Duke Inuarashi sat on the courtyard stones. He stared at his left leg. He moved his ankle. He flexed his toes.
Across the courtyard, Master Nekomamushi sat up. He stared at his left arm. He opened and closed his claws. He scratched his chin.
They both looked up.
Inuarashi saw Nekomamushi. Nekomamushi saw Inuarashi.
The air in the courtyard changed. The gratitude for their healed bodies vanished instantly. Pure, unadulterated hostility replaced it.
Inuarashi grabbed his sword from the ground. Nekomamushi grabbed his spear.
They did not speak. They lunged.
The dog mink and the cat mink collided in the center of the courtyard. Sword met spear. The impact generated a shockwave that blew the dust off the paving stones.
"You fat, oversized furball!" Inuarashi barked, pushing his blade forward. "You dare show your face in the daylight?!"
"You mangy, flea-bitten mutt!" Nekomamushi roared, pushing back with his spear. "I will carve you into dog food!"
They broke the clash. Inuarashi swung low. Nekomamushi jumped over the blade and thrust his spear downward. Inuarashi deflected the spear with the flat of his sword and kicked Nekomamushi in the stomach. Nekomamushi grabbed the leg and threw Inuarashi across the courtyard.
Inuarashi landed on his feet, skidding across the stones. He charged again.
The Straw Hat Pirates stood on the sidelines. They stared.
"Why are they fighting?" Chopper asked, hiding behind Zoro's leg. "Ben just healed them! They are going to get hurt again!"
"I don't understand," Nami frowned. "Aren't they the rulers of this country? Why are they trying to kill each other right after waking up?"
Wanda, the dog mink, ran forward. Carrot, the rabbit mink, followed her.
"Duke Inuarashi! Master Nekomamushi! Please stop!" Wanda yelled, waving her arms.
"You must rest!" Carrot pleaded.
The two giant minks ignored them. They clashed again, trading heavy, fast blows. Sparks flew from their weapons. They tore up the very courtyard they had just bled to protect.
Luffy sat on a broken stone pillar. He picked his nose. "They look angry."
"This is an infight," Sanji noted, lighting a cigarette. "A grudge match. They hate each other."
Momonosuke stood near Kin'emon. The young boy watched the two giant minks fight. He took a deep breath.
Momonosuke ran forward. He ran right into the middle of the courtyard, placing himself directly between the swinging sword and the thrusting spear.
"STOP THIS AT ONCE!" Momonosuke yelled. His voice broke, but he projected it as loudly as he could.
Inuarashi froze. His sword stopped an inch from Momonosuke's head.
Nekomamushi froze. His spear stopped an inch from Momonosuke's chest.
The two giant minks looked down. They saw the small boy in the pink kimono. They saw his topknot. They saw his face.
Inuarashi dropped his sword. It clattered against the stones.
Nekomamushi dropped his spear. It rolled across the dirt.
The two rulers of Zou fell to their knees. They did not just kneel; they pressed their foreheads entirely against the ground. They prostrated themselves before the eight-year-old boy.
Tears welled in Inuarashi's eyes. They spilled over his fur.
Nekomamushi sobbed openly, his massive shoulders shaking.
"Momonosuke-sama," Inuarashi choked out.
"We are deeply sorry," Nekomamushi wept. "We shamed ourselves in your presence."
Momonosuke kept his chin high. "Raise your heads. You fought bravely for your home."
Inuarashi and Nekomamushi sat up. They looked at Momonosuke. They smiled. It was a smile of relief.
"We were expecting you, Momonosuke-sama," Inuarashi said softly.
"Raizo is safe," Nekomamushi added, wiping his tears with his new left hand.
Silence fell over the courtyard.
The minks smiled. Wanda wiped a tear from her eye. Carrot grinned.
The Straw Hat Pirates did not smile. They stood completely frozen.
Usopp's jaw dropped. Nami blinked repeatedly. Sanji dropped his cigarette. Zoro tilted his head. Franky scratched his metal chin.
"Eh?" Luffy tilted his head.
