Chapter 56: Kuri
Of the six regions of Wano Country, the land called Kuri was once known as "the cancer of Wano" â a place so notorious it was practically forsaken. There was no daimyo to govern it. Instead, it was overrun by gangs of criminals and masterless samurai who had been exiled from the other regions, turning it into a lawless wasteland. Even the shogunâs officials and samurai wouldn't dare lay a hand on anyone who fled into Kuri. The shogunate itself had all but given up on ruling it.
But now, thereâs no trace of that once-ruined image.
"Kagome, Kagome~âȘ"
"The bird in the cage~âȘ"
"When, oh when will it come out~âȘ"
"In the evening of dawn~âȘ"
"The crane and turtle slipped~âȘ"
"Whoâs behind you now~âȘ"
Children sang and played in circles, their innocent voices carrying through the town. Adults passing by would pause, smiling warmly at the sight, savoring each moment of their daily lives as if cherishing something precious.
"Honestly, youâd think folks would be more solemn, seeing as the shogun just passed away."
"Ha ha, come on now, no point in staying gloomy, right?"
"Yeah. Compared to how it used to be, this is nothing. Itâs sad about the shogun, sure... but when I think about Lord Oden, who's no longer here..."
"As long as thereâs peace, that's enough... This Kuri is our treasure, gifted to us by Lord Oden. With Lord Oden, his retainers, and this town, we can survive anything."
The adults of Kuri spoke with an easy optimism, remembering well that there was once no such thing as peace here. It was only thanks to the great deeds of Kuriâs daimyo, Kozuki Oden, who had led the roughest of men and built this region up from nothing.
Because of that, the people of Kuri were stronger, more resilient than most, and deeply desired peace. They felt a tremendous debt to Oden. Some might grumble about Oden having left for the outside world, but few truly resented him.
Even without a daimyo present now, Odenâs loyal samurai had taken up the reins and were governing Kuri with steadfast dedication.
Thanks to their efforts, the castle town, Hakumai, was vibrant and lively. The nearby Paradise Farm produced enough food that no one went hungry. Smiles filled the streets.
And at the heart of it all, standing atop a hill, was Oden Castle. Officially called Kuri Castle, the people, out of affection, had long since taken to calling it Oden Castle instead â and the name stuck.
There, inside the castle, Odenâs retainers were gathered face-to-face.
"ââKin, did you check this monthâs ledgers?"
"Yeah. Thanks as always, Denjiro. Though... the profits these days are barely a trickle."
"Donât be like that. Isn't it enough that weâre making any profit at all â and in peace, no less?"
"Ha ha, youâre not wrong!"
The two samurai chuckled lightly within one of the castleâs rooms. One was Kin'emon, known as "Foxfire," distinguished by his proud sideburns and traditional topknot. The other, wearing round, dark glasses to block out the sun, was Denjiro.
These two were among the oldest and most central of Odenâs retainers â effectively acting as chief advisors. Kin'emon served as the group's leader, while Denjiro managed all of Kuriâs finances.
Even though they joked about the ledgers, the truth was heavier. The recent death of Kozuki Sukiyaki, Odenâs father and the former Shogun of Wano, weighed heavily on their minds. And now, Orochi had been appointed by Sukiyaki himself to act as the shogunâs temporary successor.
Dark rumors were already circulating in the Flower Capital. Strange new policies, like building weapons factories, had left them deeply unsettled.
"ââWeâre back."
"ââSame here, just returned!!"
"! Ashura, Raizo. How did it go?"
"Nothing worth reporting. We barely got any information!"
"I see... What about you, Raizo?"
"I managed to gather some intel... but the Flower Capital's a mess!!"
Seeing the two enter, Kin'emon and Denjiro immediately straightened up. The newcomers were Ashura Doji â a huge man with a wild pink afro â and Raizo, a ninja with a remarkably large face.
At Kin'emonâs request, they had been gathering information in both Kuri and the Flower Capital. Ashura had also been tasked with hunting down bandits, which he had accomplished easily â he was one of the strongest fighters among Odenâs men.
As for the results, Ashura hadnât gotten much. But Raizo, a trained ninja who had infiltrated the capital itself, had come back with urgent news to share â though Kin'emon quickly stopped him.
