One Piece: Groudon the Beasts

Chapter 46 Are you surprised?

The next day, the sun rose high in the sky.

On the main road west of the Flower Capital, the bandit-suppression army returned in triumph. Although the casualties were heavy, it was undoubtedly a great victory in terms of the results. Everyone in the army proudly stood tall.

"The bandit suppression team has returned?"

Upon hearing the news, the people of the Flower Capital flocked to the streets. When they saw the burly corpse tied to the rack, they couldn't help but feel breathless.

Even from a distance, you can tell how powerful the opponent is!
"That's the legendary Shutenmaru!"

"Just like the rumors, it's a gigantic monster!"

"Well done, samurai!"

"You guys are great!"

The crowd began to discuss the matter, which quickly escalated into a deafening roar of cheers.

Although they had been oppressed by samurai many times, thieves were even more terrifying. Compared to thieves who killed and plundered, they were more afraid of thieves who had roamed the Nine Miles for decades.

Even twenty years ago, when the Kozuki clan ruled this country, those cruel and greedy thieves should not have existed in this world.

"Haha, how enthusiastic!"

"Brothers, straighten your backs!"

"Damn it, this is the first time in my life I've ever felt so glorious!"

The warriors who were suppressing the bandits had never received such treatment before. They were filled with excitement. In the past, it was considered good if the people didn't curse them, but now they lined the streets and cheered.

Feel proud!
They also have families in the City of Flowers, and they have wanted to show their heroic and valiant side to their families.

All this glory is thanks to that great man.

The warriors looked at the burly man at the front of the line with eyes full of respect and admiration.

Soon, the bandit suppression team arrived below General City.

The giant serpent hurriedly appeared, and upon seeing the triumphant bandit-suppressing army and the corpse of Shutenmaru, it rubbed its eyes in disbelief.

"They really killed Shutenmaru?"

Is he dreaming?
According to the itinerary, the bandit suppression team set off at noon yesterday, arrived at Toushan in the evening, killed Jiutianmaru that night, and returned the next morning.

It hasn't even been a day in total!
The biggest problem that had bothered him for more than a decade was gone just like that?

Goode stepped forward and came to the giant snake.

"General, it's been a long time!"

"."

How long?

Is this human language?

He wasn't fully awake yet; his subordinates had to wake him up!
Damn it, why didn't Big Black kill this guy?!

The giant snake felt frustrated.

Although killing Shutenmaru made him feel very happy, the fact that Goode was still alive made him extremely unhappy, creating a rather contradictory feeling of being both happy and unhappy.

Goode stepped aside, pointing to the corpse of Shutenmaru behind him, and the pile of thief corpses on the carriage.

A smile blossomed on her face.

"General, as you instructed, I have brought back the entire Tou Shan bandit gang for you. Aren't you delighted?"

"What a surprise! What a wonderful surprise!"

The giant snake gave a stiff, agreeing smile.

Goode laughed and deliberately lowered his voice, saying, "General, don't be in a hurry, there's an even bigger surprise to come."

"Is there any surprise?"

The giant snake was startled.

What could be more exciting for him than killing the guy in front of him?

I can’t believe it!

"Hehehe!"

The giant snake managed a weak laugh.

"Brother Goode, you have truly impressed me! Today I must drink with you to my heart's content!"

"Fu Lu Shou, hurry and prepare! Invite all the ministers here. I want to hold a grand victory celebration banquet for Brother Gu De!"

"Also, inform the whole country of the annihilation of Shutenmaru's gang, so that all the people can share this tremendous surprise with me!"

In less than half a day, thanks to the amazing efficiency of snails and flying arrows in delivering messages, the news of the annihilation of the Toushan bandit gang quickly spread throughout the villages, causing some to rejoice and others to sigh.

A grand banquet was also held in General's City.

Inside the largest banquet hall, all the prominent figures of Wano Country were present, each offering a toast to Goode.

"Lord Goode is truly a warrior!"

"They're just a bunch of petty thieves."

Goode drank with a smile.

When he had drunk enough, Goode pretended to be drunk and went to the side hall to rest, where he slowly sipped his tea.

Soon, Big Black arrived.

"Lord Goode, you wanted to see me?"

"sit."

Goode pointed to the opposite side.

Big Black sat down cross-legged, looking at Goode with a deep gaze. If he could, he would never want to be alone with Goode.

The fact that he failed to assassinate his opponent had already greatly displeased General Orochi. Now that the two were alone, if someone with ulterior motives misinterpreted the situation, he feared he would be suspected of treason.

"Drink tea."

Good poured a cup of tea for Big Black, then asked, "Big Black, I'd like to know about the mysterious swordsman from last night."

"Ugly Boy?"

Big Black frowned.

The information about Ushimitsu Kozo wasn't a big secret, mainly because the Oniwabanshu didn't know much about him either.

