Under Abel's direction, the Tide Song Kingdom's knights rounded up Oden's defeated retainers and allies.
After that, Dimon and Kaido headed for Oden Castle; Kaido crushed every samurai who dared resist.
By dawn, Kuri's Oden Castle was firmly under Dimon's control.
Down in the town, most folks still didn't understand what had happened. Half the castle blown away in the night was all the proof they needed that last night's "rumble" wasn't a dream.
Crowds gathered along the streets, whispering as they peered up at the half-mountain where Oden Castle stood.
"Where's the dragon? The dragon from last night?"
"Is Lord Oden all right?"
"Somebody go ask—"
They all talked. No one moved.
At daybreak, inside Oden Castle.
Kaido was guzzling sake and tearing into meat. "Ogorogoro… Wano's brew isn't bad. Dimon, want a drink?"
"I'll deal with our prisoners. Enjoy."
After a quick mouthful of breakfast, Dimon rose and left.
The captured samurai, retainers—and Kozuki Oden himself—had been thrown into the castle gaol under guard by the Tide Song knights. For now, order held.
At the deepest level, Dimon found Oden in the lowest cell, still unconscious.
The man was trussed up in seastone chains from neck to ankle, bundled like a zongzi and unable to twitch.
Footsteps drew near. Oden's eyelids trembled—then opened.
"You're… the one from last night!"
He tested the chains, then glared, voice taut. "What do you want?"
"Morning," Dimon said lightly. "We want Wano."
"Your Kozuki clan has ruled Wano for at least eight hundred years. No crown lasts forever. It's time this country had a new master."
He raised a hand—a bottle of Everlife Wine formed between his fingers. Pouring a cup, he continued:
"Your last drink before the end. Any last words?"
"Why?" Oden ground his teeth. "Why Wano? Are you pirates?"
"There are a few reasons. One of them is…"
Dimon paused, then smiled. "I dislike a kid named Momonosuke. If you die, he dies with you."
Oden blinked. Momonosuke? …Who?
"Enough chatter. Drink?"
Dimon pinched Oden's jaw and tipped the cup in.
The samurai tried to resist—then his eyes flew wide. The wine slid down like liquid sunlight.
"What is this wine?"
"That's your last line? Forget it. The Kozuki line ends with you."
Dimon set his palm on Oden's brow and quietly unleashed Devour.
A terrible force sank through Oden's crown. His face drained. He tried to fight it, but bound head to toe in seastone, he couldn't even thrash.
He barely squeezed out a single syllable—then the man called Kozuki Oden came apart like ash and was drawn into Dimon's hand.
Dimon shut his eyes. Memories reeled past like a film—everything from Oden's birth to his death.
Year 1464: born with absurd strength.
At one month old, he hurled his wet nurse across the room.
Two years old: caught two rabbits at once—leg power off the charts.
Four: pitched a boulder and crushed a bear.
Six: prowled the red-light district, peeking where his body couldn't yet follow.
Eight: drinking and brawling at the casino.
Nine: blacklisted by gangs for not paying; burned their den and the casino; finally arrested.
Ten: sentenced to work the quarry at Udon—promoted to foreman by sheer craftsman's knack.
Eleven: released for "good behavior."
Fourteen: rerouted a river during a drought, causing a flood—wanted again.
Fifteen: holed up in a temple, threatening the abbot; nightly kidnappings to build a harem—people rose up; the "Harem Riots."
Eighteen: thirty-eighth failed attempt to put to sea; disowned and banished from the Flower Capital by his father.
Twenty: wandered Wano and finally came to Kuri; pacified the lawless land in a day and was granted the title of daimyo.
And then—this moment: dead in the dungeon of Oden Castle.
"What a short, spectacular life. That childhood—pure little hellion."
Dimon opened his eyes with a laugh.
When your old man is the shogun, you get away with a lot. No shade—if he'd had a president for a father, he'd have done worse.
"As a body, middling. But his Haki…"
Dimon's gaze sharpened. A surge of Conqueror's Haki burst from him and swept across all of Kuri.
For a heartbeat, tens of thousands felt it—a pressure like a storm front rolling in. If he'd wanted, they would've all dropped cold.
Kaido, mid-bite, was the first to sense it. He froze, then grinned.
"Dimon's… Conqueror's? So he had the king's disposition after all!"
Dimon let it blaze for a moment, then reeled the will back in.
"Not bad. Finally awakened. You don't stand atop this sea without Conqueror's."
Next step: learn Conqueror's infusion.
He left the cell and returned to the tatami parlor. Kaido looked up as he came in.
"What was with that blast of Conqueror's? An enemy?"
"No. I'm in a good mood. I just killed Kozuki Oden."
Dimon sat and poured himself a little sake.
Kaido blinked. "You had a grudge?"
"Not really. I just don't appreciate the man."
High EQ: don't appreciate.
Low EQ: I don't like him.
Truthfully, "don't like" was reserved for Momonosuke. That little gremlin was the real eyesore.
Kaido tossed back another swig. "Dead's dead. When do we head for the Flower Capital?"
"When I finish this cup."
Flower Capital — Shogun's Residence
"B-bad news, Lord Sukiyaki!"
A ninja skidded into the study, breathless with panic.
"What is it?"
Shogun Kozuki Sukiyaki, robed and working through papers, frowned at the commotion.
Kneeling, the ninja blurted, "Word from Kuri—thieves broke into the daimyo's manor last night. Lord Oden was defeated and slain. The intruders have seized Oden Castle and… and have sent a funeral notice!"
"W-what!?"
Sukiyaki swayed where he sat, mind gone blank.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews.
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/MugiwaraTL