"Ah, this is Mr. Tenguyama Hitetsu. He is a famous blacksmith in our country. My father Enma was kept in his care before."
Just as Sherwin and Kozuki Sukiyaki were sizing each other up, Hiyori Kozuki interrupted their stare-down and took the initiative to introduce him.
As expected, Hiyori didn't know his true identity either.
Sherwin raised an eyebrow but chose not to expose him.
"This is the Enma that Lady Hiyori promised to give you," Kozuki Sukiyaki said, also showing no intention of revealing his identity.
He addressed her as "Lady" without any psychological hurdle while handing a longsword with a purple hilt and scabbard to Sherwin.
"Let me warn you: from the day this blade was born until now, the only one in this country who has ever tamed Enma is Kozuki Oden."
Sherwin gave a noncommittal smile and drew Enma from its sheath...
Having sparred and studied under Hawk-Eye for so long, and with a samurai Felyne whose talent and realm were no less than Mihawk giving him lessons from time to time, Sherwin didn't even need to test the blade to feel a faint suction coming from the hilt.
"It really has... a personality completely opposite to the Wado Ichimonji. It hard to tell they were forged by the same person."
Sherwin swung it casually a couple of times, remarking as he sheathed the longsword.
Although Enma tried to draw out his Armament Haki during the swing, given Sherwin current strength, he could completely ignore this debuff.
"You have seen the Wado Ichimonji?!"
Kozuki Sukiyaki asked in surprise.
"Yes, there is a Shimotsuki Village in the East Blue. I met a swordsman there named Koshiro Shimotsuki."
Sherwin explained casually and then tucked Enma into his storage bag.
Returning the Gambler to Issho was because the man personality suited him and they got along well. As for the Kozuki family things... there was no reason not to take them.
Kozuki Sukiyaki didn't dwell on it. He unfastened the samurai longsword from his waist, which had a guard shaped like several fan-like leaves.
"Since you have saved Wano, it would only be natural for me to give this 'Ayame,' crafted by my own hands, directly to you..."
He paused for a moment and, unsurprisingly, uttered a "but."
"But, I must be so bold as to ask: may I use this blade as a request for a private conversation with you?"
Kozuki Sukiyaki stared into Sherwin eyes, his expression beneath the mask turning solemn.
Faced with this sudden request from Kozuki Sukiyaki, Sherwin felt a brief moment of confusion before forming a vague guess...
It was likely related to the Poneglyphs and the Ancient Weapons.
"No problem, I actually have something to discuss with you as well." Sherwin nodded, then pointed to Robin standing nearby.
"Why don't we just head to the Shogun castle to talk? We might as well bring her along to save us from making another trip later."
Sherwin words were practically a blunt hint. Although Kozuki Sukiyaki didn't know exactly how much he knew, the old man quickly regained his composure after his initial shock and agreed to Sherwin suggestion.
During this process, Denjiro and the others did not interfere or even show much change in their expressions only Kozuki Hiyori appeared slightly puzzled.
Clearly, even if the Akazaya Nine hadn't known for certain before, they had more or less guessed the true identity of "Tenguyama Hitetsu."
...
Soon, Sherwin, Kozuki Sukiyaki, and a still somewhat bewildered Robin arrived at the Shogun palace, which had mostly collapsed.
Under Kozuki Sukiyaki guidance, they reached a hidden basement within the castle.
Aside from a very prominent Poneglyph that served as an entire wall, there was also a shelf filled with traditional Japanese dolls.
"Aren't they cute? These beautiful girl dolls." Kozuki Sukiyaki proudly showed them off to Sherwin and Robin. "These are all part of my collection."
"They aren't cute at all."
Robin, who has somewhat unusual aesthetic tastes, replied bluntly. Sherwin also shook his head.
If it were anime figurines or Gundam models, he would be very interested, but Sherwin simply couldn't appreciate these traditional puppets.
"Ugh!!!"
Having his collection unrecognized seemed to be a heavy blow to Kozuki Sukiyaki he clutched his chest and took quite a while to recover.
After that brief bit of antics, Kozuki Sukiyaki finally remembered the business at hand. He removed the mask from his head, revealing the aged face beneath.
"My name is Kozuki Sukiyaki, the father of Kozuki Oden."
"Eh?!"
Robin, who had been distracted by the Poneglyph, looked over in surprise, while Sherwin remained expressionless.
"As expected, you already knew my identity."
Kozuki Sukiyaki nodded as if it were no surprise, then said solemnly, "Your arrival in Wano Country, besides collecting famous blades, must also be for this Poneglyph... right?"
Still holding onto a sliver of hope, Kozuki Sukiyaki did not mention the Ancient Weapon, but Sherwin had no interest in continuing to speak in riddles.
"I can probably guess what you're worried about," Sherwin curled his lip.
"Rest assured, I have no interest in 'Pluton'... or rather, do you think that since I already have 'Little Girl' which was capable of blowing up Kaido, there any need for me to salvage that Pluton from the depths of Wano sea without even knowing if it still works?"
"Whew—"
Perhaps the reasons Sherwin provided were sufficiently convincing, or perhaps Kozuki Sukiyaki realized that given Sherwin strength, there was truly no need to deceive him. He readily believed Sherwin explanation and let out a long sigh of relief.
With everything out in the open, the matters that followed became much simpler.
Kozuki Sukiyaki took the initiative to open an inconspicuous floor tile in the corner of the basement, leading Sherwin and Robin deep underground to the red Road Poneglyph.
Along the way, Sherwin and the others caught a glimpse of the old Wano country ruins hidden beneath the water.
It was only then that Sherwin realized the water enclosed by the defensive walls was not seawater, but rainwater that had accumulated over a long period of time.
Initially, Sherwin had assumed that the ancient people of Wano were forced into this situation due to the rising sea levels mentioned by Zunesha. But according to Kozuki Sukiyaki account, it seemed the people of ancient Wano had done this intentionally.
It was hard to say whether the members of the Kozuki family were all this naive, whether people in the world of pirates were naturally simple-minded, or if Sherwin was just exceptionally trustworthy.
In short, Kozuki Sukiyaki, who had previously been so wary of Sherwin, now began to divulge everything without Sherwin even needing to ask.
He detailed the method for releasing the Ancient Weapon Pluton, which had been passed down through the Kozuki family for generations, as well as its approximate location.
Sherwin: "..."
Sherwin remembered that he seemed to be like this in the original manga as well he would tell Robin everything as soon as she asked, and he was completely defenseless against Law, who had joined them halfway through.
How should he put it? While being trusted like this was quite nice, Kozuki Sukiyaki actions seemed a bit abstract to Sherwin, a person from Earth.
It was no wonder his position as Shogun was so easily usurped by Kurozumi Orochi with this level of security awareness...
One could only say it was fortunate that Sherwin and his group truly had no interest in the Ancient Weapon hidden within Wano Country.