Kurozumi Orochi hadn't come up with any new ideas.
Just like in the original story, he planned to make Kozuki Oden look foolish in front of all of Flower Capital.
He wanted to turn him into a prince that everyone would despise.
However, whereas originally he had used the people of Flower Capital to threaten Kozuki Oden, now he was using his wife and children.
Orochi hadn't harmed these three yet.
He simply had them locked in a room within the shogun's palace, with guards watching them day and night.
He was waiting for Kozuki Oden to discover the letter he had left.
If Shimotsuki Yasuie had known that Oden now had a family, he certainly would have had him visit from time to time.
But Oden had kept this secret to prevent any accidents from happening to them.
None of his retainers had mentioned this matter either.
In their view, leaving Lady Kozuki in that place was actually the safest option.
Following them would only mean suffering along the way.
On the other hand, although Momonosuke held great weight in their hearts, he ultimately couldn't compare to the cause of restoring the country.
How could a great man be swayed by sentimentality?
Fortunately, Orochi wasn't in a hurry.
The shogun's palace could afford to feed three idle people.
With such a trump card in hand, he and Kaido were completely unrestrained.
Originally, Kaido had been somewhat worried about Kozuki Oden returning to the country.
Now he was basically at ease.
The former prison wardens had been sent to work in the mines as punishment.
Once they had suffered enough, they would be released.
When the time came to fight Kozuki Oden, these forces would likely still be useful.
As for Kozuki Oden, who had fled to Ringo, Orochi hadn't made any effort to capture him.
Kozuki Oden's side simply had too few combat forces.
Don't be fooled by their great success in the quarry battle.
In reality, that had been almost all of their manpower at the time.
And the enemy had only been a small group of guards Kaido left at the quarry plus a unit of Gifters that Kurozumi Orochi had sent out.
The Gifters under Orochi weren't particularly significant.
They were just elite monsters at best.
And the kind that could be replenished at any time.
In addition, Kurozumi Orochi had cultivated his own group of powerful fighters.
He called them the Seven Samurai.
Besides the modified Raitei and Enbi, two lightning and fire warriors transferred from Ren, there was also a fierce warrior called Akuoumaru.
On top of that, there were four other very powerful samurai.
They were at least at the level of the Tobi Roppo.
Combined with Orochi himself and his position, the power he commanded even exceeded the Dressrosa that Doflamingo would rule in the future.
Even on the seas, it was a force that couldn't be underestimated.
Speaking of Dressrosa, Doflamingo had been thriving in the North Blue in recent years.
After returning from the Holy Land of Mariejois, he began recruiting forces.
But unlike the original story, since Ren had taken him as a subordinate, he naturally provided a little bit of help for his development.
Now fifteen years old, Doflamingo had basically become the most untouchable force in the North Blue after the Vinsmoke Family.
He had also established connections with this famous assassin group.
The two sides had engaged in some trade dealings.
Although he didn't yet have the privileges that came with being a Warlord of the Sea, quite a few people knew he had once been a Celestial Dragon.
Of course, the forces of the Underworld didn't care about this.
So what if he was once a Celestial Dragon?
As long as he wasn't one now, it didn't matter.
The Marines, on the other hand, found this situation quite troublesome.
After all, even Marine Admirals had to answer to the Celestial Dragons.
This situation wasn't surprising.
However, during this time, Doflamingo had already begun preparing to head to the New World.
The pink flamingo-shaped ship was ready to set sail.
His pirate flag was different from ordinary ones.
It looked like a smiling face, but divided by a diagonal black line.
If one looked carefully, perhaps they could see it.
In the middle of those blackened eyes on that smiling face, one could vaguely see the Yasaka Magatama pattern.
That is, the three-tomoe design.
"Fuffuffuffu! Let's go, you small fries! We can't waste so much time in the North Blue!"
Doflamingo walked with a swaggering gait, spreading his arms as he spoke.
His slender legs were clad in flower-patterned pants.
On his back, he wore a coat made of flamingo feathers.
A sinister grin spread across his face.
Behind him were the original members of the Donquixote Family.
They represented the four different suits in a deck of cards: spades, clubs, diamonds, and hearts.
The current heart, Corazon, was still that Haki-covered fool, Vergo.
But this time, he didn't plan to bring Vergo on the journey to the Grand Line.
Doflamingo needed a spy within the Marines.
This job was perfect for Vergo, who hadn't been issued a bounty yet.
In the original story, Doflamingo probably would have waited several more years before heading to the Grand Line.
But now he was eager to carve out territory in the New World to show his worth to Ren.
'Celestial Dragons? Hmph, boring things!'
This flamboyant flamingo thought with disdain.
Originally, he had been driven to madness, pain, and hatred by this identity.
But now it was different!
The Celestial Dragons were just a bunch of rotting fools!
This order established for eight hundred years was like an old house that hadn't been renovated in years.
On the surface, it seemed fairly solid.
But in reality? Even the beams and pillars had been hollowed out by termites.
So what if these so-called World Nobles let him reclaim his status?
They wouldn't enjoy it for more than a few years before being knocked off their pedestal.
"The world belongs to Lord Narukami!"
He struck a spirited pose, wearing cropped pants and small leather shoes.
He wasn't even wearing socks.
He was just short of saying, "Heroes can suffer grievances, but you can't step on my Chelsea boots."
"Let's go! Turn this old world upside down!"
...
In Sea Circle Calendar 1496, Roger's illness in the West Blue began to worsen.
In a corner of the New World, a young Blackbeard clung to Whitebeard's leg.
He shamelessly climbed aboard Whitebeard's ship and became one of Whitebeard's sons.
That same year, Yamato was born.
Kaido kept her hidden inside Onigashima and found several wet nurses from Wano to raise her.
Ren wasn't aware of these details.
Otherwise, he certainly would have called this year "The Year of Fatherly Love and Filial Piety."
[
Dear Readers,
I am currently posting two chapters every day across two active fictions, along with bonus releases and extra chapters. The workload is steady, and I am putting in the effort to keep the schedule consistent for everyone.
Right now, my financial situation is not great. Patreon support is what keeps this translation work sustainable. If you have been following the stories and want to help, joining a tier makes a direct difference.
Here is what membership offers:
Adventurer — $3 per month
10 chapters in advance for all of my works
Warrior — $7 per month
20 chapters in advance for all of my works
Immortal — $10 per month (Highlighted Tier)
30 chapters in advance for all of my works
Access to character images
Important note: Subscribing through the Apple App adds an extra 30 percent fee (Apple/Patreon policy). Subscribe through your browser to avoid the extra charge. Apple also processes payments very late (2 to 3 months), which makes it much harder for me to receive money quickly after you subscribe.
If you can support, it would genuinely help me continue the daily releases and early access content. If you cannot, reading and sharing the work is also appreciated.
Thank you for your time.
Patreon: patreon.com/anish_44
Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/anish_44
]