Kozuki Oden only ever sailed on two pirate ships—Whitebeard's and the Pirate King Roger's. Given the nature of the Whitebeard Pirates and their inclination to stay in the New World, it was obvious that Oden's travels with Shanks meant only one thing—Shanks was once part of Roger's crew.
It made sense. Shanks didn't possess the air of a samurai, so he couldn't have been someone who followed Oden out of Wano. As a former pirate himself, Shimotsuki Kozaburo knew the significance of the man standing before him.
This red-haired man had been a crew member of the Pirate King. No one on Roger's crew was anything less than formidable.
"Shanks is… a samurai?" Luffy was baffled, looking at the old man. Could this elderly man really be someone important from Zoro's village? Given that One Piece was still incomplete when he'd traveled here, he'd never learned about such details.
The old man didn't look particularly strong either; at a glance, he seemed like an ordinary elder.
"Looks kinda lame," Luffy remarked.
"You're being quite rude, you know. I was once quite the handsome young man," Kozaburo chuckled, feeling a rush of satisfaction. It wasn't every day he got to show off in front of someone who'd been in the company of the Pirate King.
"Father, do you know these pirates?" asked Shimotsuki Koushirou, who had returned with a pot and ingredients, noticing his father's rare, cheerful demeanor.
After a brief pause, Kozaburo glanced at the quiet, moonlit night, then began to recount an old tale for Shanks, his son, and the assembled villagers.
"Years ago, after three years of voyaging, we arrived here in the East Blue. We happened upon a village being raided by bandits and intervened, wiping them out. Nine of us decided to settle down and establish what became Shimotsuki Village.
"We married local women and started families. By now, that bloodline has continued… that child," he said, gesturing toward a green-haired boy, "must carry Shimotsuki blood as well."
Koushirou looked surprised. "Zoro is part of the Shimotsuki lineage?"
"It's likely. His grandmother might have been Shimotsuki Chizuko, and she had a younger brother who didn't venture out to sea—Shimotsuki Gyomaru," Kozaburo replied.
"Didn't expect that…" Koushirou looked over at Zoro, taken aback.
"Wait, me?" Roronoa Zoro hadn't expected to hear anything about his family history here.
"I don't know much about my parents," Zoro said plainly. "The village folks said one died fighting pirates and the other passed away from illness."
Even Luffy was absorbed in the story.
"So, Zoro and I might be distant relatives?" Kuina's voice chimed in as she approached, with Uta by her side.
Having washed up and changed, Kuina appeared calm once more, dressed in her dojo uniform. Uta, however, was dissatisfied that Kuina's wardrobe seemed to consist only of training clothes or dojo garb. It reminded her of Luffy back in Windmill Village.
"It doesn't matter now; no one keeps such records," Kozaburo waved off the significance of it. "But yes, Zoro's grandmother was likely a Shimotsuki."
"Father, did any women join you when you left Wano?" a pirate asked, curious about the presence of female samurai.
"Of course! The Shimotsuki Clan is both a swordsmith and swordsmanship family. Eight hundred years ago, the legendary dragon-slaying swordsman Ryuma hailed from our clan. For us, producing female swordsmen is quite common, although in Wano, most women are trained as ninjas."
Kozaburo's face filled with pride at the mention of the dragon-slayer, Shimotsuki Ryuma.
"A dragon-slaying swordsman?" Kuina's eyes sparkled with admiration.
Meanwhile, Luffy chuckled to himself, amused. So it's the bloodline again in One Piece? Zoro's strength explained by some distant legendary family connection.
Zoro, on the other hand, glanced toward Kuina, who was still fresh from bathing, a faint blush creeping over his face as he quickly looked away.
For Koushirou, this was the first time hearing these old stories from his father.
"Father, why didn't you ever tell us any of this? We didn't even know the term 'samurai.'"
"We were pirates back then. It was best not to reveal our origins; it would've only attracted trouble. And to be honest, I disliked the strict customs of Wano and the title of 'samurai.' Letting those traditions fade away suited me just fine."
"I see…" Koushirou murmured.
The aroma of food wafted through the air as Koushirou finished preparing a large pot of oden, its savory ingredients floating in a rich, creamy broth.
"So this is Wano's oden? Smells delicious!" The pirates, drawn by the scent, eagerly readied themselves. They broke out drinks from somewhere on the ship, pouring golden liquid into glasses.
The party atmosphere was in full swing, with Kozaburo grinning, "It's been ages since we've had a feast like this!"
"You there, tell me about Kozuki Oden. When I left, he was only four years old. I entrusted him with Enma, a blade forged alongside the Wado Ichimonji." Kozaburo took a hearty gulp of sake and patted Shanks on the shoulder, eager for news of Oden.
"Enma, another great blade?" the pirates gasped.
"Of course! As a swordsmith clan, it's only natural for us to produce blades of equal rank!" one remarked.
"East Blue has some serious legends," another pirate said in awe.
"Wait, I missed the best part! Luffy, you'll have to tell me everything later!" Uta pouted, realizing she'd missed the most thrilling story. She settled down with Kuina beside Luffy.
Kuina took a seat next to Zoro, her potential distant relative. Glancing at the green-haired boy, she happened to catch him sneaking a glance her way, his face turning slightly red before he quickly looked away.
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