Momonosuke's small face turned deathly pale, white as paper. His lips trembled uncontrollably, yet not a single word could escape them.
Kin'emon opened his eyes again and looked at his young lord in that miserable state. A deep sorrow welled up inside him.
But things had already come this far. He knew very well that in front of someone like Gern, stubborn resistance or clumsy lies would only lead to even worse consequences.
More importantly, the power and status Gern had displayed represented the only "external force" currently capable of directly challenging Kaido.
Even though Luffy had agreed to continue helping them, Kin'emon knew in his heart that the Straw Hat Pirates themselves were not entirely certain they could reach that point.
So—even though his young lord's behavior earlier had been disgraceful, even though Gern's true intentions remained unclear—
This might still be… Wano's final hope.
Taking a deep breath, Kin'emon forced down both his disappointment toward Momonosuke and his wariness toward Gern. Then he stepped forward with stiff resolve.
Speaking as a retainer of the Kozuki clan, he asked the most critical—and most realistic—question.
"Lord 'Heavenquake'… forgive my impertinence in asking. Regardless of my young lord's identity… will you—and the Marines behind you—truly help Wano?"
His voice grew heavier.
"Will you help the people of Wano, who suffer under the tyranny of Kaido and Kurozumi Orochi… the people trapped in misery and oppression?"
He needed a clear promise.
Even if that promise might carry an unimaginable cost.
Gern stopped pressing Momonosuke and turned to face Kin'emon. His gaze met the samurai's without the slightest hesitation.
Then he answered.
"Will."
One word.
Clear. Firm. Absolute.
The response instantly lifted a massive weight from Kin'emon's heart. Even the collapsed Momonosuke felt a faint spark of hope rekindle in his eyes.
Yet neither of them realized—or perhaps they simply chose to ignore—the deeper meaning behind Gern's words.
Of course Gern would "help" Wano.
From the very beginning, his ambitions had never been limited to the Marines alone.
His ultimate objective was to completely sever the Marines from the shackles of the World Government—to transform them into a truly independent force capable of carrying out his will.
And to achieve that, he needed resources.
He needed foundations.
He needed strategic territory.
And Wano…
Wano was practically a perfectly prepared feast lying on a chopping board.
First of all, it was the only known nation in the world capable of stably producing and processing Seastone.
What was Seastone?
A strategic resource capable of restraining Devil Fruit users.
It was the essential material used for Marine handcuffs, prison restraints, and even certain warships. Its value was beyond measure.
The reason the Beasts Pirates had grown so powerful under Kaido's rule was largely because they monopolized the underground trade of Seastone, generating enormous wealth and resources.
How could Gern possibly ignore such a core resource?
Second, Wano's geographical position was extremely unique.
It was easy to defend and almost impossible to invade.
Situated deep within the latter half of the New World, it was surrounded by towering waterfalls and treacherous ocean currents. These natural barriers made it extremely difficult even for the World Government's fleets to enter.
That was also the reason Wano had been able to maintain its long-standing isolation.
For someone like Gern—who intended to build an independent power—such a natural fortress held obvious strategic value.
Perhaps the sea level would rise in the future… but when that future would arrive was anyone's guess.
And finally—the most significant factor of all.
One of the Three Ancient Weapons capable of destroying the world.
The super battleship known as Pluton—a weapon bearing the name of a god.
Its resting place lay beneath Wano itself.
How could Gern possibly overlook such a world-shaking weapon?
Control Fish-Man Island, and you gain Poseidon.
Take Wano, and you gain Pluton.
That would leave only Uranus, currently in the hands of the World Government.
And as for the core energy capable of activating such weapons—the Mother Flame—
That was already in his possession.
Which meant that activating Pluton in the future might not be impossible.
Kaido had occupied Wano for Seastone resources and to turn it into a massive weapons factory and military fortress.
But what Gern wanted…
Was everything.
The monopoly over Seastone extraction.
Potential control over Pluton.
The strategic advantage of incorporating Wano—the natural fortress—into his sphere of power.
And at the same time, he would sever one of the World Government's most important economic lifelines: the supply of Seastone.
Another cornerstone for his grand design.
After hearing Gern's firm answer, Kin'emon felt a huge stone drop from his chest.
But along with relief came complicated emotions.
Shame at relying on outside forces.
Worry for the uncertain future.
Yet more than anything—
A desperate determination sparked by the faint light of hope.
For that hope… for Wano… he had to gamble everything.
Including the truth.
"I… understand!" Kin'emon nodded heavily.
