Facts speak louder than words.
Since these people before him not only knew Lady Hiyori's identity but also appeared and disappeared like ghosts, if they intended to assassinate her from the shadows, he truly would be unable to rescue her in time—let alone protect her around the clock.
Yet they did no such thing. Instead, they openly appeared before him and clearly expressed their intentions.
Since they have shown goodwill, I should offer some trust in return.
As his tightly strung nerves slowly relaxed, with that relaxation came the space to notice other matters.
Just now, aside from Lady Hiyori's identity being exposed, there seemed to be another important piece of news…
After thinking for only a moment, Kyoshiro's narrow eyes suddenly widened, his pupils trembling in shock.
"Izo, what did you just say? The Navy is going to war with Kaido!!!"
"Your reaction is way too slow!"
Seeing Kyoshiro only now realizing the gravity of the matter, Izo couldn't help complaining, "I'm starting to suspect you swapped out your reaction time along with your new look."
"Enough! Compared to the Navy fighting Kaido, Lady Hiyori's safety is far more important."As he spoke, Kyoshiro's expression shifted to one of surprise. "My current appearance has almost nothing in common with how I looked over a decade ago. How did you recognize me?"
Kyoshiro believed he had hidden his real identity extremely well. He had been moving before Kurozumi Orochi's eyes for over ten years without being exposed—so how could Izo, who had been overseas all this time and had never even met him once, recognize him at a glance?
No... not just him. Lady Hiyori as well.
Kyoshiro was deeply curious about this, and his mind spun with possibilities: perhaps even while overseas, Izo still worried about Wano and had planted spies within the country to gather intelligence for him, waiting for the right moment…
Kyoshiro's guess wasn't completely wrong, but it wasn't very right either.
The only correct part was that Izo had once considered storming into Wano, defeating Kaido, and saving the country.
"Boss Mu said you were Kyoshiro."
Izo pointed at Muyang and answered straightforwardly. As for why he trusted Muyang so easily—well, because his old man, Whitebeard, trusted Muyang greatly. So he naturally had no reason to doubt Muyang's words.
"Ka—"Kyoshiro's right arm slipped off his knee, his body leaning forward slightly as he let out what sounded like a cough. He looked up at Izo in disbelief, studying his expression to determine whether he was joking.
The conclusion: Izo was completely serious. Not the slightest hint of humor.
If this had been the past, Kyoshiro might have cursed and said, "He says it and you believe it? If he told you XXX, would you believe that too?" Whatever XXX is, please fill in the blanks yourself.
But after everything that had just happened—after Muyang casually revealed Kozuki Hiyori's identity—Kyoshiro no longer thought in his usual patterns. Instead, his thoughts shifted in a different direction…
Someone who knows many hidden secrets, yet claims he came to Wano just to make money…
Could it be…
A very plausible guess flashed through Kyoshiro's mind."You… could you be… an information broker?"
"While I do sell information, please don't lump me in with those low-level information peddlers." Muyang said with a smile. "Otherwise, I'll get angry. And when I get angry, very unpleasant things tend to happen."
Though he looked gentle and relaxed, Kyoshiro felt a pressure behind that smile—an indescribable pressure, like standing before a predator at the very top of the food chain.
"…Understood."Kyoshiro stiffened for a moment, then asked, "How should I address you… sir?"
"Mr. Mu, Boss Mu, Lord Mu…"
Muyang casually listed several titles, then walked toward Kozuki Hiyori. Whitebeard followed beside him.
Watching them approach Hiyori, Kyoshiro couldn't help feeling tense—only for Izo, who hopped to his side in two steps, to pat him on the shoulder."Relax. Pops would never harm Lady Hiyori."
What about the other one? You only mentioned one, Izo!
Kyoshiro's slit-like eyes widened again as he moved to block Muyang from approaching Hiyori.
But before he could act, Muyang spoke first."What beautiful sights are there in Wano?"
Besides his hobby of recording people's embarrassing histories, Muyang had another passion—documenting beautiful scenery. And since "scenery" was a broad term, his definition was equally broad.
Beautiful women were included. When taking photos of people, he always asked permission first. If they refused, he wouldn't take the picture.
He was also extremely picky. Whether photographing people or landscapes, if the result didn't satisfy him, he would sometimes delete it even after taking it.
"…Beautiful sights?" Kozuki Hiyori blinked in surprise and confusion.
Looking at the charming, lovely girl before him—so similar to Kozuki Toki—Whitebeard couldn't help feeling emotional, lost in memories of bygone days, unable to speak.
Muyang sat cross-legged on the veranda, about one or two meters away from Hiyori, and explained, "That's right. Beautiful scenery…"
Seeing this, Izo said, "See? I told you Pops and Boss Mu wouldn't hurt Lady Hiyori."
No, you didn't.Now you're just spouting hindsight.
Kyoshiro remained expressionless and pulled the conversation back on track."Tell me the information you have. About the Navy and Kaido going to war…"
"According to reliable sources, the Navy has mobilized nearly all its top combat strength and is heading for Wano. They won't stop until they capture Kaido."
Izo spoke of the naval movements he'd heard from Whitebeard over the past few days.
"But… Kaido isn't in Wano…"
The moment those words were spoken, the courtyard fell into complete silence.
Atum, Atem, and Mahad, who were admiring the cherry blossoms; Whitebeard, reminiscing about his glorious youth, paused mid-thought; Ace's expression shifted subtly; and Muyang, chatting with Hiyori, remained perfectly calm.
"They'll eliminate the Beasts Pirates first, cut off one of Kaido's arms, then go all-out against him. Any problem with that?"
Muyang's eyes swept across everyone as he spoke casually."I don't see any problem."
"Indeed, no problem."Kyoshiro suddenly looked at Muyang, his expression serious."Boss Mu, as an information dealer, what do you think the chances are of Kaido losing?"
"I'll tell you for free—Kaido will lose with one hundred percent certainty." Muyang answered without even turning around. "Even if he somehow survives the Navy's siege, the man beside me, Mr. Newgate, will personally beat him to death."
"Boss Mu is correct."Whitebeard smiled. If not for the ongoing event, he would have been the one to kill Kaido already.
"Then I'll simply wait and see what Kaido's ending will be…"
Although he had gotten the answer he wanted, Kyoshiro remained a calm, composed man. He didn't say much more—he would think about everything after the dust settled.
After all, only once Kaido's fate was certain could he decide what he should do next…
-----------------------
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