Kurozumi Orochi is absolutely no trouble for me."
Kozuki Hiyori looked utterly astonished.
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"
Even though she harbored a deep hatred for the Beast Pirates, she knew that defeating them was an impossible feat.
As for assimilating them, not a single soul on the seas would dare to dream of such a thing, even in their wildest fantasies.
Standing to the side, Robin didn't believe it either. *'Is this a joke?'*
After all, the Beast Pirates were the crew of one of the Four Emperors.
Not only did they boast the strongest creature on land, sea, and air, but their ranks were also filled with countless elite fighters.
And this man was just an unknown nobody.
Sure, his individual strength might be terrifying, but it was still incredibly difficult to stand against one of the most powerful factions in the world.
Ryōsuke spoke helplessly. "How am I supposed to prove it to you? After all, I really did take over the Beast Pirates."
"However, my grand army will be arriving shortly to conquer Wano Country."
Robin's face paled in shock.
*'If what this man says is true, then something massive is about to happen to this country.'*
*'A new, terrifying enemy might have just emerged.'*
After all, the target of their Straw Hat crew was Kaido.
*'But right now, it's impossible to tell if this man is a friend or a foe.'*
Kozuki Hiyori was equally horrified.
"Are you trying to seize Wano Country as well?"
She was starting to believe him.
Anyone who could make such bold claims...
...was either a complete lunatic or telling the truth.
Given how easily he had defeated Denjiro, it was highly likely to be the truth.
Even so, she still found it hard to accept.
Ryōsuke smiled. "Don't make it sound so awful. I've actually come up with a brilliant idea: a political marriage between us. You are the true princess of this country, and I am an Emperor."
"If we unite, not only can we save this country, but I can also help you exact your revenge."
"It is a mutually beneficial arrangement for both of us."
"So, what do you say? Are you willing?"
Kozuki Hiyori's face darkened.
"How could I possibly do something so treacherous as selling out my own country?"
Ryōsuke replied, displeased. "Why would you think of it like that? If we unite, a part of this country will naturally belong to you. How can you call that selling it out?"
"If you refuse, it will really give me a headache. After all, so many samurai are still loyal to the Kozuki clan."
"I can't exactly just slaughter all of them, can I?"
"I hope you won't make things difficult for me."
Kozuki Hiyori's face flushed red with anger.
She couldn't believe this man dared to threaten her like this.
He was even more ruthless than Kaido.
Thinking of Kaido reminded her of her true enemies, and she spoke with fury.
"If you kill both Kaido and Kurozumi Orochi, then I will marry you."
If this man could truly accomplish that, she was willing to do it.
A political marriage could indeed save this country.
The citizens of this nation had been suffering for twenty long years.
Ryōsuke burst into laughter. "Hiyori, you overestimate your own worth. That is out of the question."
"Kaido is an excellent weapon who can conquer countless nations for me, whereas you are only worth a single country."
"I can only promise to kill Kurozumi Orochi for you."
"In the future, this country will be my territory as well, and I won't let the citizens suffer anymore. Now, make your decision."
Hearing this, Kozuki Hiyori looked deeply dissatisfied.
But ultimately, she agreed.
"Fine. Remember your promise."
Kurozumi Orochi was the true culprit behind Wano Country's current tragic state.
Thinking of the suffering people—starving, freezing, and poisoned by toxic industrial waste—
People were dying of hunger and disease every single day.
As the princess of this country, she desperately wanted to save them.
Robin looked surprised.
*'To think that Kozuki Hiyori is actually Kozuki Oden's daughter.'*
*'She is the princess of this country and the heir to the Kozuki clan.'*
*'If this man marries Kozuki Hiyori, he will have a legitimate claim to rule this country.'*
*'In that case, how is our Straw Hat crew supposed to help Kozuki Momonosuke successfully reclaim his nation?'*
*'For now, I can only take things one step at a time.'*
Hiyori looked at Denjiro lying on the floor and said, "Wake him up."
Ryōsuke naturally obliged, directly dispelling the genjutsu.
Upon waking, Denjiro immediately scrambled to his feet in shock.
"My lady, are you alright?"
He stared warily at the enemy before him, his heart pounding with fear. He never expected this man to be so terrifyingly strong that a single glance could make him dizzy and lose consciousness.
Hiyori said helplessly, "I'm fine. This lord is going to save Wano Country and eliminate Kurozumi Orochi."
Denjiro was both shocked and overjoyed, but he replied with a sigh, "My lady, you should know that the true ruler of this country is Kaido of the Beast Pirates. If we cannot defeat him, what use is defeating Kurozumi Orochi?"
He had been undercover by Kurozumi Orochi's side and had countless opportunities to kill the man who caused his lord's death.
But he had never dared to make a move.
It wasn't that he didn't harbor a deep hatred for the man; it was because if he killed Kurozumi Orochi...
...this country would completely devolve into a pirate's paradise.
There would be absolutely no hope of restoring the nation.
Hiyori said, "This man has already assimilated the Beast Pirates, so there is no need to worry."
Denjiro couldn't believe his ears. "Is that true?"
"It should be," Hiyori confirmed.
Otherwise, this man wouldn't have thought of proposing a political marriage with her. Spouting nonsense would serve no purpose.
However, she didn't mention the marriage arrangement to Denjiro.
She figured he would strongly oppose it.
But to save this country...
...what did her own fate matter?
Of course, just as the man had said, if they united, she would also be one of the rulers of this country. Therefore, the marriage might not necessarily be a bad thing.