"Fleet Admiral, what happened next?"
"The story gets even more exciting!" Orion shifted his posture as he reclined against komainu, supporting himself with his right hand.
He continued "After Kozuki Oden abandoned his people to become a pirate, Kurozumi Orochi naturally seized the opportunity. With the help of his elder Kurozumi Higurashi, he secretly removed the terminally ill Kozuki Sukiyaki and took control of Wano Country, successfully establishing his rule!"
"However, Kurozumi Orochi's true goal wasn't just to become the shogun of Wano. His aim was to destroy the country. While collaborating with Kaido, he became a tyrant through extremely cruel methods."
"During this time, Kozuki Oden returned to Wano once."
"Kurozumi Orochi was terrified at the time!"
"But to his surprise, Kozuki Oden completely ignored all the atrocities he had committed in Wano and left without even looking back!"
"What—" Even Gion widened her eyes in disbelief upon hearing about Kozuki Oden's reaction.
Such a successor of the Kozuki family was truly beyond redemption!
"Isn't it absurd?" Orion chuckled and continued.
"But what comes next is even more outrageous."
"After realizing that Kozuki Oden, like himself, cared nothing for the lives of Wano's people, Kurozumi Orochi thought it was time to change the people's blind worship and loyalty towards the Kozuki family. He even naively believed that when Kozuki Oden returned again, he would be met with scorn from the citizens!"
"Yet the opposite happened. When Kozuki Oden returned to Wano after retiring from his adventures abroad, the people still treated him with great respect!"
"Even worse, a man like Kozuki Oden actually brought back a stunningly beautiful wife!"
"This left Kurozumi Orochi utterly baffled. He racked his brains for days but couldn't figure out why. He could somewhat understand the people's blind devotion to the Kozuki family, given their centuries-long rule. But what about that beautiful woman? Was she blind? How could she fall for a worthless, irresponsible playboy who cared nothing for his people?"
At this point, Orion suddenly shook his head and laughed.
"Not only was Kurozumi Orochi confused, even I can't make sense of it!"
"Hmm?" Noticing Orion's reaction, Gion picked up on a sensitive detail and tentatively asked.
"Orion... do you know this woman?"
Orion nodded. "Kozuki Toki! Originally known as Amatsuki Toki, a user of the Time-Time Fruit and a time traveler from 800 years ago!"
Hearing this, one of the officers pounded his chest in frustration.
"She traveled through 800 years of history—she must have had vast experience! How could she marry a man like Kozuki Oden?"
Another officer curiously asked. "Fleet Admiral, what happened after that? Did Kozuki Oden do anything even more outrageous?"
"Of course." Orion smiled and continued. "To make the people completely lose faith in Kozuki Oden, Kurozumi Orochi fabricated a lie so flimsy that even a child wouldn't believe it, yet Oden believe it—he made Kozuki Oden dance naked in the streets."
"That actually worked? A warrior would rather die than suffer such humiliation! If it were me, I'd fight Kurozumi Orochi to the death!"
"If he really fell for a lie even a child wouldn't believe, then he truly was beyond saving."
"!"
"That might not be the case. Didn't Admiral Gion just mention that Kaido's permanent scars were left by Kozuki Oden? Based on how the story's developing, Kozuki Oden should have erupted in fury at this point, attacking Kurozumi Orochi, which then drew Kaido's attention. Though he left a permanent scar on Kaido, he was ultimately killed due to his severe injuries!"
"Is that how it went, Fleet Admiral?"
Observing the soldiers whose interest was thoroughly piqued, Orion shook his head with a faint smile.
"No. Kozuki Oden still believe Orochi lies. For five years, he danced naked in crowded streets every day!"
"???"
A sea of question marks floated above the heads of the gathered Marines.
Almost immediately, one officer couldn't hold back his outburst.
"What a useless, spineless, hopeless waste! A man with no integrity or sense of responsibility like that actually managed to marry a wife who traveled eight hundred years through time and remained stunningly beautiful—where's the justice in that?!"
"At this point, the citizens must have completely lost faith in him!"
"Obviously! If I had a lord like that, I wouldn't even wait for Kurozumi Orochi to act—I'd empty my bullets into him in a second!"
"You're too extreme. As ordinary citizens, throwing a few eggs at him would suffice!"
Watching the officers seethe with rage, Orion couldn't help but chuckle.
"If you think the citizens lost faith in him, then you're the ones in for disappointment. Because far from finding Kozuki Oden's actions inappropriate, they were deeply moved by them!"
"What? Deeply moved?!"
"Seriously, what exactly is there to be moved by?!"
"This country is beyond saving. Just let it burn!"
"Fleet Admiral, what happened next?"
"What followed was straightforward," Orion said, his tone suddenly flat and disinterested.
"The Kozuki clan was massacred. Kozuki Toki used her Time-Time Fruit powers to send several retainers and her son twenty years into the future, choosing to face death herself. As for Kozuki Oden, Kaido threw him into a boiling pot."
Hearing this, the officers momentarily forgot their roles, their expressions collectively shifting to one of grim satisfaction.
A lord that useless was practically polluting the air by staying alive.
But soon, they realized their mistake.
They were Marines of justice—even if they took secret pleasure in this, they couldn't show it!
***
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Deafening clashes reverberated across the skies of the Flower Capital, terrifying shockwaves rolling outward and reducing countless buildings to rubble, sending panicked citizens fleeing in all directions.
At the temporary Marine base, Yamato was wielding her kanabo and radiating Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki.
Yet after exchanging blows with Sakazuki's magma-coated fists a few times, she grew cautious, eyeing the enraged admiral with the same wariness she'd once reserved for Kaido.
"Who is this woman?"
On the third floor of the temporary base, Jinbei stood by the window, staring at the towering figure facing off against Sakazuki in the streets below.
"She actually blocked Admiral Sakazuki's 'Hell Hound' attack!" he exclaimed in astonishment.
Watching Yamato deflect Sakazuki's 'Hell Hound' twice in succession, only being forced back without injury, his eyes flashed with disbelief.
"I can actually see traces of Kaido in her!" he murmured.
Mihawk's gaze lingered on Yamato's kanabo as he played the role of trivia master.
"Rumor has it Kaido has a highly rebellious daughter, who was raised as a son due to her formidable strength. This woman just used Kaido's signature move Thunder Bagua. Who do you think she could be?"
Jinbei blinked in surprise.
"As Kaido's daughter, she's actually waving the banner of Kozuki Oden to protect Wano Country. This father-daughter pair was really odd!"
------------------------------
Read 60 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator