The Great Voyage: The Props Master on the Straw Hat Ship

"Alright, you know we're from the outer seas, we don't play these kinds of tricks on you."

Link waved casually at him as a greeting.

"You've come here, presumably to follow the trail and track down Momonosuke, haven't you?"

He was too lazy to waste time and beat around the bush, so he went straight to the point.

"That's right!!"

Denjiro, without any suspicion, readily admitted:

"The Oniwabanshu discovered the trail of the two who kidnapped Lord Momonosuke, and I followed the directions all the way here."

He made no attempt to hide anything from Link, who was the great benefactor who saved Wano Country and the Kozuki family.

It can be said that they were given a second chance at life, and they would not hesitate to give their lives for them.

Furthermore, since the other party asked about Momonosuke, they probably already know about what's happening at the Shogun's residence.

After all, before he came, he had already heard that Lord Kin'emon had led a group to the Straw Hat crew to seek their help in finding Prince Momonosuke.

Now it seems that Lord Link is the one who helped in the search?

"The Oniwabanshu speculate that Lord Momonosuke may be just ahead."

Denjiro didn't want to waste time. "Did Lord Link come along to help search for Prince Momonosuke?!"

As he tried to walk forward, he casually asked this question.

"No, I'm here to stop you from going to him."

"Oh, then let's hurry up and go..."

Denjiro didn't immediately realize that something was wrong until he took two steps.

"Eh eh eh?!!"

He suddenly realized what was happening, and then stared at Link in disbelief and astonishment:

“Lord Link, you just said…”

He seemed to stammer, "What did you say? I don't think I heard you."

Denjiro even wondered if there was something wrong with his ears and he had misheard the main points.

"No, you heard me right. I'm here to stop you from continuing your search for Momonosuke."

Link also explained his purpose frankly.

"Uh……"

Denjiro was truly stunned.

Some people were completely taken aback by the answer and stood there dumbfounded.

However~~~

After a moment of silence, he looked at Link, his expression gradually shifting from astonishment to confusion, and finally to dejection.

"May I ask what the reason is?"

With a bitter expression, he asked with difficulty.

"I thought you'd draw your sword, see me as an enemy, and then step over me to go find your so-called Highness, Master~"

Link smiled with interest instead. "Don't you want to fight me?!"

"Lord Link, you must be joking!!"

Denjiro shook his head like a rattle-drum:

"I am not the kind of person who forgets kindness."

"You've done so much for Wano Country, saving the entire nation and the Kozuki family..."

"I am so grateful that I would never dare to defy the world and act like a pig or a dog to oppose you and draw my sword."

"If I go to the afterlife like this, Lord Kozuki Oden will curse me to death!!"

He said seriously.

"That's good~"

Link was fairly satisfied with his answer:

"I thought you would be like some idiots, trying to pull this stunt on me with absurd arguments like, 'I will protect my lord to the death. Even if you have done me a favor, I will find my lord first and then commit seppuku to atone for my sins.'"

"Uh……"

Denjiro just gave a slightly embarrassed smile. He did know that there were some brainless samurai in the country who believed in noble bloodlines and regarded their lord as above all else, and they often did such things.

Fortunately, he wasn't the kind of person who couldn't distinguish right from wrong.

Moreover, he was quite clever; he knew that Link must have had his reasons for appearing before him and stopping him from pursuing Momonosuke.

Of course, the most important point is also...

He was no match for Link; all he could do was obey.

Otherwise, it's not impossible that he might also disappear in these deep mountains and forests...

Denjiro could only obediently listen to Link's teachings.

3.4 “I said, do you think it would be a good thing to just find Momonosuke like this?”

Link took out two cigars from his four-dimensional pocket.

He snapped his fingers, lit a cigarette, smoked one himself, and tossed one to Denjiro.

Nothing is easier to build rapport than a cigarette.

If so, then there are two!

Link, with a cigar dangling from his lips, was puffing away when he seemingly asked the question casually.

"Lord Link, what...what do you mean?!"