"Hold on. Letâs wait for everyone to be here before we get into details. Where are Kiku, Kawamatsu, and Kanjuro?"
"ââNo need to worry, Kin-sama⥠We're already here!"
"Kappappa! Heard Raizo and the others were back, so I came flying!"
Next arrived Kikunojo â a breathtakingly beautiful young swordsman who looked for all the world like a woman â and Kawamatsu, a kappa-like fishman with green skin and a wide straw hat. Shortly after themâ
"Ahem. I've just returned as well!"
"So, is this everyone? âBy the way, where had KanjĆ«rĆ gone?"
"Had a bit of a stomachache, you see. But no need to worryâheâs already⊠relieved himself."
"âŠI see."
The last to arrive was the massive, kabuki-actor-like man with fiery red hairâ"Shower" KanjĆ«rĆ. Kin'emon wrinkled his face slightly at the explanation but brushed it aside, welcoming the fact that everyone had gathered.
With this, all the samurai and retainers serving Oden currently in Wano Country were now assembled. There were still about three others who had gone overseas with Oden, but for now, this was it. These seven were the ones barely managing to hold Kuri together.
Then, at Kin'emonâs command, they settled in to listenâprimarily to the information RaizĆ had gathered.
"âNow then, RaizĆ. How was the Flower Capital?"
"âŠTo put it bluntlyâit was filled with chaos and terror. Apparently, a pirate named 'Kaido,' hired as a bodyguard by Orochi, went on a rampage. There were casualties among the samurai and townspeople."
"A pirate� When I first heard the report, I got excited, thinking Lord Oden might have returned."
Kawamatsu chimed in, recalling his own reaction upon hearing about the pirates. In truth, it wasnât just himâthe moment the word "pirate" came up, everyoneâs first thought had been Oden. Along with the three who had left with him and the "Whitebeard Pirates," who had likely taken them in. Though their time together had been brief, Whitebeard, despite being a pirate, had been a man of principleâthe kind who would leave behind treasure chests as thanks for food and supplies.
But this new pirate crew seemed nothing like that. According to RaizĆ:
"Theyâre nothing like Whitebeardâa vicious crew, by the sound of it⊠Their leader is said to be a monstrously strong man who treats the capitalâs samurai as mere insects. Particularly feared in the capital were Kaido and his right-hand man, a pirate called 'Nue'âŠ"
"âŠ? Whatâs wrong, RaizĆ? Is there something else?"
DenjirĆ frowned as RaizĆ suddenly hesitated. The others, too, tilted their heads in confusion.
After a pause, RaizĆ decided to share what heâd heard, despite his uncertainty.
"Well⊠itâs just hearsay for now, but⊠this 'Nue' pirate⊠is said to be a yĆkai."
"âŠA yĆkai?"
"Like Lord Kinâs sorcery?"
Ashura and KikunojĆ immediately questioned the claim. In Wano, yĆkai were creatures of legendâfolktales and ghost stories. To them, such beings were simply "sorcerers."
Kin'emon and KanjĆ«rĆ themselves had gained supernatural abilities after eating mysterious fruits. Knowing this, they suspected that this "yĆkai" might just be another case of sorcery.
But RaizĆ relayed the eyewitness accounts as heâd heard themâthe sheer terror in the voices of those who claimed to have seen it.
"I donât know⊠but the townspeople who saw it were beyond shakenâŠ!! Some even say it was a monster large enough to engulf the capitalâ"
"Preposterous!! A mistake, surely!! No sorcery could achieve something so vast!!"
"Aye. KanjĆ«rĆâs right. Even our abilities canât reach that scale⊠Well, mine just changes clothes, so perhaps I shouldnât speakâ"
"âŠRegardless, whatâs clear is that theyâre strong and vicious."
"What could Orochi possibly be thinking, hiring scum like that�"
DenjirĆ summed it up, while KikunojĆ voiced a new concern.
But then Ashura and Kawamatsuâtwo of Odenâs strongest retainersâspoke up with fierce determination.
"Hah!! Pirate or Orochiâs dog, if they dare mess with Kuri, weâll cut âem down!!"
"Exactly!! Weâll skewer âem and toss âem out!!"
"Enough. Remember, Orochi is the acting shĆgunâdefying him risks not just us and Lord Oden, but the safety of Kuriâs people. If they donât cause trouble, we should bide our timeâ"
Kin'emon calmly tried to rein them in.
