One Piece: Rayquaza of the Beasts Pirates

Denjiro's choice was no surprise.

The moment Kane exposed his identity, he only had two choices: to die or to live.

Kane said calmly, "Then let's do a good job."

Whether it was out of genuine loyalty or feigned compliance, Denjiro was one of Momonosuke's loyal henchmen for the ten years before Momonosuke's return.

As for ten years from now?

At that time, even if the Nine Heroes of the Crimson Sky gathered together to rebel against him, it would be nothing more than a minor ailment.

Kane has that confidence.

"Someone come here!" Kane clapped his hands lightly.

"What are your orders, sir?" Fu Lu Shou stepped forward and bowed as he asked.

"Three days from now, I will hold a grand sword-offering ceremony in the Flower Capital."

Kane raised his hand to indicate to Komurasaki: "Komurasaki, also known as Kozuki Hiyori, will present Oden's sword Enma on behalf of the Kozuki family."

Huh? Komurasaki is the Kozuki Princess that Kurozumi Orochi has been longing for?

Fu Lu Shou could not hide the surprise on their faces, but soon a strong sense of pride welled up in their hearts.

As expected of Lord Kane, he accomplished in such a short time what Orochi couldn't do in ten years!

Fu Lu Shou's tone couldn't hide his fervor: "I will do everything in my power to organize it."

"Well, let's go down."

Kane waved Fukurokuju away, then turned to Komurasaki: "You don't need to serve me today. Accompany Kawamatsu on a tour of Wano Country."

Xiao Zi said gratefully, "Thank you, Lord Kane."

Just as Kane was about to leave, Denjiro urgently called out to him, "Lord Kane, who is the traitor?"

"Kanjuro, full name Kurozumi Kanjuro, Orochi helped him avenge the deaths of his parents, and he has followed him ever since. Here, I also have a piece of information handwritten by Kanjuro."

Kane paused, pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, and tossed it to Denjiro.

We have to thank Fu Lu Shou for this; he was the one who provided the intelligence back then, and he also left behind the original document.

“It’s him, it’s Kanjuro’s handwriting.”

As Denjiro looked at the familiar words on the yellowed paper, his eyes reddened and his teeth clenched so tightly they made a grinding sound.

Kawamatsu, who was usually good-tempered, couldn't help but grip the hilt of his sword, wishing that Kanjuro was right in front of him so he could tear him to pieces.

"Damn it! Why is it him who went to the future with the young master?!"

Denjiro looked up to the sky and howled, feeling both angry and anxious.

If Kanjuro were to launch a sneak attack, Momonosuke would likely be in danger.

While the two were getting anxious, Komurasaki calmed down and said, "We must trust Kin'emon, Kikunojo, and Raizo. They can definitely protect our brother."

"Orochi is dead, and Kanjuro may not continue to serve him."

With Xiao Zi's comforting words, the two gradually calmed down.

In any case, Kanjuro will only appear in ten years, so there's no use in them being anxious now.

To put it another way, if Kanjuro hadn't followed Momonosuke and had stayed behind instead, the three of them would probably have been captured by Orochi long ago.

It can be said that fortune and misfortune are intertwined.

Xiao Zi changed the subject, saying, "He Song, let me take you to the Flower Capital."

……

"Extra number, extra number!"

"Princess Kozuki has reappeared in the world and will represent the Kozuki clan in submitting to General Yamato at the sword-offering ceremony in three days!"

Newsboys, barefoot, ran back and forth through the streets and alleys, reading out eye-catching news headlines.

Princess Kozuki?!

These four words were like a boulder thrown into a lake, instantly causing a huge uproar throughout Wano Country.

The people were especially stunned when they learned that Princess Kozuki was going to present Oden's sword to the Yamato Shogun.

"Is Kozuki... truly a thing of the past?"

"That's good. General Yamato is such a kind person. She even helped my brother-in-law's family clear two acres of wasteland!"

"Yes, although the tax rate set by General Yamato is not low, life is actually better without the exploitation by the underworld!"