"Yes, that's him."

A murderous glint appeared in Goode's eyes.

"That guy almost saved Shutenmaru. I can't swallow this insult if I don't bring him to justice!"

"Understood, Lord Goode."

Dahei nodded and told him all the information about Ugly Third Son.

Goode looked completely astonished.

"So, he's a righteous thief?"

"Yes."

Admiration appeared in Dahei's eyes.

In this terrible world, it is admirable that a samurai can persist in upholding justice; at least he could not do it.

"really interesting!"

Goode revealed a playful smile.

"A righteous thief who robs the rich to help the poor travels all the way from the City of Flowers to Toushan to save a notorious villain who commits all kinds of evil."

"Big Black, do you think this is reasonable?"

"unreasonable."

Big Black frowned deeply.

This is what he can't understand the most.

Goode stroked his chin and began to unravel the mystery.

"It is clearly unreasonable for Ugly Boy to risk his life to save a villain, which obviously goes against his beliefs."

"Unless the two people already knew each other and had an extremely close relationship!"

"Big Black, what do you think?"

Big Black nodded in agreement.

He had thought about this, but only one night had passed, and he didn't have much time to think about it, so he hadn't sorted out his thoughts yet.

Goode continued to guide.

“Under normal circumstances, it is impossible for a righteous thief and a thief to be friends. They are inherently irreconcilable enemies. Therefore, there must be some other connection between them, such as blood ties!”

“Lord Goode, those two cannot possibly be related by blood.”

Daikoku shook his head and said in a deep voice, "The Oniwabanshu know Shutenmaru very well. Shutenmaru definitely has no living relatives."

"Okay, let's eliminate one wrong answer."

Goode nodded.

“If it’s not blood-related, then there must be other factors that connect them. I remember that Shutenmaru was once called Ashura Doji, and he broke away from his identity as a thief at a certain special period.”

"He was a retainer of Kozuki Oden!"

"Only during this period could he have formed a strong friendship with a righteous thief of high moral character."

Daikoku's pupils contracted in shock. "Does Your Excellency mean that Ushimitsu Kozo is a retainer of Kozuki Oden?"

"I'm just guessing."

Good said calmly, "If both of them are retainers of Kozuki Oden, then Ushimitsu Kozo certainly has a reason to save Ashura Doji. Besides that, I can't think of any other possibility." "This..."

Dahei's face was pale, and cold sweat slid down his cheeks.

That's definitely a possibility!
He was present on the day Kozuki Oden was subjected to the "cooking punishment" fifteen years ago, and participated in the subsequent pursuit.

Oden's nine retainers scattered and fled for their lives. Many of them escaped back to Oden Castle and disappeared in the thick fire, while the rest disappeared without a trace.

Could it be that they've returned?!
Goode put down his teacup, his gaze cold.

"Big Black, you should know that for us, the Kozuki clan must be eliminated. We must never give them a chance to make a comeback!"

"Yes!"

Big Black took a deep breath.

If the Kozuki clan were still alive, they would surely seek revenge.

Good said coldly, "Big Black, you witnessed the strength of Ugly Three last night. There are only a handful of samurai with such strength in the entire Wano Country!"

"Indeed."

Big Black's gaze was solemn.

The powerful strike last night was not something an ordinary swordsman could possess, especially now that swords are forbidden in Wano Country and the number of samurai has drastically decreased.

He also realized that Goode's talk to him wasn't just about winning him over; there was a deeper meaning behind it.

Goode took out a few strands of long blue hair.

“Last night, His Highness Yamato knocked off Ushimitsu’s turban. This is a piece of hair that fell out of his head. I collected it. It is an extremely important clue.”

"Blue hair?"

Dahei stared at the few strands of long hair on the table, and after a few seconds of stunned silence, a figure suddenly appeared in his mind.

Long blue hair is already rare, and blue-haired samurai with great strength are even rarer, but there just happens to be such a samurai in the Flower Capital!
Boss Kyoshiro!

The other party is currently inside the banquet hall, drinking with the giant snake!
"This is impossible!"

Big Black suddenly stood up, his face full of horror.

Everyone in this country knows that Kyoshiro is Orochi's most loyal dog, and he has done all sorts of bad things for Orochi over the years. How could he possibly be a retainer of Oden?
"Big Black, nothing in this world is absolutely impossible."

Goode dipped his finger in the tea and then drew a pattern on the tea table, resembling a bird spreading its wings.

Big Black looked at the pattern on the table, and his heart skipped a beat again.

It is the crest of the Kozuki clan.

"I've heard that retainers of the Kozuki clan have the Kozuki family crest engraved on their backs as a sign of their loyalty to Kozuki, is that right?"

"That's right!"

Big Black understood what Goode meant.

Whether Kyoshiro is a remnant of the Kozuki clan can be determined simply by verifying whether he bears the Kozuki clan crest.

and many more!