âJust then.
"âLord Kin'emon!! Lord DenjirĆ!! A reportâ! Oh, youâre all here!!"
"Hm? What is it?"
The sound of frantic footsteps echoed down the hall. A guard working at the castle burst in, calling for Kin'emon and DenjirĆ. Though Odenâs retainers were few, as daimyo ruling a region, they still employed a bare minimum of staff.
The man delivered his report in a panicâand it was exactly what Kin'emon and the others had feared.
"Itâsâofficials from the capital! Theyâre rounding up men from the villageâtaking them to the factories!!"
"Whatâ!?"
The retainers shouted in unison, stunned by the news. Then, without delay, they rushed toward the town.
The streets of Kuriâs castle town were peaceful. Or rather, Kuri itself was peaceful. No bandits, no particularly vicious beastsâjust a boring little place.
But boredom wasnât going to stop me from having fun. I sat on a stool outside a wagashi shop, idly plucking sweets from a plate as I watched the scene unfold.
"All men of the province, assemble at once!! By order of Shogun Orochi!!"
"You will now work in the weapons factory!!"
"W-Waitâwhat about our work here?!"
"Iâve never made weapons in my life!!"
"Silence!! This is the shogunâs decree!! Fall in line!!"
"Mmm~ Theyâre really doing it. Munch, chew."
In the plaza of Hakura Town, Kuriâs castle town, Orochiâs samurai and officials were rounding up the men under the guise of a "shogunâs order." In Wano, those two words alone were enough to stifle dissent. The townsfolk grumbled, confused and resentful, but they still lined up obediently.
For now, we of the Beasts Pirates were just watching from the sidelines.
"Theyâre resisting way less than I thought~ Guess the âshogunâs orderâ really does the trick, huh?"
"Smooth sailinâ, boss. Might end without a single hitch at this rateâŠ"
"Ughhh, so booooring. Whereâs the bloodthirsty ronin whoâd chop up these officials?"
"I-I meanâŠ"
I chatted idly with my crew, staving off boredom. The lack of chaos was disappointing. Sure, it was amusing to watch these men get herded away like sheep, but I wanted spectacle. Watching was fun, but participating was way better.
I briefly considered wrecking the town for no reasonâbut then I sensed it. A powerful presence, drawing closer. Might as well wait for them to show up first.
Just as I reached for another wagashiâfinally, the ones Iâd been waiting for arrived.
"âHalt!! What is the meaning of this?!"
"Lord Kinâemon!!"
"Odenâs retainersâŠ"
The crowd and Orochiâs officials reacted instantlyâthe former with hope, the latter with thinly veiled irritation. But backed by the shogunâs authority (and our firepower), the officials stood their ground, snapping back at the samurai demanding answers.
Ah, thatâs Kinâemon. Behind him were DenjirĆ, Ashura, Kawamatsu, KikunojĆ, RaizĆ⊠and KanjĆ«rĆ too. Hmm.
Eh. Theyâre okay, I guess? Weaker than I expected. Though maybe Iâm just expecting too much.
"Meaning? Itâs simpleâthe shogunâs decree. The men of each province will work in the weapons factories from now on."
"You canât justâ!!"
"Orochi is only acting shogun!! A placeholder until Lord Oden returns!!"
"Placeholder or not, he is the shogun now. And letâs be honestâOden isnât coming back. Or are you saying we should halt national affairs indefinitely for a man who abandoned his country to play pirate?"
"GhâŠ!!"
Oof. Odenâs retainers were losing the verbal spar. Technically, the officials werenât wrongâonce officially appointed, Orochi was the shogun. And Oden was off galivanting as a pirate with no return date. Expecting a country to pause for years for one guy was kinda selfish.
But⊠whereâs the fun if they just get talked down? Time to stir the pot.
"What about the townâs work?!"
"No need to fret. The men will work in shifts, day and nightâwith wages. And the women can handle things here."
"You⊠damnâŠ!!"
"âAww~âȘ Thinking of laying hands on the shogunâs envoys~?"
"!!?"
I piped up the moment Ashuraâs face twisted with rage. Finally, Odenâs retainers turned to stare at me. Hehe. Confused? A random girl suddenly butting in, flanked by a crew of vicious piratesâyeah, thatâd throw anyone off.
