White Ghost laughed for a while—until Zoro looked like he might actually explode—then finally stopped.
He continued the introductions.
"This is Shimotsuki Kozaburo—master swordsmith."
"And this is Shimotsuki Koushirou—a great swordsman."
"Hello," the father and son greeted everyone.
Once introductions were done, everyone sat down for breakfast.
Today's meal was Sea King meat—Urouge had gone hunting at dawn and dragged one up from the sea.
Early morning meat would've been a shock for most people, and Kuina clearly wasn't used to it yet… but on White Ghost's ship, this was normal. With the way they trained, meat wasn't a luxury—it was fuel.
So Kuina quietly stuck to noodles.
Zoro, on the other hand, ate like his life depended on it.
"Mmm! This is amazing! Sea King meat?! I feel like I'm overflowing with strength!"
If you didn't know better, you'd think Koushirou had been starving him.
"Then eat more," Wanda said, handing him a huge piece of roasted meat.
"Thanks!" Zoro grabbed it and bit down without hesitation.
After everyone had their fill, Nami brought over tea. "Here, White Brother. Take your time."
Seeing how considerate she was, White Ghost couldn't help ruffling her hair.
"Hehe." Nami didn't resist. Once he let go, she naturally joined Olga to clean up the dishes.
Nami was young, and the others spoiled her—but she still did what she could. Besides studying navigation, she actively helped with ship chores.
Don't cause trouble for White Brother seemed carved into her bones.
"So full… so full…" Zoro flopped onto the deck, arms spread wide, smiling in bliss.
White Ghost and the others sipped tea and chatted. When Kuina and the girls finished tidying up, White Ghost waved them over.
"Need something?" Kuina approached with Uta and Bai Hezi. The three were around the same age, so it was easy for them to move together.
White Ghost hadn't spoken yet when Kozaburo's eyes suddenly locked onto the two swords at Bai Hezi's waist.
"That is…!"
Kozaburo's eyes widened.
"Little girl—could you let this old man take a look at that blade?"
Koushirou also felt something wrong—something heavy about that sword.
"Uh… the sword?" Bai Hezi blinked, following his finger to the blade at her waist—Enma.
"Yes. That one," Kozaburo said, voice trembling with excitement.
"Okay." Seeing that White Ghost didn't object, Bai Hezi removed Enma and handed it over.
Kozaburo took the sword and studied the familiar sheath and patterning.
Click—
He drew Enma and examined it closely.
"No mistake. This is Enma—the blade I forged with my own hands."
"Wait… you forged it?" Bai Hezi stared. "Then you're Shimotsuki Kozaburo—the one who left Wano?!"
Kozaburo nodded, holding Enma like he was touching an old memory. "I am. Back then, I forged this blade and left it to my descendants."
"To see it again here… after all these years." He sighed.
He sheathed Enma and returned it. "If you've made it submit to you, then it belongs to you."
Then Kozaburo looked at Bai Hezi carefully. "Are you from Wano?"
Bai Hezi's eyes dimmed briefly… then she steadied herself.
"Yes, senior. In Wano, my name was Kozuki Hiyori. But I've left Wano behind. Now my name is Bai Hezi."
"I don't use my old name anymore."
Kozuki…? Kozaburo's eyelid twitched. "Kozuki Sukiyaki… what is he to you?"
"He is my grandfather," Bai Hezi answered obediently.
Kozaburo let out a soft laugh, full of surprise and age. "So that's how it is. To meet the descendant of an old acquaintance… I really am getting old."
He looked at her age and shook his head with a bitter smile.
Then, his tone turned serious. "Tell me—what is Wano like now?"
"I'll explain," White Ghost said, taking over.
Bai Hezi smiled at him—small, grateful, and trusting.
White Ghost lit a cigar and exhaled slowly.
"The short version: one of the Yonko—Kaido—took Wano while Kozuki Oden was away. When Oden came back, it was already too late."
"Then Wano's current shogun, Kurozumi Orochi, forced Oden into five years of humiliation. Little by little, people lost faith."
"When Oden realized he'd been played, it was too late to fix it. So he went to a final battle with his retainers—the so-called Akazaya Nine."
He paused, then spoke with his usual bluntness.
"Those 'Nine' are a mixed bunch. There's a cat, a dog, a former thug, a moneylender, a fish-man, and one guy who never stops acting strange—"
White Ghost scratched his chin. "There's also someone Orochi planted close to Oden. And Denjiro. That's the nine."
The crew's mouths twitched. It was obvious White Ghost didn't think very highly of the Akazaya Nine—or at least, he didn't like some of them.
"Wait." Bai Hezi's face went pale. "You said… a planted spy?"
"Who?"
White Ghost nodded, his voice flattening. "Kanjuro—the one who plays dumb."
Bai Hezi jolted. "W-White Brother, you must be mistaken! Kanjuro followed my father for years. He's gentle—he wouldn't—are you sure?!"
White Ghost exhaled a slow smoke ring and looked at her without warmth.
Then—
A suffocating pressure erupted from him, so restrained it felt like a blade pressed against the throat—laced with a faint, unmistakable killing intent.
Fear surged through everyone's chest.
Kozaburo and Koushirou, sitting closest, felt it the strongest—like their bodies were warning them to move now.
"W-White Brother…!" Bai Hezi stumbled backward, fell, and hit the deck.
She'd taken the full force head-on.
Wanda and Pedro stayed silent, not rushing in like they might have before.
They'd seen too much by now.
They understood that Cat Viper and Dogstorm—whatever their pride—had once led the Mink Tribe into becoming someone else's pawns.
White Ghost's voice dropped, heavy as iron.
"Kozuki Hiyori."
He didn't even call her Bai Hezi anymore.
"I… I'm here," Hiyori whispered, head lowered, trembling.
"I think you've misunderstood something," White Ghost said coldly. "You're here because your grandfather entrusted me with three swords. I've already returned two."
"I even gave up a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit for you. I taught you swordsmanship."
"When you chose to come with me, I told you clearly—if you want to leave one day, you can. Anytime."
His gaze sharpened.
"But you've started forgetting your place."
He withdrew the pressure—because Elena, Ain, and Stella had moved in, standing in front of Hiyori, glaring at him protectively.
White Ghost's eyes were still faintly red.
"I hate being doubted," he said, voice low. "Especially by people from Wano."
"When I first set foot in Wano, if your grandfather hadn't been smart enough to hand the blades over…"
He paused, letting the threat hang without overindulging in it.
"…I might not have held back."
Even with his pressure pulled away, that lingering killing intent still made the air feel cold.
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