When Kin'emon heard these words, his eyebrows instantly furrowed tightly, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes, shooting like a sharp blade towards Duke Inuarashi and Nekomamushi.
"Duke Inuarashi! Nekomamushi! What nonsense are you talking about!" Kin'emon's voice trembled slightly with anger.
"Have you betrayed Lord Oden? Lord Oden only has one son, Lord Momonosuke, and the heir can only be Lord Momonosuke, without a doubt!"
His face flushed crimson as he stared intently at the two in front of him, as if trying to see through their thoughts with his gaze.
Duke Inuarashi sighed heavily, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
"Kin'emon, when you all left Wano Country, you knew nothing of what happened later.
After you disappeared, Lady Toki did not die, and she discovered she was pregnant with a posthumous child."
Duke Inuarashi said slowly, with a touch of emotion in his voice, "After Lady Toki confirmed the child's identity as heir, she passed away a year later.
After all... Lady Toki also knew that many people wouldn't believe you could travel to the future, and who would be willing to gamble on such an illusory wait?
And even if you returned 20 years later, Lord Momonosuke would only be 8 years old; how could he lead the Kozuki Clan?"
Duke Inuarashi paused slightly, then continued: "That child was raised by Denjiro, and apart from Kawamatsu, who disappeared with Princess Hiyori,
the rest of the Nine Red Scabbards who had not left Wano Country all participated in the young master's upbringing.
He was a very excellent child. It's just..."
Duke Inuarashi's voice grew increasingly low, with a clear choke... the rest of his words unspoken.
It was just that on the day Denjiro saw Hiyori, he was momentarily careless, and the child disappeared.
Since then, Denjiro has been like a lost soul, almost driven mad.
Duke Inuarashi also trembled slightly, as if recalling that scene still filled him with self-reproach and pain; if they hadn't been overjoyed that Princess Hiyori was alive at the time, and had all stayed by his side, he wouldn't have been lost.
However, recently, they finally received news of Denjiro, learning that he was still alive.
Duke Inuarashi looked up, a glimmer of hope igniting in his eyes; they believed that one day, they would meet again.
Kin'emon was completely stunned, standing rooted to the spot, his mind blank.
They never imagined that Lord Oden would have another son, and even more shocking was that this child had already been confirmed as the heir.
Calculating the time of their time travel, that child would now be exactly 19 years old, in the prime of his youth, in the golden age of his life.
Kin'emon slowly lowered his head, his gaze falling on Momonosuke; for a moment, a flood of confusion overwhelmed him.
He knew in his heart that the child he had never met, from all indications, was indeed the ideal successor.
But as soon as he thought of Lord Momonosuke, Kin'emon's brows furrowed into a knot, his heart filled with entanglement and worry; he kept asking himself in his heart, what should Lord Momonosuke do now?
In Wano Country, with its strict hierarchy and clear class distinctions, Momonosuke's current situation was extremely awkward.
As the 'abandoned' eldest son, he had not yet grown into an adult, and his mind and abilities were still immature.
Originally, if Lord Oden had no other offspring, Momonosuke, as the only bloodline, would naturally inherit the family business and rule Wano Country.
But now, the situation had undergone earth-shattering changes.
That child, purely in terms of identity, carried the legitimate bloodline of the Kozuki Clan;
And in terms of age, he was in the prime of his youth.
Judging by the tone of Duke Inuarashi and the others, he must be an outstanding and highly qualified heir.
Kin'emon couldn't help but sigh softly at this thought.
If the lord was benevolent and treated everyone with generosity, Momonosuke might still be able to grow up safely under his protection, accumulating experience and abilities.
Perhaps in the future, he could become a helper to the lord.
But what if the lord had other considerations?
After all, they, the retainers, had always been loyal to Lord Oden; in their hearts, the leader of the Kozuki Clan must be of pure blood and an undisputed legitimate heir.
Compared to Kin'emon, Momonosuke was even more bewildered by this sudden news.
