"What did the school teach you today? Was it about Shogun Oden's bravery? Or that big villain Kurozumi?"
In a small house on the outskirts of the Flower Capital, a middle-aged woman was busy lighting the fire and cooking. When she saw her son return, she casually asked.
The child who had just come home quickly put down his things, picked up a bamboo tube, and helped his mother start the fire.
Soon, the flames gradually began to burn.
The little boy stopped, looked at his mother, and said, "I miss Father."
The woman's movements paused, and the smile on her face stiffened.
"What's wrong? Why so suddenly..."
"Mother."
The little boy met his mother's eyes.
"At that time, when Kurozumi Orochi became shogun and Father was forcibly taken to work in the mines, did Mother ever resent Kozuki Oden?"
In an instant, the little boy's mother's expression changed drastically.
She hurried to the doorway in three quick steps and looked around outside. Then she turned back and scolded him.
"Shogun Oden is a noble! He is the shogun whose family has ruled Wano for generations! Remember this from now on. You must never say such things again, and you must address him as Lord!"
The little boy stubbornly shook his head.
"Teacher said: Life has no noble or lowly rank! Kozuki Oden also agrees with this. Today, under Teacher's request, all the students stopped calling people 'Lord.'"
At this point, the little boy seemed to want to pour out all the thoughts that were about to explode inside him, so he spoke faster and faster.
"Life has no noble or lowly rank. We should distinguish good and bad, kindness and evil, from our own position. Oden surrendered in order to save the civilians Orochi had taken hostage. To us, that was a good side."
"But as the next shogun, he still went out to sea and traveled without caring about anything, which allowed Kurozumi Orochi to steal the position of shogun. That made Father die in the mines, so to us, that was a bad side!"
"A very, very long time ago, Kozuki was no different from us. It was because Kozuki could lead us to live better lives that we chose Kozuki to become shogun."
"Mother, we have to distinguish good and bad, kindness and evil, from our own position. We cannot just repeat what others say. We have to..."
The rest of his words were directly blocked.
The woman covered the child's mouth with one hand, her face full of disbelief.
But at the same time, the speeches from the platform on the Flower Capital's street recently also flashed through her mind.
Had she resented him?
Of course she had!
On the day her husband was taken to the mines, how could she not have cursed the Kozuki Clan in her heart?
She cursed why the old shogun had allowed Kurozumi Orochi to act as shogun. She cursed why the next shogun had ignored the people just to go out to sea.
Five years ago, Lord Oden, who carried the hopes of all the people, returned.
But only one day later, everyone's hopes were shattered. People still died every day in the mines and weapon factories. Her husband had also died from overwork in the mines during that time.
But what could they do?
Kurozumi Orochi had been killed, and the pirates had also been cleared away. The days ahead would surely return to how they had been before.
Although her husband was already dead, her child had not yet grown up. All resentment was insignificant compared to that.
All she could do was dream at midnight that her husband had managed to hold on until this day, until the people who saved Wano appeared, and then he would not have had to die.
That day, above Onigashima where the pirates were, the dragon-slaying swordsman who swung a flaming blade was Wano's true savior.
The enlightenment of thought planted its seed on this day. Across all of Wano, there were far too many children whose questions after returning home shocked the older generation.
For the first time, ordinary people began to think about whether nobles and rulers were right or wrong.
And in the shogun's residence in the Flower Capital, two tiny figures were currently wrestling together, impossible to pull apart.
Although Hiyori was two years younger than Momonosuke, she was not much shorter than him. Added to the momentum she had accumulated from beating up her older brother for so long, she now held an absolute advantage.
Oden, sitting to the side, sighed, reached out, picked up his teacup, and drank it in one gulp. He had no intention of pulling his two children apart.
After all, the embarrassing things he had done as a child had been discovered by his son and daughter. Right now, he had no face to go over.
Just listen to what these two little brats were saying.
"You're thinking about building your own harem in the future, aren't you?"
"No!"
"You still say no? Last time we passed by the pleasure district, your eyes went straight! You perverted older brother!"
"I said no! I am a member of the Kozuki Clan, so my position is not wrong!"
"Bullshit! You just want to build a harem. In class, you were so envious you almost fainted!"
