The Daimyo and His Retainers

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In a lush countryside outside the capital, retainers plead with their lord. "ARE YOU REALLY LEAVING, SIR ODEN...!I" "WE WILL BE FREE OF YOUR TROUBLE, BUT IT WILL BE LONELY WITHOUT YOU!!" Oden reacts with shock: "WHAAAAAT!I" A sign reads "WANO COUNTRY-HAKUMAI" and notes "AFTER BEING EXILED FROM THE CAPITAL." In close-up panels, a curly-haired man warns, "KURI IS A CANCER UPON WANO... EVEN LORD SUKIYAKI DOES NOT TOUCH THE PLACE..." Another adds, "A MONSTER BY THE NAME OF ASHURA DOUJI!!" Oden grins fiercely, declaring, "I HEARD THAT THERE WAS A BEAST LIVING IN KURI... I THINK I WILL TAKE MY OWN TOUR AROUND THE COUNTRY!!" "HOW INTERESTING!!" Narration explains Kuri's lawless state as a haven for criminals, with Oden's laughter "ヘヘ ク!!" echoing as he strides forward with his swords.

Inside a wrecked room, retainers react to the chaos. "WELL... I WOULD RATHER JUST PRETEND A NATURAL DISASTER PASSED THROUGH..." "WE SHOULD DEMAND COMPENSATION!!" "HOW COULD HE MAKE SUCH A MESS!!I" "THIS IS THE ROOM HE STAYED IN!! JUST LOOK AT THIS PLACE!!" "LORD YASUIE, YOU ARE TOO SOFT ON ODEN!!" A sweating man with a topknot admits, "IT WAS LORD ODEN... HE... STUFFED ALL THE MONEY INTO A BAG!" "UM... I HATE TO BE A SNITCH, BUT..." "YES, IT WAS LOCKED IN THE SAFE, BUT..." "THE MONEY IS GONE!I" "I SAW WHAT HAPPENED." The group confronts the situation. One retainer flinches as another growls, "I KNEW IT!! HE REPAID OUR HOSPITALITY BY ROBBING US!! UNFORGIVABLE!!" A thought bubble wonders if Oden would have acted more spectacularly if responsible. The curly-haired man sweats nervously amid the accusations.

After leaving Hakumai, Oden and his followers caused many incidents on their way to Kuri. Oden turns back and demands, "HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO FOLLOW ME!I" Two retainers grin wildly and answer, "WE ADORE YOU!!" and "FOREVER!!" while another voice notes, "He looks disgusted!" Narration explains that sailors from the outside world recorded their exploits in Oden's logbook during their voyages. Oden sits writing by candlelight, declaring, "I have decided to keep a log." Later he confronts two figures outside a building and orders, "COME INSIDE ALREADY, YOU DOLTS!" as they protest, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!I" and "AS YOUR SERVANTS, WE MUST STAND GUARD!!"

The retainers' stories are recounted. One tells how their family was torn apart after their father was arrested, yet they were raised in a dancing school and learned to dance on the streets. In Ringo they encountered two hungry brothers covered in filth; the older one labeled "SON OF THE FORMER HEAD OF THE WANAYANAGI SCHOOL IZO" and the younger "YOUNGER BROTHER KIKUNOJO" scarf down oden with tears. Another tale describes a man who became a weird hair-stealing demon after being beaten, revealed as "THE DEMON OF KIBI KANJURO." A retainer yells, "I YIELD!! I YIELD!! I THOUGHT YOU WERE A CORPSE!!" while the narration notes the man was persecuted in the past.

Raizo's past is told: heartbroken after rejection by a kunoichi, he became a genius ninja who resigned from the Kozuki family's Oniwabanshu and would fight any man while kidnapping women. He cries out, "LORD ODEN!! I AM SICK... OF LIVING IN HIDING LIKE SOME HERMIT!!!" In Udon, rumors spread of a heinous mountain bandit. Ashura Doji, labeled "THE UNSTOPPABLE MONSTER OF KURI," sits drinking and declares, "THE SHOGUN'S OWN BLOOD, HUH... I WOULD LOVE TO KILL HIM... BRING HIM TO ME!!" while his men respond, "YES, SIR!!" and he adds, "I HATE PRIVILEGED PEOPLE WITH POWER THE MOST!!"

The retainers worry about Oden's sudden disappearance, noting he often vanishes for a day or two. They realize he went south to Kuri. At the front gate they find it broken and rush in shouting, "LOOK!!" and "THE FRONT GATE IS BROKEN!!!" One retainer yells, "BUT I AM LATE TO THE BATTLE!! HOW DISGRACEFUL!! I SWORE THAT I WOULD DIE FOR HIM..." Narration describes the scene as if the entire world turned its killing intent toward Kozuki Oden. A massive figure carries Oden on his back after breaking open the gate, overwhelmed by the stench of blood, sweat, and corpses, while voices remark, "SO YOU ARE KOZUKI ODENI" and "I WAS DISOWNED. THAT IS NO LONGER MY NAME."

