Chapter 450: Chapter 448 - Wano 03.
[Chapter Size: 2000 Words.]
Third Person POV
New Word.
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"We're almost there, big brother!" The girl named Tama was leading the way ahead of Luffy as they approached a house in the middle of the forest, characteristic of Wano. She guided him excitedly to the door and pushed it open with a flourish.
"Tama, who's with you?" A suspicious voice called from the other side of the door as it creaked open, revealing the presence of someone alongside the girl.
"Sensei, sensei! I found a big brother! Look, I ate more than I ever have before. I'm so happy and full because of him!" she exclaimed, pointing to her slightly rounded belly, a result of all the food Luffy had shared with her. With a radiant smile, she added, "And I brought food for you too, sensei. Big brother said I could share it with you." Tama held out a bag of food and offered it to the man.
The man, seated inside the house and wearing a mask, looked at Tama with sharp eyes, clearly surprised by the situation, though a hint of suspicion lingered in his gaze. He raised his head and looked toward the door as another figure approached.
Finally, the person came into view, and the man's eyes widened further behind his mask. "You..." he murmured, recognizing the newcomer immediately. After all, the face under the straw hat was well known from the newspapers he'd acquired through Kaido's men.
"So, you're Tama's master? Kozuki Sukiyaki..." Luffy said as he entered, glancing at the food Tama had brought and offering it to the teacher before him.
"So, you know who I am?" the man asked, startled at being addressed by that name after so long, especially since he had kept it hidden. Still confused, he watched as his apprentice arranged the food before him, her gaze urging him to eat.
"Of course, I know. You're Oden's father. Anyway, it's a pleasure to meet you," Luffy replied with a smile.
"So, you've come to Wano... Has the war with Kaido already begun?" the man asked, intrigued, as no sign of conflict had yet reached his ears.
"Not yet. We're feeding the country first, staying hidden from Kaido and his men while he focuses all his forces on Onigashima. We entered Kuri with a small group. We're ending hunger in the towns before moving to other regions. I plan to transform all of Wano before we attack Kaido. After all, I want its samurai and citizens to fight for their land too," Luffy explained calmly, stepping closer to the man.
"I see..." the man murmured, unable to say more as he processed what he had heard. He continued to observe Luffy carefully before speaking again. "But do you believe you can defeat Kaido? While I'm deeply grateful for what you're doing for this country, I remain skeptical. I have my doubts that you'll truly succeed."
"Yeah, I get your doubts. After all, you're expecting your grandson, along with some of the Red Scabbards who've traveled through time thanks to Kozuki Toki's power, to appear and lead the charge here, aren't you?" Luffy said with a grin.
"How do you know that?" the man asked, visibly shaken once again. It was knowledge known to only a select few in Wano. He had remained in the shadows, waiting for the country to finally change. Even his granddaughter was unaware of his existence. He believed himself a great coward for it, having even failed at seppuku, the samurai ritual of suicide.
"How I know doesn't matter now. What matters is that prophecy has changed. We're stronger than Kaido and Big Mom combined. Even they would need other allies, like another Yonko, to pose a real challenge to my crew. We already have enough powerful members that, even without me, they can defeat both Yonko," Luffy said confidently. "Anyway, I need to make a request."
The man remained silent for a few seconds before turning to Luffy, his gaze narrowing slightly.
"What do you want? I am an old man, a coward who spent all these years hiding, watching Wano descend to where it is now without the courage to do anything. I don't know how I can be of any use," he murmured in the end, letting the guilt and resentment he carried show. He had witnessed Wano's decline over the years but chose to remain in hiding after his son's death, even concealing his name. Tama stood nearby, looking surprised ever since Luffy addressed him as Kozuki Sukiyaki.
"Sensei..." Tama exclaimed in astonishment, her eyes welling up with tears as she listened. She had known he disliked seeing others but was unaware of these thoughts of his. For now, she tried to ignore them, even though she could see that he was starving and still hadn't touched the food she had brought.
"I need the swords," Luffy said, already knowing where Oden's weapons were. "I know that sword belongs to Oden and is a direct heirloom for his children, Momonosuke and Hiyori." He threw another bombshell at the man.
"What? The swords?" By now, the man thought Luffy knew all the secrets of Wano and eventually accepted it all. "Even if you are helping Wano, I cannot give them to you!" the man protested immediately, his voice firm.
"I'm not asking to take them permanently, but the swords will be useful in the battle. You don't have to give them to me—just lend them, and I'll return them when it's all over. Then, you can pass them on to both your grandchildren," Luffy replied calmly.
The man froze for a moment and finally sighed, resigned. After all, what more could he expect from someone known worldwide for challenging even emperors?
"Very well... I'll give you the swords," he said, reluctant in the end.
"So it's true?! Big brother is going to free Wano?" Tama exclaimed, her voice filled with hope as her eyes shone brightly.
"I'll do my best. Wano will be free soon and will enter an era unlike any before," Luffy affirmed with a smile toward the girl.
"Answer me one thing first: what do you plan for Wano after Kaido?" the man asked, still not touching the food. He looked at Luffy intently, formulating the most important question he had wanted to ask from the beginning. After all, he wasn't entirely sure what Luffy's goal for Wano was.
