HST: Chapter 298/299

Chapter 298: Kozuki Oden, You Idiot!

Caelan walked over to Yamato and sat on her midsection.

Yamato tried to struggle, but the earlier blow had left her powerless. She could only glare up at him.

"Instead of worshipping Kozuki Oden, you might as well look to me. I can even show you a diary."

Caelan's tone was teasing.

Yamato's expression stiffened.

What did "I can show you a diary" even mean? Did he take her for a fool who would believe anything?

She believed Oden's diary because she saw him die with resolve and was moved by his warrior spirit.

"You devil, you executioner! Even if Kozuki Oden is unworthy of worship, I will not look up to you!"

Yamato shouted.

It was impossible for her to revere the man who had defeated the samurai and taken so many captive.

"Haha. Seems your belief has wavered," Caelan said calmly.

In Yamato's words, Oden was no longer a flawless idol, but someone who could be weighed against others.

Deep down, she already accepted that Oden might have been foolish.

It was just that eighteen years of admiration made her resist that conclusion.

"I have not wavered. I am Kozuki Oden!"

Yamato turned her head away.

"Alright, alright, you are Kozuki Oden," Caelan replied without arguing. "Do you remember why you came to see me?"

"I came to save those six thousand people. Let them go!"

Yamato paused, then answered.

"But you have been defeated by me. How will you save them?"

Caelan smiled.

"How to save them…" Yamato faltered.

She had been knocked down in a few moves. How could she convince Caelan to release six thousand captives?

"If you do not know, then come to my room and perform a dance," Caelan said lightly. "Dance for a year, and I will release them."

He meant what he said. If Yamato performed for a full year, he would let them go.

As for whether they could hold on, that depended on fate.

It had only been two days, and he had already heard from Gecko Moria that a third had died.

The people of Wano, weakened by unknown toxins, were more fragile than he expected.

A year later, there would only be graves.

"No!"

Yamato refused immediately.

He had just called Oden foolish. Now he was trying the same ploy. Did he think she could not see it?

Her instincts screamed that something was wrong.

"You say you are Kozuki Oden, yet you will not make a sacrifice for those six thousand. That is too self-centered," Caelan said, chiding her.

"I am not. I am not!" Yamato protested anxiously. "I am just afraid you will deceive me the way Orochi and Kaido did Oden!"

"Hah. Seems you are sharper than that idiot Oden," Caelan said, a bit surprised.

He had thought Yamato would agree right away.

He had not expected such a clear reaction. So the points he made earlier had been effective.

"Of course. I am not as foolish as he…" Yamato began proudly, then stopped and hurriedly corrected herself. "Kozuki Oden is not foolish. He is a great man, a true pillar!"

Though she had denied him inwardly, she could not say it aloud.

Eighteen years of admiration could not be discarded so easily.

"That is amusing," Caelan said, smiling.

He had taken her for quite clever, yet her reactions lagged.

She could still be misled.

Caelan's expression turned serious. "I was indeed lying just now. Even if you danced a full year, I had no intention of truly releasing them."

"But now, I am moved by your sincerity. Dance in my room for one month, and I will let them go."

"I have reduced it from a year to a month. That is sincere enough, is it not?"

It was still a deception.

Because the promise hinged not on whether he released them, but on when.

If he released them in a week, some might still survive.

In a month, it would be too late.

"Really?" Yamato's eyes brightened with naïve relief. "Good thing I did not agree to the year!"

If she had accepted the first offer, it would have been pointless.

A month sounded more reasonable, yet something still felt off.

"Of course it is true," Caelan said, gaze steady.

"But…" Yamato hesitated.

Performing like that would be mortifying.

Oden's dancing… how foolish.

Only now, faced with the same choice, did she feel how wrong Oden's idea had been.

She wanted to fight, consequences be damned.

But eighteen years of thinking held her back.

"What are you hesitating for?" Caelan pressed, voice firm. "Stop thinking only of yourself. It is just a month of dignity, versus six thousand lives."

He planted himself on the moral high ground and pointed out the stakes.

"I am not selfish!" Yamato said, aggrieved. "I agree. I will perform for a month!"

"Good."

Caelan clapped once, satisfied.

Watching Yamato being led by his words, he felt a momentary twinge of guilt.

Not for wrongdoing, but for taking advantage of someone unworldly.

He cast that aside and led Yamato inside.

After Yamato washed up, Caelan began the so-called appreciation.

"Set aside your gear. Prepare yourself," Caelan instructed.

"…"

Yamato removed her battle attire piece by piece, standing before him.

Her figure was athletic and flawless, her bearing proud.

As expected of Yamato, outstanding in all but the way Oden's legend had clouded her mind.

Caelan observed and occasionally offered curt praise.

Yamato felt uneasy.

Not because her body was being seen. She did not think of herself in those terms.

It was the indignity of obeying an enemy's order. A true warrior would hate this.

"Hurry and begin. Standing there is pointless," Caelan said.

"I will begin," Yamato answered, bracing herself.

Then she performed the "Kozuki Dance."

It was the same dance Oden had done years ago.

She had read the diary and once practiced it with reverence, fully clothed, thinking how great Oden was and how meaningful the dance felt.

Now, performing that dance here, she felt only discomfort. There was no honor in it.

"Your movements are not correct. I will show you," Caelan said, frowning.

Under Yamato's puzzled gaze, Caelan stepped forward and adjusted her form, correcting each position with clinical precision.

In the blink of an eye, night passed.

