"That is the Devil Fruit that Lord Ren wants! What if those pirates eat it?!" the sailors and navigators aboard the Oden Castle roared.
Their attitude irritated Kin'emon somewhat. Before this, these people had used many words to describe how dangerous the Rocks crew was, their sole purpose being to stop Oden from foolishly looking for trouble with them.
Whether these words scared Oden was unclear, but Kin'emon and the others were certainly terrified.
In the past, they might have thought Oden was invincible under the heavens, but after he had been crushed by Ren's absolute strength a while back, they finally understood what it means that there is always someone stronger.
Every single high-ranking officer in the Rocks crew sounded extraordinary. If they were still sent to snatch the fruit under these circumstances, wasn't that simply courting death? Therefore, while Oden was eager to get going, the others were rather unwilling.
"Want to back out now? Don't forget your mission is to collect Devil Fruits." the sailors said angrily. They naturally knew the danger involved, but the power of the Orochi Seal made them willing to die.
"Besides, conflict isn't inevitable. Our goal is just the fruit; we don't necessarily have to go to war with them."
"Indeed. As long as we can infiltrate and steal the fruit, that's enough." Denjiro nodded, and everyone's gaze shifted simultaneously to Raizo.
When it came to infiltration, surely no one was more skilled than a ninja.
Under the gaze of so many eyes, Raizo felt some pressure. However, in order not to disappoint Kozuki Oden's expectations, he nodded vigorously: "Lord Oden, leave this matter to me! Nin nin nin!"
"Is this guy really capable?" the sailors and navigators asked distrustfully.
For infiltration purposes, Raizo's appearance was simply too conspicuous. His face was bigger than a millstone, and he was incredibly ugly—the kind of person who couldn't be ignored once seen. Moreover, his limbs were short, his stature large, making him look both clumsy and ridiculous.
"You lot, don't look down on me. I am a professional when it comes to infiltration." Raizo said.
"In that case, we will provide support from the outside." The sailor nodded and continued, "According to current intelligence, the Great Pirate Golden Lion Shiki and Big Mom are the ones stationed on Pirate Island. This harbor should be Shiki's territory."
These people were fairly well-informed regarding overseas powers, and much of this could hardly be considered a secret. Even though they were both under the Rocks banner, different pirate crews still maintained their own groups and spheres of influence.
On this Pirate Island, Big Mom and Shiki's territories were not close to each other.
"If we are lucky, we will only face Shiki, or even steal back the fruit before he can react. But if we are unlucky, we will face a pincer attack from two Great Pirates!"
However, if they were actually discovered, a pincer attack probably wouldn't be necessary. Whether it was Big Mom or Shiki, either one was fully capable of ensuring they never returned.
Although Kozuki Oden was quite powerful and a natural monster himself, he paled in comparison to these people. In terms of talent, Big Mom, who could severely injure a giant at five years old, was far stronger than him. And that was just her play strength.
In terms of Haki, Kozuki Oden, who had spent years in the isolated land of Wano, couldn't compare to pirates who killed and bled on the great seas.
And so, Raizo, carrying the hopes of the entire village, infiltrated Pirate Island alone.
Oden and the others, meanwhile, moved the ship to a slightly secluded location, ready to support Raizo at any moment.
Denjiro accompanied Raizo; he was the only one among this group who was somewhat reliable. Since Raizo was a user of the Scroll Scroll Fruit and couldn't swim, Denjiro carried him on his back and swam underwater to avoid the eyes of the harbor guards.
"This is the Water Escape Jutsu! Nin nin nin!" Clenching a bamboo snorkel in his mouth, Raizo, who was being carried, credited the feat to his "ninjutsu."
Denjiro was a bit annoyed, but he couldn't speak right then, so he just kept his head down and swam. The two barely avoided the harbor's line of sight and, soaking wet, infiltrated the port.
"What do we do now?"
After coming ashore, Denjiro wrung the seawater from his sleeves, but his kimono was still sopping wet and clinging to his body, making him feel very uncomfortable.
"Let me see." Raizo said, pulling out a scroll. This was a general map of Pirate Island. The item had been given to them by the sailors; in reality, some of the lackeys on the island were their own people, acting as planted spies.
However, Ren didn't pay much attention to the Rocks Pirates, so the number of spies was small and their status low. Thus, while they had a map of general spheres of influence, it wasn't detailed.
"So, that Shiki's territory is right here?" The two hid in a corner, looking at a building near the center.
"Unless there's an accident, the Sorcery Fruit should be inside too. This is the perfect time for a Transformation Jutsu! Nin nin nin!" Raizo made hand signs, but nothing happened. Denjiro, having spent so much time with him, understood his meaning.
"Right, let's find someone to disguise ourselves as." He poked his head out to look. Quite a few people were moving about this pirate town, but they were dressed casually without any uniform attire. After spotting two pirates who were alone, they dragged them into a corner and changed their clothes.
However, Raizo, acting like a thief, still covered his face with a giant tablecloth, tying the two corners under his nose, as if afraid people wouldn't realize he was a burglar.
"Oi Denjiro, you're too unprofessional. Quickly cover your face like me. Do you want to be recognized?" Raizo shouted.
Denjiro actually thought he made sense, so he covered his face as well. The two continued to infiltrate cautiously toward the depths of the island. However, they were exposed very quickly.
Actually, their skills were quite good, but these two idiots forgot it was daytime. Dressing like this was simply parading through the streets. They hadn't gone far before causing a commotion. The sound of cannon fire instantly reached Oden's side.
"Exposed so soon!" the sailor screamed loudly, deciding to simply start the ship and charge straight at the harbor.
Kozuki Oden had wanted to do this the whole time. He immediately drew his two great swords and shouted: "Izo and Kikunojo stay behind. Kin'emon, Kanjuro! You guys are coming with me!"
He laughed loudly, standing with legs spread at the bow of the ship. The rushing sea breeze blowing against him made his bare legs feel a bit chilly. But in this moment, he was overjoyed, because only now did he truly feel like a captain.
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