Chapter 124 The players are saying that you Wano Country...
Sakura... no, I should say Kikunojo, who is disguised as Sakura, is Izo's younger brother.
Having relied on each other since childhood and struggled to make a living, these two brothers still understand each other deeply, even after a long time apart.
Unlike his brother, who ultimately chose to stay with the Whitebeard Pirates and become a pirate, Kikunojo chose to become a samurai and retainer of Kozuki Oden to repay his kindness in taking him in.
Until... until Kozuki Oden was killed by Kaido and Kurozumi Orochi through a conspiracy, and Kikunojo and several other retainers were teleported to the future by Lady Toki using her Devil Fruit powers.
But Kikunojo, who should have opened his eyes twenty years later, inexplicably appeared alone at an unfamiliar point in time.
Intelligence is a samurai's most important asset. Kikunojo needs to find out the current time and the enemy's movements as quickly as possible, as well as the reason why he and his other retainers lost contact and became lost in the flow of time.
Thanks to her childhood experience of performing with her brother, and the unwavering love and respect the people of Wano Country had for the Kozuki family that no amount of slander from Orochi could erase, Sakura from the Kozuki family agreed to hand over her identity to Kikunojo after subtly revealing it, so that he could infiltrate the banquet and complete his investigation.
The moment Kikunojo, disguised as Sakura, stepped into the Yue family's banquet, he recognized the hairpin on Violet's head. It was the pair of hairpins he had bought for his brother and himself after he first earned money.
Before Kikunojo was transported to the future by Lady Toki, Wano Country was already in a state of isolation. The fact that Violet was able to wear Izo's brother's hairpin can only mean that she came from outside Wano Country.
Kikunojo knew that the important gift he had given Izo—a pair of hairpins, one for each person—would never be easily given away by Izo to someone else.
So either, Violet is someone important whom we met outside, someone we could consider a sibling, or...
Either Izang met with some misfortune, or the hairpin was forcibly taken from her brother by Violet.
The former means that Kikunojo will have one more friend and one more sister, while the latter means that Kikunojo will have a mortal enemy.
Out of the caution of samurai, Kikunojo and Queen subtly inquired about Violet and learned that she was the captain of a fleet that was a gathering place for scoundrels and problem children, and that she had been single-mindedly trying to join the Beasts Pirates since the day she set sail. She even took on multiple roles to learn from her "idol" Kaido and created a fleet full of Zoan-type Devil Fruit users.
Very good. Upon hearing that news, Kikunojo is 90% certain that Vera is the latter.
When Kikunojo threw the colored ball, his original target was either Kurozumi Orochi or Queen, two guys who were so infatuated with beauty that they lost their bearings. He planned to lure them deep into the mansion to make his move, but he didn't expect that the colored ball he threw would end up being caught by Violet.
However, this is for the best. Kikunojo learned from Queen that Violet and her crew had only just joined the Beasts Pirates and were still in a stage where they were not trusted. If she had any sense, she would know that revealing her position as a retainer of Hitsuki Oden at this time would not only not earn her points with Kaido, but would also make her very suspicious.
Why is it that others have been searching for Kozuki Oden's retainers for so many years without success, but you found one as soon as you arrived in Wano Country? What kind of coincidence is that in this world?
The sharp dagger was pressed against the artery in Vera's neck. Kikunojo's extremely steady hand, honed through countless sword swings, ensured that he wouldn't accidentally injure her at this dangerous distance, and also ensured that if Vera made any reckless move, Kikunojo could immediately slit her trachea and vocal cords, rendering her unable to utter a sound.
Meanwhile, Violet, the one being threatened, was frantically scrolling through her mind with the news that "Sakura, the most famous geisha in Wano Country and Queen's love interest, is actually a cross-dresser."
Wait, something's not right!
Vera remembered the change in Sakura's eye color after she came to the room, and Quinn's repeated mentions of Sakura's height.
This person is not Sakura the geisha at all!
Cherry blossoms falling from the branches... Thinking of the mission's name, Vera suddenly had a bad feeling. Although she had never met the real Sakura, Vera's relaxed expression vanished the moment she sensed that the other party might be in danger.
Vera: "Where is the real Sakura? What did you do to her?"
Kikunojo paused for a moment when he heard Vera's question, which contained a hidden threat and warning.
Based on the previous analysis, Kikunojo had completely regarded Violet as a naturally evil little devil. In fact, if Violet hadn't been so young, Kikunojo wouldn't have even chosen to threaten her; instead, he would have simply knocked her unconscious with a single punch.