Caelan not only taught the dance, he lectured her at length, tearing down each of Oden's so-called strategies and pointing out their flaws.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 299: The Goal at the Top

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Yamato never claimed to be Oden again.

Even when she met Kozuki Toki and Kozuki Hiyori at the Shogun's Mansion, her expression stayed somber.

Still, she continued the month of dance she had promised in Caelan's room. She had already made her choice, and there was no taking it back.

Even so, Yamato's urgency to save those six thousand people no longer seemed as strong. Going to Caelan's room to dance felt like it was for something else.

During his days in the Shogun's Mansion in Wano, Caelan indulged in leisure.

He brought Hina, Ain, and Nojiko over to stay.

The trio of Kozuki Hiyori, Kozuki Toki, and Chiyo each had their strengths, and arranging time with them was its own kind of enjoyment.

With Yamato joining at the end, he felt a certain sense of accomplishment.

"Phew, if this keeps up, I'll rot."

Caelan reclined on the bed, Hina nestled against him with a ladies' cigarette.

It should have been Caelan smoking afterward, but he did not smoke, though his companions sometimes did.

He casually took the cigarette from Hina and put it out, earning a playful eye-roll.

It was not that he disliked the smell, it just felt odd to have someone smoking beside him.

"Really? To me it looks like you're enjoying it," Nojiko said, massaging Caelan's shoulders.

"I am, but I can't go on like this. I'll turn into a paramecium," Caelan said with a wry look. "Anything big happening? I want some action."

"If you mean big, Marine Headquarters will execute the Pirate King's bloodline the day after tomorrow. Aside from that, nothing major," Hina said lazily.

"You can go take a look at Marine Headquarters."

Caelan's eyes lit up, his demeanor sharpening.

"Are you actually planning to go?!" Hina sat up at once. "I was speaking offhand. It's too dangerous there, and what's the benefit?"

"If you're really bored, go fight pirates. Big Mom Pirates, Red Hair Pirates, the world's greatest swordsman Hawkeye, any of them works!"

She rattled off names, each one a top-tier powerhouse.

Compared to Marineford, crossing blades with a Yonko would seem simpler.

"She's right. There are too many strong ones at Marine Headquarters," Nojiko said with concern. "Three Admirals, the Five Elders, the Fleet Admiral, and a lot more. You don't need to go."

"Marine Headquarters is decided," Caelan said, unmoved. "This is the World Government asserting its authority. As their greatest enemy, the Neo Marines can't just sit by."

If the World Government succeeded in projecting dominance, the Neo Marines' future growth would meet greater resistance.

Better to confront it now.

"But it's too dangerous," Nojiko and Hina said, worried.

"My strength has no equal in this world. They can't do anything to me," Caelan answered, calm and confident.

"But there are so many of them…"

If it were only two or three, they would have no doubts.

But three Admirals and, as Caelan had said, five Elder-level combatants? That was eight top fighters. It was too many.

Caelan stopped talking about his personal strength and reassured them from another angle. "Don't worry too much. If your Heroic Spirit bodies can be resurrected, then naturally I can be as well."

The day after he brought Hina and Ain into his camp, he had turned them into Heroic Spirits.

For those worth keeping, you accompany them for life. For those who go astray, you guide them for life.

"Oh, that's true," the two replied, relaxing at once.

They had almost forgotten that Heroic Spirit bodies could resurrect. If it was true for them, it was even truer for Caelan, who could create Heroic Spirits.

Realization hit. Of course Caelan was terrifying.

His strength was overwhelming, and he was almost impossible to kill. Being his enemy was truly frightening.

"By the way, Caelan, are you going to save Ace?" Hina asked, brow furrowed.

She did not want Caelan to save Ace. If the Pirate King's bloodline fell into Neo Marine hands, the ending would be execution.

"Why would you think that?" Caelan chuckled. "I have nothing to do with him. Why would I save him?"

"I'm going to Marine Headquarters to declare war on the World Government and knock them down a peg. And I want to see if I can draw Aokiji and Garp over to the Neo Marines."

Hina blinked, stunned. It sounded outrageous.

Convincing an Admiral and a legendary Vice Admiral to defect was nearly unthinkable.

"Caelan, are you sure?" Hina asked.

"Of course. Ace is doomed this time. He is Garp's adopted grandson, and Garp's biological grandson might die as well. Why would he stay after that?" Caelan said evenly. "As for Aokiji, he would only remain a Marine if he could become Fleet Admiral and reform the institution. But that position is destined for Akainu. Aokiji will have to leave."

Caelan's arrival had changed many things.

For Sengoku and Aokiji, those changes were negative, and their chances at the top job were even smaller than before.

"Then I really look forward to that day," Hina said, unable to hide her anticipation.

If Aokiji and Garp joined the Neo Marines, their power would soar, and the original Marines would be finished.

"It will come. I will go and bring back everything," Caelan said with a smile.

These were roughly his goals for Marine Headquarters.

Declare war on the World Government and strike hard at their moment of pride.

Try to recruit Aokiji and Garp. Aokiji was very likely. Garp would be a bonus.

There were more potential gains. Ace could summon Roger's Heroic Spirit, and Whitebeard and his captains could be converted into Heroic Spirits as well.

He would not lack high-end combat power.

Perhaps he should study how to remove memories and create an "autonomous unit" that retained combat strength.

After all, becoming a Heroic Spirit meant eternal life, which was not a privilege pirates deserved.

(To be continued.)