A towering, menacing samurai with a wide grin fills the panel and growls, "TELL YOUR BOSS... THAT A SAMURAI HAS COME." Surrounding voices remark on the harsh land: "HOW STIFLING! SUCH AN ENVIRONMENT IS UNFIT FOR HUMANS." "ONE IS FREE TO ENTER, BUT LEAVING WOULD MEAN DEATH." "THE RULES THERE SEEMED SIMPLE..." The samurai's eyes flash as he continues, "NEVER LEAVE...I" In the chaos below, a figure shouts, "THAT IS THE KIND OF RULE I HATE THE MOST!!" Retainers burst onto the scene, calling out desperately: "SIR ODEN!! WE ARE HERE TO HELP!!" "HE MUST BE THERE!!" "THERE IS DUST COMING FROM THE MOUNTAIN!!" "HURRY, LOOK FOR LORD ODEN!!" From the dust cloud, a voice reflects, "THEY FOLLOWED ME... EVEN OUT HERE..."

Ashura Doji sits atop a massive boulder, sword in hand, and mutters, "I CANNOT BELIEVE IT TOOK THAT LONG...!" "IT TOOK ALL NIGHT...!!" He adds, "I JUST FINISHED UP HERE... SORRY..." Below him lie defeated foes as he declares, "SO THIS IS THE POWER OF THE INFAMOUS ASHURA DOUJI...!!!" In a close-up, his intense eyes glare while he states, "I HAVE DECIDED THAT I WANT TO... BECOME THE KING OF THESE SCUMBAGS!!" His defeated men react: "I WILL BE NEEDING YOUR STRENGTH AND WITS..." "HEY, YOU LOT...!!!" "HURRY UP AND KILL ME...!! IT WAS INEVITABLE THAT MY LIFE WOULD END LIKE THIS..." "DO YOU ALL STILL ADORE MEI" "I HAVE NO REGRETS."

Narration recounts Oden's deeds: "AND TURNED THAT HELL INTO A PEACEFUL AND PROSPEROUS PLACE FOR ITS INHABITANTS." "TO ROUNDUP ALL THE RUFFIANS OF KURI..." "BUT ODEN USED HIS OVERWHELMING MIGHT..." "IT WAS A HELLISH LAND, FILLED WITH THE STENCH OF CORPSES..." A man with an afro reads a scroll and reacts with shock, "CHANGED THAT KURI!I" Others exclaim, "HE REALLY..." "ONLY HE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS!" Further narration continues: "HE THEN DECLARED HIS SON DAIMYO OF KURI." "SHOGUN KOZUKI SUKIYAKI REVERSED HIS DECISION TO DISOWN ODEN." "HAVING HEARD OF HIS REMARKABLE EXPLOITS..."

The crowd erupts in celebration as voices shout, "KURI'S DAIMYOOOOO!!!" "WE DID IIIIIT!!" "WITH THIS, KURI WILL BECOME A PROPER REGION!!" "IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE...!!! THIS IS FINALLY HAPPENING AFTER ALL THAT HARD WORK!!" "OUR VERY OWN LORD ODEN IS GOING TO BECOME..." Ashura Doji and others cheer wildly: "YAAAAAH!!" "DAIMYOOO OOOOO!!" "CONGRATULATIONS, SIR ODEN!!" The massive title text "ベンッ!!!" and sound effects "クオオオオオ" emphasize the triumphant moment as the people of Kuri hail their new daimyo.

A fierce, curly-haired man with a scarred face speaks with deep emotion, tears in his eyes. "I HAVE SEEN WHAT PEACE LOOKS LIKE... THANK YOU, ODEN." Nearby, another retainer adds, "WELL, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME..." A voice questions, "...I... IS SOMETHING WRONG, ASHURAI" Ashura, the stern daimyo figure with sharp features and dark hair, replies firmly, "I WOULD RATHER NOT HAVE SOME UPTIGHT OFFICIALS FOLLOWING ME..." The group erupts in protest as one shouts, "...ALTHOUGH, NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT... A DAIMYO REQUIRES RETAINERS!!!" Ashura cuts them off with a scowl, "ENOUGH WITH THE SAPPY TALK!!" He points dramatically at the rough band of warriors and declares, "YOU CAN BE MY SAMURAI!!! SO YOU GUYS WILL DO!!" The assembled men react with shock, sweat, and wide eyes, some looking uncertain while others appear moved by the offer.

Narration boxes read, "SIX YEARS LATER... AND 33 YEARS FROM THE PRESENT..." A dramatic scene shows a grand castle under attack as someone cries out, "GWAAH!! GET OFF ME!! YOUR SNOT IS DRIPPING EVERYWHERE!!" and "LORD ODEEEEN!!!" with heavy SFX "ガルルルル!!" The page ends the chapter with the One Piece logo and "...CH.962 /END". The story shifts to Wano Country-Kuri Beach. Two strange, hairy figures lie washed ashore. A local in a straw hat exclaims, "HOW FREAKY!!" Onlookers whisper among themselves: "WEIRD-LOOKING MONSTERS, PERHAPSI" "OR ARE THEY JUST HAIRY PEOPLEII" "WHAT ARE THEYII ANIMALSII" SFX "シャララララ...ン" drifts across the sand as the mysterious creatures remain still.

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