It wasn't the first time someone had asked Luffy that.
"I've said this to every town I've passed through: I'm not here to turn Wano into my territory in an abusive way. It will be under my flag, but I won't be like Kaido," Luffy began seriously. "Quite the opposite. I won't continue any factories or experiments that pollute this place. I plan to purify the air, water, and land of Wano so that they become fertile again. I'll bring resources from my territories here so food can be distributed until Wano fully recovers."
Luffy paused before continuing. "I estimate that in two or three years, Wano will be self-sufficient again. After all, it's not enough just to defeat Kaido. The problem of hunger will persist as long as the land remains infertile with the lasting scars of the past 20 years."
The man stayed silent, listening intently. Luffy seemed to know exactly what he was doing, something that surprised many. He had already discussed Wano's economy and soil recovery at length with Nojiko and Bepo, the crewmates most capable of having such conversations.
"Do you intend to bring kingdoms here? I saw a picture of your islands... Is that real? Can you transport them here?" the man asked in surprise.
Luffy nodded. "Well, in any case, we'll discuss this more later. For now, my crew is arriving. Can you get the swords?" he said.
Outside, a massive shadow appeared in the sky, heading toward the location. A medium-sized ship with a lion figurehead landed in front of the house, crushing some of the forest's trees and vegetation. Tama ran outside, looking at it with admiration.
Meanwhile, the man had brought out a box and opened it, revealing Oden's two swords, Ame no Habakiri and Enma, two of the 21 Supreme Blades.
"I'll talk to my crew. You should eat as well. After all, you still have a choice: fight or stay here," Luffy said, taking the swords and immediately showing interest in Enma.
"I doubt I can fight. My honor has been shattered by isolating myself for so long while such a disaster unfolded in my country," he murmured with regret.
"Maybe. But will you cower forever? Perhaps it's time to fight..." Luffy said before leaving, leaving the man speechless as he looked at the food Tama had brought for him.
"Luffy! You just left the town and came straight here?" Lucy exclaimed, stretching her arms as she approached where Luffy was stepping out of the house, near Tama, who watched curiously.
"Who is this, big brother?" Tama asked, pointing at Lucy with a curious smile.
"This is also my sister. And besides, she's also Ace's sister," Luffy explained. Seeing the confused expression on Lucy's face, he continued, "Ace helped her when he came to Wano. This is Tama, someone he knew."
"Really? How cute!" Lucy commented, approaching Tama and pinching her cheeks.
"Hey, Captain! What swords are those?" As soon as Zoro saw Luffy carrying the swords, he asked, clearly stunned upon realizing what they were.
"Ah, these? Take this one. It's yours temporarily," Luffy said, tossing the sheathed Ame no Habakiri directly to Zoro, who caught it in surprise. He didn't hand over Enma, as he himself was interested in the sword.
"Seriously, Captain?" Zoro asked, examining the weapon with focused attention.
"Yes. This sword belonged to Oden. But be careful—it's known as the Sky Cutter. You'll need to train with it a bit while we're here," Luffy explained as Kuina approached, eyeing the sword curiously.
Luffy wanted Enma for its unique trait of draining Haki, so he planned to train with it himself rather than letting Zoro wield it as in the original timeline.
"Luffy, there's a grumpy old man inside," Yamato commented as she leaped from the ship, approaching and noting, with her Haki, the internal conflict the man seemed to be experiencing.
"That's Oden's father. If you want to ask him something, go ahead. In any case, we'll stay here for a few more minutes before heading out. First, we need to find one of the Red Scabbards, who's ended up becoming a bandit," Luffy said, glancing directly at the samurai, who looked a bit embarrassed by the comment but couldn't deny it.
"After that, we'll leave this region and head to the factories before moving on to the capital," he concluded as the others listened attentively.
Zoro went off to train with the new sword, feeling the challenge it posed. Meanwhile, the others gathered at Oden's father's house. At some point, Yamato struck up a conversation with Oden's father, asking animated questions without directly identifying herself as Kozuki Oden, as she had done before.
Luffy discussed some of his plans while Lucy chatted with Tama, who played with Chouchou. Using her Akuma no Mi powers, Tama charmed a powerful Cerberus, quickly forming a friendship with the beast and Lucy. Lucy's relaxed demeanor made Tama laugh, and they bonded quickly. Reiju, for her part, prepared more meals for everyone, as no one had eaten yet.
"That sword?!" Sukiyaki exclaimed, surprised to see a sword at Kuina's waist alongside her official blade. Kuina explained that she had defeated the zombie of Shimotsuki Ryuma and earned the sword.
Everyone in Wano knew of Shimotsuki Ryuma's desecrated grave, a legend in this land. Sukiyaki was even more astonished to learn that the dark-blue-haired woman's name was Shimotsuki Kuina, a direct descendant. He could see how formidable she was with a sword.
"What are you doing?" Lami, who hadn't been very involved, asked as she saw Luffy walking out holding Enma.
"I'm going to test this sword. Want to come with me?" Luffy asked, planning to do the same as Zoro was doing in the forest. Lami shrugged and followed him.
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