I set down my dango skewer and sauntered forward.
"Ah, wait! Your paymentâ"
"Not payinâ~⥠Put it on the tab of⊠oh, I dunno, Kuriâs daimyo or somethinâ~âĄ"
"YouâŠ! Who the hell are you?!"
"A childâŠ? And those behind herâcould they be the rumoredâŠ?"
DenjirĆ barked, KikunojĆ eyed us warily, and the officials cut in before I could answer.
"Theyâre bodyguards hired by Lord Orochi to protect the country."
"Bodyguards⊠You hired pirates?!"
"Indeed. Theyâll handle any⊠disturbances. So tread carefully."
"Hiiii~!! Nice to meetcha~! Weâre the Beasts Pirates!!" I struck a pose, grinning. "And Iâm the crewâs sweetest little menaceâNue, the Calamity of Sealing!! Future #1 idol of Wano, at your service~âĄ"
"Nue⊠Thatâs herâŠ?!"
"That child is the vice-captainâŠ? This must be some mistakeâŠ!!"
I giggled as their shock washed over me. Even RaizĆ hadnât expected the infamous pirate to be a delicate little girl. Good. Stealth had handled the intel blackout perfectlyâIâd have to praise him later.
And KanjĆ«rĆâs reaction? Priceless. If I didnât know better, Iâd swear his horror was genuine. (Almost too convincing. But hey, who am I to spoil his act?*)
I skipped closer, twirling my trident.
"In Wano, the shogunâs word is law. Defy him, and itâs straight to the dungeons~ No noble cause, no grand rebellionâjust helplessness."
"Tch⊠Iâd never draw my blade on a child to begin withâŠ!!"
"Ooooh~? So you wonât draw? Thenâ
âyou wonât mind this, right?"**
"!!!"
My trident lashed outâslicing KanjĆ«rĆâs gut open. (Couldâve stabbed, but killing himâd ruin the fun~ Arenât I considerate?)
For a heartbeat, silence. Thenârage.
"KanjĆ«rĆ!!"
"Kiku! Tend to him!"
"On it!"
"You⊠bitchâŠ!!" Ashuraâs voice was a snarl.
"Awwww~? But you said you wouldnât draw~ So that means I can do anything, yeah? (Giggles) Who knew Kuri was this accommodating? No wonder they call it the lawless land~âĄ"
"IâLL GUT YOU WHERE YOU STANDâ!!"
"ASHURA, STOP!!" Kinâemonâs grip locked around his arm.
"Let GO, Kawamatsu! Kinâmon! You expect me to swallow this!?"
"I know!! But weâwe canâtânot nowâŠ!!"
(Pfft. Even after I gifted them a bleeding traitor, Kinâemonâs pathetic self-control might win out. That "acting daimyo" guilt really weighs heavy, huh?*)
Teeth gritted, veins bulgingâtheir murderous glares were delicious. (Oh, the irony. If KanjĆ«rĆ died here, theyâd be thanking me later~)
But letting them ignore me? Boring. Time to twist the knife.
"Ehehe~ I donât mind if you fight back~ Promise! Cross my heart~⥠Orâ (extends pinky) âwanna pinky swear? Itâs not like you lot could ever beat me anyway~"
"â!! Those wordsâIâLL MAKE YOU EAT THEM!!"
"ASHURA, DONâTâ!!"
(There we go.)
The former bandit lord lunged, his blade a blur. Finallyâa real challenge. His Haki was sharp, his strikes sharper. Most of my crew wouldâve struggled (King or Queen mightâve scraped a win).
But me?
I caught his sword mid-airâwith one hand.
"Let me rephrase~" (Sweet smile) "Youâre strongâŠ
âfor ants."
"Ghâ!?"
My trident flared with Conquerorâs Hakiâcrushing his stance.
"ASHURA!?"
"Heâs⊠losing in raw powerâŠ!?"
"What kind of strength could possibly be in those skinny arms...?!"
I knocked Ashura back, sending his blade flying along with him, using just my spear. Looks like everyoneâs properly shocked. But honestly, they're underestimating me way too much. They really should work on their Observation Haki more. I'd like them to be able to sense the difference in strength just by looking. Kinâemon, Kawamatsu, Denjiroâyou're all strong in your own right, so polish it up. Well, maybe the samurai of Wano are just naturally more attuned to Armament Haki.