All along, he had been convinced that he was his father's only heir, and that in the future, he would bear the heavy responsibility of leading Wano Country.
But now, he suddenly learned that he had an adult younger brother, and that brother had taken his place.
One must know, they had only just traveled from 20 years ago to the present; the scene of his father's sacrifice a few months ago was still vivid, as if it happened yesterday.
At that time, Momonosuke had not yet recovered from the immense grief of losing his father, let alone prepared to inherit the family business.
Now, this heavy burden, which he hadn't even had time to prepare for, was suddenly taken by someone else, filling his heart with the despair of being abandoned.
Suddenly, the world spun, and everything became dark and cheerless.
Momonosuke felt as if he had been cruelly played by fate; he had no idea what he should do next.
Momonosuke's lips trembled slightly, his throat seemingly blocked, unable to utter a sound.
His hands subconsciously clutched the hem of his clothes, his knuckles turning white from the force, and his body also trembled uncontrollably.
"So... what is the meaning of my existence? I don't believe it!
I don't believe Father has any other children! This must be a lie!!
You must have betrayed Father!"
Momonosuke's voice was hoarse, carrying an undeniable sense of breakdown.
These words were like a giant stone thrown into a dead silent lake, yet they caused no ripple; the scene grew even quieter, terrifyingly quiet, as if time itself had frozen at that moment.
Kin'emon opened his mouth, wanting to say something to comfort Momonosuke, but his throat felt choked, and he couldn't utter a single word.
He lowered his head, not daring to look directly into Momonosuke's pain-filled eyes, his heart a mix of emotions.
Orochimaru stood behind the group, his golden vertical pupils glinting with a cold light, taking in the scene before him with complete detachment.
He tilted his head slightly, a faint, mocking curve on his lips, and let out a soft sneer, so low it was almost inaudible, yet full of contempt:
"How fragile..." In his opinion, a mind so easily broken was truly uninteresting and useless.
In a cruel world, only the strong survive; Momonosuke's current breakdown was merely a display of a weakling's incompetence.
And in Orochimaru's long and cold perception, fragility was synonymous with being eliminated.
Kin'emon sighed deeply, looking at the broken Momonosuke, his lips moved, but he couldn't say anything.
Words of comfort seemed so pale and powerless at this moment; a heart full of entanglement and helplessness intertwined, knotting his brows.
He knew Momonosuke was suffering a heavy blow at this moment.
But until the veracity of those messages was confirmed, everything remained uncertain.
Kin'emon mused to himself, no matter what, he must maintain normalcy and not lose his composure.
He steadied himself, silently encouraging himself; as a retainer, he must remain calm, providing a temporary peace for Momonosuke, even if that peace was only superficial, he had to leave a space for this wounded Momonosuke to breathe.
Though Kin'emon suppressed various complex emotions, he still couldn't hide his curiosity, his gaze turning to Duke Inuarashi and the others, his tone unconsciously carrying a hint of inquiry: "What is that child's name?"
Duke Inuarashi sighed heavily, just about to answer, when suddenly, Luffy looked at Orochimaru, who was turning to leave, with a bewildered expression.
The words of Duke Inuarashi and the others earlier were too cryptic; Luffy's simple little brain simply couldn't process them, unable to grasp the gist of it.
But he instinctively felt that Orochimaru shouldn't be allowed to leave just like that, so without thinking, he shouted loudly: "Orochimaru! Where are you going! Don't run away again!"
That loud voice echoed in the air, instantly breaking the previously heavy atmosphere.
Hearing Luffy's shout, everyone turned their heads in unison.
They saw Orochimaru leaning lazily against a building, wearing a vibrant red kimono that looked particularly striking in the sunlight.
He held an umbrella steadily in his hand, the surface slightly tilted, just enough to block the overhead light, casting a faint shadow that partially obscured his enigmatic, smiling face.
He looked as if everything happening around him had nothing to do with him; he was merely an outsider, a bystander.
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