But would someone who idolizes Kaido and launches brutal attacks on civilians to increase his bounty in order to join the Beasts Pirates care about a missing geisha?
Having not received an answer from Kikunojo, Violet was prepared to obtain the answer by force.
Just then, Violet felt the dagger pressed against her neck being withdrawn by the other party.
"Who exactly are you?"
“…” Violet paused for two seconds, then asked, “What is your relationship with Izo?”
"So you really do know Brother Yizang."
"Eh? You're also on Mr. Newgate's crew?!"
"No, I'm not." Calling that great pirate by his name in such a familiar tone—who is this guy anyway?
Kikunojo looked at Violet with a complicated expression, then thought for a moment and said simply, "Izo is my older brother, but I am not a member of the Whitebeard Pirates."
"I am a retainer of Lord Oden, one of the Nine Red Scabbards, Kikunojo of the Lingyuki."
"Kikunojo?!" When Izo was explaining the situation and various forces in Wano Country to her, he also mentioned his younger brother, who had disappeared since Wano Country suffered a major upheaval. "Izo has tried to contact you many times but has been unsuccessful."
Kikunojo now truly believed that Violet and Izou's brother had a good relationship.
"I've caused my brother worry; it's a long story..."
Vera looked at Kikunojo intently with eyes full of curiosity, clearly not minding listening to a person from the past tell a long story.
Perhaps it was because Vera's eyes were too sincere, or perhaps it was because Kikunojo, lost in the river of time, was too lonely, but at this moment, looking at his brother's friend, he suddenly felt a strong desire to communicate.
“Alright.” Kikunojo sighed. “Where should I begin? After my father was imprisoned for a crime, my elder brother and I…”
Just as Kikunojo said when he first threatened Violet, in this environment, no one would be foolish enough to bother them.
Kikunojo tells Violet about his and Izo's carefree childhood as sons of the main family of the Ringo Hanayagi-ryu school in Wano Country, their difficult life of wandering and performing after their father was imprisoned for a crime, and their arduous training to become samurai after being taken in by Kozuki Oden.
Through Kikunojo's perspective, Violet also sees the life trajectory of Kozuki Oden, who should have rightfully become the next shogun of Wano Country, but lost everything, including his life, due to his fervor for adventure, his blind trust in the promises of villains, and his excessive adherence to prophecies about the future.
After hearing everything, Violet was speechless.
She's hard to judge.
Kikunojo sighed: "Lord Oden hates being bound by rules and is free-spirited and willful, not bound by rules or the opinions of others. Such a person is actually not suitable to serve as shogun."
Among the Nine Red Scabbards, not many understood this point. In fact, it was precisely because the elder brother saw through this that he did not follow his former master away when Roger asked to "borrow" Oden for a year while he was seriously ill. Instead, he chose to stay in the Whitebeard Pirates and become one of them.
Compared to his older brother, who clearly understands what he wants and acts decisively, Kikunojo is more conflicted.
On the one hand, he realized that the fact that "Kozuki Oden became shogun" might not only give the people of Wano Country an irresponsible leader who does nothing and runs away from time to time, but it would also be a torment for Oden himself.
The problem is that once they try to exclude Lord Oden, the Nine Red Scabbards will be surprised to find that—there's no one there!
Lord Oden, who was qualified enough, didn't want to be the shogun. Orochi, who wanted to be the shogun, was not as good as Lord Oden. At least with Oden's chivalrous heart, he wouldn't exploit Wano Country too much. As for Orochi, who was full of ideas about running away, even if he could succeed, he could at least play the role of returning power to the people and governing by doing nothing with the help of the Nine Red Scabbards and the old retainers of Kozuki.
Ultimately, the situation can only be blamed on three things: first, Oden mistakenly reincarnated into the Kozuki family with his untamed and rebellious nature; second, Kozuki's father was too weak to give Oden a complete childhood and properly correct his personality; and third, Kozuki's parents didn't try hard enough to give Oden a younger brother or sister as a backup option...
Kikunojo remarked with emotion, "Fortunately, Lord Oden and Lady Toki had a good relationship and left behind a boy and a girl."
Heaven knows how excited the Nine Red Scabbards were when Hiyori was born. Their excitement and their heated discussions about their child's future education terrified the first-time parents, Hiyori and Hiyori.