"You're talking nonsense!"
"You think I don't know? You secretly looked at Uncle Kin'emon's picture book. That perverted expression already betrayed you!"
Hearing this from the side, Oden froze.
Kin'emon was already so old, and didn't he have O-Tsuru? Why would he still need something like a picture book?
At this moment, Kozuki Toki, still dressed simply, hurried in and immediately went straight toward the two children.
However, even after being pulled apart, the two little ones still refused to let it go.
"Perverted lecher of an older brother!"
"Violent woman!"
"Pervert who wants to build a harem!"
"That was Father, not me!"
"Pfft!"
Oden directly sprayed out a mouthful of tea and choked, coughing repeatedly.
Soon, Kozuki Toki brought the two little ones over. After bowing slightly to Oden, she said, "My lord was just watching from the side?"
Hiyori loudly said, "Life has no noble or lowly rank, so except for parents, there's no need for titles like 'lord'!"
Oden looked at little Hiyori and smiled.
"It seems Sir's judgment really was good. Our little Hiyori has only attended two classes, yet she already understands the principle that life has no noble or lowly rank."
Momonosuke, with both eyes swollen, still looked unconvinced.
"We are the Kozuki Clan. I am the next head of the Kozuki family, and also Wano's future shogun! This is my position!"
Future shogun?
Oden's gaze grew slightly solemn, and Kozuki Toki also frowned as she looked at Momonosuke.
Compared to Oden's solemnity, Kozuki Toki's expression carried more worry.
The power of the Time-Time Fruit could not change the past, but to a certain extent, it could see fragments of the future.
But the future was not unchanging. The future she had seen was merely one possibility.
If one tried to influence the future one had seen, it might instead create a result completely opposite to the intended goal.
"Momo."
"Father."
Oden paused, then said, "In the future, you should become the head of the Kozuki Clan, but you may not necessarily become Wano's shogun."
Those words made Momonosuke freeze.
He asked blankly, "Wh... why?"
Oden let out a breath.
"Wano, or rather this entire world, is facing an unprecedented change. Everything old and outdated from the past will be crushed, and the dawn of the future will shine upon the whole world."
"In the future, Wano's shogun will not become shogun simply because their surname is Kozuki. Only someone who gains the trust and recognition of all the people can become Wano's future shogun."
As soon as those words fell, Momonosuke froze in place.
Hiyori, however, jumped up at once and slapped her hand onto Momonosuke's shoulder.
"Older Brother, your beautiful dream of building a harem is gone just like that!"
"Smack!"
The bruised and swollen Momonosuke slapped Hiyori's hand away. His eyes, swollen into narrow slits, still glared at Hiyori.
"You don't understand what this means at all!"
After roaring, he rushed straight out.
Kozuki Toki wanted to chase after him, but Oden raised his hand and stopped her.
"Denjiro will follow him. No need to worry too much."
"Oden... my lord, have you already made your decision?" Kozuki Toki looked over.
Oden nodded, then pulled little Hiyori into his arms.
"The Kozuki Clan is special, but that specialness does not mean every generation will produce a wise ruler. Father was not one. I am not one either. And judging from Momo now, he is even less so."
"If someone believes from the bottom of their heart that they stand above others, how can someone with that kind of thinking become a wise ruler who considers the people?"
Kozuki Toki fell silent. Although she and her husband had never discussed the Void Century or Laugh Tale, there were many things they both knew.
The Kozuki Clan was special, and Wano was special as well, but the Revolutionary Army might not necessarily need that specialness.
Shogun.
In the future Wano, perhaps even this title would no longer exist.
Oden rubbed his daughter's cheek, then reached out and smoothed her messy hair.
"Learn to think for yourself. Learn to look at problems from the perspective of ordinary people. Only then can you become a good leader."
Little Hiyori nodded firmly.
"Mm. I definitely won't disappoint Mask Uncle!"
Under the night sky, in the shogun's residence.
In the courtyard, Rayleigh and Oden drank while admiring the moon.
After the war in Wano ended, Rayleigh chose to stay behind and reminisce with Oden, but in truth, his real purpose was the Revolutionary Army.
