On the speech platform in the Flower Capital, every lecture lately had ended in chaos.
"Entrusting the fate of an entire nation to a single family line was wrong from the very beginning!"
"The Kozuki Clan produced a hero like Lord Oden, who brought in outside allies and restored order. Naturally, it could also produce someone like Sukiyaki, who abandoned the people just to save his own life!"
"Bastard! Are you trying to betray the rightful ruler of Wano?!"
"No matter what, the Kozuki Clan is Wano's legitimate sovereign!"
"You traitors without honor or loyalty, I challenge you to a fight to the death!"
"Are kings and nobles born different from the rest of us? Wano belongs to all its people, not to the Kozuki Clan alone!"
"That bastard on the stage is poisoning people's minds! Drag him down!"
"You faithless wretches...!"
"Who hit me?!"
"Beat them up!"
In the midst of the chaos, eggs, cabbages, and stones flew toward the platform. The Revolutionary Army lecturer hurriedly dodged them.
When the families of those who had died in the mines saw that the lecturer had nearly been struck, they flew into a rage. Feeling that they had caused the speaker to be attacked, they shoved back, and the scuffle quickly escalated.
Brawls broke out all across Wano.
Only after the Shogunate's samurai arrived did the violence gradually subside.
But the seeds of division had already been planted.
The conflict between ideology and social class had begun to take root.
Flower Capital The prison beneath the Shogun's Palace
Oden stood outside the cell, silently meeting the gazes of the two men imprisoned within.
For a long while, neither side spoke.
At last, Oden turned away from his father and looked toward Shimotsuki Yasuie.
"Six years ago, while I was traveling overseas, I learned about Wano's past from eight hundred years ago."
"I also learned of Wano's natural opposition to the World Government."
"If the World Government had truly discovered that the Revolutionary Army was hiding in Wano, then with those two factors combined..they would have chosen to destroy this country."
"I believe Lord Yasuie is aware of the Hooded Man's identity. His abilities are described on the wanted posters."
"And the World Government..possesses a weapon capable of destroying ten islands with a single strike."
Yasuie froze.
He knew absolutely nothing about Wano's hostile relationship with the World Government.
Everything he knew about the outside world including the Revolutionary Army had come only from newspapers and the occasional information brought back by Shimotsuki Hikogoro.
"So... that's how it was?"
Yasuie's hands trembled slightly.
He did not think Oden was lying to him.
At a time like this, there was no reason for deception.
Moreover, that masked leader of the Revolutionary Army had not executed them. Instead, he had handed them over to Kozuki Oden.
The crime they had committed a month ago nearly bringing about the destruction of Wano was clearly understood by that masked man as well.
They deserved whatever punishment awaited them.
But...
"Oden."
"Please, speak, Lord Yasuie."
Yasuie slowly raised his head and looked directly into Oden's eyes.
"I nearly committed an unforgivable mistake. If I am executed, I have no complaints."
"But as a member of the Kozuki Clan..why would you accept the Revolutionary Army's poisonous words?"
"I know you have never cared about the position of Shogun."
"But why?"
"You should understand what that position represents."
"It isn't just your authority..it is the future of the Kozuki Clan for hundreds of years to come."
"How..."
"...how could you bear to throw it away?!"
After those words fell, Kozuki Sukiyaki, sitting beside Yasuie, also turned to look at his son.
But at that moment, he realized that he no longer understood Oden.
From the moment Oden had entered the prison...he had only looked at his own father once.
At that moment, Sukiyaki clenched his fists tightly.
In Kozuki Sukiyaki's memories, Kozuki Oden had been a constant troublemaker since childhood.
The moment he was born, he threw his wet nurse across the room.
At the age of four, he hurled a giant boulder and killed a huge bear.
At six, he was already sneaking into the pleasure district.
At eight, he was drinking alcohol and getting into brawls with gamblers.
At nine, he burned down a gang's casino and was arrested for violent assault.
At fourteen, he diverted a river to fight a drought, only to cause a massive flood.
At fifteen, he sparked the infamous "Harem War" at the temple.
Later, he attempted to leave Wano thirty-eight times, failing every single time, constantly violating the nation's laws.
Wild and unruly.
Proud and impossible to control.
He had even eaten oden over the remains of a deceased friend.
All this time, Sukiyaki had believed that his son was beyond saving.
He could never become a qualified Shogun.
Back then, just like today, he had stripped his son of the Kozuki name and severed their father-son relationship.
Only...
Today, it was that same son who had, in the name of the Shogun, stripped him of the Kozuki surname and imprisoned him here.
"I nearly brought about the destruction of Wano. Whether I am imprisoned or executed, I have no complaints."
Sukiyaki looked at Oden.
"After Orochi brought Kaido into Wano, I had no way to resist."
"So all I could do was put on a mask and hide away, surviving like a coward."
"When you returned and defeated Kaido and Orochi, I was truly relieved."
"But I never once thought about appearing again to reclaim your position as Shogun."
"I am a failure."
"Wano was stolen under my rule by Kurozumi Orochi."
"So the one who set everything right you are the true and worthy Shogun."