While I was thinking about that, my subordinates started jeering again.
âGya-ha-ha! What fools! You think you can beat Lord Nue?!â
âEven if you all gang up, youâre no match for Lord Nue!! Get it through your thick heads, country bumpkins!!â
âToo bad! If your dumb lord hadnât run off overseas, maybe you wouldn't have ended up like this! What a pathetic lord youâve got!!â
â...Those bastards...! How dare they mock Lord Oden...!!â
Oho. Looks like the heckling is really getting under their skin this time! Not bad! Guess running with pirates is starting to sharpen their taunting skills. Pirates who are good at provoking and trash-talking often turn out strong in real fights too, so these kids might have some potential. Especially that last one. That kind of jeer, where there's actually a little truth to it, cuts the deepest. Nothing pisses people off more than being hit with a hard fact.
Well, letâs keep it rolling. I unfurled my wings, floated up to eye level with them, and said,
âSheâs floating...?!â
âThose wings... Is that sorcery...?!â
âHeh. Guess you've figured out where you stand now, huh? âBut really, to think your lord abandoned such strong samurai and such good people just to go play pirate overseas... He must have been a terrible lord. A fool of a lord, really. You know, you donât have to stay loyal to such a fool. Why not come join us instead? Iâd be happy to have you.â
âGrrrr... No way...!!!â
âKh...!!â
âTch...!!â
âI see. Well, thatâs fine. If you ever change your mind, just say the word. With your strength, youâd be welcomed as officers anytime.â
I smiled as I turned my back to them. The thing is, I figured it wouldn't be easy to provoke them into fighting with cheap insultsâand besides, if it came to a full fight, while Iâd be fine, I'd lose more than a few subordinates.
After all, the standing orders were clear: if they resist, we can deal with them, but if they don't, we leave them be. Better not push it further. I meant to knock Ashura out, but he stayed conscious. I even threw out some real heavy provocations, hurt Kanjuro a bit tooâtechnically one of their ownâand still, only Ashura made a move. The heckling got to them, sure, but they stayed put.
I mean, I could force a fight and beat them down... but that wouldnât be very fun, and it would break the deal we made.
Maybe itâs better to keep pushing little by little, until someone finally snaps. When that happens, Iâll pick a fight solo and have my fun. Right now, securing workers for the weapons factory is the top priority, and part of my job is to test their willingness to resist. Iâve shown them enough of my strength already.
Unlike the Flower Capital, I want them to experience fear slowly. A quick scare is nothing compared to the terror of a noose tightening little by little. Fear and imagination feed each other best that way.
âJust like we agreed, weâll let this incident slide. âAlright, to the weapons factory! Letâs move out!â
âYes, maâam...!!â
âYeah!!â
Well, I didnât get to cut loose this time, but thisâll do. I gave the order, and even Orochiâs own samurai were too scared to say anything, so that was good enough for me. I rounded up the village men and set off for the weapons factoryâhumming the old nursery rhyme the village kids had been singing earlier.
Kagome, kagome â«
Â
ââAnd so, after the Beasts Pirates and Orochiâs samurai visited each region of Wano, rounded up the village men, and showed off their power to a certain extentâ
A small incident occurred within the Beasts Pirates.
It happened while they were on their way to a location that Orochi had arranged for them to visit.
âââLady Nue!!â
âHm? What is itâwait, ah!!â
Responding to the call of her subordinate, Nue turned aroundâand saw something unfamiliar standing there.
The subordinates seemed a little spooked by the towering figures. Even though they were chained up and docile for now, there was no telling when they might lash out.
But Nueâs reaction was the complete oppositeâher eyes lit up at the sight of these literal monsters.
âThey finally arrived!! Ahaha!! Up close, theyâre even more impressive!!â
âIf youâre pleased, then Iâm glad,â
said JokerâStussyâwith a faint smile, standing nearby.
It was Joker who had worked behind the scenes to secure the purchase of these creatures, invisible to normal humans. Nue was delighted, and after Kaido had learned of their existence, he had wanted them badly too.
ââââFailed experimentsâ of the Ancient Giants.â
âââJukikiki!!â
What stood before them were remnants of an extinct raceâthe Ancient Giants, purchased from a certain island.
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