"Come, Mr. Vlad, tell me, what does this word mean?" Under the cherry blossoms, a man stood next to a small blackboard, pointing at a strange character written on it with a small stick.
"No problem for me." Vlad sat cross-legged on the ground, arms crossed somewhat lazily. Cherry blossoms fell gently upon him, but he didn't mind, finding the experience unique. Studying the world's secrets amidst fluttering cherry blossoms had a wonderful aesthetic.
"This word means 'large ship'!" Vlad spoke confidently.
Vlad had been at the Kozuki residence for two weeks. On that night two weeks ago, he asked Kozuki Oden to teach him the ancient script engraved on the poneglyphs. Surprisingly, Oden agreed immediately without hesitation, not questioning why Vlad knew he could read the script, caring about Vlad's identity, and readily accepting his request.
Just as Oden hadn't minded, Vlad, after the initial surprise, didn't dwell on why Oden had agreed so readily. Now that Oden had accepted his request, all Vlad needed to do was to learn well—what else was there to say? Was he supposed to suspect some ulterior motives and hesitate pretentiously?
Vlad wasn't that kind of person; he was pretty bold.
Having studied under Kozuki Oden for two weeks, Vlad had gained a preliminary understanding of this ancient language, learning quite a few words. In any language, accumulating vocabulary is essential, and Vlad understood this well.
"Yes, this word means 'large ship'." Kozuki Oden nodded with satisfaction. "Unlike ordinary words that refer to ships, this word specifically denotes 'large ship'! Please remember this distinction clearly, Mr. Vlad."
"Understood!" Vlad felt like he was back in high school, the peak of his intellectual life.
"Father!" A childlike voice called out as a minor figure in a neat kimono ran over, gleefully throwing himself at Kozuki Oden.
"Oh! Momonosuke!" Oden lifted his son joyously, spinning him around in the air.
Kozuki Momonosuke, five years old and the son of the Kozuki family head, Kozuki Oden, was the likely future heir to the title of Daimyo of Kuri. The little boy, who styled his hair in a samurai topknot like his father, had a naughty streak.
Of course, in Vlad's previous life, there were slogans like "Pirate King can be anyone, but Momonosuke must die." Vlad didn't care; targeting a five-year-old seemed too twisted, no matter how you looked.
"Did you play nicely today?" Kozuki Oden, losing none of his usual serene demeanour, asked like a doting fool who had gained a child late in life.
"Hehehe." The boy was merely five, yet his mischievous grin seemed too cunning for his age.
"I played well with the big sister!" The child declared.
"Hehehe." Sharing a strikingly similar grin with his son, Oden said, "Is that so? Did you play with the big sister like your father taught you yesterday?"
It should be noted that Momonosuke's cheeky nature wasn't inherent. Indeed, family upbringing is crucial—the behaviour taught by parents is vital for their children. Vlad had gotten used to such sights.
…
While Vlad was learning ancient script in Kuri and watching how Kozuki Oden was turning his son into a little rascal, in another part of Wano Country not long before, a conversation was happening in a dimly lit room. By some unwritten law, it is as if all scheming antagonists discuss their plots in such settings.
"You're saying..." The man seated cross-legged behind a table spoke in a deep voice, his formidable silhouette barely visible in the dim light, his long sword never leaving his hand.
"A foreigner has come to Kozuki Oden's place?" the man asked.
"Yes, Lord Shogun!" The man kneeling before him was dressed entirely in black, completely covered from his headband to his mask and clothing.
"Here is the portrait of the foreigner!" Like a ninja, the man pulled a piece of paper from his chest and laid it on the table.
"This is—" The man in the shadows, the highest authority in Wano, known as the Shogun, widened his eyes in surprise as he picked up the portrait from the table, then grabbed a stack of papers from a cabinet and started flipping through them.
"Indeed, it's this man!" The Shogun paused as a wanted poster appeared before him, a document that should never have existed in such a closed-off country.
"A bounty of 750 million!" The Shogun clenched the thick stack of papers, his tone chilling, "He has become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the great pirate Fire Dragon Vlad?"
"What a troublesome fellow to appear at Kozuki Oden's side! Could it be..." A thought crossed the Shogun's mind, "Is Kozuki Oden planning to use the power of this foreigner?"
"Damned, is he targeting me?" The Shogun frowned, "Does he intend to strike at me before I am ready? Indeed, my decision was correct—Kozuki Oden, no, those rebels have always been coveting my position!"
Life as the Shogun wasn't as enjoyable as one might think. Although nominally the country's supreme ruler, the Daimyos running their domains didn't care about him, and the various lords had practically divvied up the country, leaving not much for the supreme ruler.
Thus, he wanted to change this status quo, mainly to eliminate Kozuki Oden, who held exceptional esteem among the nation's samurai.
"Since the enemy intends to act, naturally, I cannot just sit and wait! Of course, I cannot act openly myself, so..."
"Quick, send the message to that monster!" the man ordered.
"The war has been brought forward!!!"