Chapter 169: I Have a Solution
Under Kin'emon's tearful account, the full picture of Wano's tragedy finally emerged.
The current Wano Country was no longer the land it had once been. Kaido and the shogun, Kurozumi Orochi, had usurped the throne that rightfully belonged to the Kozuki clan. The Beast Pirates ruled with iron fists. Factories belched poison into the skies. The samurai who had once protected the nation were scattered, broken, or dead.
And Kaido's true objective—the reason he had claimed Wano as his stronghold—was the secret held by Kozuki Oden. The man who had sailed with Gol D. Roger. The man who had reached Laugh Tale. The man who knew the truth of the world.
"WHAT?! Momo's father was a crewmate of the Pirate King?!" Luffy's jaw dropped.
"Someone who knew the secrets of this world... just like Rayleigh..." Robin's voice was distant, her scholar's mind already racing through implications.
"So that's why Kaido was hunting you." Zoro's hand rested on Enma's hilt.
"Yes!" Kin'emon had wiped away his tears, but his voice still trembled. "Though Oden-sama never shared those secrets with us. He took them to his grave."
"But even so," Raizo added, "we who survived have carried his final words in our hearts. We have endured defeat, fled our homeland, crossed the ocean—all for this."
"Lord Oden's dying command," Nekomamushi and Inuarashi spoke in unison. "Open Wano's borders. Establish the Land of Harmony!"
The three samurai and two Mink rulers bowed their heads together, the weight of that command pressing down on them like a physical force.
But Itachi, watching from the side, felt his confusion deepen.
The old man. Kozuki Chidō. He raged against the Kozuki clan with something beyond anger—something closer to despair. He spoke of stripping them of their name. Of killing those who objected. Of freeing Wano from their destructive pride.
And yet here they are. Loyal retainers. A child lord who can barely speak without crying. A clan that sacrificed everything rather than surrender their principles.
The contradiction gnawed at him. The old man had not been senile. His words had carried the weight of absolute certainty. But the reality before Itachi's eyes told a different story.
When I reach Wano... I need to learn the truth. Not from these people. From the land itself. From whatever remains of the Kozuki that the old man wanted me to destroy.
After all, beheading one's own descendants was not something a man would suggest lightly.
Kin'emon pressed on. "Some of us took to the sea searching for allies. Anyone who could stand against Kaido and Orochi. The rebellion smolders in Wano even now, but it's not enough. We need strength. Real strength."
"Which is why we came to Zou," Kanjuro said. "To fight the Beast Pirates, we need the most reliable comrades in the world. The Mink Tribe."
Nekomamushi and Inuarashi nodded. "The Kozuki clan and the Mink Tribe have been sworn brothers for a thousand years. We advance together. We retreat together. We fight together."
"But during our journey here," Kin'emon's voice grew bitter, "Kanjuro and I boarded the wrong ship while evading the Beast Pirates. Momonosuke-sama was taken from us. Without your help... we would never have reunited."
He bowed deeply.
"I was too emotional earlier. Please forgive me. And now, after you've already saved our lives, I have the audacity to ask for more. But we've witnessed your strength firsthand. Your power. Your courage. So I must ask—please. Help us liberate Wano. Help us defeat Kaido and the shogun!"
The three samurai prostrated themselves.
"This is perfect!" Usopp's eyes lit up. "We were already planning to fight Kaido! Now we can combine forces with the minks AND the Wano samurai!"
"If we're going after Kaido anyway, having allies is SUPER ideal." Franky slammed his iron fists together.
Kin'emon's heart leaped. "Then you'll—!"
"I refuse."
Luffy's voice cut through the hollow like a blade.
Kin'emon froze mid-bow. "Luffy-dono...?"
"I REFUSE!"
"It's not because of earlier!" Luffy waved his hand dismissively. "That stuff doesn't matter."
"Luffy, what are you saying?!" Usopp grabbed his captain's arm, but Luffy was already pointing at Momonosuke.
"You! You're supposed to be their leader, right?! They all follow your orders, don't they?! Then SAY something!"
Luffy marched straight up to the trembling boy. "Are you just going to cry this whole time?!"
Momonosuke burst into fresh sobs. Nami and Usopp lunged forward to intervene—but before they could reach him, the small figure straightened.
"I... I WANT TO DEFEAT KAIDO TOO!"
Momonosuke's shout tore through the hollow. Snot burst from his nose. Tears streamed down his cheeks. His voice cracked on every syllable. But he did not look away.
"Kaido murdered my parents! He destroyed my homeland! I WILL defeat him! I WILL protect my retainers! I WILL become stronger!"
Inuarashi and Nekomamushi wept openly. "Momonosuke-sama... such conviction is more than enough."
"There. That's what I wanted to hear." Luffy's grin returned. "YOSH! Everyone gather up!"
The Straw Hats understood immediately. Itachi stepped forward.
"We form a single alliance. Pirates. Minks. Samurai. And..." Itachi paused. "Ninjas."
Luffy had better not be including that one in the same category as me.
Law's voice was dry. "Well. There were some complications. But we've arrived at roughly the same destination I anticipated."
"YES! AN ALLIANCE!"
Kin'emon and the others leaped into the air, cheering. The minks howled. The Straw Hats grinned. The Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance had been born.
"BUT!"
Luffy raised a hand, and the celebration paused.
"Before we do anything else... I have a condition."
"Of course, Luffy-dono." Kin'emon nodded. Then frowned. "Wait. A condition? Shouldn't conditions be stated BEFORE the alliance is formed?!"
"I'm missing a nakama. I have to bring him back first."
Law and Itachi exchanged glances.
"Luffy. That matter is being handled by Law and myself."
"Yeah! It is! You and Tra-guy are handling it!" Luffy scratched his head, grinning. "Shishishi!"
But Usopp was watching his captain with narrowed eyes. Something was wrong. Luffy had agreed to Itachi and Law's plan far too easily. The Luffy he knew didn't compromise like that. Not on something this important. Not when a nakama's life was at stake.
"Missing a companion?" Inuarashi tilted his head.
"Sanji," Nekomamushi explained. "The cook. He was taken by Big Mom's crew while this old dog was asleep."
"It's a long story," Nami sighed.
"So I'm going to bring him back! You all wait here until I do!"
Law's eye twitched. "Straw Hat-ya. Itachi-ya and I are the ones going. We discussed this."
"Yeah. You discussed it. So I have a solution!" Luffy bared his teeth in a massive grin.
"A solution?"
The uncomfortable feeling that had been growing in Law's chest suddenly intensified. Nami's face had gone pale. Usopp's frown had deepened into something approaching dread. They knew their captain. They knew that grin. That was not the grin of a man who had accepted a compromise. That was the grin of a man who had found a loophole.
(End of Chapter)
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