Under Momonosuke's anxious gaze, he stepped back, straightened his clothes, and then—
Kneeling before Gern, he performed the highest form of Wano's formal apology: a deep dogeza.
His forehead pressed firmly against the ground.
"Lord Heavenquake! To show our sincerity—and to avoid future misunderstandings—I will now reveal everything!"
Maintaining his kneeling posture, Kin'emon spoke clearly and resolutely.
He revealed the Kozuki clan's greatest secret.
Momonosuke's true identity—son of Kozuki Oden and Toki of the Amatsuki clan.
The disastrous defeat twenty years ago.
How Lady Toki had used the power of the Time-Time Fruit in her final moments to send several of them—including Momonosuke—forward into the future.
And the prophecy she had left behind:
"In twenty years, nine shadows shall be cast upon the dawn."
Gern listened quietly.
His expression betrayed nothing—no anger, no delight.
The information matched what he already knew, filling in several missing details.
But before Kin'emon had even finished speaking, Momonosuke suddenly leapt forward impatiently.
It seemed he believed Kin'emon's honesty had already secured their "entry ticket," and that his own declaration as the "future shogun" was the true bargaining chip.
He puffed out his chest and tried to adopt a commanding posture.
"Lord Heavenquake!"
"As long as you help me restore my country and ascend to the position of shogun—!"
"In the future, the cooperation between Wano and the Marines… whatever you want—"
"What I want?"
Gern's tone suddenly changed.
The earlier casual amusement vanished, replaced by an icy confusion.
He cut Momonosuke off immediately.
Tilting his head slightly, he frowned at the boy who was still dreaming about "negotiations."
"Why… would I need to want anything?" Gern repeated.
Momonosuke froze.
His expression stiffened. His mouth hung open slightly, unable to understand what he had said wrong.
Gern stepped forward.
His shadow completely swallowed the boy.
Looking down at this so-called "future shogun," he exposed the pitiful arrogance behind the child's supposed bargaining chip.
"What I conquer…"
"Shouldn't it belong to me?"
"If I defeat my enemies with my own power… occupy the land… seize the resources…"
"Why would I need to go through you for any of it?"
"!!!"
Momonosuke felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
His entire body trembled violently.
His pupils dilated in overwhelming fear and realization.
He finally understood.
Gern was never looking for a partner.
Nor a puppet ruler.
He was declaring ownership.
In Gern's eyes, Wano was not a nation meant to be "rightfully inherited" by the Kozuki bloodline.
It was simply a trophy of conquest.
In that moment, all of Momonosuke's delusions and pitiful sense of superiority shattered completely.
The trembling spread from his toes to the top of his head. His face was pale as death. Even his lips had lost their color.
Before he could react—
Before the terror even finished spreading through his body—
Gern moved.
His right hand shot forward and clamped around Momonosuke's throat.
Then he lifted him effortlessly into the air.
"Ghk…!—"
The boy's frail body was hoisted off the ground instantly.
His legs kicked wildly.
His throat was crushed in an iron grip.
A strangled, painful whimper escaped him as suffocation swallowed him whole. His face rapidly shifted from pale to bluish-purple.
"YOUNG LORD!!"
Kin'emon roared in fury.
His eyes nearly burst with rage.
Without thinking, driven by instinct and loyalty, he lunged forward to save Momonosuke.
But before he could even reach Gern—
A blinding bolt of lightning suddenly split the space between them.
Enel.
He stood calmly in front of Kin'emon, expression cold.
His right index finger was extended forward.
Pressed directly against the center of Kin'emon's forehead.
The distance between them was almost nonexistent.
"Who gave you permission… to interrupt a god's game, mortal?"
There was no emotion in Enel's eyes.
Only cold annoyance at an insect daring to act on its own.
He didn't even give Kin'emon a chance to respond.
The lightning gathering at his fingertip suddenly flared violently.
BZZZT!!!
A high-voltage current—precisely controlled—burst out instantly and surged into Kin'emon's skull.
"AAAAAAHHHH!!"
Kin'emon screamed in agony.
His entire body went limp, convulsing violently.
His eyes rolled back. Foam spilled from his mouth.
The power he had gathered vanished instantly.
His body collapsed backward—
THUD!
He crashed heavily onto the ground, still twitching uncontrollably as his consciousness faded.
And in that moment, he finally understood.
Momonosuke—the so-called "future shogun"—
Was not a key in Gern's eyes.
Not even a bargaining chip.
Perhaps…
Not even a proper stepping stone.
This time, Gern had no intention of playing the Kozuki clan's "savior."
He wanted…
Wano.