Chapter 138: Final Move! Oden Goes All-Out
As the battle gradually reached white-hot intensity.
The clash between Lotte and Kozuki Oden sent howling air currents exploding across the entire area, causing the surrounding trees to shake violently.
This alone was enough to show
Just how astonishing the intensity of their fierce duel truly was—enough to make the nearby Whitebeard Pirates members feel their hearts tremble.
They had never seen
A battle between swordsmen reach this level.
What shocked them even more
Was that Lotte—who had previously seemed to be at a disadvantage—now fully displayed his true strength. No matter how powerful a slash Kozuki Oden unleashed,
Lotte could resolve it with ease
While steadily turning the tide.
But at this moment, while the two were locked in fierce combat, Izou—one of the current Red Scabbard Nine—finally caught up to his lord.
Seeing Lotte and Kozuki Oden battling, he couldn't help widening his eyes and shouting toward the Whitebeard Pirates.
"What the hell are you people doing?!"
"Damn pirates! That's our daimyo of Kuri! If anything happens to him, you lot won't be able to bear the responsibility!"
Izou shouted loudly at the group.
The others, hearing Izou's words, were also shocked by Kozuki Oden's identity. After all, a daimyo was the actual ruler of one region in Wano Country, wasn't he?
This seemingly unreliable samurai
Actually had such a significant background?!
"This guy is actually the daimyo of Kuri… I really didn't expect that… Never thought it would be such a reckless guy."
"Even if he's a daimyo, so what? Provoking our Whitebeard Pirates—nobody on the seas has ever dared do that!"
"But speaking of which, this ongoing battle… just like Pops said, it looks like the masked guy is going to win!"
The crowd discussed animatedly.
Marco, quite annoyed by Izou's earlier remark, was about to step forward to teach him a lesson when Whitebeard Newgate extended a hand to stop him.
Whitebeard Newgate calmly looked at Izou.
He simply gripped Murakumogiri, tapped the hilt twice against the ground with a crisp sound, and spoke in a very flat tone.
"Gurararara! He came looking for trouble himself. We have no connection to him. You'd be better off trying to persuade your own lord."
"Once we finish repairing the ship, we'll naturally leave."
"But speaking of which, I'm not with the guy currently fighting your lord. If he decides to take your lord out to sea, even I can't stop him."
"You'd better behave for now."
Whitebeard Newgate had no desire to clash with the people of Wano. He could tell that in this young man's heart, Kozuki Oden held considerable weight.
He was probably extremely important to the entire Kuri region—otherwise, there wouldn't be such tension.
But as for that person, it wasn't up to Whitebeard to decide. If Lotte intended to take that samurai out to sea, even he couldn't interfere.
Izou frowned upon hearing this and was about to speak again when he heard the hearty laughter from Kozuki Oden, who was currently fighting Lotte.
"Hahahaha! Izou, no need to say anything more. Just wait until I finish this fight!"
"It's been a long time since I met such an opponent!"
His tone was filled with excitement.
Izou also shifted his attention to the two combatants at this moment. When he saw his lord falling into a disadvantage,
He couldn't help widening his eyes.
Even in all of Wano Country—within the entire Kuri region—there was no one who could match his lord. Yet this pirate's strength was actually superior!
Were outsiders really this terrifying?!
Even in Wano, very few could rival the current Kozuki Oden—only some old seniors possessed such power.
And now,
A foreign pirate already wielded such swordsmanship. How could this not shock him?!
At the same time.
Toki also noticed Izou's arrival and curiously glanced at Kozuki Oden.
"So this is the daimyo of Kuri."
"He looks so unreliable and desperate to set sail… Is it really okay for Kuri to have a daimyo like this?"
She muttered quietly.
Clearly, Kozuki Oden's first impression on her wasn't great. Compared to this reckless samurai, she still preferred the young man she had first seen upon arriving here.
His face—before it was hidden behind the mask—
Was simply captivating at a glance. Whether in strength or appearance, he was outstanding in every way.
It was a pity he wore the mask every day now, with no chance to see it again.
If only he could take it off.
While Toki was muttering in her heart, the battle between Kozuki Oden and Lotte was gradually reaching its conclusion.
"Zzzzt!"
Even before the blades coated in Conqueror's Haki made contact, the surging airflow they produced in midair was already astonishing enough.
Though Kozuki Oden had now fallen into a disadvantage, he still stared at Lotte with a smile, swinging his dual blades and suddenly shouting loudly.
"Take me out to sea with you!"
"I told you—if you can defeat me, I'll take you out of Wano Country."
Lotte raised an eyebrow.
Unleashing Water Breathing without hesitation, he launched another slash. In the midst of clashing with Kozuki Oden, he immediately understood one thing.
At present, Kozuki Oden's swordsmanship was indeed slightly superior to his, but Water Breathing's sword style was precisely the technique capable of gradually neutralizing power.
This turned their battle
Into a contest of endurance and attrition.
But for Lotte, who possessed powerful regeneration, this level was nothing more than a light warm-up—hardly any consumption at all.
After all, unleashing large-scale Wood Release
Consumed far more than swordsmanship. So from the beginning, Lotte had already secured victory. But Kozuki Oden had no intention of giving up.
After realizing his stamina couldn't match his opponent's,
Though surprise appeared in Kozuki Oden's heart, he still planned to try overwhelming the man before him completely. After all, he still had his strongest move unused.
"Let's settle this with this move!"
Kozuki Oden roared deeply. He deliberately retreated several steps, then suddenly leaped high into the air.
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