"Lord Oden's son?" Izo stared at Orochimaru in astonishment, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Orochimaru, however, was expressionless, slurping his ramen as if no one else was there.
He had specially prepared the ramen for Sabo and Ace, hoping they would relive their warm childhood memories.
Ace looked at the ramen, his face pale, his hand holding the chopsticks trembling slightly.
Sabo, however, ate with relish, as he didn't often get the chance to eat it.
At this moment, everyone's gaze was like a spotlight on Orochimaru, but he seemed oblivious, continuing to slurp his ramen.
Orochimaru looked up at the people around him and mumbled, "Why are you all staring at me...? Aren't you having a party...?"
Marco irritably tugged at his hair, his eyes fixed on Orochimaru: "And then?"
"And then what...? Hmm, (￣～￣) chew!"
After saying that, Orochimaru popped another fried dumpling into his mouth, "Mmm... Thatch's fried dumplings are even better than Sanji's."
Perhaps influenced by Luffy and the other two, Orochimaru, who initially had little interest in food, gradually started eating a little, then ate normally, and now even experienced the joy of delicious food. He hadn't touched ration pills in a long time.
Marco looked at the three brothers, speechless. 'Just say something!'
'Ace, what are you doing?! It's just a bowl of ramen, why the look of deep suffering? You're usually the biggest eater!'
Helpless, Marco had no choice but to ask himself.
"Oden is your father, and then what?"
(๑•̌.•̑๑)ˀ̣ˀ̣ "That's it, that's all... What else do you want?"
A full Orochimaru put his bowl and chopsticks aside, looking at the confused Marco with a blank expression.
Everyone's curiosity was completely ignited, but the key person remained silent, which was maddening. Seeing these scratching and fidgeting guys, Orochimaru couldn't help but take a step back.
"How long... has it been since you bathed?"
These frantic pirates were going crazy, clenching their fists in frustration. 'Don't change the subject! Can you just talk properly?! Can you?!'
'Curiosity is going to kill us!' Although they hadn't bathed in a few days, they were already considered diligent.
Orochimaru watched them bathe every day, almost 'polishing' them clean. Couldn't they see they were a shade lighter? What kind of Pirate Crew is fair and tender?!
Izo was also feeling stifled and pressed on, "What happened next...? What proof do you have that you are Lord Oden's son?"
Orochimaru looked at this 'Oden fanatic' with an incredulous expression.
"Do I have to prove I'm the son of a scumbag? That's great, I don't have any proof, so I'm not."
Ace pretended to finish, hiding the ramen behind him, but his mouth 'rebelliously' blurted out, "Don't you have that precious diary? I remember it said 'Kozuki Toki's Diary'."
Upon hearing this, Orochimaru instantly looked at Ace with an expressionless face (ㅍ_ㅍ).
"First, it's not very precious to me, and second, I don't think you're full yet... I'll go make you some more noodles, 10 bowls should be enough to shut you up."
Whitebeard, who was watching the show, was in a great mood and picked Orochimaru up, placing him on his shoulder. This time, he was officially his.
He affectionately rubbed Orochimaru's head with his index finger, "Don't tease them."
Orochimaru's mouth twitched.
"Don't treat me like a child!! And I'm not a doll! Don't carry me like this!!!"
This is too much! Too much! They're all so tall!! He could barely accept Sabo carrying him around.
After all, in the Naruto World, due to the side effects of the Impure World Reincarnation, he needed to change bodies every three years, and for a long time, Orochimaru needed Kabuto's care, so he was used to being held.
But this 'carrying' was too much! Orochimaru felt that he should hang the Kusanagi Sword on his waist, specifically to chop legs!
Orochimaru, having calmed down, took a deep breath.
"What's there to say? If you think it is, it is; if you don't, it isn't. It has nothing to do with me, and I don't want to be associated with that trash."
Izo's eyes reddened at Orochimaru's repeated use of'scumbag' and 'trash'.
"You're talking nonsense! Lord Oden was gentle, strong, brave, and had a great sense of justice! He was the best lord! Even if you are truly Lord Oden's son, you are not allowed to blaspheme him like that!"
Orochimaru rarely scoffed. How thick were these people's rose-tinted glasses? Such troublesome characters.
"Gentle? So gentle that he abandoned his people?
Strong? So strong that he chose to refuse to fight and danced naked for five years?
Brave? So brave that he didn't fight Orochi, who oppressed the people, but went to fight Kaido? Yes, that was quite brave.
Full of justice? So full of justice that he abandoned his wife and children and chose to die? If he had any brains, he would have lived."
Izo's face turned crimson at Orochimaru's words, and his voice trembled with urgency: "You... you're talking nonsense! Lord Oden would never do that!"
Orochimaru looked at the emotional Izo, whose face was flushed, propping his cheek and staring directly at him.
"If he hadn't abandoned his people, then why would 'you' be here?"
As he spoke, a diary in a box suddenly appeared in Orochimaru's hand. He looked at the stunned Izo and casually tossed it towards him.
"Here... Since you like it so much, it's yours. Anyway, there shouldn't have been such a child in the first place."
Izo looked at the diary with trembling hands. Although the words were full of embellishments, the whole story was clearly explained. Izo still inevitably felt heartbroken. Why did things turn out this way...? Why, even knowing that Kuri was in crisis, did he still resolutely leave? Since he went back, why didn't he resist, why didn't he ask for help, why...? Izo trembled all over as he looked at the diary, feeling his faith being shaken.
Orochimaru looked at Ace, who was secretly exchanging ramen with Sabo, his face darkening, then he pretended not to notice.
"Ace... you really didn't tell them anything, did you?"
Ace scratched his head, a little embarrassed.
"That's... your privacy after all... and..."
Ace didn't know how to say it. Did Orochimaru, abandoned by both parents, truly not care?
Izo, of course, also saw the end and understood that Lady Toki had voluntarily chosen to follow Oden to her death, even abandoning Momonosuke and Hiyori, as well as the newborn child.
The last page of the diary was written with tear-stained handwriting:
"I traveled from the distant past just to meet Oden. He is my destiny, and a future without Oden is a future I cannot accept."
Lady Toki's death for love was very touching.
But for children like Izo, who had experienced the wholehearted love of their parents, Lady Toki's sacrifice seemed untimely... In their youth, their entire family was condemned, but even when condemned and punished, their parents tried every means to survive and care for their young brother and him.
Although they eventually died, even in their dying moments, they were still trying to find a way for Izo and his brother to live.
So they remembered their parents' words to be grateful to those who saved them, which is why Izo chose to follow Kozuki Oden, who had shown kindness to him and his brother.
At this time, Izo was already a great pirate who had been active in the New World for more than ten years, leading some of Whitebeard's Pirate Crews... But now, looking at this diary... Izo felt very confused inside... Why did things turn out this way?
Why did things turn out this way?
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