……

While the common people mostly welcomed Yamato's rule, the ronin samurai lurking in the shadows deeply resented it.

"You bastard! You possess the bloodline of the Kozuki clan, yet instead of seeking revenge, you choose to kneel and surrender to the enemy?!"

In a dimly lit small room, a samurai with a chonmage hairstyle slammed a freshly baked tile onto the table, fuming with resentment.

His eyes were bloodshot as he roared with hatred, "Then what does she take us, the samurai loyal to the Kozuki, for?!"

The dim candlelight flickered, illuminating the dozen or so faces sitting around the small table.

These warriors were dressed simply, even with patches on their clothes, and their faces were ashen, as if covered with a layer of frost.

Since Kane took control of Wano Country, a series of new policies have been implemented like a hammer blow, the most painful of which is the complete demise of samurai privileges.

There is no harm without comparison.

During the reign of the Kozuki clan and Kurozumi Orochi, their samurai not only accepted tributes from commoners, but it was also no big deal for them to kill a commoner in the street.

But now.

Forget about killing people, you have to pay for everything. If you don't pay, the police (the samurai unit led by Denjiro) will arrest you and send you to a labor camp in Udon.

For a samurai to live a peaceful life, he had to work and labor.

They've never suffered like this before!

"Kozuki Hiyori is a traitor!" someone choked out the curse.

"That's right! Traitor to the nation!"

The low growls of the warriors echoed in the cramped space.

A voice, laced with suppressed madness, rang out: "Brothers, three days from now, let's do it together! Let's punish the traitors of the nation! What do you say?"

In an instant, deathly silence enveloped the small room, leaving only heavy breathing.

However, this deathly silence lasted only a moment—

"it is good!"

"May the traitors of the nation be punished by Heaven!!!"

A frenzied roar erupted!

In the dim candlelight, those distorted faces were close to madness.

City of Flowers

He Song looked around at the people who were not in a state of fear or tension and were going about their business as usual, and suddenly felt a sense of sorrow.

Back when Kurozumi Orochi was the shogun, the people all missed Kozuki.

That vibrant, thriving scene is still vivid in my mind.

How could everything have turned out like this in just three short years?

"Kawamatsu, this is also why I gave up resisting."

Xiao Zi smiled bitterly: "Lord Kane is not like the Black Charcoal Serpent. Although he exploits the people, he has indeed given them a better life, even better than my father."

Kawamatsu fell silent.

At this moment, several middle-aged women wearing red armbands walked along the street.

They each held leaflets and went door-to-door promoting the knife-offering ceremony, afraid that someone wouldn't be willing to spend money to buy the tile.

Kawamatsu asked, puzzled, "Who are they?"

Xiao Zi explained, "This is a new system invented by Lord Kane, called the Residents' Committee, which is specifically used to manage the people. They usually explain policies and mediate neighborhood disputes."

Kawamatsu was taken aback: "Isn't that the work of the yakuza?"

Although Wano Country has administrative officials at all levels to assist the shogun in management, grassroots organizations are lacking.

The officials don't care about the lives of the common people; as long as they can collect taxes, that's all that matters.

They even oppressed the common people from time to time.

Power doesn't disappear; it just changes.

As a result, various underworld bosses emerged.

In addition to collecting various fees from the people, they also undertake the functions of grassroots governance on a regular basis.

He was quite prestigious in his daily life.

Kane, of course, wouldn't stand idly by and watch outsiders steal food from his bowl.

The neighborhood committee was thus established.

Chapter 49 The Ceremony of Offering the Sword

Time is like a wild donkey; once it starts running, it never stops.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

City of Flowers

In the giant square, a magnificent platform was completed on schedule.

Moreover, for this grand ceremony, Kane specially brought in a video Den Den Mushi from the Beasts Kingdom to broadcast the entire event live.

Kane set up projection Den Den Mushi to broadcast messages in places like Kuri, Nozomi, Udon, Suzuko, and Hakumai, wherever there were people living in the area.

The crowd below the stage was huge, shoulder to shoulder.