The Kozuki clan's territory was guarded with absolute vigilance. Samurai patrolled the courtyards, while others lurked unseen in the shadows.
Teach's Observation Haki spread quietly across the grounds, brushing over every presence without drawing notice. Cloaked by his own Haki, he blended seamlessly into a transport team hauling supplies.
Two strange beasts pulled the cart piled with goods. Teach slipped beneath it, vanishing as if he weren't there at all. None of the samurai or workers sensed the stowaway.
The team pressed deeper into the compound. Even the 'ordinary' men here carried swords with practiced ease as this was Wano after all, where even peasants could be formidable.
As they moved, Teach silently mapped the territory. He sensed countless strong presences befitting a land of warriors, yet none detected him.
Among them, he located the one he sought; Kozuki Sukiyaki. The shogun's aura was strong but faint, as though something was gnawing away at him. Only a few maids attended him; the samurai guards were stationed outside his private residence.
Inside, Teach extended his senses further. The maids showed loyalty and worry, orphans raised by the Kozuki household, their devotion genuine.
But one, the closest to Sukiyaki, radiated something different; a dark, festering malice.
"Lord Sukiyaki, please don't overexert yourself. Have some tea," said the maid sweetly, placing a cup on the table.
Sukiyaki smiled tiredly. "I'll endure until Oden returns. Orochi may be his most trusted brother, but… his capability is lacking."
The maid bowed and retreated. Yet beneath her polite mask, her thoughts boiled; You won't live to see your son return. By then, the Kurozumi clan will rise again, and the Kozuki name will vanish forever. Our revenge will be complete.
She had smuggled in poison from the outside world, an insidious toxin that corroded life force itself. Slow, subtle, impossible to cure in Wano.
Sukiyaki suddenly coughed violently, covering his mouth with a handkerchief. His face turned pale.
"Lord Sukiyaki!" The maids rushed toward him in alarm. He waved them off weakly, hiding the bloodstained cloth in his palm.
Oden… please return quickly. I cannot endure much longer.
He drank the tea to steady himself. Watching closely, the disguised Kurozumi Higurashi smiled inwardly. Drink. Every drop brings my clan closer to vengeance.
On the surface, she remained calm. Years of espionage, her Mane Mane Fruit, and the sharp senses of a lifetime on the seas made her disguise perfect. Even Sukiyaki had never suspected.
But then Sukiyaki froze. His instincts told him someone else was here, someone hidden, yet not hostile. Their target was not him, but one of his attendants.
Teach struck. From the shadows he unleashed a burst of spiritual force, freezing the maids in place, their eyes going glassy.
Higurashi, intent on Sukiyaki, never noticed until too late. Once, she had been dangerous. But age had dulled her edge, leaving her reliant on tricks. Kaido himself would someday kill her with ease.
Her last loyal thought was to her clan. The Kurozumi must rise again… the Kozuki must fall.
Then she felt the chill. A black figure loomed behind her. Old instincts screamed danger, but her body lagged behind her mind.
The outcome was sealed. Sukiyaki's eyes narrowed, this attack was deadly, even by his standards.
"Demon Claw: Pierce!"
Teach's cold laugh brushed her ear. A blade of darkness shot through her chest. Higurashi gasped, her form flickering as blood filled her lungs.
Teach's claw clutched her heart, its beats slowing in his grip.
"You...!" Sukiyaki tried to cry out. But before his eyes, the maid's body twisted and reshaped, revealing a tall, gaunt crone.
The other maids lay unconscious. Higurashi was dead. Teach withdrew his hand, letting the body collapse.
"She… this is…?" Sukiyaki whispered in shock. Yet he sensed no malice from Teach, this stranger had acted to save him.
"Kurozumi Higurashi," Teach said, smiling faintly. "The source of your illness. She poisoned you with a toxin from beyond Wano...slow, incurable here."
"Kurozumi… then Orochi!" Sukiyaki's mind raced. He had known Orochi's lineage but pitied the clan. Their sins were from generations past. Sukiyaki had even supported Orochi, giving him status, believing it an act of mercy.
But if this was a plot… if Orochi's rise was engineered…
"The Orochi 'Oden' once recommended to you?" Teach continued, pointing to the corpse. "That was her. With her Devil Fruit, she could mimic appearance, voice, even aura itself."
Sukiyaki trembled. The betrayal cut deep. The maid he had trusted for years, the brother Oden vouched for, the tea he had sipped daily—every kindness was a lie.
"Detestable… Kurozumi! How dare they!" Sukiyaki's fury shook his frail body. At the same time, doubt gnawed at him as he recalled Oden's expression during that fateful introduction. Could he truly have missed such flaws?
He forced his anger down and bowed slightly. "Thank you, stranger. Who are you?"
Teach inclined his head. "Marshall D. Teach, of the Whitebeard Pirates. A comrade of Oden. I came bearing a letter from him, but found Wano in turmoil. In secret, I uncovered this conspiracy." He smiled. "For now, keep this hidden until Oden returns."
"Oden… is coming back?" Sukiyaki's eyes shone. The weight crushing his chest eased at the thought.
"He'll return soon, aboard Pops' ship," Teach assured him. "Until then, don't act rashly. I've already spoken with Shimotsuki Yasuie. He's rallying the other daimyos. With their support and Oden's return, Wano will stand strong again."
Sukiyaki nodded gravely. He knew Wano's stability was fragile, and Orochi's faction already had roots among merchants and officials. This revelation was a lifeline.
Teach's tone softened. "Rest. Don't strain yourself, the poison has weakened your life force. Pops' doctor may yet purge it, but only if you preserve what remains."
Sukiyaki managed a faint smile. "I cannot move as I once did. Tell me—are you a swordsman?"
"I am," Teach admitted. "But my blade is with Tenguyama Hitetsu for reforging."
"Then use mine," Sukiyaki said. From the wall he took down a golden treasure blade, its craftsmanship radiant. "Kogetsu...my personal sword. Deliver this letter for me, to the shrine where Wano's national treasures are kept. There, you'll find powerful seniors who may aid in our cause. But they will only acknowledge you if you prove yourself in combat."
Teach accepted the sword, hanging it at his waist. The blade's aura was no less than Enma's, testament to Wano's deep legacy. Conquering this land, he realized, would demand more than brute strength.
As Sukiyaki finished writing his letter and pressed it into his hand, Teach's curiosity grew. What kind of warriors could be hidden away, guarding the secrets of Wano?