In the end, Oden stepped in and subdued everyone with overwhelming force, rescuing Hiyori from the terrible childhood of "not losing at the starting line".
Unfortunately, Kaido's arrival and Orochi's conspiracy caused the Nine Red Scabbards' plan to cultivate a "good grandson" to fail. Orochi even collaborated with Higurashi, who had eaten the Imitation Fruit, to have Higurashi impersonate the previous shogun, Kozuki Sukiyaki, and formally hand over the shogunate to Orochi in front of the people of Wano Country.
Kikunojo frowned in dissatisfaction: "How could those guys not notice such an obvious disguise?"
Violet: "..." Okay, this is yet another accident caused by a collective blindness of NPCs.
Vera pondered the story behind the map, and could only say that it sounded outrageous, but when she thought about it being just a game, it made sense.
Anyway, games don't need logic. Descendants of the Kozuki family and the Kurozumi family, those who follow the player prosper and become friends, and those who oppose the player perish and become enemies.
Not particularly interested in the backstory, Violet listened and quickly moved on, then pressed for details about the whereabouts of the real Sakura.
After all, how can a group of characters who only appear in background stories that can be skipped and may not even have independent models be as important as her mission targets?
Kikunojo, engrossed in his story, looked at Vera and realized that she genuinely believed that the glorious history of the Kozuki family and the turbulent lives of Lord Oden and his retainers were no match for the safety of a geisha she had never even met.
Realizing this, Kikunojo paused for a moment, then couldn't help but chuckle softly, "I think I know why my brother gave you that hairpin."
Lord Oden and those stories are now buried in the dust of history. Only the retainers who were transported from the past remain here. The girl before them, and even the country, whether they like it or not, have learned to look forward.
Kikunojo: "She's still at Ayumi's house, but she's disguised herself as an ordinary maid."
"Don't worry, Sakura has lived in this art gallery since she was four years old. She knows better than us how to hide herself safely."
“She no longer wanted to live as a geisha. In return for providing her with an identity, I promised to help her forge an identity after the matter was completed, so that she could live as an ordinary person with her lover in other parts of Wano Country.”
"Wait, who do you think she's planning to leave with?"
Kikunojo coughed lightly, his cheeks slightly flushed.
"He's a boy that Sakura met at the art gallery."
You blushed like a teapot, and this story is just too classic, so classic that at that moment, at least ten similar stories flashed through Violet's mind.
Different backgrounds and identities, but the ending is always the same: a sea of hatred and love, a complete mess of drama.
Suppressing the urge to immediately criticize the planner, Vera asked uncertainly, "Is it reliable?"
Kikunojo nodded seriously: "Reliable."
According to Kikunojo, if this very romantic story were a web novel, its keywords would include "love at first sight," "mutual devotion," and "bitterness turns to sweetness."
The boy's family wasn't wealthy, certainly not wealthy enough to support him regularly visiting Sakura's art studio. In fact, their meeting was because Sakura's beloved doll broke, but the old woman who originally made the doll had long since passed away, so Sakura could only try her luck and went to the village where the old woman lived.
Then they found the old woman's distant nephew, the boy. The boy helped Sakura fix her broken doll, and Sakura was drawn to his earnest and patient gaze.
Kikunojo sighed, "He knew he didn't have much money and couldn't give Sakura jewelry worth thousands of gold pieces like others, so he stayed up all night every night to sew various animal dolls for her by hand, and in the early morning he would have his trained parrot deliver them to the cherry blossom tree in front of Sakura's house."
As for Sakura, although she is said to be extremely skilled in tea ceremony and fan dance, what she truly loves is... acting. Yes, her dream is to become an actress, and a truly talented one at that.
The boy who knew about this designed a chibi version of Sakura based on her image and name, and dressed her up in various different clothes so that Sakura could use them for role-playing.
It was indeed quite touching, but...
Thinking of the boy who made a new doll every day, Vera's expression was a little strange.
"Have you ever heard the saying that if someone is willing to fight to the death for you once, it means they truly love you? If someone is willing to fight to the death for you a hundred times, it means they truly enjoy dueling?"
Juzhicheng: "..."
Violet didn't know if the boy's feelings for Sakura were genuine, but she was certain that he truly loved making dolls.
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Author's Note: I have mixed feelings about the character Oden. On one hand, I don't really want to criticize a character that the author thinks is well-developed; on the other hand, some of his actions make it difficult for me to judge him. [crying emoji]
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