Night, Kuri.
The wind had quieted.
The bustling market of the day had fallen into silence, with only a dim oil lamp still glowing deep within the courtyard of the Daimyo's Mansion.
Splash.
Hot water from a wooden bucket was poured onto the stone slab, sending up a cloud of white steam.
Kozuki Oden stood bare-chested, his robust muscle lines faintly visible in the mist.
He casually grabbed a loose kimono and draped it over himself, tying the sash loosely.
The clownish, comical appearance he had worn during the day was completely gone. Now, his brow was furrowed, his eyes filled with an unshakable worry.
He walked to the veranda, gazing at the withered old tree in the courtyard, and let out a long sigh.
"Five years... four more to go..."
He muttered to himself, as if trying to encourage himself, or perhaps hypnotizing himself.
"No, you won't even last three days."
A cold voice suddenly rang out from the shadows behind him, without any warning.
Every muscle in Oden's body tensed instantly—a reflex honed through countless life-and-death battles.
Without even turning around, the two swords at his waist were already unsheathed!
Ame no Habakiri!
Enma!
"Two-Sword Style: Paradise Ten Fists!"
The two Named Swords, capable of wounding even Kaido, tore through the air with a sharp whistle, converging from left and right toward the source of the voice!
Before the blades even reached, the solidified Haki had already crushed the floorboards inch by inch!
Yet, this thunderous combined strike came to a halt.
It stopped just three inches away from the tip of the intruder's nose.
A single hand.
Or more precisely, a single finger.
A finger as black as ink, shimmering with a dark red metallic luster, lightly and effortlessly pressed against the intersection of the two legendary Named Swords.
The violent Haki crashed against an invisible wall of sighs, unable to advance an inch before this man, and could only helplessly disperse in all directions, rustling the tatami mats.
"Hey now, drawing blades as soon as we meet—is this how Wano Country treats its guests?"
Kane sat cross-legged in the darkness, an empty wine cup still in his hand.
He didn't even glance at the two swords that could have cleaved him in half, merely shaking the empty wine flask regretfully.
"What..."
Oden's trademark ox-like eyes widened, his pupils contracting violently.
A single finger... blocked it?
How was that possible!
Even Whitebeard, even Captain Roger, would never dare to be so reckless!
"Who are you?!"
Oden didn't withdraw his swords. Instead, he increased the force in his hands, his arm muscles bulging and veins throbbing.
Kane sighed and flicked his finger.
"Clang!"
A strange, vibrating force transmitted through the blades. Oden felt his palms go numb, and his entire body slid uncontrollably three steps back, carving two deep grooves into the floorboards.
Only then did Kane leisurely rise to his feet.
"Impressive."
"As expected of a man who can call Roger and Whitebeard brothers. This power is noteworthy even in the New World."
There was not a trace of warmth in Kane's tone. He stopped before Oden, his gaze falling on the two Named Swords.
"What a pity for these fine blades."
"Following a spineless, groveling cur that's had its backbone ripped out—what a waste of a precious gem."
"What did you say?!"
Oden was furious. These words cut deeper than any blade, striking directly at his dignity as a samurai.
He tightened his grip on his two swords, and Conqueror's Haki surged uncontrollably around him.
Kane paid it no mind.
"Am I wrong?"
He walked to the edge of the veranda, leaned against a pillar, and leisurely pulled a cigar from his pocket, lighting it.
"Kozuki Oden, do you really think scum like Orochi and Kaido would keep a verbal promise?"
"Do you really believe that if you dance naked like a fool here for five years, they'll just hand Wano Country back to you?"
"What do you know?!"
Oden's breathing grew heavy, the veins in his sword hand bulging.
"Orochi promised me! As long as I can quell the people's anger and pacify the samurai, they'll leave in five years!"
"This is the only way to save Wano Country! There must be no more bloodshed!"
Kane exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. Through the haze, his eyes looked at Oden as if he were an idiot.
"Bloodshed? Your so-called 'no bloodshed' means standing by while Kaido's factories rise from the ground in Udon?"
"Watching Sea Stone being mined and processed endlessly, turned into shackles to bind the rebels?"
"Seeing Orochi's army use the blood and sweat of the people under your rule to buy batch after batch of new artillery?"
With each sentence Kane spoke, Oden's face grew paler.
He wasn't unaware of these things—he had simply chosen to avoid and ignore them.
"No... it can't be..."
"Nothing is impossible."
Kane's voice was as cold as ice, each word hammering against Oden's fraying nerves.
"In the years you've been dancing, Kaido's Beast Pirates have already established weapon production lines in Wano Country."
"They aren't waiting for you—they're buying time."
"Once their factories are fully operational and their armies completely rearmed, even if you gather every samurai in the country, you'll just be live targets for their new weapons."
Oden swayed on his feet. For the first time, Enma and Ame no Habakiri felt unbearably heavy in his hands.
"No! I believe in Orochi! As long as I... as long as I dance for four more years... it's a promise."
His voice trembled uncontrollably. The conviction he had clung to for years was cracking under the weight of Kane's merciless words.
"A promise?"
Kane let out a laugh, as if he had heard the most absurd joke in the world.
The laughter grew louder, piercing the quiet of the night.
"Hahaha! A promise! Kozuki Oden, how old are you? Three? Or has Enma sucked your brain dry?"
Kane stepped closer, his overwhelming pressure forcing Oden to instinctively retreat.
"You've dealt with Pirates your whole life, and you actually believe the verbal promises of two country-stealing thieves?"
"Admit it, Oden."
"You aren't trying to save anyone—you're just running away!"
"You're afraid that if war breaks out, there will be casualties. You're afraid to shoulder the responsibility of a 'shogun.' You're still that selfish brat who only wants to sail the seas and adventure, unwilling to deal with the mess at home!"
"You use 'self-sacrifice' to move yourself, feeling as if you've suffered immense injustice, believing yourself to be exceptionally noble."
"But in my eyes..."
Kane's footsteps halted. He extended his hand, brushing his fingertips that had just touched the blade as if flicking away something filthy.
"This self-indulgent act of yours is truly disgusting."
Boom!
It felt as if a thunderclap had exploded in Oden's mind.
His beliefs crumbled in that moment.
No one had ever so ruthlessly torn away his disguise, stripped him of his laughable pride.
Even Toki, even his retainers, had only offered subtle guidance.
Running away...
Was I running away?
Oden staggered two steps back, his twin swords clattering to the ground, powerless.
He looked at his own hands—no blood of slain enemies stained them, only the mud he had smeared on while dancing.
"Then... what should I do?"
This man who had once feared nothing now looked up at the mysterious ronin before him, as lost as a child who had strayed from the path.
Kane looked into Oden's eyes, which had lost all their light, and smiled.
"What should you do?"
Kane's voice suddenly softened, carrying a strange magnetism, like a demon whispering in one's ear, full of temptation.
"You're tired, Oden."
"Since you can't make the right choice, since your 'true heart' only leads you to make mistakes..."
"Then let me give you a hand."
Kane slowly raised his head.
In the darkness, his eyes underwent a bizarre transformation.
The originally black pupils instantly faded away, replaced by a crimson, bloody hue.
Three black tomoe spun wildly within the blood-red irises, finally connecting to form a complex geometric pattern resembling a shuriken.
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "GoddessTL" on Patreon!"
Thanks!