Chapter 85: Eight Thousand Flows
"Whoosh—"
A slash of sword energy spiraled upward, piercing through the roof of the house. In the next instant, the not-so-sturdy building collapsed with a thunderous crash.
"What's happening?!" the guards cried out in alarm, gripping their naginatas as they rushed toward the source of the commotion.
"Who knows, but it looks like Lord Shutenmaru and Kozuki Oden are fighting!"
"Damned Kozuki Oden, causing trouble again!" someone cursed. They held little affection for Oden—he'd managed to earn some goodwill when he was quietly working, but now he was stirring up chaos once more.
"Charge in with me! Help Lord Shutenmaru subdue Oden and put an end to this disturbance!" one of the guards shouted. However, before they could step inside, Shutenmaru bellowed at them to stop.
"Stand down! This man is beyond your ability to handle."
Shutenmaru's figure emerged from the dust cloud of the collapsed building. A small wound, barely the length of a pinky finger and shallow in depth, had opened on his temple.
A scrape like this would normally have zero impact on him, but to bleed from a single exchange was proof enough of Kozuki Oden's extraordinary strength.
Despite standing on opposing sides, Shutenmaru couldn't help but admire Oden's power.
But...
'He's still not on Lord Ren's level.' A smile touched his thick lips. Having fought Ren before, Shutenmaru understood his strength all too well. A year ago, Ren's full power was already terrifyingly strong.
Though Oden was formidable, he still couldn't compare to Lord Ren.
Setting aside that demonic, god-like form, even comparing just Flowing Sakura and swordsmanship, Ren now surpassed Oden.
"You're quite strong. I suppose I'll have to get serious," Oden grinned. The twin blades in his hands were both precious Great Grade Swords. The purple one was Enma.
That blade devoured its wielder's Haki; without sufficient strength to tame it, the user would be drained dry. It was more cursed than any cursed sword. Who knew what Oden was thinking, leaving such a weapon to his powerless daughter.
"Oden Two-Sword Style—"
"Chikuwa!"
Haki coiled around Oden's entire body as he launched himself forward. His dual blades and body spun at high speed like a meat grinder as he charged. The Haki on the blades released dense wind-like slashes, striking toward Shutenmaru like a kamaitachi's claws!
"Don't underestimate me!" Shutenmaru roared. To him, Oden's little trick was nothing short of contempt!
He swung his blade rapidly, the gleaming white edge instantly shattering the flying slashes, then thrust toward Oden.
"Oden Two-Sword Style: Konbu!"
"Oden Two-Sword Style: Wild Sphere Heavenly Fifth Moon!"
Blade light and sword energy flew in all directions. The slashes released by the two nearly formed a small-scale storm. Oden's swordsmanship was indeed superior to Shutenmaru's; though Shutenmaru refused to admit it verbally, he was steadily being pushed back throughout the fight.
Cuts of varying sizes multiplied across his body.
The strength he had gained through countless life-or-death battles was being suppressed by someone like Kozuki Oden—a realization that left Shutenmaru deeply frustrated. Yet sometimes, one had to acknowledge that talent mattered greatly in many aspects.
"Hahahaha, you're truly impressive! Few have ever pushed me this far!" Oden laughed delightedly.
Actually, this country wasn't completely lacking in powerful samurai.
Shimotsuki Ushimaru, Kazehatsu Miyuki, Amatsuki Tenpura, and Shimotsuki Yasuie—all these daimyo were formidable warriors in their own right. In the Flower Capital, there was even Hyougoro, the yakuza boss. These individuals possessed considerable strength, no less than Shutenmaru's.
However, none of them could fight Oden with their full hearts. They all cared too deeply about the "Kozuki" name.
One could say that while Wano lacked peak-tier combatants, the number of mid-tier samurai was substantial. If Oden could properly harness this force, combined with the strength he'd gained from voyaging overseas, perhaps decades later he might have become a Yonko instead.
Yet this man had squandered a winning hand.
When Oden returned from overseas, he clearly possessed strength rivaling Kaido's. He could have turned the tide, but instead threw that opportunity away.
"Damn it!" Shutenmaru gritted his teeth viciously, his fingertips turning white from gripping his sword hilt too tightly. He refused to lose to Kozuki Oden.
"Source Style—Selfless Heart!"
Seeing Shutenmaru charge forward completely disregarding his injuries, Oden couldn't help but startle. Yet it wasn't fear he felt—it was awe at Shutenmaru's resolve.
"The determination to trade blow for blow? You truly are an incredible man!" Oden exclaimed in admiration, immediately meeting the attack.
"Oden Two-Sword Style—"
"Samurai's Majestic Soul!"
Flowing Haki shot outward like lightning in all directions. The clash of their auras actually produced thunderous explosions of energy!
"Boom—"
Shutenmaru's eyes rolled back as his heavy body crashed to the ground.
He had ultimately lost to Kozuki Oden, though Oden hadn't escaped unscathed either.
Plop.
A pool of blood splattered onto the earth. Oden, his shoulder nearly pierced straight through, walked out from the dust.
"You really are something. This is the first time I've ever suffered such a serious wound..." Oden looked down at his injury—fifteen centimeters wide. Had it been slightly deeper, it might have reached his heart.
But he wasn't angry. He was only thinking about how Kanjuro and the others would nag him when he returned.
"Hey, you're still conscious, right?"
"Cough—out with it!" Shutenmaru coughed up blood, still conscious but unable to move a muscle. In this state, he was completely at Oden's mercy, yet he didn't soften his attitude in the slightest. This only increased Oden's appreciation for him.
"Don't be so cold. We fought and came to know each other—wouldn't sharing a drink together be nice?" So saying, Oden sat down beside him, though his expression turned regretful. "Ah, I nearly forgot you smashed the wine. What a waste. This was good wine bought for the Fire Festival night."
"Shut up!"
Shutenmaru barked. Mentioning wine and the Fire Festival made his blood boil.
"You really are something..." Oden shook his head. "But your sword skills are truly remarkable. I can see traces of so many different schools within them—it's practically the Eight Thousand Flows."
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