"You'll be staying here for a few days," Teach said as he rose. "I've got matters to settle in Wano. In a few days, Pops and the others will arrive."
"The great pirate Whitebeard?!" Mobius gasped. "The Whitebeard Pirates, one of the strongest forces in the New World!" His eyes gleamed like a child hearing his favorite legend come to life.
Pito and Voss exchanged blank looks. They didn't really understand the weight of those words. They'd heard some tales from Teach and Mobius, but to them it was just talk.
Mobius, however, knew. Having followed Teach this long, he was well aware that his captain was still officially a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, a name spoken with awe across the seas. Mobius had collected stories of the ocean since boyhood, and this moment left him almost trembling with excitement.
Teach only chuckled, shaking his head, then turned and left. He had work to do; learn the current situation inside Wano, find the master swordsmith Tenguyama Hitetsu to re-forge his blade, and, most importantly, locate Kozuki Sukiyaki, Oden's father. At this time Sukiyaki was still alive, though imprisoned and quietly poisoned.
Kurozumi Orochi held power, but he was no true shogun. Wano's heart had belonged to the Kozuki clan for centuries, and that loyalty could not be overturned so quickly. Once Kozuki Oden returned, Orochi's fragile position would crumble.
If Teach could save Sukiyaki, he would win the Kozuki clan's gratitude and cement himself as a benefactor of Wano. The goodwill, the alliances, that would be worth more than any treasure.
Soon, Teach crossed into Hakumai, one of Wano's great regions. Its daimyo was Shimotsuki Yasuie, a samurai known for his blue afro, his strength, and his unshakable loyalty to Oden.
Teach wanted a meeting. His destination; the Flower Capital. But first, Yasuie.
Following local custom, Teach donned a black kimono, though he refused to tie his hair like the Wano men. "Doesn't suit me," he muttered.
At two meters tall, Teach towered over the townsfolk. His unrestrained aura, his masculine grin, drew curious stares. Young women whispered and cast secret glances as he strode by.
Hakumai itself was deep in autumn. Golden leaves scattered the streets, a crisp wind carried the scent of earth and woodsmoke, and the architecture had a dreamlike familiarity to Teach, like wandering through the Tang Dynasty. Stalls brimmed with savory food, rich spices, and of course, sake.
At the Daimyo's mansion, two armored samurai blocked his path.
"Who goes there? Do you seek Lord Yasuie?"
Teach gave a curt nod and drew out a sealed letter. "Deliver this to Shimotsuki Yasuie. He'll grant me entry."
They bristled slightly at his casual use of their lord's name, but the letter's seal was genuine. One samurai bowed. "Please wait here. I will inform Lord Yasuie."
The letter was Oden's, one of several he had entrusted to Teach. This one addressed to Yasuie, another to Sukiyaki, others to trusted retainers of Kuri. Oden's hand would open doors that otherwise remained barred.
The Shimotsuki were no minor clan. With branches in Hakumai and Ringo, their bloodline rivaled the Kozuki's itself. Their ancestors had produced Ryuma, the dragon-slaying samurai whose legend had once shaken the world. To win their support was to gain a cornerstone of Wano's strength.
Inside, Yasuie unfolded the letter. The bold, familiar strokes carried Oden's warmth, his unrestrained laughter pressed into ink. For a moment it felt as though his old friend stood before him.
Yasuie's eyes glistened. "Bring the messenger to me. At once!"
Teach was led inside.
The daimyo dismissed his retainers with a gesture, leaving the two men alone. Teach's Observation Haki quietly marked the mansion's strong presences, disciplined warriors scattered throughout, a fortress in all but name. And at its center, Yasuie himself radiated strength that eclipsed Teach's own.
"Marshall D. Teach," Teach introduced himself with a grin. "A member of the Whitebeard Pirates. Oden's crewmate."
"You have more to tell me," Yasuie said calmly. His eyes sharpened, he knew Teach hadn't gone to such lengths just to deliver a letter.
Teach laid a folded paper on the low table between them. "Oden is on his way home. But Wano is in grave danger. Everything I know is written here."
As Yasuie read, his hands trembled. His aura exploded outward like a storm, shaking the walls.
Samurai rushed to the room at once, blades half-drawn. "Lord Yasuie, are you under attack?!" Their hostility fixed on Teach, ready to strike.
Teach didn't flinch.
"I am fine," Yasuie barked, reining his spirit back in. "Return to your posts."
The men obeyed without question. Their discipline was proof of the Shimotsuki's authority.
When they were gone, Yasuie turned back, his expression grim. "Is this true? Orochi… using sorcery to deceive us all?"
"Yes," Teach said. "But it's not sorcery. It's called a Devil Fruit power, from the outside world. A fruit that grants strange abilities."
Yasuie exhaled slowly. He had never trusted Orochi, once just a servant in his household. But Sukiyaki himself had vouched for him at the time. To learn it had all been trickery, it cut deep.
"The Kurozumi… I should have suspected," Yasuie muttered. "They were exiled generations ago for treason. And yet…"
Teach leaned forward. "Oden will return. But until then, Wano needs stability. You and Shimotsuki Ushimaru must be ready. Rally the other daimyo discreetly. Unite your strength so that when the moment comes, Orochi can be crushed swiftly."
Yasuie nodded. "Yes. I will summon the other daimyo under the pretense of a banquet. None but the four of us will know the truth. Not even my closest retainers."
Teach smiled faintly. "Good. I'll handle the rest. I plan to reach the Flower Capital, find Sukiyaki, and see if he can be saved. He's likely still alive, though poisoned."
Teach paused, then added, "And I need one more thing. Do you know where Tenguyama Hitetsu is? My sword's damaged, and I want him to reforge it."
Yasuie's expression softened. "Yes. He lives in seclusion on Tenguyama mountain near Hakumai. I'll write you a letter of introduction."
Teach accepted it with a nod.
"Do you need rare materials? The mansion holds many—"
"I'm prepared," Teach interrupted. "All that remains is to wait for Oden's return."
With that, he departed, disappearing into Hakumai's streets once more. Yasuie did not press him to stay. Gratitude could wait... Wano's survival came first.
Teach blended back into the bustle of the town, sampling food, his next target already in mind; Tenguyama Hitetsu, master of blades, forger of Oden's twin treasures Ame no Habakiri and Enma.
High on a lonely mountain, beneath a towering tree, stood a small temple-like house. Inside, a man waited. He already knew Teach was coming.