Plan?
Hidden in the shadows, Oguro's interest sharpened instantly.
He originally thought it was nothing more than a few princes scrambling for power. Now it looked like the situation was far more complicated.
The ram-horn-masked CP0 let out a low chuckle. "No need to rush. Ever heard the saying? You can't eat hot tofu in a hurry… we still need to add more fuel to the fire."
"Keep acting high-profile for now. As for the other princes teaming up, don't react at all. Treat them like a bunch of clowns."
"Yes."
After a few more instructions, the three CP0 agents left with a chest full of money.
Harris soon left with his own men, and the farmstead fell into a deep, empty silence.
Oguro and the others revealed themselves and regrouped.
"What do you all think?" Oguro asked after sharing everything they had seen.
Robin frowned slightly. "We still can't see CP0's real purpose. It looks like we'll have to stay a couple more days."
Oguro didn't object and checked into a hotel in the capital.
The hotel was already bought by the Shadow Dragon Guard, so there was no need to worry about exposing themselves.
The next day, Oguro wandered the streets and immediately sensed how heavy the atmosphere was.
Patrol squads marched one after another, almost outnumbering the pedestrians.
Inside a small tavern, a few men dressed like laborers huddled together whispering.
"I heard the First Prince teamed up with the Fourth and Fifth Princes. They're planning to drive the Third Prince out of the capital."
Another man looked worried. "Troops have been entering the capital nonstop for a week. If they really start fighting, what are we supposed to do?"
When nobles fight, commoners suffer.
If they died in the princes' power struggle, it would be such a pointless death.
"Sigh… all the rich people already left. Only us cheap folk are stuck here." One man laughed bitterly at himself.
"And where could we even run? Starting last year, all the kingdom does is raise taxes. So much farmland has been abandoned because people can't afford to pay anymore."
"Bah. The old king wasn't a good person, and these princes don't care if we die. With how rotten this country is, why hasn't anyone wiped it out already?"
A wave of complaints followed.
Oguro knew there was nothing more worth listening to, so he paid and left.
Out on the street, he sank into thought.
Something was off.
Very off.
Even though the old king was ill, he wasn't bedridden or incapable of ruling. There was no way he'd casually allow people to lead troops straight into the capital.
That was no different from open rebellion.
The only explanation was that the old king was intentionally letting things rot.
But why?
Even if he wanted to use this internal struggle to choose a successor, he should have kept the conflict controlled.
If he let them fight freely, there would be no end to the chaos.
"What a strange kingdom…"
Oguro muttered under his breath, unable to figure it out.
"Fresh flowers! Newly cultivated Furant blossoms!"
Street vendors began calling out nearby.
As an agricultural nation, the Furant Kingdom was known for flowers and rice. Flowers were one of its main economic pillars. Stalls selling them were everywhere.
Even the tavern earlier had a fresh bouquet on the table.
Oguro looked over and saw a cluster of deep purple tulips. The color was rich and the fragrance refreshing. A variety you couldn't find anywhere else.
He bought a few bundles to bring back to the girls.
A light sniff sent a pleasant sweetness into his nose. The invigorating scent proved just how rare the flowers were.
Back at the hotel, the girls returned from gathering intel.
They lit up when Oguro handed them flowers.
Robin smiled and thanked him. The others rewarded him with a kiss.
Kalifa also received a bundle and her face immediately flushed pink.
"Soul King-sama, this is…"
Her habitual flirty line stopped halfway as she suddenly froze, forcing herself to swallow the rest.
"T… thank you, Soul King-sama…" Kalifa stammered, cheeks burning.
Oguro didn't make a big deal out of it and told them to compile their gathered intel.
Most of it matched what he already knew. Only Robin overheard something different.
"It's said that CP0 was seen inside the royal palace. They had a long private meeting with the old king."
"All the princes assumed the old king had reached some agreement with the World Government to support the Third Prince. That's why they're rushing troops into the capital."
Oguro spoke up. "Furant Kingdom isn't even a World Government member. CP0 has no authority to order things here."
"And even in a proper member nation, CP0 isn't allowed to intervene in royal succession. That's taboo."
If CP0 can influence who becomes king, then is this kingdom their 's or the World Government's?
Member nations are not vassal nations.
All of them are supposed to be equal.
Even if the World Government really wanted to meddle in a kingdom's succession, they would never let CP0 act so openly.
That would be handing everyone evidence on a silver platter.
If this got out, CP0 would be torn apart at the next Reverie.
They might even be dissolved.
Kalifa's eyes widened slightly. "If that's true… then CP0's true goal is probably to intentionally escalate the conflict."
As an elite intelligence agent, she picked up the anomaly quickly.
They discussed it for half a day and still couldn't come to a conclusion.
Finally, Yoruichi stretched lazily. "Why bother overthinking? Once they make their move, everything will be clear."
With her strength, she was certain that no matter what tricks CP0 had, none of them could escape her grasp.
Everyone thought she had a point and let the matter drop.
Only Oguro still felt something was off, but he couldn't grasp what it was. In the end, he could only let it go for now.
By then it was about time for dinner. The waiters brought out Furant's signature flower drinks and fried rice.
Their glasses held a crystal-green liquid that shimmered softly in the light. It was beautiful.
The fried rice was mixed with a special blend of spices, fragrant but not overwhelming.
"Tsk… this country sure knows how to make the most out of flowers and rice."
Oguro took a sip. A sweet and lingering flavor spread across his tongue.
Everyone praised the meal.
Soon, the waiters came in to clear the table.
Oguro stood to leave, and in the instant he passed one of them, his Observation Haki flared in warning.
Without hesitating, Oguro drew his zanpakutō and blocked behind him.
Clang!
A dagger stopped against the blade. The waiter's expression twisted as he roared.
"You invaders dare disrupt the peace of our kingdom! Die!"
The next second, all the other waiters pulled out weapons and lunged at the people closest to them.
***
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