Big Black suddenly realized something, and his eyes were filled with horror as he looked at Goode.

Did he already know the true identity of Boss Kyoshiro?
Yesterday evening, Good specifically instructed him to deliver a message back to the Flower Capital, reporting the victory in severely damaging Shutenmaru, and that after finding the bandit stronghold, they delayed launching an attack until the early hours of the morning.

Given Kuang Shi Lang's status as the leader, he would surely receive the news immediately and arrive at Jiulitou Mountain just before 3:45 AM.

Everything is becoming clear!
Looking back now, the man's real purpose was to use Shutenmaru as bait to lure Kyoshiro out.

He wants to get rid of Kyoshiro, the boss!

No, what this man really wants to get rid of is General Orochi!

Big Black was sweating profusely, and the back of his clothes was soaked with sweat.

Kyoshiro is Orochi's most trusted right-hand man and the strongest samurai under his command. If Orochi loses Kyoshiro, his power will be severely damaged.

The problem is that if Kyoshiro is truly a retainer of Kozuki Oden, he must be eliminated no matter the cost.

No one can tolerate having the sharpest knife hanging over their head!

"Lord Goode—"

"Hush! Quiet!"

Goode made a shushing gesture and whispered, "Big Black, we must be fully prepared when dealing with enemies. We must never give them a chance to escape. If we let the tiger return to the mountain, it is very likely that we will be the ones who die in the future!"

"Understood, Lord Goode!"

Big Black responded in a low voice.

He knew what to do.

As for the struggle between the two generals, he was just an ordinary ninja, with neither the ability nor the qualifications to get involved.

"I'm tired, I want to sleep for a while."

Goode stretched, then lay down sideways and waved for people to leave: "Go on, and remember to tell the general that if needed, I will definitely do my part."

"Lord Goode, I will pass on the message."

Big Black turned to leave, when suddenly a voice came from behind him.

"I think the captain of the Oniwabanshu is named Fukurokuju. Tsk tsk, what a hard name to pronounce. Couldn't they have chosen a simpler one?"

An implication, a blatant implication!
Big Black decisively quickened his pace.

He felt that if he stayed here, even his steely will would be bent; that man's ability to bewitch people was terrifying.

"Oh!"

The door was tightly closed.

"He ran really fast."

Goode glanced at the door, shook his head, and turned over.

I originally thought it would take some time to get to where we are today, but I didn't expect that the snake would make him suppress the bandits, which accelerated the process.

Now only the final surprise attack remains.

Judging by the time, it should be time!
After half an hour.

"Doo-d ...

The sound of snails chirping came from my arms.

The phone rang.

Goode, still half asleep, pulled out the snails.

"Moses Moses?"

"Lord Goode, news has come from Kuri Falls that an illegal pirate ship has entered the country. Judging from the flag on board, it is most likely the upstart Spade Pirates who have been making waves recently!"

That afternoon, the Spade Pirates entered Wano Country through Kuri Falls and defeated the Beast Pirates guarding the area.

A smile appeared in Goode's eyes.

"Alright, immediately send men to search for the whereabouts of the Spade Pirates."

"Yes!"

Contact lost.

Jiuli, Bili Village.

"A pirate ship has been washed ashore!"

"Catch them quickly!"

"Take all the food!"

The starving villagers screamed and rushed toward the pirate ship, tied up all the pirates, and then cheered as they shared food and water.

They wolfed down their food, looking like starving ghosts reincarnated.

Under the tree, the Spade Pirates were tied together, watching the villagers stealing their food without showing any sign of anger.

The crew members asked in hushed tones.

"Captain Ace?"

"Let them finish eating."

Ace shook his head slightly.

Judging from the villagers' tattered clothes, he knew they were poor people struggling to make ends meet, and he was quite happy to be able to help them.

Once the villagers had eaten their fill, the rope around Ace's wrist caught fire, and his men used various methods to untie it.

This scene terrified the villagers.

However, Ace had no intention of retaliating against them. Instead, he smiled and asked, "Where can we find dessert after dinner? It's so much fun to have dessert after filling our stomachs!"

"Eh?"

The villagers were stunned.

This pirate seems to be a weirdo!

Today I'm updating a long chapter of over 4000 words to make it an even number of chapters, otherwise I'll feel uneasy.

Let me talk about the update issue.

Because it takes 100,000 words to get the first recommendation, and then it takes another two or three weeks to get on the recommendation list, I can only update two chapters of more than 4000 words a day at the moment.

Once it's published, the minimum word count will be 6000 words per day.

Thank you for your understanding, dear readers.

By the way, I'd like to ask for your votes. I haven't asked for votes since I started writing this book. I'm currently on the first recommendation, so I really need your support.

Monthly passes and following the story are really important, thank you!
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(End of this chapter)