Chapter 607 The Shimotsuki Clan's Confidence!
One day later.
The Shimotsuki Clan had gathered inside a quiet courtyard, the air thick with tension and exhausted relief.
"I heard the Dragon Hunter Pirates helped us."
"It should be because of Kuina. Kuina is a full member of the Dragon Hunter Pirates, and she's also the captain's wife."
"Lord Koushirou really is blessed. No wonder he was so confident before!"
Voices overlapped as more and more people spoke at once.
They had been standing on the edge of despair. With their strength alone, there was no way they could stand against those samurai, not to mention the Beasts Pirates lurking behind them.
But now?
With the Dragon Hunter Pirates involved, the situation had flipped. For the first time in a long while, the Shimotsuki Clan felt like they could breathe.
And more than that, they felt like they could strike back.
"Everyone, quiet."
Koushirou stepped into the courtyard and spoke with a calm shout.
The moment his voice rang out, the noise died instantly.
"First, I want to thank all of you for trusting me enough to come to Wano Country with me."
"Second, I'm sure you already know this."
"Now that we have the Dragon Hunter Pirates' help, it's time for us to fight back."
"The Kozuki clan is no longer the Kozuki clan it once was."
"Wano Country must not be handed over to them."
Koushirou's voice was firm, carrying weight that did not need to be forced.
In the same courtyard, Chrollo sat quietly, using nen to wrap the area and hide his presence.
He listened to every word, his eyes moving as he surveyed the Shimotsuki Clan members.
It was almost amusing in a bitter way.
Two families that used to be close, living and breathing the same Wano pride, had ended up like this after tasting only a little power.
Chrollo found this kind of change fascinating.
"Commander."
Nobunaga dropped down in front of Chrollo and spoke quickly.
"The captain and the others will arrive in about half a day."
"Our preparations are almost complete."
"Over there, Shizuku ran into a strong Devil Fruit user. Feitan is fighting him right now."
"That person looks like Magellan, the former warden of Impel Down, a World Government facility."
"Magellan?"
Chrollo's expression barely shifted.
"A Venom Venom Fruit user."
"With Little Drops there, we don't need to worry about that situation for now. Go find what we were looking for earlier."
"The Shimotsuki Clan is mine."
Chrollo's tone stayed calm, almost casual.
A lot of people feared Magellan's ability, but against Shizuku and Feitan, he was not a problem worth panicking over.
"Understood."
Nobunaga nodded.
"We've basically confirmed the location of those guys."
"Kaido is still under our control."
"Then I'll move first."
The moment he finished speaking, Nobunaga vanished from the spot.
Chrollo took out his dagger and lazily turned it in his fingers while he continued sensing the area around him.
This was where the Shimotsuki gathered.
If someone wanted to make a move, they would come here.
"Here already?"
Before long, Chrollo felt a group approaching.
He had expected they would get the information eventually.
He just did not expect them to arrive this quickly.
…
On the streets of Wano Country, a large group of samurai marched toward the Shimotsuki Clan's gathering place.
At the front of them all was Momonosuke of the Kozuki clan.
They had received intelligence that the Shimotsuki had gathered here.
If he wanted to wipe out the Shimotsuki clan completely and stand on Wano's throne without anyone questioning him, then he had to come in person.
"Lord Momonosuke, it's confirmed. The one organizing the Shimotsuki clan is Shimotsuki Koushirou."
"Then we'll just cook him!"
A samurai blurted it out, eager and confident.
Momonosuke's expression changed instantly.
All that confidence froze into something ugly.
"Wait. You just said… Shimotsuki Koushirou?"
His voice came out strained, almost horrified.
"Yes."
"But none of them are very strong."
"And now the Beasts Pirates are…"
Smack.
Before the samurai could finish, Momonosuke slapped him hard across the face.
"Shut up!"
"Damn it… how did I forget that!"
His mind raced, and his stomach sank.
Then another thought hit him, and his confusion twisted even deeper.
"But why are those Straw Hat Pirates helping us?"
Momonosuke knew Kuina was Koushirou's daughter.
And as for Kuina's relationship with Ryuunosuke?
He had learned that lesson the hard way.
Back then, he had barely tried to hug Kuina, and Ryuunosuke nearly killed him for it.
If they made a move against Koushirou now, then even if they conquered Wano Country, the Dragon Hunter Pirates would wipe them out afterward.
But they were already here.
If they turned back now, what would that make him?
After a brief struggle, Momonosuke forced himself to decide.
"Keep moving."
"We'll go there first."
"No one touches anyone without my order."
"At the same time, contact the others. Tell them not to act against anyone for now."
"Just focus on cleaning up Orochi's forces."
If the Shimotsuki Clan really had ties to the Dragon Hunter Pirates, then using force would be suicide.
Whether they could reach an agreement would depend on what happened next.
And if it came down to it?
He would abandon everything.
Better to lose a throne than lose his life.
…
Soon, they reached the place where the Shimotsuki was holding their meeting.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Momonosuke walked up to the door and knocked politely.
Off to the side, Chrollo had already been ready to move the moment he saw them approaching.
But seeing Momonosuke knock instead of charging in, he paused.
So the kid was not completely brainless after all.
Creak.
The door opened.
The moment the Shimotsuki members saw Momonosuke, they instinctively drew their blades.
"Shimotsuki Natsuichi," Momonosuke said quickly, raising his hands slightly to show he was not attacking.
"I'm not here to fight."
"I want to see Uncle Koushirou. Everything that happened before was a misunderstanding."
"I never gave an order to attack you. I've been neglecting to discipline my subordinates because I was trying to recover my strength."
"As soon as I learned what was happening here, I came as fast as I could."
"I want to apologize to my uncle, and I also want to discuss what we do next in Wano Country."
"After all, I'm still young. I don't have much experience. I need Uncle Koushirou's help."
His expression looked sincere, almost too sincere.
Natsuichi, who had been ready to die right there if needed, froze for a moment.
Then he slowly sheathed his sword.
Even Natsuichi had never seen Momonosuke as the kind of person who enjoyed slaughter for its own sake.
If this truly was a misunderstanding, maybe there would not be a fight at all.
"Lord Koushirou is inside," Natsuichi said coldly. "Go explain it to him yourself."
"We've been hunted again and again. Your Kozuki clan owes us an explanation."
With that, Natsuichi stepped aside.
"Thank you for the trouble."
Momonosuke bowed slightly and walked straight in.
Inside, Koushirou already knew Momonosuke had arrived.
He had brought his men early.
They had been waiting for this moment.
.....
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