Wano Country,
Denjiro, now called Kyoshiro, after receiving orders from Kurozumi Orochi, imdiately felt that things were definitely not good.
He had originally heard that the monster known as [Black Spear] Orin — the one who had once been on the sa ship as Kozuki Oden — had fought Kaido in the Flower Capital and actually won.
He had thought they might finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
But the other side’s next demand was to hand over Shinobu, and that poured a bucket of cold water over all the old retainers of the Kozuki family.
While Orin still had leisure to wander the streets and eat snacks, on the other side...
...
"Boom—"
Landing in the dense forest, slowly taking human form, King held a torch aloft; the flickering flas lit the face covered by leather armor.
"Any leads?!" he barked.
Before him, squads of crewmbers dressed like Viking raiders from the Beast Pirates were sweating and looking shifty.
"Sorry, King-sama. As far as we know, the one called Shinobu used to be a ninja subordinate of Kozuki Oden. Their concealnt techniques are extrely troubleso..."
Even with their best efforts, they had gained nothing against those strange ninjutsu.
"You bunch of idiots..."
Hearing the report, bloodshot veins instantly spreading in King’s eyes, he kicked everyone flying — in the end he decided to go out himself.
"I heard a while back they caught soone called Kawamatsu — seems to be a retainer of Kozuki Oden..."
To King, whether it was sneaky or not didn’t matter — they were pirates.
Using a Kozuki retainer as bait — he didn’t believe the target wouldn’t show.
...
The news was released.
Orin even heard so of it: that King and Queen had seized Kawamatsu and were using his life to coerce Shinobu into revealing herself imdiately, otherwise they’d execute him personally in the Flower Capital.
That rumor spread far and wide; with Kurozumi Orochi pushing it, almost the whole of Wano knew.
On a high building, a long spear in hand, a slanted-eyed woman knelt at the side, respectful.
On the table sat a Den Den Mushi — the face wearing a hooded cover on its shell now slightly pudgier, expression grave.
A girl dressed as a geisha looked seriously at the other end, cradling the handset of the Den Den Mushi.
It was a Den Den Mushi Denjiro had obtained; recently he had found Shinobu and left her a contact.
"Long ti no see. Are you well now, Shinobu~!"
Kozuki Hiyori — in other words, Komurasaki — wore a serious expression as she anxiously asked.
"You’ve probably heard — the Beast Pirates are searching the whole country for your whereabouts!!!"
Hearing the concern from Kozuki Oden’s daughter, Hiyori, a gentle smile surfaced across Shinobu’s stern features.
"Yes, Hiyori-dono. I’ve run into many people looking for , but each ti it’s ended without incident."
"That’s good."
Hiyori smiled when she heard Shinobu say that.
Hiding in a thicket, Shinobu looked at the Den Den Mushi on the other end and her gaze darkened.
"Only... I don’t understand why the villains of the Beast Pirates are targeting specifically."
Shinobu considered herself skilled in ninjutsu, and among Kozuki Oden’s retainers she were fairly competent.
But it shouldn’t warrant such a large-scale manhunt. It couldn’t possibly be because of the reputation of a "seductive female ninja," could it?
"This..."
At ntion of that, both Kozuki Hiyori and Kyoshiro, who’d beco the Flower Capital’s underworld boss, fell silent; their faces darkened and their pupils trembled slightly.
"Shinobu... actually, this action against you is not entirely the Beast Pirates’ or Kurozumi Orochi’s doing—"
"What?!!"
Hearing that and seeing the terrifying expression on the Den Den Mushi’s face, Shinobu swallowed and waited for what ca next.
Hatred and fear mixed on Hiyori’s face as she slowly spoke.
"You should rember — when Father was alive he told us many tis about his experiences on the Roger Pirates’ ship."
Shinobu nodded.
"Yes, I rember Oden-sama said it was the most unforgettable journey of his life."
Hiyori bowed her head.
"In Father’s tales he also ntioned a monstrous na... — Orin."
To this day Shinobu could still recall Kozuki Oden speaking of his ti on Roger’s ship, his face full of lingering dread as he’d said:
"There was an apprentice on Roger’s ship nad Orin — he was stronger than , that guy was a complete monster!!!"
Shinobu naturally rembered that, but what Hiyori said next shocked her; her mouth dropped open.
"The Orin Father spoke of, not long ago, defeated Kaido!!!"
"But... he didn’t drive the Beast Pirates out of Wano. Instead, using a gravely wounded Kaido as bargaining, he made a deal with the Beast Pirates: they would hand over one person to him — that person is you, Shinobu!!!"
"How... how could that be—"
Hearing this, Shinobu flushed and fingers twisted nervously.
"A man who could beat Kaido, a man recognized by Oden-sama, would actually want ..."
As soone known for beguiling n — a youthful-heart killer, a seductive female ninja — Shinobu instinctively thought so.
Kyoshiro, however, twitched at the corner of his mouth, his face oddly awkward.
This...
It absolutely couldn’t be possible, could it?
Hiyori, being a young woman, hadn’t fully processed it either and only continued in earnest.
"So, the Beast Pirates, desperate to rescue Kaido, are now using Kawamatsu’s life as a bargaining chip to force you to show yourself. You must not go, Shinobu!!!"
Hiyori gripped the Den Den Mushi tightly; her face was full of agitation, and beneath it, a latent hope.
"As long as they can’t catch you, Kaido will surely end up dying by Orin’s hands — then..."
"Wano’s liberation will have hope!!!"
...
"How naïve..."
"Awoo~"
(￣～￣)
Across the street from the pleasure house, at a snack stall, Orin sat on a bench savoring a specialty cake.
Beside them Yamato devoured one bite after another; even in the Beast Pirates’ den the habit of a rough man had stuck.
Orin closed one eye to taste, but the other glanced out the door.
Through their Observation Haki they had already picked up all of their conversations.
One had to admit, Kozuki Hiyori was quite sothing.
Kawamatsu was captured searching for her; now, for the tiniest hope, she could without hesitation abandon him.
Sigh~ Kozuki Oden was a fool...
His children turned out to be even more irritating than the father.
"Useless..."
"Even if the Beast Pirates don’t find you, I’ll find you myself."
"And Kaido is far from done for yet."
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