Late into the night, all was still.
Inside the dungeon, a small bonfire crackled softly.
Yamato sat trembling, both hands clutching her bruised and bloodied backside. Her eyes, a mix of newly formed trust and lingering fear, stared uneasily at Rogan.
The brutal beating she suffered in the mountains had left a deep psychological scar.
Even her father had never hit her that hard!
Rogan added more wood to the fire. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the girl keeping her distance, and couldn't help but find it a little amusing.
She was a hundred times stronger than him—yet she was this scared?
She couldn't even speak properly now.
To break the tension, Rogan took the initiative.
"Yamato."
"Yes!" she yelped, instinctively sitting up straight.
Seeing her knee-jerk reaction, Rogan let out a helpless sigh. "Relax. I'm not a demon."
"…"
Yes, you are!
Yamato glared at him, both aggrieved and indignant.
She had been powerless to resist, yet he'd still used such brutal techniques on her. Even demons weren't this cruel.
Her butt still hurt!
Rogan rolled his eyes and changed the topic.
"Yamato, I've heard a few things about you… but I don't understand why you're going against Kaidou-sama. Could you explain it to me?"
"Because I am Oden!"
She replied reflexively.
Rogan's gaze narrowed. "Kozuki Oden?"
"That's right!"
Just the mention of Oden immediately lifted Yamato's spirits. Her eyes gleamed as she looked at Rogan, her fear forgotten and replaced with a desire to share.
"You know about Oden too?"
"I know a bit."
Rogan nodded.
He brought it up deliberately to steer the conversation—if he wanted to handle this delusional girl, Oden was the way in.
Yamato's eyes sparkled as she spoke passionately: "I want to become a man like Kozuki Oden! To live freely! But Father won't allow it—he beat me up and locked me in Onigashima!"
She raised her arms, showing the seastone shackles on her wrists.
"…"
If I were your dad, I wouldn't just beat you—I'd break your damn legs!
Rogan cursed silently.
Your sweet little daughter suddenly starts yelling that she wants to be your greatest enemy? Who could take that calmly? Not breaking her legs was practically doting!
Softly, Rogan asked, "Yamato, why do you want to become Kozuki Oden?"
"Because he was the greatest samurai in the world! I witnessed his life and his death with my own eyes! I admire him so much!"
And with that, Yamato launched into a passionate speech.
She had seen Oden's grand death at the age of eight—the legendary "Boiled Execution" that lasted an hour. Since then, she had idolized him deeply.
Later, she learned more of Oden's heroic deeds, like pacifying Kuri and standing up to tyranny. This only solidified her belief in becoming him.
The more she talked, the more excited she became. She even revealed the secret of Oden's journal and his journey across the seas.
She rambled on for two and a half hours.
She had no friends. For over a decade, she had never shared her heart with anyone. Now, in this safe dungeon, and with the trust she'd just built toward Rogan, she finally found someone she could confide in.
Though she never said it aloud, in her heart, Rogan—who risked being killed to give her a bowl of white rice—had become her only friend.
After listening patiently, Rogan asked, "So that's why you kept challenging Kaidou-sama?"
"Yeah!"
Yamato nodded earnestly, her voice filled with frustration and helplessness. "I am Kozuki Oden, so I have to defeat my father and liberate Wano. But I'm not strong enough yet…"
"I see."
Rogan nodded in understanding.
Yamato smiled brightly. "Rogan, do you like Oden too?"
"I don't."
Rogan rejected her without hesitation.
As a proper landlord-in-the-making, his first priority was throwing away his conscience.
But even if he had one, he'd never lie just to cater to her—not when it meant saying he liked Oden. That was crossing a line.
"Oh…"
A direct hit.
Yamato's mood instantly deflated, and she began drawing sad circles on the ground.
"Yamato."
Rogan narrowed his eyes and entered full bluff mode.
"You are not Kozuki Oden."
"I am!" she snapped, glaring at him.
Rogan shook his head. "If you were really Oden, you wouldn't oppose your father. You'd follow his orders."
"Huh?"
Yamato blinked, completely baffled.
What's he saying?
It made no sense!
There's no way Oden would obey his father!
"Yamato, let me ask you something," Rogan said seriously. "Can you defeat Kaidou-sama?"
"Of course not!"
Yamato answered confidently.
If she could, she wouldn't keep getting thrown in the dungeon!
Rogan scoffed. "If you know you can't beat him, then why keep challenging him? Just to get your ass kicked?"
"I…"
Yamato was left speechless.
Something felt off—but she couldn't put her finger on it.
Rogan gave her a lifeline.
"To get stronger?"
"Yes!"
Her spirit reignited.
Yes, it was to grow stronger!
Rogan sneered.
"You think getting stronger will let you beat Kaidou-sama?"
"…"
No.
Yamato bit her lip. She'd become hundreds of times stronger than when she was younger, but the gap between her and her father still felt infinite.
Her father was just too powerful.
Rogan sighed. "Yamato, from my point of view, all these challenges… you're just indulging in your fantasy of becoming Oden. You don't even understand Kozuki Oden."
"I—I…"
Yamato stammered.
She wanted to argue that she understood Oden better than anyone—but had no words.
Damn it, she didn't read enough!
No matter how hard she racked her brain, she couldn't come up with a rebuttal. Furious, she yelled:
"You liar! Oden died because he defied his father! How could he ever follow him?!"
"I have no interest in lying to you," Rogan sneered. "But before his final battle with Kaidou-sama… do you know what Oden was doing?"
"Oden, he—"
Before she could finish, Rogan cut her off coldly:
"Oden danced naked in front of Orochi's castle for five years."
"…"
Yamato's face flushed red. "That was because Orochi threatened him with hostages! He had no choice!"
"You're right. He had no choice. To protect Wano and its people, he had to dance like a fool. He had to swallow his pride and obey Orochi and Kaidou-sama."
"Yamato… and what about you?"
"Do you have any way to fight Kaidou-sama?"
"No, you don't!"
"Think carefully—since becoming Oden, what have you actually done? You shout about liberating Wano, but what have you really done for it?"
It was a soul-crushing question.
Yamato froze.
Aside from picking fights with her father… she hadn't really done anything.
Rogan pressed on, his voice firm. "As Kaidou-sama's only child, you're already powerful and well-positioned. If you really were Kozuki Oden, you should be enduring. Wait until you're strong enough to resist."
"Your current behavior is meaningless. You've only made things harder for yourself and wasted the privileges that come with being the Oni's daughter."
If she hadn't gone astray, Yamato could easily hold a Calamity-level position within the Beasts Pirates—and building loyal followers would've been far easier for her than for any other member.
If she were a bit smarter, she could've extended her influence into Wano, secretly building her own forces.
Too bad she had no brains.
Just like Oden—great potential, wasted completely.
Rogan's voice softened, becoming almost fatherly. "Yamato, you have the potential to become Kozuki Oden. To be the beacon of hope for the people of Wano. But the way you're going now, you're headed in the opposite direction."
"…"
Yamato's pupils lost their light. Her mind went completely blank.
She… was the opposite of Oden?
Seeing that the timing was perfect, Rogan straightened his face and asked solemnly:
"Yamato, one more time—do you want to become Kozuki Oden?"
"I do!"
She nodded firmly.
If there was one thing she was sure of—it was that.
"Good. I'll help you!"
Rogan grinned.
I, Groudon Rogan, love helping people!
Yamato clung to his words like a drowning person grabbing a rope. On the verge of tears, she asked:
"Rogan, what should I do?!"
"It's simple."
Rogan's foxlike smile widened, sly and full of schemes.
"When you get out of here… go kneel before Kaidou-sama and apologize."
(End of Chapter)
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