Mu Yang's gaze swept over the people around him one by one. Each time his eyes passed someone's face, a corresponding method of entering the island flashed through his mind.
Ace's rocket boat, Atem and Yugi's monster summons, Mahad's magic, Whitebeard's flying carpet, Izo… Izo…
Oh! Izo doesn't have one!
Little brother, what's going on with you?!
As that line popped uncontrollably into Mu Yang's mind, so did a vivid image.
A bright full moon hung high in the night sky. Seven wolves crouched at the edge of a cliff as sharp as a blade, arranged in a triangular formation. Their heads lifted, and their howls rang out one after another.
Awoo~ Awoo~ Awoo~ Awoo~ Awoo~ Awoo~ Awoo–woof~
A husky successfully blended into a wolf pack.
The absurd thought flashed and vanished. Mu Yang asked the group for their opinions. "Where are we going first?"
"Where's little Hiyori?" Whitebeard asked. His sole purpose for this trip was to protect Kozuki Hiyori. He hadn't thought of going anywhere else.
"Where is Lady Hiyori?" As Oden's retainer, Izo's only thought was also to hurry to her side and protect her.
"Kuri, Amigasa Village," Ace said, thinking of the girl he made a promise to two years ago—Tama.
"......"The trio unfamiliar with the land offered no suggestions.
Mu Yang considered briefly, clapped his hands, and decided, "Then we'll go to the Flower Capital first and find Kozuki Hiyori, then head to Kuri's Amigasa Village."
The moment his words fell, the seven vanished.
.........
The Flower Capital was located at the very center of Wano Country, the most prosperous of the six provinces. It was the nation's capital and home to the Shogun's estate.
Exquisitely crafted houses sat in orderly clusters, wide and clean streets stretched in all directions, crowds flowed like woven threads, and the cries of shopkeepers on both sides rose and fell endlessly.
On the roof of a building by the street, the seven gazed out over the city.
"It's like going back to ancient times from hundreds of years ago."
The antique streets and clothing gave Mutou Yugi the illusion he had traveled back three or four centuries.
Atem surveyed the Flower Capital, the picturesque scenery giving him the impulse to imprint a Field Spell Card: Flower Capital.
Mahad used sensing magic to scan the city—both to confirm whether anyone within could threaten him, and to acquire synthesis data for a field spell card: a three-dimensional map of the Flower Capital.
"......"
Ace remained silent, expression dark. The prosperity of the Flower Capital contrasted sharply with the poverty of Amigasa Village, reminding him of the Goa Kingdom—one nation, two extremes: luxury and destitution.
"Where is Lady Hiyori?"Though he had finally returned to his homeland after so many years, Izo had no mind to observe what had changed. He gripped the scabbard tightly, the blade knocking against it with a crisp sound.
"......"Whitebeard also said nothing. Returning to Wano after so long, everything was different. Besides, back then he had only stayed briefly at the outskirts—he'd never even been to the Flower Capital.
So this feeling of unfamiliarity wasn't nostalgia—it was pure, genuine unfamiliarity.
Mu Yang did not use mind-reading to peek into his companions' thoughts. Instead, he pointed toward a street. "Kyoshiro—Denjiro's disguised identity—established an organization called the Kyoshiro Family here in the Flower Capital. They operate various businesses, one of which is a brothel. Under Denjiro's protection, Kozuki Hiyori successfully became the top oiran of Wano."
"Mhm, I see, understandable…"Izo nodded—then suddenly exploded. "Understandable my ass!!!"
"Why would he raise Lady Hiyori to be an oiran?! What sense does that make?! What was that guy thinking?!"
"Even though I could explain the reason," Mu Yang said, "I don't think I'm the right person to say it. So you should ask Denjiro yourself."
Saying that, Mu Yang teleported the six others straight into Denjiro's home.
At this moment, Denjiro was sitting on a tatami mat, drinking while scratching the thick hair on his left calf. Through the open door, he stared at the sakura tree in the courtyard.
Beside him, Kozuki Hiyori knelt gracefully, speaking softly.
Outside, on the wooden veranda, Otoko sat at the edge of the planks, swinging her legs lightly as she ate a sweet mochi and watched the drifting petals.
—Whoosh!
Seven figures appeared beneath the cherry blossom tree without warning. Otoko was startled, spit out all the mochi in her mouth, and scampered into the room, diving straight into Kozuki Hiyori's arms.
Inside, Denjiro and Hiyori also flinched from shock. But when Denjiro recognized one of the seven, he calmed down instantly. Seeing him relax, Hiyori's tension faded as well.
Looking at the face that had hardly changed from his memories, Denjiro lifted his bowl and took a sip of sake. His fox-like eyes swept over the seven—five he didn't recognize, fine.
But the remaining two he certainly knew…
Though the long, flowing blond hair was gone, the iconic crescent-shaped white mustache made him instantly recognize the man—the pirate who had once taken Lord Oden away.
To Denjiro, he was a familiar stranger. His gaze shifted to the other.
A man in a pink kimono with an irregularly tied red spotted sash at his waist.
"Izo. Why have you come back now?" Denjiro's tone was far from friendly.
"To protect Lady Hiyori." Izo did not try to hide anything and answered honestly. "The Navy is about to go to war with Kaido. When that happens, Wano will become a battlefield. It will be extremely dangerous."
Denjiro leaned forward and stared at him. "And who exactly is this Lady Hiyori you speak of?"
People change. After seventeen or eighteen years apart, how could Denjiro dare trust Izo immediately? His fingers tightened around the sake bowl.
"The beauty sitting next to you."
Mu Yang's sentence made Denjiro tense even more. Just as he was about to speak, Mu Yang continued first.
"There's no need for you to be so on guard. You know his strength. He's the man who can defeat Kozuki Oden head-on. If we bore any ill will, we wouldn't bother explaining anything—we would've attacked the moment we appeared. Do you really think you could withstand the sneak attack of those two?"
Denjiro glanced at the mighty Whitebeard. He wasn't foolish enough to deny Mu Yang's words.
Seeing Denjiro speechless, Mu Yang spread his hands. "So there's no need to overthink it. He and Izo truly came to protect Kozuki Hiyori…"
"And I…"Mu Yang pointed to himself. "I'm here… to make money."
"They…"He pointed at Ace, Atem, and the others. "One of them is here to visit a friend. The other three are here to have fun. All of them are potential allies—but whether you can win their help depends on your eloquence."
After his rapid-fire explanation, Denjiro looked dazed.Seven people.Four different purposes.A truly chaotic mix.