He had not missed a single ideological education class or speech these past few days. He even stood outside and listened to the classes at the Flower Capital First School.
"Another possibility has truly appeared..."
Rayleigh drained the wine in his cup.
Oden, sitting opposite him, did the same.
"Awakened thought will crush all who stand in its way. The evil dragons that have repeated themselves throughout the past will eventually meet their end. A relatively fair world may truly arrive."
Rayleigh looked at the moonlight in the sky.
"To revolutionize the lives of those in power, to revolutionize the life of the rotten systems of the old era, to revolutionize the life of all feudal thinking from the past..."
The two fell silent.
After a long while, Rayleigh spoke.
"The thoughts of Wano's people are about to be liberated. The collision between the new era and the old era has already become inevitable. You have made your choice, but during this period, your role can reduce unnecessary sacrifices."
Oden set down his wine cup.
"I understand. Sir asked me to serve as shogun with that intention in mind. And you know, I don't like this position."
Rayleigh burst into laughter, then said, "I should leave as well. Back to my old nest. After all, there is still someone waiting for me there."
Oden smiled meaningfully.
"Vice Captain is getting old too. But... do you not plan to join in? Are you just going to watch the ideological tide of the new era?"
"You said it yourself. It is the new era."
Rayleigh continued, "A remnant of the old era like me should honestly wait for the world to change. The captain is different from me. He joined in through another form. He wants to see that future, and that desire has even surpassed the dignity he always upheld in the past."
At the mention of Roger, Oden sighed.
Perhaps, after another possibility began to move, the words spoken at the execution platform in Loguetown became the captain's shackles.
But he knew Roger would not regret it.
Just as none of them would tell the Revolutionary Army, or Sir, about the records on Laugh Tale.
That was also a possibility.
A form of insurance.
At this moment, footsteps sounded from the corner of the corridor.
After Denjiro came over, he bowed slightly.
"Shogun, not long after Lord Momonosuke went out, he was taken to Lord Yasuie's residence in the Flower Capital. He has already returned now."
Shimotsuki Yasuie...
Rayleigh, sitting to the side, adjusted his glasses, a faintly mocking smile appearing on his face.
Oden, meanwhile, covered his forehead and sighed.
Lord Yasuie had helped him greatly when he was reforming Kuri. He had even been willing to halt Hakumai's development and give him money to build Kuri.
And this lord also had an excellent reputation in Hakumai. There was no talk of him oppressing the people. He was very gentle.
But there was one point.
This daimyo's loyalty to the Kozuki Clan was beyond doubt.
Back then, when his father had severed ties with him and rumors spread throughout Wano that the position of shogun might be given to Yasuie, Yasuie had always stated that only Oden was truly the future shogun.
"Denjiro, you should rest early too."
"Understood."
After Denjiro left, Oden took a few deep breaths.
"That daimyo of Hakumai will probably stir up more trouble. Momonosuke's identity is the best point to use. If the other party's plans involve Momonosuke, you will become very passive."
Rayleigh analyzed it briefly.
And Oden understood all of this. But understanding did not mean he had the ability to change it.
The liberation and awakening of thought was absolutely not something that could end with everyone holding hands and singing together. The collision between the new era and the old era would inevitably be filled with blood.
Wano did not belong to the shogun, nor did it belong to the Kozuki Clan. It belonged to all the people of Wano.
Even Lord Shimotsuki Yasuie could not stop the crushing wheels of history.
"It's better to let Momo go to that guy's place less," Rayleigh said casually.
Oden replied, "Momonosuke is still young. By the time he grows up, everything may already be settled. What I'm truly worried about is Father, whose whereabouts are still unknown."
"Father basically possesses all of Wano's rigid old ideas. And I understand him. Wano was lost once in his hands. He will not allow it to be lost a second time."
Late at night, when all was quiet, Momonosuke, who had already gone to bed, was extremely excited inside. His bruised and swollen eyes had narrowed into slits, but he still could not fall asleep.
So it was not as if no one supported his thoughts...
He was the future of Wano's Kozuki Clan, and also the future shogun!
This was his position.
Just as Uncle Yasuie had said.
There had never been such a thing as revolutionizing oneself!
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