This pirate crew had run into the kimono-clad swordsman a few days earlier.
They had been sailing normally when they spotted a lone man in traditional dress, riding a tiny boat all by himself.
They also noticed the weapon at his waist. It looked suspiciously like one of the famed Great Grade swords, a blade worth tens of millions of berries.
Their pirate instincts kicked in.
They immediately went back to their roots, robbery.
The result…
The samurai's overwhelming strength changed the ownership of that pirate ship on the spot.
Inside the captain's cabin, the kimono-wearing swordsman accidentally found Tengetsu Ares's wanted poster and took note of the name printed there.
Tengetsu Ares.
…
Back to the present.
The swordsman turned his head toward the dock and immediately noticed Kaido, who was radiating killing intent and glaring at the pirates disembarking, his presence like a rampaging beast.
He could not help asking,
"That man with the spiked club, who is he?"
"That is the 550 million berry 'Ape Demon' Kaido. He is the subordinate of the Blood-Hand Tengetsu Ares you are looking for," the pirate beside him quickly explained.
The swordsman's eyes lit up.
"A subordinate of Ares, huh. Then I should be able to reach Ares through him."
"Although, that man does not look easy to approach."
Once the ship finished mooring, the swordsman in the kimono stepped onto the dock and walked straight toward Kaido.
No one dared stand close to Kaido, so the approaching samurai in his unusual attire immediately drew the attention of many pirates.
"Huh? That guy is actually walking up to Ape Demon Kaido. Is he tired of living?"
"Judging from that outfit and bearing, he looks like a pretty strong swordsman."
"Have you ever heard of this guy on the sea? I have no impression of him at all."
"Never seen him, never heard of him, but he has guts, that is for sure."
"…"
Kaido also noticed the samurai walking toward him. He frowned and his face twisted into a terrifying, beastlike snarl.
His loud voice carried a clear threat.
"Hey, samurai, are you looking to challenge me?"
The swordsman stopped about ten meters away, lifted his head to look at the towering Kaido, and introduced himself politely.
"My name is Shimotsuki Kozaburo. I came to Hachinosu to meet Blood-Hand Tengetsu Ares."
Hearing this, Kaido could not help grinning.
"Worororo…"
"Another one who wants to challenge big bro Ares?"
He slammed the butt of his club down into the stone, his presence pressing down over the whole dock.
Kozaburo hurried to explain.
"No, Mr Kaido, I did not come here to challenge Ares. I came to see him…"
"Because he looks very similar to someone I once knew. I wish to confirm something with Mr Ares."
"Hm?" Kaido was a bit puzzled.
"Big bro Ares is training right now. If you want to see him, you will have to wait until he comes back."
Kozaburo nodded.
"Thank you. I will wait here."
"Mr Kaido, I will abide by the rules of the island."
Someone this polite and courteous was rare among pirates.
Since Kozaburo showed no sign of causing trouble, Kaido let him be.
In his mind, Kozaburo replayed the features from the wanted poster and thought to himself,
"There really is some shadow of the Tengetsu daimyo in his face. And…"
"The Tengetsu surname is far too rare. It cannot be a coincidence."
"Ever since Lord Tengetsu and his family left Wano, the Tengetsu clan has never again held the daimyo position…"
In Wano Country, Tengetsu, Kazuki, Amatsuki, Shimotsuki, and Kurozumi were collectively called the Five Great Daimyo Clans.
After that coup, however, each clan began to decline, falling into poverty and ruin.
The Shimotsuki clan Kozaburo belonged to was one of them.
At that moment, Wang Zhi stroked the long beard on his chin, thick enough to rival Guan Yu's, and muttered in confusion,
"That outfit…"
"Could he be from that country? But that place is closed off from the world. You almost never see people from there out at sea."
Silver Axe looked over and asked,
"Is his background that special?"
"A bit," Wang Zhi explained.
"Though I cannot be completely sure. You have all heard of Wano Country, right?"
Katakuri nodded.
"I know it. I heard that Wano is famous for producing powerful samurai, and it is where the legendary dragon-slaying swordsman Ryuma came from."
Prompted by Wang Zhi's reminder, Silver Axe once again studied the strangely dressed man in kimono and wooden geta clogs.
"He really might be a samurai from Wano Country."
"But he said Ares looks like someone he knew. When we met Ares, we did not find him in Wano."
"That is the strange part."
Katakuri flipped through a thick stack of wanted posters. After searching for a while and finding nothing for Kozaburo, he said,
"There is no wanted poster for Shimotsuki Kozaburo…"
Wang Zhi glanced at Katakuri, thought for a moment, then said,
"Hmm…"
"Katakuri, go inform Ares. It is better if he comes to confirm this himself."
"Got it."
Katakuri immediately turned and ran toward town.
He knew exactly where Ares was training.
Right then, Tengetsu Ares was in the back mountains far behind the skull castle of Hachinosu, practicing Hasshoken.
Boom !
One punch shattered a massive boulder into fine gravel, not leaving even a palm-sized chunk intact.
"This fist technique seems to split power again and again, then pile it up to a terrifying degree before releasing it all at once to create destructive force."
After retracting his fist, Ares looked at his hand, deep in thought.
Then he shook his head.
He did not completely deny his own understanding, but his insight had shifted.
"Hasshoken actually focuses power into a single point…"
There was a clear sense of using the point to break the surface.
Hasshoken was quite profound. Ares replayed the scene of Chinjao attacking with that drill head over and over in his mind.
At the same time, he raised his thick arm.
This time he did not clench a fist.
Instead, he spread his hand, pressed his fingers together into a knife-hand, and thrust forward into the air.
Sharp whooshing sounds cut through the silence.
Ares kept experimenting.
Very soon, Katakuri arrived at the training ground, panting. From a distance he saw the air before Ares rippling like water.
It was as if Ares's hand had plunged into a lake, sending out wave after wave of shock.
Stone shards on the ground and standing stone pillars around him shattered and collapsed, as though hammered repeatedly by an invisible mallet.
"Big bro Ares's comprehension really is unmatched. Any fist technique or sword style falls into his hands, and he does not need long before he learns it."
Katakuri raised an arm to shield himself from the wind and shockwaves, then shouted,
"Captain Ares! A man who looks like a samurai from Wano just arrived at the dock."
"He wants to meet you. It seems like he knows you."
Ares halted his arm movement. The shockwaves died away without a sound.
Only after the wind settled did Katakuri walk up to him.
"A samurai from Wano?" Ares frowned slightly.
"I have never heard of him. What is his name?"
Katakuri caught his breath and replied,
"He calls himself Shimotsuki Kozaburo. As for Wano…"
He briefly described what he knew about Wano Country.
"You say their swordsmanship is very powerful?" Ares's interest was piqued.
Katakuri nodded, eyes shining.
"That is right. The most frightening thing in Wano is their samurai. The legendary dragon-slaying swordsman came from Wano too."
"Even though his name has been passed down for hundreds of years, people on the sea still speak of him with admiration."
Wano Country was a land shut off from the world, surrounded by myths and stories.
Many people were fascinated by it, but its natural defenses, combined with its isolationist policy and hostility toward outsiders, had made it one of the most mysterious places in the world.
Ares said excitedly,
"Let us go. Take me to meet this samurai from Wano."
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