"I acknowledge that."
"But!"
At that moment, Kozuki Sukiyaki's eyes were filled with both anger and confusion.
"You should never have destroyed the Kozuki Clan's foundation that has lasted for centuries!"
"You should never have allowed those demons to spread their dangerous ideas throughout Wano!"
"The position of Shogun does not belong to you alone!"
"It is the will that the Kozuki Clan has inherited for hundreds of years!"
"Heh."
A mocking chuckle echoed clearly through the underground prison.
Oden looked directly at his father.
"The will of the Kozuki Clan?"
"Father... do you truly understand what the Kozuki Clan's will actually is?"
"Do you know why Wano built its massive walls and isolated itself from the outside world?"
"Do you truly know the reason?"
Sukiyaki froze.
Not just him.
Aside from Lady Toki and Oden, there was probably no one left in all of Wano who knew the truth.
Even as the former Shogun, all Sukiyaki knew was that beneath Wano lay the flooded remains of the country from eight hundred years ago.
And even deeper underground...rested the Ancient Weapon, Pluton.
To release that Ancient Weapon, Wano's outer walls would have to be destroyed.
In other words, the natural fortress surrounding the country would have to be removed.
Wano would have to open its borders completely.
"Do you think it is merely a coincidence that the Ancient Weapon Pluton lies beneath Wano?"
Oden continued,
"Eight hundred years have passed, and this world is about to undergo an enormous upheaval."
"The role Wano must play in that future was decided eight hundred years ago."
"Our ancestors foresaw two possible futures for the world."
"But regardless of which future arrives..the mission of Wano and the Kozuki Clan is to help bring it about."
"You chose to cooperate with the World Government."
"Did you truly believe they were unaware of Wano's special significance?"
"You gambled on luck for the sake of your own interests."
"How can someone like that be considered a worthy ruler?"
Silence fell.
Sukiyaki lowered his head, his hands trembling.
After a long while, he finally spoke in a low voice.
"A few months ago, I was still being held captive."
"It wasn't until Kaido was defeated and Wano won the war that I was finally able to leave the hidden chamber beneath Mt. Fuji."
As he spoke, Sukiyaki slowly raised his head.
His face was already covered in tears.
"Perhaps..."
"...perhaps I truly was not a qualified ruler."
"But you..."
"...you are absolutely not a worthy member of the Kozuki Clan either!"
Oden's eyes narrowed slightly.
He suddenly remembered what the masked Revolutionary Army leader had once told him.
The man had said that his father was still alive..but he had never once mentioned that Sukiyaki had actually been living in captivity.
"So... you had already anticipated this?"
Oden let out a long breath.
"...Haa."
"As the ruler of Wano, when forced to choose between this country and the privileges of future generations, I chose Wano."
"I was not wrong."
With those words, Oden gave the two men his final answer.
Then, without another glance, he turned and walked out of the underground prison.
After learning the truth, although Shimotsuki Yasuie and Kozuki Sukiyaki still could not accept the Revolutionary Army's ideology, they both acknowledged the mistakes they had made.
Three days later, the three Daimyo of Wano were executed.
Sukiyaki remained imprisoned beneath the palace.
Momonosuke was placed under house arrest within the Shogun's residence.
And Oden seemed to have completely forgotten that he even had such a son, never once visiting or asking about him.
In the courtyard, bathed in the light of the setting sun, little Hiyori bowed politely to Kawamatsu, who was standing guard at the entrance, before stepping inside the residence where Momonosuke was confined.
Momonosuke sat on the steps by the doorway, staring blankly outside, paying no attention whatsoever to his sister's arrival.
Hiyori opened the food box and placed it gently on the ground.
"Mother made your favorite sweets today."
At those words, Momonosuke's body trembled slightly.
But he still didn't respond.
Hiyori said nothing more.
Instead, she took today's class notes out of her satchel, opened them, and began reading aloud.
"The amount of resources a nation produces is limited."
"The nobility and upper classes collect wealth from the lower classes in order to support their own lives of luxury and pleasure."
'Behind the vermilion gates, wine and meat rot away; by the roadside, people freeze to death.'
"The meaning of this saying is that an unequal distribution of resources allows the upper class to continue indulging themselves while the common people can no longer survive."
"So then..."
"How does someone born at the bottom become a noble?"
"How do they become part of the upper class?"
"The answer is that they cannot."
"The so-called glory of a family name and the inherited privileges passed down through bloodlines leave ordinary people with almost no hope of rising upward."
"For them, simply staying alive is already their greatest struggle."
"When resources are abundant, there is enough for the nobles to enjoy while the common people can also survive."
"And so, everyone appears to live in peace."
"Therefore..."
"A true leader is someone recognized by everyone."
"Someone who can bring prosperity to the people."
"Someone who serves the people."
"Only such a person is worthy of governing."
After finishing the entire lesson for the day, Hiyori packed away the food box, preparing to leave as she always did.
From beginning to end...she had never once addressed him as Big Brother.
Just as she was about to stand up, Momonosuke spoke for the first time without turning his head.
