Although Kurozumi Orochi controlled a large portion of Wano Country's military force and was cruel and lecherous, his mansion was not built in Oden Castle. Instead, it was located in Kuri.
Benedict was somewhat surprised. According to the original story, Kurozumi Orochi should have been dominating Oden Castle. After all, Oden Castle was a symbol of status in Wano Country, and its environment and architecture were superior to other regions. Oden Castle was like heaven compared to Kuri.
Benedict was confused but did not pay much attention. However, this meant that because the journey was a bit long, the members of the Beast Pirates, in coordination with Kurozumi Orochi's men, had gathered. As a result, along the way, the convoy led by Kozuki Oden was repeatedly ambushed.
Benedict watched the samurai engaged in fierce combat and looked at Kozuki Oden with confusion, saying, "You're just going to watch them slaughter each other? Facing such fodder, a single Conqueror's Haki pressure could resolve the issue. Why add to the casualties? Or perhaps, you have so many samurai that you can afford to expend them?"
Kozuki Oden, who was running at full speed, occasionally drawing his swords to kill any threatening samurai or pirates, and ignoring everything else, stopped when he heard Benedict's words. Kozuki Oden's sudden stop forced the unaware Nine Red Scabbards to brake abruptly and become vigilant.
Benedict stood quietly to the side, looking at Kozuki Oden, whose face was as black as charcoal, and couldn't help but tease, "Could it be that you've never considered this problem before? Using a powerful move to clear out the weaklings, while it might seem wasteful, saves a lot of time and significantly reduces unnecessary casualties."
Kozuki Oden's face turned even darker. He had never considered using a powerful move to clear out the mob. The samurai he could gather were not many. Furthermore, although the Shimotsuki clan was loyal to the Kozuki clan, due to his own circumstances, some powerful samurai of the Shimotsuki clan were unwilling to help. Therefore, the samurai around him were actually very precious. Not a single one could be lost, and even if they survived but were injured, it remained dangerous because the enemies they faced were not weak at all.
"Alright, I think I hit the mark."
"So..."
Benedict looked at Kozuki Oden, whose face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and a mischievous smile appeared on his face. Kozuki Oden was unwilling to listen to Benedict any further. He turned and ran back, disappearing in the blink of an eye with his speed. The Nine Red Scabbards had heard some of what was said. After a moment of hesitation, they also turned back.
However, before they could run even fifty meters, a powerful Conqueror's Haki enveloped the area. Although the Nine Red Scabbards were quite skilled, under the coverage of Kozuki Oden's Conqueror's Haki, their expressions changed considerably, and they trembled slightly the moment the Conqueror's Haki pressure arrived. The Conqueror's Haki lasted only a few seconds. When the Nine Red Scabbards rallied themselves and returned to Kozuki Oden's side, all the samurai except those brought by their own side had fallen to the ground.
"Kill the pirates, and tie up the samurai of Wano Country." At this moment, Kozuki Oden was not careless or weak. The destruction brought by the pirates to Wano Country was not small, and it had caused countless families among the citizens of Wano Country to be separated. Especially since these were pirates from the Beast Pirates, they could not be let off the hook.
Benedict watched with a smile, having not made a move yet. These pirates, to be honest, were merely the lowest-ranking pirates of the Beast Pirates; no executive members were seen. It wasn't that Benedict looked down on the samurai of Wano Country. On the contrary, the samurai of Wano Country were indeed quite good, possessing the combat power of elite soldiers of the World Government in both strength and will. However, the number of these samurai was still too small. At least, the samurai Kozuki Oden could gather now were truly few. Even if there were more, it was likely that many had died during this time, and some were unwilling to continue fighting for Kozuki Oden.
Leaving a hundred people to deal with the stunned pirates and samurai, Kozuki Oden led his men to continue their journey.
On the other side.
Kurozumi Orochi, who was enjoying himself after receiving the intelligence from Kurozumi Kanjuro, was startled and panicked. With Benedict, the great terror, present, Kurozumi Orochi did not think twice and immediately fled. "Hurry, faster." "That's Admiral Benedict of the Black Turtle Navy." "He's simply incomparable to that fool Kozuki Oden." "I'm so scared." "You scoundrel, damned woman, to actually enlist the help of the Black Turtle Navy." "Kurozumi Kaminemaru, have those idiots departed yet?" "When Kozuki Oden and his group reach Kuri, no one will be able to save that slut." "I want that slut to wish she were dead." Kurozumi Orochi, sitting in a carriage, kept roaring. Beside him were over a hundred guards escorting Kurozumi Orochi to Onigashima.
"Reporting to General, the people dispatched are waiting in Oden Castle. Once Kozuki Oden and the others are confirmed to be far away, they will act immediately," Kurozumi Kaminemaru said, like a ninja, with a mask covering half his face, carrying two swords, in a running posture.
"What about the large ship heading to Onigashima?" Kurozumi Orochi asked, relieved, and then inquired with extreme nervousness, "Have any naval warships been spotted at sea?" "Reporting to General, the large ship is waiting, and no naval vessels have been sighted so far," Kurozumi Kaminemaru replied. Hearing this, Kurozumi Orochi leaned back in his chair, his entire body relaxing considerably. Only when he saw the large ship in front of him did Kurozumi Orochi start laughing excitedly. "Guhahaha!" "Kozuki Oden, what if you have the Black Turtle Navy helping you?" "As long as the Beast Pirates are still here, as long as Kaido is still in Wano Country, I will receive protection." "Not only will I receive protection, but I will also capture your wife and children, and I will ensure your Kozuki clan is exterminated." "Guhahaha!" At this moment, feeling safe, Kurozumi Orochi was extremely excited and burst into laughter.
Boarding the ship, Kurozumi Orochi looked back at Kuri and laughed heartily again. After such a long time, Kurozumi Orochi believed that Kozuki Oden, having left Oden Castle, must be close to Kuri. However, he was currently on his way to Onigashima.
Inside Oden Castle. The forces secretly dispatched by Kurozumi Orochi emerged from various corners and began to gather outside the Kozuki clan's mansion. There were about fifteen of them. They signaled to each other, exchanged brief words, and then they acted.