Denjiro, somewhat unsure of what to do, took the cigarette and asked cautiously.

~~~~~~~~~

[Thank you so much to the generous donor 'Once Upon a Time There Was a Eunuch' for the donation again today!! I am truly speechless with gratitude!!]

749 What if the position of general were changed? Would the situation still be the same?

What do you think of Wano Country now?

Link didn't answer; instead, he asked a question.

"Great!!"

Denjiro replied instinctively, "The people have regained their freedom, and happy smiles have returned to their faces."

"Now we are living a good life, and everything is developing in a positive direction."

At this point, a genuine smile appeared on Denjiro's face.

Link asked slowly:

"So tell me, is it a good thing to let things continue like this?"

"Of course!!"

Denjiro answered without even thinking.

"Do you think that General Hiyori is capable of ensuring that the people can continue to live like this?"

"able!!"

Denjiro nodded again, forcefully and firmly. "Lord Hiyori, I have always firmly believed that she will become an excellent shogun!!"

"So, you don't want her position as general to be shaken or maliciously taken away again, do you?"

Of course not!

Denjiro's eyes narrowed. "I will absolutely not let this happen under 20..."

At this point, he suddenly paused.

"Lord Link..."

He slowly raised his head. "What do you mean by that?"

Denjiro isn't stupid. He's been lying low by Orochi's side for so many years, so he naturally has all the keen senses one would expect.

After Link finished speaking, he realized what was going on.

"What I mean is, I also think that Hiyori Kozuki is a pretty good general, and I don't want some more outrageous and trashy guys to take over her position as general."

"After all, this is the Wano Country we worked so hard to save~"

Link continued slowly, "Even if we don't have any particular plans for this place, we don't want it to change completely after we leave."

"Let's come back next time, and we won't recognize each other."

“No way!!”

Denjiro quickly replied.

"Lord Link, and all the members of the Straw Hat Pirates, you are all heroes of Wano Country!!"

"No matter the circumstances, you are our greatest benefactors!!!"

“I have no doubt about your determination and understanding,” Link waved his hand. “I also know that Hiyori thinks about the same thing.”

"But what if the position of general were changed? Would the situation still be the same?"

Link quietly raised a question.

"Do you think that once you find a conscious Momonosuke and bring him back safely, the position of Shogun of Wano Country will be in turmoil?"

"Definitely!"

Before Denjiro could answer, Link gave the answer for him.

"The first and most important point is that Kozuki Momonosuke is male. That reason alone is enough."

"Wano Country has never had a female shogun from beginning to end, even though Hiyori Kozuki did a very good job."

"But this still cannot stop the extremely stubborn ideas of the people of Wano Country, including you ministers and retainers."

There is no doubt that the country of Wano has an extreme preference for sons over daughters and an emphasis on bloodlines.

Even the cruelest rule of Kaido and Orochi couldn't change their minds.

"Therefore, once Momonosuke Kozuki returns, the position of Shogun in Wano Country will once again be in turmoil."

"Regardless of what the people of Wano Country think, their subjective intention is definitely still to have a man rule them."

"Even if this man is just a child, and can transform into a mountain god, bears the mark of a slave, and might even become the next Kurozumi Orochi~~~"

At this point in Link's story, Denjiro could no longer hold back:

"Lord Link..."

"Wait until I finish speaking!!"

Link waved his hand, interrupting him without any politeness.

"Let's put those things aside for now. Think about it carefully. Putting aside everything else, before you came out, what were the thoughts and actions of the people in the Shogun's mansion after they learned that Kozuki Momonosuke was missing?"

Thoughts and performance...

Denjiro fell silent.

The most excited were, of course, Raizo and Kin'emon, who had traveled through time with Kozuki Momonosuke, followed by Hiyori Shogun's grandfather, Kozuki Sukiyaki.

Moreover... judging from their attitudes, they seem to want to groom Kozuki Momonosuke as the new shogun, or even have him succeed them.

Therefore, they were all slightly flustered by Momonosuke's disappearance.

"It seems you already have the answer in your heart~"

Link continued, "On one hand, there's the stubborn insistence of others to support Kozuki Momonosuke, and on the other hand, there's the current Kozuki Hiyori."

"If it were you, who would you choose to support?"

Whom do you support...?