By the time Kaido received word of the prison break, it was already the second day of the tea party.
After all, while Di Corolo had contacted Onigashima, the island wasn't about to bother Kaido over something minor. Doing so would only make the forces stationed in Wano look incompetent.
Of course, that was because when Di Corolo first sent someone to contact Onigashima, he hadn't mentioned that Kozuki Oden was among the attackers. Otherwise, they would have treated the matter far more seriously.
This was Di Corolo's oversight, and an even greater failure of the Beasts Pirates' intelligence network.
News of the Roger Pirates' disbandment had only recently spread. Even Kaido hadn't confirmed it until the tea party itself. Naturally, the people in Wano knew nothing of it.
On top of that, no one had actually sighted Kozuki Oden. They assumed the attack was a spontaneous uprising by the surviving samurai of Wano.
Later, as the battle turned increasingly brutal, the Beasts side never got another chance to send word out.
On the second day of the tea party, a furious Kaido stormed out in haste. Ren watched him rushing back and forth with an idle smile.
In truth, Ren wasn't entirely clear on Orochi's plans, mainly because he couldn't be bothered to ask. Having decided to stay out of things for now, he had given Orochi considerable autonomy.
Still, Orochi generally reported any major actions to Ren. For instance, during this prison break, Ren had dispatched five members of the Orochi Oniwabanshu to assist.
But that was all he chose to do.
"That guy Orochi, I have no idea what he's thinking," Yukiko muttered when no one else was around. "He's wearing down Kaido's forces on one side and Oden's forces on the other, but the result is no different from doing nothing at all, isn't it?"
If it were simply a matter of depleting both sides' combat strength, that would naturally benefit Orochi.
But last night's operation had also cost the Orochi Oniwabanshu significant losses. It was a complete three-way loss. In the end, Kozuki Oden's side had actually made up some of their losses by gaining the prisoners from the quarry.
"At least they managed to capture Oden's wife and children. That's something useful, I suppose," Yukiko said. She had just hung up the Den Den Mushi.
Using a Den Den Mushi outside Wano was an effective way to prevent eavesdropping.
...
Kozuki Oden still didn't know what had happened at the old teahouse. After rescuing Shimotsuki Ushimaru, he followed Hyogoro and the others, pressing onward toward Ringo.
Due to its freezing climate and permafrost, even Kaido's people avoided Ringo. By now, Ringo was essentially a wasteland.
They definitely couldn't return to the Flower Capital. Once news of Udon reached Orochi, even Hyogoro's home would likely be raided. The old man had already relocated his family, and now Ringo was the only safe haven.
"Once we reach Ringo, Kuri will supply us with food," Hyogoro said gravely.
Shimotsuki Ushimaru and the other former prisoners followed behind in silence.
Several of them wore expressions of guilt, and after a long while, one finally spoke: "We misjudged Kuri. Back then... I thought they refused to resist Orochi..."
Before their capture, they had sought Kuri's help, but their request had been rejected by Kujo Ayame, the head of the Tengu Police.
"That woman turned us down, saying the lord of Kuri wasn't in Wano. I never imagined we'd end up depending on Kuri's food just to survive."
A gift in times of plenty could never compare to aid in times of need. In their current situation, even the slightest bit of help filled the former prisoners with profound gratitude.
And Kuri had actually contributed quite a lot. Without Kuri's relief supplies, they would all freeze to death in Ringo.
Sigh... Shimotsuki Ushimaru felt the weight of it all. Whenever he thought about how many people had died to save him, his own life felt unbearably heavy.
"Yasui-san..." He looked at the blue-haired man, opened his mouth, but couldn't find the words. Then his gaze shifted to the man walking at the very front.
Kozuki Oden carried a rough coffin on his shoulder, containing the bodies of Izo and Denjiro. Behind the coffin, Kikunojo—missing one hand—and Kin'emon each bore one side, pressing forward in silence.
"Brother, we're going home," Kikunojo murmured, a smile on his face that looked worse than crying.
Both he and Izo were children that Kozuki Oden had found in Ringo. But "found" wasn't quite right—it was more accurate to say they had stubbornly clung to Oden and refused to let go.
Looking back now, those two brats who could only stuff food into their mouths as fast as possible had been truly obnoxious.
Kikunojo walked and remembered those days, happy memories intertwining with the painful reality to create an indescribable feeling that left him unsure whether to laugh or cry.
"Don't overthink it. You being alive matters more than anything," Shimotsuki Yasuie patted Shimotsuki Ushimaru's shoulder, comforting him. "If you truly feel guilty, then devote this life of yours to fighting for Wano's tomorrow."
"You're right."
The group first took the land route, but encountered patrol forces from the various regions and were forced to switch to a waterway. Finally, as their boat neared Ringo, they abandoned the vessel and trudged across the ice.
"Ringo... we're finally back." Shimotsuki Ushimaru wasn't sure how to feel. Heavy snow swirled in the distance, and the bone-chilling cold made everyone shiver.
He was returning to his homeland, but Ringo was even more desolate now than it had been over a decade ago.
Or rather, whether they could find a single living soul in Ringo was an open question.
After Orochi imposed his tyrannical rule, even the people of the once-prosperous Hakumai struggled to get by. How much worse must it be for Ringo? The original residents of Ringo had likely frozen to death in the ice and snow long ago.
Those who had somehow survived had long since been displaced, wandering between regions as beggars scraping by on charity.
For people like that, even being thrown into prison might feel like a step up—at least there, you got something to eat.
"There should be plenty of empty houses in Ringo, though they'll need some repairs to keep out the wind and snow." Shimotsuki Ushimaru knew he couldn't wallow in despair forever—and the man walking at the front certainly couldn't afford to either!
He quickened his pace, passing Kin'emon and Kikunojo, and came to Kozuki Oden's side.
"Bring them to the Northern Cemetery for burial. Izo-kun and Denjiro-kun—their remains should be revered by future generations."
But it wasn't just them. Many others deserved the same honor.
"There's something else, Oden. You know what's enshrined in the temple at the Northern Cemetery, don't you?"
"You mean the Sword God—Ryuma's blade?"
Shimotsuki Ushimaru nodded, then spoke with solemn gravity: "The black blade known as a national treasure—Shusui!"
"I wish to entrust it to you!"
[
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