The Great Voyage Begins with the Celestial Dragons

That displeased look...it's a Celestial Dragon!

Seeing that Gion ignored him, he shouted directly at Luther:

"Hey! Don Quixote Luther Saint! I don't recall ever offending a Celestial Dragon!"

He spoke loudly enough that almost everyone present could hear him.

Most of the natives of Wano Country have no concept of the Celestial Dragons and don't show any particular interest in them.

After learning Luther's identity, Kozuki Oden's retainers slowed down considerably.

Kozuki Oden himself, in particular, changed his expression drastically. When he glanced at Luther between battles, his gaze was filled with vigilance, wariness, and disgust, completely devoid of his previous friendliness.

Meanwhile, some of Kaido's subordinates revealed expressions of hatred or fear, trying to avert their gazes and focus on the battle.

Especially Jhin, after transforming into a pterosaur and taking to the sky, looked at Luther with eyes full of hatred. If looks could kill, Luther would have died a million times over.

The extermination of the Lunaria race was almost entirely orchestrated by the Celestial Dragons, not to mention the inhumane human experiments they conducted.

Anyone who has ever been to the sea knows the fame of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government.

"Kaido, you are a pirate, and I represent the World Government. Do we need a reason to oppose each other?"

Luther's calm voice echoed across the battlefield, which could be considered an acknowledgment of his identity.

The battle has reached its climax by now.

The remaining tricks will now be played out one by one.

"Hahaha, that's right! After I deal with Kozuki Oden, I'll definitely test whether the Celestial Dragons' heads are really that hard."

Kaido grinned slightly, his gaze towards Rudd filled with provocation.

Since his debut, Luther has never shown his strength. Instead, he is regarded as an untouchable general as a bodyguard.

There are even rumors at sea that wherever Luther goes, there are always at least two powerful figures comparable to admirals accompanying him, and even the Whitebeard Pirates have to avoid his advance.

But Kaido saw something different in this.

The fact that he was always accompanied by two generals shows that Luther valued his life enough, and also that he himself was not too strong, otherwise there would be no need for him to be so cautious.

If he himself possesses the strength of a general, and is paired with a general-level assistant, he can dominate the seas.

Therefore, it is highly likely that Luther's weakness lies in his own abilities.

Thinking of this, Kaido's expression suddenly changed slightly, and he clenched his fists tightly.

Since Luther always accompanied two generals, where is Sakazuki, who came with him this time?

Considering the overall situation in Wano Country, Kaido could only think of one possibility…

Ghost Island!

He no longer wanted to think about how terrible Ghost Island was now; based on his understanding of Sakazuki, there were almost no living people left there.

"Waaaaah, my son, you died so tragically! Don't worry, I will avenge you! And poor Jack too..."

Kaido's emotions changed rapidly; in the blink of an eye, he burst into tears, appearing to be genuinely moved.

His changing emotions made Gion Nao, who had been staring at him, frown.

Kaido didn't make any sudden moves, and neither did she.

Just as Luther's identity was exposed and Kaido realized his house had been robbed, the battle situation took another sudden turn.

No one expected that after Kanjuro and Mante collided, Kanjuro suddenly changed direction, and the sword sheath, like a paintbrush, painted in the air, while a flock of birds covered the sky and blocked the view.

At the same time, he rushed towards another battlefield.

Seeing this, Vante immediately understood and charged straight towards the battlefield where the fighting was in full swing.

laugh! ! !

Kanjuro and Mante succeeded almost simultaneously.

Raizo and one of the Flying Six were easily killed, resulting in a loss of one member on each side.

"Raizo!!!"

Kozuki Oden's mournful cry nearly caused him to drop his sword from his mouth, and because he witnessed the killing of his retainers, he was punched twice by two other members of the Flying Six.

Fortunately, he was physically tough, but the Flying Six were no match for him.

Moreover, he was more heartbroken by Raizo's death than by the physical pain.

Including Ashura Doji and Neko-no-Sei, who were forced to mine, this was the fourth of his retainers to perish.

"what!!!"

Stab it!

Anger caused Kozuki Oden to erupt, and Conqueror's Haki rose from his body, slowly attaching itself to the knife he was holding in his mouth.

He wasn't used to fighting with a knife in his mouth, but his fundamentals remained, and the fighting gradually made him accustomed to it.

"Oden Ittō-ryū - Martyrdom!"

laugh! ! !

A red light flashed, and the world seemed to darken for a moment.