"What did he just say?" Usopp whispered.
Kin'emon stepped forward. Kanjuro walked beside him. They walked to Momonosuke's side.
"I am glad to hear that," Kin'emon said to the two rulers. He bowed his head deeply to them. "You protected our comrade with your lives. We owe the Mokomo Dukedom a debt we can never repay."
Luffy jumped off the pillar. He walked over to Kin'emon.
"Hey, Kin'emon," Luffy said. He pointed at the two giant minks. "Why are the dog and the cat bowing to Momo? And who is Raizo?"
Kin'emon stood up straight. He looked at Luffy. He looked at Law. He looked at the rest of the crew.
Kin'emon sighed heavily. He knelt on the stones. Kanjuro knelt beside him.
"We have deceived you, Luffy-dono," Kin'emon said gravely. "We told you Momonosuke was my son. That was a lie."
"A lie?" Chopper gasped.
"We lied to protect him," Kin'emon explained. He kept his head bowed. "Momonosuke is not my son. He is my lord. He is the son of Kozuki Oden. He is the true heir to the Shogun of Wano."
The crew stared.
"Shogun?" Nami asked. "Like... the king of the country?"
"Yes," Kin'emon nodded. "Kozuki Oden was a great man. He was the Daimyo of Kuri. He was a man who loved freedom more than anything. He did not want to stay within the closed borders of Wano. He broke the law. He set sail."
Kin'emon looked up. His eyes burned with intense memory.
"He sailed with the strongest pirates in the world," Kin'emon continued. "First, he joined the crew of Edward Newgate. He became a commander under Whitebeard."
"Whitebeard?!" Usopp yelled, clutching his head.
"Yes," Kin'emon said. "But his journey did not end there. Another man asked him to join his crew. A man who needed Oden's ability to read the ancient text. Oden-sama agreed. He sailed on the ship of Gol D. Roger."
Brook dropped his teacup. It shattered.
Franky's eyes went wide. Sanji inhaled sharply. Zoro crossed his arms, his expression turning deadly serious. Law stood completely still, listening intently.
Ben stood in the background. He smiled slightly. He watched the story unfold.
"He sailed with the Pirate King," Kin'emon stated. "He went to the final island. He learned the true history of the world. He learned the secrets of the Void Century."
"He knew?" Robin asked softly. She stepped forward. "He knew what happened?"
"He did," Kin'emon confirmed. "When his journey ended, Oden-sama returned to Wano. He intended to open the borders of our country. He wanted to prepare Wano for the future he saw."
Kin'emon clenched his fists. His knuckles turned white. He ground his teeth together.
"But he was betrayed," Kin'emon spat. "While he was gone, a coward named Kurozumi Orochi seized power. Orochi allied himself with a monster. Kaido of the Beasts."
Law gripped the hilt of his sword.
"Kaido brought his army to Wano," Kin'emon continued, his voice trembling with rage. "They built weapons factories. They poisoned our rivers. They enslaved our people. Oden-sama fought them. He fought Kaido."
"Did he win?" Luffy asked, his face serious.
"He almost did," Kanjuro spoke up. Tears fell from the painted samurai's eyes. "Oden-sama gave Kaido the only scar he bears. But Orochi used treachery. They took hostages. They distracted Oden-sama. They captured him."
Kin'emon closed his eyes. Tears fell down his cheeks.
"They executed him," Kin'emon sobbed. "They boiled him alive in a pot of oil in front of the entire capital. But even as he burned, he held us up. He saved his retainers. He saved his family. He threw us to safety so we could escape."
Inuarashi and Nekomamushi bowed their heads again. They remembered that day. They remembered the heat of the oil.
Kin'emon pressed his forehead to the stones again.
"We are his loyal retainers," Kin'emon declared. "The Akazaya Nine. I am Kin'emon of the Foxfire. Kanjuro of the Evening Shower. Inuarashi and Nekomamushi. And Raizo of the Mist. We live only to serve the Kozuki clan."
Silence ruled the courtyard.
The Straw Hat Pirates absorbed the story. They absorbed the weight of a fallen king, a boiled hero, and a stolen country.
Nami broke the silence.
She walked forward. She didn't look sad. Her eyes literally turned into golden Belli symbols.
Nami dropped to her knees next to Momonosuke. She threw her arms around the boy and pulled him into a tight hug. She pressed his face against her chest.
"You poor, sweet boy!" Nami cooed, rubbing his head. "You are the future Shogun! You will own the whole country! That means you will be incredibly rich! We will be such good friends, won't we, Momo?"
Momonosuke's face turned completely red. He buried his face in her cleavage. He wrapped his arms around her waist. He looked over Nami's shoulder at Sanji and Brook.
Momonosuke smiled. It was an extremely smug, perverted smile.
Sanji erupted. Flames burst from his head.
"YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Sanji roared, biting his handkerchief. "GET AWAY FROM HER! I WILL KICK YOU OFF THIS ELEPHANT!"
Brook pulled his hair. "Ah, the youth! They get all the luck! May I see your panties, Nami-san?!"
Nami punched Brook in the skull without letting go of Momonosuke.
Usopp ignored the comedy routine. He walked toward Inuarashi and Nekomamushi. He looked at the destroyed city around them. He looked at the minks who were just healed.
"Hold on," Usopp said. He pointed at the ruins. "The guy who attacked you. The guy with the poison gas. Who was he?"
"Jack the Drought," Inuarashi said. "One of Kaido's three Disasters."
"Why did he attack you?" Usopp asked.
Nekomamushi answered simply. "He came looking for Raizo."
Usopp froze. He looked at the minks. He looked at the destruction.
"Wait," Usopp said slowly. "Jack came here looking for your friend. He asked you to hand him over."
"He did," Inuarashi nodded.
"And you said no," Usopp said.
"We told him there were no Raizo here," Nekomamushi said.
Usopp's hands started to shake. He stepped forward. He grabbed the thick fur on Nekomamushi's collar. He pulled, trying to shake the massive cat, but Nekomamushi did not budge.
"Are you insane?!" Usopp yelled. His face turned red with anger. "He destroyed your city! He cut off your arm! He cut off the dog's leg! He poisoned your entire country! He almost killed every single man, woman, and child on this island!"
Usopp pointed wildly at the minks standing around the courtyard.
"You let them suffer!" Usopp screamed. "You almost let your entire race go extinct! Why didn't you just tell him the truth?! Why didn't you just give him Raizo?!"
The minks watched Usopp. They did not look angry. They did not look ashamed.
Nekomamushi looked down at the sniper grabbing his collar.
Nekomamushi smiled. He laughed. A loud, booming laugh that echoed off the ruined walls.
"Give him Raizo?" Nekomamushi asked, amused.
The giant cat mink placed his large, furry hand over Usopp's hands. He gently pulled Usopp's grip away from his collar.
Nekomamushi looked Usopp dead in the eyes. The smile vanished. An unbreakable resolve replaced it.
"We would never sell out our friends," Nekomamushi stated.
He didn't yell. He spoke the words like an undeniable law of the universe.
Usopp stopped struggling. His eyes widened. His anger evaporated. He stared at the giant cat mink, completely stunned by the weight of their loyalty.
Behind Usopp, the crew reacted.
Zoro smirked. He rested his hand on his sword hilt.
Sanji pulled a fresh cigarette from his pocket and lit it. He grinned.
Luffy tipped his straw hat back. He showed all his teeth in a massive, bright smile.
Dorry, Brogy, Oimo, and Kashii laughed heartily. They recognized the spirit of true warriors.
Ben stood in the back. He smiled. This was the core of the One Piece world. This was why he enjoyed the narrative. The irrational loyalty that defied logic and survival.
Kin'emon stood up. He walked over to Nekomamushi. He placed his hand on the giant cat's shoulder.
"You suffered enough for us," Kin'emon said softly. "Please. Take me to Raizo."
Nekomamushi looked at Kin'emon. He looked at Momonosuke. Then, he looked at Luffy, Law, and the rest of the pirates.