"Why do you come here every day and tell me these things?"
"You know I don't like those ideas."
Hiyori looked at him.
"Because you once wanted to become Wano's ruler."
"If that's the case, then you must understand these ideals."
"Only someone recognized by all the people can truly serve them."
"Serve them?"
Momonosuke laughed mockingly.
"I'm not even a member of the Kozuki Clan anymore."
"And besides..."
"A ruler serving the people?"
"Do you really think that's possible?"
Hiyori answered calmly,
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"When we first returned to Wano, Mother gave away all of our money to the people of Kuri."
"She worked alongside them."
"She helped them survive through difficult times."
"And because of that, she earned the recognition of everyone in Kuri."
At those words, Momonosuke fell silent.
Memories surfaced in his mind.
His mother's endless hard work.
Those days when they could only barely fill their stomachs.
The patched-up clothes they wore.
But he also remembered something else.
Whenever he walked out of the Daimyo's residence in Kuri, the people greeted him with kind smiles.
They spoke to him without fear or restraint.
They even shared food with him.
Back then, he had thought all of it was perfectly natural.
Because he was a member of the Kozuki Clan.
Because he was Wano's future.
Because once Father returned and defeated the enemy...he would become the next Shogun.
But now...he had nothing.
"Wasn't your dream to become the first woman elected to lead Wano?"
Momonosuke suddenly stood up.
"Isn't that title just another word for a ruler?"
Just as he was about to kick over the food box, Hiyori's cold gaze stopped him in his tracks.
"Y-You're..."
"You want to hit me?"
"R-Right now I'm just... just an ordinary person."
"Y-You can't hit me!"
The fear in his voice instantly shattered the confidence he had tried to muster.
And seeing that...Hiyori felt nothing but disappointment.
He was still exactly the same.
Not even the slightest bit of growth.
When his own interests were involved, he would fight desperately for them.
But the moment he faced even the smallest hardship his first instinct was always to shrink back and run away.
"I'll come again tomorrow."
"If you can't sleep tonight, then think carefully about what I taught you today."
Hiyori picked up the food box and left.
Behind her, Momonosuke once again fell into silence, his eyes filled with anger as he watched her departing figure.
As time passed, because of the executions and Kozuki Oden's own public admission of the truth, the conflict between the social classes within Wano grew increasingly intense.
More and more people began accepting the ideals of ideological liberation.
The samurai who stubbornly clung to the old feudal order gradually found themselves isolated.
Many wanted to revolt, but the problem was that even the Kozuki Clan, the ruling family itself had become supporters of the new ideology.
Like the now-executed Shimotsuki Yasuie, those who opposed the changes gradually turned their attention toward the imprisoned Kozuki Sukiyaki and Momonosuke, who remained confined within the Shogun's palace.
However, after several attempts to make contact, more and more of their people simply disappeared.
It was as though Oden had anticipated this situation from the very beginning.
The first bloody clash occurred when a group of samurai surrounded one of the Revolutionary Army's lecture platforms.
But they were, in turn, surrounded by equally enraged commoners.
The two sides remained deadlocked until a single shove became the spark that ignited everything.
More than three thousand people died in that conflict alone.
In the end, everyone involved was arrested.
Nine samurai were executed.
Forty-nine others were imprisoned.
Believing that Shogun Oden had betrayed them, they began spreading rumors that he had been coerced and manipulated.
The second bloody conflict came when samurai and ninja launched a nighttime raid on the residence where the Revolutionary Army lecturers were staying.
The attackers suffered devastating casualties.
In the end, the Revolutionary Army members were declared innocent.
With each successive clash, the hardliners were gradually rooted out.
Finally, Hyogoro of the Flower Capital stepped forward.
He publicly declared his support for the lecturers and their new ideas, stating that the outdated ways of the past should be abandoned.
Thus, after even the greatest noble in Wano Kozuki Oden himself had seemingly "joined the enemy," the chaos gradually settled down.
Wano finally entered an era of true ideological reform.
The three regions that had lost their Daimyo began experimenting with a completely new system.
The people of Hakumai elected five representatives to govern the region.
A new rule was established:
Every four years, new administrators would be chosen.
A full year passed in the blink of an eye.
Following Mr. Spark's guidance, the Revolutionary Army continued to develop quietly from the shadows.
Meanwhile, in the New World, the reputation of the Undying Kaido of the Beasts Pirates continued to grow.
The islands and towns under his protection were required to pay only minimal taxes, turning his territory into a genuine haven within the New World.
Revolutionary Army lecturers secretly spread their ideas across these islands.
Compared to the people of Wano, those who had suffered endless hardships found it much easier to accept the ideals of liberation.
Countless hidden networks continued expanding beneath the surface.
Yet the ordinary people living within those territories never even learned the name "Revolutionary Army."
Instead, when pirates threatened them, they learned to resist.
As their wills awakened, they also began to gain the strength to fight back...even if that strength was still very small.
Over the course of that year, the Revolutionary Army seemed to vanish entirely from the seas.
Those who remained active all wore the disguises and identities of pirates instead.
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