"She's right. The owner of those two blades, Kozuki Oden, really was the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates—and a member of Roger's crew. Even the scar across Kaido's body was cut by his hand."
Ararō Ryū, lounging lazily on a sun chair, spoke as if it were a trivial matter. His tone carried no admiration, only disdain.
"But that man was a fool," Ararō continued coldly. "As stupid as a pig. He let himself be played like a puppet by Orochi and Kaido, thinking he was in control the whole time."
The harsh words struck like knives. Hiyori, Shinobu, and Denjiro glared with burning fury, while Sukiyaki's brows furrowed tightly. If they weren't hopelessly outmatched, they would have drawn blades right there—none of them could stand by while anyone insulted Kozuki Oden.
"Ararō-baba, I wanna hear the story!" Bonney interrupted eagerly, eyes sparkling. She loved tales of the sea's hidden history. Robin and Law, too, leaned forward with interest.
"Back then," Ararō said, his eyes half-lidded, "when the Roger Pirates disbanded, Roger left first. Rayleigh the Dark King personally escorted Oden back to Wano. At that time, the Beasts Pirates had only just arrived. Kaido hadn't yet reached his peak.
"Rayleigh even offered to bring the Roger Pirates to drive Kaido out of Wano. But Oden… rejected him. Foolish pride. He returned home, only to let Orochi use five hundred hostages to force him into dancing in the streets for five years. Pathetic.
"By the time he realized Orochi and Kaido's true scheme, the Beasts Pirates had grown too powerful. He led his so-called Nine Red Scabbards against them, and was utterly defeated.
"And Kaido—idiot that he was—actually let the Nine Red Scabbards escape. 'If you cut the grass but don't pull the roots, the spring winds will make it grow again.' A mistake any true warrior would never make."
Ararō sneered openly, locking eyes with the Kozuki retainers, utterly indifferent to Denjiro's trembling rage. Not only had he spat on Oden's name, he'd mocked the Nine Red Scabbards themselves.
"Dancing like a fool? And this was a man who sailed with Whitebeard and the Pirate King? Where was his dignity as a warrior?" Bonney scoffed. "If Oden hadn't been so full of himself, and had accepted the Roger Pirates' help, Kaido's crew would've been crushed then and there. At their peak, not even Kaido could have stood against Rayleigh."
"My father endured humiliation to protect innocent lives!" Hiyori shouted through tears. "He chose disgrace to save his people!"
"There are many ways to save lives," Law said quietly, his tone cool and sharp. "Your father chose the weakest path—a coward's compromise. When the Holy Knights seized Sorbet Kingdom, Ararō didn't grovel. He broke them. He shook the seas."
"Exactly!" Bonney laughed, pride swelling in her voice. "Ararō-baba saved all of Sorbet, killed one of the Holy Knights, and made the World Government wail like beaten dogs!"
The creed of the Ararō Pirates was clear: never live in disgrace.
"Life or death—face it head on. If you don't like it, fight! That's our way." Robin chuckled softly. For all their danger, the Ararō Pirates were intoxicating—free, untamed, more comfortable even than the Emperors. They lived without chains.
"Oi. Blue-haired samurai." Enel sat perched on a railing, dead fish eyes half-lidded, his tone like a thundercloud. "If you dare glare at the boss again with those disrespectful eyes… I'll burn you to cinders." His casual threat carried the weight of a god swatting at insects.
"Captain," Lafitte interrupted respectfully, "the target island coordinates from Stussy, Umit, and Morgans have been confirmed. We're nearly there."
Ararō's eyes gleamed, sharp as blades. "Good. Time to take him down."
The darkness stirred. The Yami Yami no Mi—the accursed Dark-Dark Fruit—was finally within reach. Nika's blood had already been delivered to Vegapunk. Soon, Ararō's crew would hunt abilities themselves. Nothing would be beyond their grasp.
The Kozuki captives were ignored. Their outrage was as meaningless as a hamster's squeak.
On Fuyuko Island, Teach's mood grew darker by the minute.
"Oi! Why the hell haven't we set sail yet? Rest time's long over!" he barked at the passenger ship's captain, his voice like rolling thunder. One more delay, and he would kill them all. If he couldn't command a three-mast ship, he'd just butcher the crew and steal a smaller vessel.
"Almost ready, sir. We just need another half-hour to restock food and water," the captain replied nervously. His heart pounded. The black-bellied man before him had killed a Whitebeard division commander—his strength was undeniable. But the money on his head was worth the risk.
"Fine. But if you waste my time again… you'll regret it." Teach's voice dripped with venom. He scanned the deck, noting every lifeboat. If things turned bad, he would cut and run instantly.
Half an hour passed. The ship finally departed. Teach relaxed slightly—but never noticed the trick. More supplies had been offloaded than loaded.
Not long after, he realized the passengers had thinned drastically. Too many had "disembarked" at Fuyuko. And stranger still, the other two ships in the fleet were pulling ahead, widening the gap.
"Damn it…" Teach's gut twisted. "They're setting me up."
Murderous fury exploded. "You bastards dare betray me?!" He lunged toward the captain, murderous intent blazing.
"Jump! Everyone jump!" the captain shouted in terror. Without hesitation, he hurled himself over the rail into the sea. The crew followed, hacking the sails loose as they leapt.
The passenger ship was abandoned—left for Teach alone.
"What the hell is this?!" Teach roared. His pulse raced. Were they trying to trap him here for Whitebeard's pursuit?
He scrambled to the lifeboats. Relief surged as he found them intact. He quickly gathered food and water, loaded a small boat, and shoved off.
"They think they can box me in? Make me wait for Pops' dogs to arrive? Not a chance!"
He rowed hard into the open sea, black mist coiling faintly around him.
The hunt was only beginning.