"Momonosuke-sama," Nekomamushi addressed the boy. "Raizo is hidden in a sacred place. Outsiders are forbidden from entering. Is it wise to bring these pirates?"
Momonosuke untangled himself from Nami. He stood tall.
"It is fine," Momonosuke declared. "They are my allies. They saved Dressrosa. They healed your bodies. They have earned the right to see."
"Very well," Inuarashi nodded. He stood up on his new leg. "Follow us."
Luffy walked past Momonosuke.
"You talk like a grown-up," Luffy laughed. "But you're still just a little kid."
Sanji walked past. "You are a little brat who abuses his tragic backstory to hug women. You are a pervert."
Zoro walked past Sanji. "Takes one to know one, curly-brows."
Sanji stopped. He turned his head slowly. "What did you say, moss-head?"
"You heard me, nosebleed," Zoro challenged, crossing his arms.
"I'll kick you off this elephant!" Sanji yelled, raising his leg.
"Try it, fourth-place!" Zoro drew Sandai Kitetsu.
They brawled. They rolled across the courtyard, kicking and punching each other while the rest of the crew ignored them.
Inuarashi and Nekomamushi led the group out of the ruined city.
They walked into a dense, ancient forest. The trees here survived the poison gas. The canopy blocked out the sun, casting deep shadows across the path.
They walked for twenty minutes.
Finally, the trees parted. They stepped into a large clearing.
In the center of the clearing stood a tree. But it was not a normal tree. It was massive, towering hundreds of feet into the air. The trunk twisted and curved. The branches formed specific shapes.
The tree looked exactly like a giant dolphin leaping out of the ground.
"A dolphin tree!" Luffy cheered, running forward. "So cool!"
"It is the Whale Tree," Inuarashi corrected politely.
"Looks like a dolphin," Luffy insisted.
Inuarashi did not argue with the captain. He walked to the base of the massive trunk. He found a specific pattern in the bark. He pressed his hand against it.
A hidden door clicked open. A section of the bark swung outward, revealing a dark, stone staircase leading down into the roots of the tree.
"This way," Nekomamushi said, stepping into the darkness.
The crew followed. Sanji and Zoro stopped fighting long enough to walk down the stairs, though they continued to elbow each other in the ribs in the dark.
The stairs went deep underground. The air smelled of old dust and damp stone.
They reached the bottom.
The room was large and dimly lit by torches on the walls.
In the center of the room sat a massive, square stone block. It was carved with strange symbols. It glowed with a faint, red hue.
Robin stopped walking. Her eyes widened. She stared at the red block.
"A Poneglyph," Robin whispered.
But the rest of the crew did not look at the stone. They looked at the man chained to it.
He sat on the floor, his hands bound by heavy iron chains attached to the Poneglyph. He wore a dark blue outfit.
He heard the footsteps. He looked up.
He saw Kin'emon. He saw Kanjuro. He saw Momonosuke.
"Kin'emon!" the man wailed.
Tears exploded from his eyes. They shot outward like fountains. He sobbed loudly, his body shaking against the chains.
"Momonosuke-sama! Kanjuro! You are alive!" he cried. "I thought... I heard the fighting above! I heard the screams! I thought everyone was dead!"
Kin'emon ran forward. He drew his sword and slashed the heavy iron chains. The chains shattered.
Raizo stood up. He threw his arms around Kin'emon. They hugged, crying into each other's shoulders.
Behind them, the Straw Hat Pirates gathered.
Luffy's eyes turned into giant, sparkling stars.
Usopp gripped his face, shaking with anticipation.
Chopper bounced up and down.
Franky struck a pose, his robotic eyes shining.
Sunny appeared beside them, vibrating with excitement.
"A ninja!" Luffy whispered loudly. "He's a real ninja!"
"Does he throw shurikens?!" Usopp gasped.
"Does he use smoke bombs?!" Chopper squeaked.
"Can he run on walls?!" Sunny cheered.
"Super stealth!" Franky boomed.
