The Strongest Lunarian in One Piece

"Huh?"

"Why did I change back?"

"I'm small again…"

"Why is Eden still an adult?"

"Hurry, Eden! Make me an adult again!"

"Nope, hoho~…"

Before long, as the powers wore off, Thor, Sif, Dal, and the others stared at their reverted child-sized forms. They all rushed over to Eden—who still retained her towering adult appearance—clamoring for her to use the ability on them again.

"By the way, El-sama…" Watching the children playing around, Sally seemed to recall something. She smiled and asked, "Is it time to close the net on Wano Country? Besides, I'd like Ruth to return and help out!"

It had been no small effort to cultivate Ruth, only for her to be held up in Wano for so long. While the operation had yielded some benefits, the intelligence bases affiliated with the Hell Trading Company were under constant threat of raids by CP and the Navy. As the head of intelligence, Sally felt immense pressure and needed capable hands to assist her.

"Wano?" El raised an eyebrow, then nodded. "Yes, it's time to close the net—and we should bring Little Oars back too."

Wano Country was now in utter chaos, its people suffering greatly. After the annihilation of the Kozuki bloodline, Kozuki Sukiyaki underwent a dramatic change in character. Once known as a wise and just leader, he had descended into indulgence and depravity—lavishing in hedonistic pleasures and imposing increasingly oppressive taxes under flimsy pretenses.

He systematically persecuted other daimyo, using fabricated charges to strip them of their titles. Among them, only Shimotsuki Taro of Ringo passed away naturally due to illness; the rest were forced to drink poisoned sake or driven to their deaths by other means.

Sukiyaki doubled head taxes and grain levies, ruthlessly extracting resources from the people. He confiscated their limited surplus grain, leaving many to starve to death. All extra grain, as well as mined seastone and other mineral resources, were sold to foreign buyers at exorbitant prices, filling the shogunate's coffers. The treasury overflowed with gold and silver, while citizens of Wano sank deeper into poverty and despair, with countless dying from hunger.

For five years, Kozuki Sukiyaki had utterly lost the favor of Wano's populace, who hated him with a fiery passion. In reality, the grain, seastone, and other resources were all sold to the Hell Trading Company at fair market value. However, this wealth was merely held in trust by the shogunate on behalf of the company. In essence, the Hell Trading Company had turned Wano into a hidden vault for Totto Land, amassing reserves of wealth for future use. These mountains of gold and silver further alienated Wano's people, ensuring they would completely turn against Sukiyaki.

"Summon Shimotsuki Kouzaburou, Shimotsuki Ushimaru, and their samurai," El ordered Sally without hesitation. "Explain the situation to them. Let them serve as the vanguard. They're well aware of Wano's current state and shouldn't object."

Over the past five years, the samurai taken from Wano Country had met varied fates. Some, like Shimotsuki Kouzaburou and Shimotsuki Ushimaru, rose to prominence, making names for themselves on the Grand Line. Others perished in battles against pirates or the Navy, their lives ending in the depths of the sea.

Shimotsuki Kouzaburou, in particular, underwent a transformative journey through blood and fire. Once a renowned swordsmith and swordsman of Wano, he had become a true Great Swordsman. Like Helen, Sally, and Lillian, he possessed the qualifications to compete for a spot among the "Eight Vajra" under the Fallen Angel Pirates. Yet Kouzaburou, more hermit-like by nature, showed no interest in such titles. Three years ago, on Totto Land's Candy Island, he married a local woman. Within a year, they had a son, Shimotsuki Koshiro.

Meanwhile, Shimotsuki Ushimaru, his "brother-in-law," inherited the exceptional swordsmanship talent of his ancestor, Shimotsuki Ryuma. At only twenty years old, after rigorous training under both El and Kouzaburou, Ushimaru had already become a formidable swordsman. El even bestowed upon him the Uma Uma no Mi: Mythical Zoan Model - Pegasus, earning him the title of "Pegasus Swordsman."

"Wano Country?" The noisy group of children perked up their ears.

Eden, having deactivated her Age-Age Fruit powers and returned to her childlike form, ran up and leapt into El's arms. "Daddy, are you going to campaign in Wano?" she asked, eyes sparkling. "Can Eden come too?"

She blinked her large, shimmering eyes, pleading earnestly. "I want to go too!" Thor, Sif, and Dal all rushed over, grabbing El and clamoring to join.

"None of you troublemakers are going!" Gerd said sharply, hands on her hips. "Do you think this is some sort of vacation?"

Lillian frowned, darkly, and reached to grab Dal by the ear.

"It's fine," El said, stopping Lillian. "After all, we've kept these little ones cooped up on Atlantis for years to keep them safe. Let's bring them along to Wano—it'll be good for them to see the world."

El smiled, holding Eden and Dal, then turned to the others. "If you're worried, why not come along too? Treat it as a vacation to relax."

Though Wano still had some skilled warriors, El wasn't concerned. Even without their guardians, the children themselves were far from ordinary, boasting incredible physical strength, Devil Fruit abilities, and a Lunarian bloodline. Thor and Sif, especially, were born monsters—impervious to weapons and practically indestructible.

"Yay!"

"Daddy is the best!"

"This is awesome—we get to go on a trip!"

"Are Wano's samurai really that strong? Uncle Ushimaru isn't that great!"

"Uncle Kouzaburou is amazing, though. Last time I saw him practicing his swordsmanship, he split the sea with one strike!"

"Hoho, but he's still not as strong as Mom Linlin or Daddy!"

"Well, obviously not," another child chimed in confidently. "Daddy is the strongest person in the world!"

~~~

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