Negotiations between pirates relied more on brute force. But Kaido, after all, was short on manpower, and he didn't want to fall out with Kurozumi Orochi under these circumstances.
There were plenty of other pirate factions on the sea that could serve as partners — Orochi wasn't the only suitable candidate.
Besides, Kaido had his own plans, so he agreed to the arrangement for now.
As part of their partnership, Kurozumi Orochi likewise agreed to provide Kaido with a certain number of troops. This was no difficult matter. Kurozumi Orochi controlled the entirety of the Flower Capital's military forces and could easily allocate a portion for Kaido.
However, the quality of these soldiers was somewhat uneven, and Kaido was less than satisfied.
"I can't use this cannon fodder!"
Kaido reeked of alcohol as he glared at Kurozumi Orochi with displeasure. This black-hearted bastard — his own bodyguards looked strong and capable, yet he was fobbing Kaido off with these worthless pawns.
"Don't worry, Kaido. A powerful force will arrive in a few days."
Kurozumi Orochi planned to request a samurai army from Kuri. Those samurai under Kairanki would be completely unrecognizable once they removed their armor.
Moreover, these men were all under Ren's control through the Serpent Seal, so there was no need to worry about Kaido taking command of them. At a critical moment, they could even backstab Kaido.
But this matter hadn't been coordinated with Kuri in advance, so it would take some time to prepare.
The banquet continued late into the night. Orochi departed first for the Flower Capital, returning to Onigashima the next day — this time accompanied by a well-disciplined regiment of samurai.
Kaido scrutinized them for a good while before finally showing a satisfied expression.
He didn't personally test their strength, of course — it wasn't as if anyone could actually challenge him. Rather, it was their equipment that earned Kaido's grudging respect.
"These weapons..."
"Just standard-issue weapons, nothing more."
Kurozumi Orochi replied. To Kaido, these swords and blades were exquisitely crafted. But to Orochi, they were merely passable quality by Wano standards.
Actually, if it had been just one or two blades, Kaido wouldn't have been so surprised. But clearly these samurai's weapons were practically mass-produced — each one had a blade at their hip. That was impossible to ignore.
Kaido wasn't a swordsman, but even he knew how crucial a fine weapon was to a blade-wielder. Out on the sea, let alone a Great Grade Sword — even a Grade Sword, the lowest rank of named blades, was far from commonplace.
Typically, a single Great Grade Sword could be considered a nation's treasure. If Zoro weren't part of the main crew, he'd probably have had a hard time assembling three named blades.
Yet here in Wano Country, even ordinary foot soldiers carried weapons of exceptional craftsmanship. This was proof enough of the nation's extraordinary metallurgical expertise.
That made Kaido's heart stir with desire.
Although Inazuma now dominated most of the weapons market on the seas, Inazuma's weapons were positioned as massive war machines — they didn't compete with swords and blades.
Autonomous machines like the Ruin Guards were aimed at low-level pirates. For true powerhouses, weapons that conducted Haki efficiently — like swords — remained in high demand.
Take himself, for example — he wasn't about to abandon Hassaikai just because he'd acquired a few Ruin Guards.
Seemingly noticing Kaido's interest in the samurai's weapons, Kurozumi Orochi smoothly added: "The crafting of these weapons isn't particularly exceptional. It's just that a small amount of Sake Iron ore powder was mixed into the materials, which improved their quality. They hardly qualify as truly fine blades."
As he spoke, he drew the Nidai Kitetsu from his waist.
With Sukiyaki dead and gone, the blade had naturally fallen into his hands. As for the black blade Shusui enshrined in the northern graves of Ringo — now was not the time to touch it.
When the moment was right, he would personally present both blades to Ren.
"A Great Grade Sword?"
Kaido's eyes lit up. Even though he wasn't a swordsman, he could sense the sinister aura emanating from the blade. This was clearly a cursed sword.
Moreover, the Nidai Kitetsu seemed to resonate in Kaido's presence, as though responding to him. Powerful cursed swords resonate with the strong, even if the wielder has no skill with blades.
To be honest, even Kurozumi Orochi couldn't fully master the Nidai Kitetsu.
"Looks like this Nidai Kitetsu is searching for a worthier master."
Kurozumi Orochi put on an air of indifference toward the Great Grade Sword, as though preparing to gift it as a token of goodwill.
But Kaido refused.
"I don't use swords."
Kaido looked thoroughly uninterested. The blade was far too small for him anyway — barely suitable for picking his teeth. What actually caught his interest was the Sake Iron Orochi had mentioned.
So he started asking about the Sake Iron ore.
"Sake Iron? That ore may only exist in Wano Country."
"Add just a tiny amount to a weapon, and it elevates the blade's quality. Add too much, and you'll forge a cursed sword."
"The largest Sake Iron vein in Wano is probably in Udon. If you're interested, we can give you Udon after Kozuki Oden is killed."
"We'll see about that."
Kaido brushed it off. He didn't want to reveal his desire in front of Kurozumi Orochi.
"More importantly, why not show me around Wano?"
Kaido raised an eyebrow, testing the waters.
"That's no problem, but please change into Wano attire first. The simpletons of this country are terribly xenophobic."
Kurozumi Orochi said.
He had already prepared a kimono for Kaido — predominantly white, with the right sleeve empty, exposing his muscular frame.
"Your physique is still a bit conspicuous, but it shouldn't be a major issue."
Kurozumi Orochi nodded.
So he took Kaido by boat to the Flower Capital.
"The other regions aren't under my control yet. The scattered forces of each region, when combined, form a power that cannot be ignored," Orochi explained.
"That's precisely why I'm seeking aid from overseas."
He gave Kaido a rough overview of each region's military strength. After hearing him out, Kaido's brow furrowed tightly.
Based on what Kurozumi Orochi was saying, once war broke out, it would essentially mean fighting five relatively independent nations simultaneously.
Moreover, most of the regional lords were powerful samurai who could take on a hundred men single-handedly. Their strength was not to be underestimated.
"Looks like we'll have to take this slowly."
"But you mentioned the lord of Kuri left the country and hasn't returned?"
Kaido seemed to be considering Kuri as his first target.
"The lord of Kuri has been away from Wano for many years without returning. However, Kuri's overall combat strength is greater than the other regions."
"I wouldn't recommend striking Kuri first."
[
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