The men of the crew waited in anticipation. They expected a sleek, cool, mysterious assassin dressed in black. They expected a warrior of the shadows.
Raizo pulled away from Kin'emon. He wiped his tears. He turned around to face his saviors.
The pirates got their first good look at him.
Raizo was short. He had a massive, oversized head that looked like a giant potato. He had a weird, lightning-bolt-shaped tuft of hair sticking up from his forehead. His eyebrows were thick and curly. He wore bright, loud clothes that offered zero camouflage. He looked ridiculous.
The stars vanished from Luffy's eyes.
Usopp lowered his hands.
Chopper stopped bouncing.
Franky dropped his pose.
Sunny frowned.
The five men stood completely silent. Their faces fell into disappointment. Thick, jagged black lines appeared over their foreheads.
"He looks like a giant potato," Luffy said flatly.
"He's ugly," Usopp added, his voice devoid of emotion.
"He is not sleek," Franky noted.
"He probably trips over his own feet," Sunny sighed.
Raizo heard them. A vein bulged on his massive forehead.
"What did you say?!" Raizo yelled, pointing an angry finger at the pirates. "I am Raizo of the Mist! I am a master of the shinobi arts! You show respect!"
Luffy crossed his arms. "Do a ninja thing."
Raizo crossed his arms back. "No."
"Throw a shuriken," Usopp demanded.
"I am not a circus performer!" Raizo huffed.
"Say 'Nin-Nin'," Chopper pleaded, his eyes watering.
"I refuse!" Raizo turned his back on them. "A true ninja does not perform parlor tricks for outsiders! My skills are tools of assassination, not entertainment!"
Luffy frowned. He pointed his thumb down. "Booooo."
Usopp pointed his thumb down. "Booooo. Fake ninja."
Chopper pointed his hooves down. "Booooo."
Franky pointed his metal thumbs down. "Super booooo."
Sunny pointed his thumbs down. "Worst ninja ever. Booooo."
Sanji and Zoro joined in. They pointed their thumbs down. "Booooo."
Raizo trembled. He gritted his teeth. He squeezed his eyes shut. He tried to maintain his dignity. He tried to act like a stoic warrior of Wano.
The booing continued. It echoed in the underground chamber.
"Boooooo."
Raizo snapped.
"FINE!" Raizo screamed, turning around.
He reached into his robes. He pulled out a handful of star-shaped metal blades. He threw them with blinding speed. They hit the stone wall in a perfect circle.
Luffy's eyes widened.
Raizo threw a small sphere onto the ground.
POOF.
A cloud of thick purple smoke erupted. When the smoke cleared, Raizo was gone.
"Where did he go?!" Usopp gasped, looking around frantically.
"Up here!" Raizo called out.
He stood on the ceiling, his feet clinging to the stone, perfectly defying gravity.
Chopper screamed in delight.
Raizo formed a complex hand seal.
"Ninja Art: Clone Jutsu!"
POOF. POOF. POOF.
Three perfect copies of Raizo appeared next to him on the ceiling.
"WOOOAAAAH!" Luffy roared, throwing his hands in the air.
"NINJA! NINJA! NINJA!" Usopp, Chopper, Franky, and Sunny chanted, jumping up and down in absolute ecstasy.
Zoro grinned. Sanji clapped. Even Law cracked a small, amused smile at the display.
On the other side of the room, the women watched the scene unfold.
Nami sighed heavily. She pinched the bridge of her nose.
Robin smiled softly, finding the childishness endearing.
Vivi shook her head, resting her hand on her hip.
"Boys," Nami muttered. "They defeat Warlords, they challenge Admirals, and they still lose their minds over a guy throwing a smoke bomb."
"It is a very good smoke bomb," Robin pointed out gently.
Ben stood near the stairs. He watched Luffy cheering for the clones. He looked at the red Road Poneglyph resting silently in the background.
The journey was moving forward. They had the samurai. They had the destination.
The path to Wano was clear. The war with Kaido awaited them. But for now, Ben let them enjoy the magic of a ninja.