When Oden and the others disembarked, all of the retainers of the Kozuki Family—Kin'emon, Kanjuro, Raizo, Kiku, Kawamatsu, and Denjiro—were dressed in the attire they wore when they accompanied Oden to Flower Capital to pay respects to Lord Sukiyaki's grave. However, they no longer exuded the same vigour as before, and their clothing was patched up and stitched, bearing no resemblance to the attire of esteemed retainers.
"Lord Oden, it's been a long time. We risked our lives to come here to greet you. The situation in Wano now..." Kin'emon began excitedly upon seeing the silhouette of Kozuki Oden, believing that with Oden's return, the bloodline of the Kozuki Family and the loyal samurai lurking in the shadows could still save Wano.
"Wait!"
Just as Kin'emon was about to inform Oden about the current situation in Wano, Toki who was stricken with a severe illness, stood up and interrupted, preventing Kin'emon from continuing.
Seeing Toki suddenly appear, Kin'emon and the others showed expressions of confusion, wondering who she was.
"If you truly care for Oden, please..."
"We'll leave after a brief rest, without lingering any longer," Oden interjected coldly before Toki could finish speaking.
Without waiting for Toki to finish, Oden spoke indifferently.
Then, he disappeared, intending to leave immediately after obtaining the historical text.
"Lord Oden!"
Watching Oden's demeanor, Kin'emon and the others looked both sad and resentful.
After obtaining a copy of the historical text, the Roger Pirates set sail again, leaving behind the grieving Kin'emon and the others.
"So, currently, Oden can only control Kuri?"
Inside Oden Castle, Toki frowned as she looked at Kin'emon and the others kneeling below her.
After listening to Kin'emon and the others' report, she realized that letting Oden leave like that might have been a mistake, as the situation in Wano seemed beyond crisis.
"Yes, and even the people of Kuri are becoming restless. The wealthy and powerful have all moved to Flower Capital, and there are daily attempts by ordinary Kuri residents to sneak into Hakumai. If not for Ashura Doji and his men guarding the key passages between Kuri and the outside world, the number of people attempting to leave would be even higher."
Kawamatsu responded, discreetly casting glances at Kozuki Momonosuke sitting next to Toki as he reported.
"If Hakumai is a rebellious area, why do those people still want to go there?"
Toki couldn't help but ask, though seeing the silence of the others, she already had an answer in her heart.
"In that case, I entrust it to you all. Let us guard Kuri together until Oden returns!"
Toki bowed slightly, prompting Kin'emon and the others to nod in agreement.
...
The North Blue, one of the Four Blues, can be considered a region where the World Government exerts considerable control. However, in reality, the North Blue is the most dangerous of all the seas.
Compared to the West Blue, which is also close to the New World, the North Blue is more chaotic. After all, the countries in the West Blue have relatively high military strength, with countries like Flower Capital even having prominent figures like Chinjao to effectively protect themselves.
In contrast, the North Blue is characterized by chaos, with pirate and underworld forces predominating over national power.
However, it is precisely this environment that has produced a group of strong individuals in the North Blue.
Among the high-ranking officials of the Marine, two of the Three Admirals, Akainu and Kizaru, hail from the North Blue, as does Vice-Admiral Tsuru.
Benn Beckman of the Red-Haired Pirates is also from the North Blue.
The Evil Emperor Germa 66, who is pursued throughout his life and currently freezes in the Antarctic, is also from the North Blue.
Supernovas like Hawkins, Law, and Drake are also from the North Blue.
At this moment, a passenger ship is sailing in the waters of the North Blue.
Nicholas, who had already left Punk Hazard, stood on the deck, looking uninterestedly at the turbulent sea.
Originally, he was supposed to return to Wano after meeting with Vegapunk, but Vegapunk insisted that Nicholas make a trip to the North Blue.
"You guys can be the evil Germa 66, and I'll be the hero of the seas, Sora!"
As Nicholas pondered how to fulfill Vegapunk's request, he suddenly heard the voices of a few children on the deck.
"I don't want to be Germa 66, I want to be the hero of the seas, Sora!"
Obviously, these kids were arguing over their roles in a game of make-believe.
"But Sora is just one person. How about you guys be the Great Ocean Rangers and the Sea Supermen??"
"Okay!"
Although the Great Ocean Rangers and the Sea Supermen didn't sound as prestigious as the hero Sora, at least they were on the side of justice.
"Who is this Sora you're talking about?"
Curious about the children playing on the deck, Nicholas asked.
Seeing Nicholas's surprised expression, a man explained.
"Sorry, sir. Those are just children's stories."
"If I recall correctly, Sora and Germa 66 are characters from a famous comic in the North Blue, right?"
"Yes, sir. I was also a fan of that comic when I was a child! I even dreamed of fighting against the evil Germa 66 alongside Sora."
Nicholas: ...
Is this supposed to be a hereditary thing?!
It seems like a shared interest in some significant events can easily create common ground between men.
"Although the hero Sora doesn't exist, the Germa Kingdom is real. Recently, after several hundred years of dormancy, they've resurfaced. Apparently, the current Germa is different from before. They're now a mercenary kingdom, known as the 'War House,' specializing in undertaking wars as their main business. I've heard that they have no territory and rely entirely on giant snails for mobility. Now, several North Blue countries are considering whether to unite again and expel Germa from the North Blue. After all, although they only ruled the North Blue for 66 days in the past, those 66 days cast a huge shadow over the entire North Blue."
From the man's explanation, Nicholas also obtained important information—Germa 66 had undertaken commissions from the four countries of the North Blue and was now staging a drama where they fought against themselves.
This time, all four North Blue countries had hired Germa, and Germa had sent its troops directly to each of the four countries, staging a spectacle of fighting against themselves.