Kozuki Oden, in a half-squatting, bent-over position with his sword in his mouth, passed over two Flying Six.

Just as the two Flying Six behind him were about to turn around, there was a tearing sound, and their bodies were neatly split in two at the waist, falling to the ground one above the other.

Even with their powerful vitality, the Zoan-type creatures haven't died yet, but they can only struggle and howl on the ground, blood flowing continuously from their severed wounds, and it's clear they won't live much longer.

"Lord Oden, thank you for your hard work!"

Kanjuro appeared, swung his sword, and easily took two more heads.

After cleaning up the mess, he respectfully stepped forward and helped the somewhat tired Kozuki Oden.

Having lost an arm just a few days ago, having to go through intense battle now is a burden for Kozuki Oden.

"Ah, it's nothing. You did a great job too, Kanjuro."

Kozuki Oden gasped for breath a few times and managed to give Kanjuro a forced smile.

If he had hands right now, he would definitely give Kanjuro a thumbs up.

"Now is not the time to rest, Kanjuro, you're going to help...you!? Whoa!!"

Kozuki Oden was speaking when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest and coughed up a mouthful of blood. With his last bit of strength, he slowly turned his head and stared in shock at Kanjuro, who was covered in blood.

"Why!?"

Chapter 108 The Death of Oden

"Your Highness, may you have a safe journey."

Under the gazes of everyone, some surprised, some sneer, and some amused, Kanjuro coldly pulled out the blade that was stuck in Kozuki Oden's heart.

Kozuki Oden collapsed to the ground, feeling his life force rapidly draining away. He stared at Kanjuro in bewilderment, but his gaze could only reach the other man's thighs.

As for Kanjuro's expression, he couldn't see it and didn't know what it looked like.

He really wanted to know why Kanjuro did this.

Kanjuro flicked the blood off his sword, looking at Kozuki Oden at his feet, whose face was full of pleading. His expression contained indifference, hatred, and reluctance, but above all, relief.

“Your Highness, from the very beginning, I was never truly your retainer. My name is Kurozumi Kanjuro!”

"Black charcoal..."

Kozuki Oden murmured that name, and then he understood everything.

At this moment, he no longer cared about the passing of his life force. With his last bit of strength, he raised his head and tried his best to see Kurozumi Kanjuro's expression.

"Kanjuro... was there even a moment... when you... considered me... a brother who would share life and death with you?"

Due to massive bleeding and a ruptured heart meridian, Kozuki Oden spoke intermittently, and his consciousness gradually became blurred.

Even so, he still stubbornly looked at Kanjuro, refusing to lower his head.

Upon seeing Kozuki Oden's posture, Kurozumi Kanjuro trembled and replied with a somewhat stiff expression:

"My surname is Kurotan, this is the destiny I bear. My name is Kanjuro, and I am Nozomi's yokai!"

Upon hearing this, Kozuki Oden managed a weak smile, mustering all his strength to let out his usual laugh:

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Amidst laughter, Kozuki Oden breathed his last, collapsing to the ground, completely satisfied.

Thus, Kozuki Oden, the strongest samurai of Wano Country in his time, the head of the Kozuki clan, and the daimyo of Kuri, fell!

High up.

Moria witnessed Kozuki Oden die laughing, and with a slight frown, asked with confusion:

"Tsk, betrayed and killed by his own comrades, yet he died laughing. How strange!"

"There's nothing strange about it."

Luther calmly watched this scene and said slowly:

"Kanjuro's last words were actually an acknowledgment of Kozuki Oden's charm, and Nozomi's title of 'youkai' was the beginning of his connection with Kozuki Oden."

Although Luther said this, he knew in his heart that Kanjuro's words did not mean he was acknowledging Kozuki Oden.

Kanjuro's true intention was to express that he was never one of Kozuki Oden's people.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be 'Nozomi's Youkai' but 'Kozuki's Samurai'.

"From this perspective, although Kozuki Oden is somewhat dull-witted, he is a charming person, hehehe."

Moria, of course, had no idea what Luther was thinking. He glanced deeply at the fallen Kozuki Oden and, using himself as a model, imagined the story between the two of them.

If he were in the same situation, perhaps he would eventually find peace.

Companion... what a sorrowful yet unforgettable word...

"If Kozuki Oden had been a chivalrous hero, he would have been renowned throughout the world, and things wouldn't have ended up like this in Wano Country. It's just a pity..."

Luther shook his head and sighed softly: