Misty Island

Apophis still underestimated the attraction of 21 O Wazamono to those swordsmen. In today's near extinction of Saijo O Wazamono, O Wazamono was already the pinnacle of what a swordsman could hope for, not to mention that 21 O Wazamono was still from the land of the samurai and the land of the legend, that layer of mystery and lore added to its allure.

Along the way, Apophis had seen several disgraced swordsmen moving in the wind, either to chase after Izumi Mori Kenzo or to get information on the path of the Great Swordsman from people like Momonosuke. There was even no shortage of people who, like him, saw this incident as a way to sharpen their swordsmanship.

After all, compared to this vast expanse of ocean, there were so few characters who could reach the level of the Swordsman, so few that the path they connected down was impossible to see.

...

Ever since the news of Momonosuke's group hiding on the island, all sorts of people have gathered here, bringing a little life to this quiet and dark island.

At this moment, in the gray mist, two people were fighting, scattered sword energy in the ground tearing out ravines, and towering ancient trees were also cut off and collapsed from time to time, shocking the crowd watching the battle dared only to stand at a distance.

"Thunder - Tiger Hari!"

One of the men in the battle had reached his limit, sweat evaporating into a white mist that escaped into the air as soon as it appeared from the scorching body heat. Still, he was using the last of his stamina to hit the cutting blow, as if a rabid tiger was roaring in the forest.

However, the man he was fighting seemed to be effortlessly effortless, shattering the cutting with a single light sword blow, and the remaining momentum flew out to strike him in the chest. He was instantly slapping him away until he broke three giant trees before he could stop his tendency to fly backward.

"Puff ... "The defeated Swordsman struggled to stand up, but "wow" a mouthful of blood spat out, weak limbs can not support.

"Why ... why not kill me? You're not supposed to be the type to go soft, are you? Red Swordsman, Apophis!"

"Your swordsmanship is not entirely useless, and I had some expectation that you would stand before me a second time." Apophis' tone was indifferent. There was no need to uproot a quality leek like this when there was still the possibility of a second harvest.

"Damn it, what do you take me for that? Sharpening your millstone?"

"No, you are, at best, a tonic to pass the time," Apophis said indifferently, and then intended to turn away.

In the distant mist of the forest,

The Swordsman with the twin swords hanging from his waist, the bowler hat on his head, and a pair of curved, upturned octopi exclaimed, "Sheesh! It's terrifying, Kataz is a powerful swordsman from the Ice Kingdom, and he ended up losing in the hands of the Red Swordsman, and, looking at his relaxed and casual appearance, it seems like he didn't even use his full strength!"

The younger brother who was with him couldn't help but ask, "Captain Vista, is that Apophis guy a newcomer to the new world?"

"Don't doubt it. There are far more monsters in this world than you think, and when I ran into you the other day, wasn't that the case with that Swordsman named Mihawk?" Vista recalled with a look of wonder that the Swordsman with the sharp eyes of an eagle was six years younger than him but was already above him in swordsmanship from all accounts.

"Captain Vista, will you fight that red swordsman?" The inquiring pirate hid some excitement. This kind of clash between top swordsmen was too rare!

"We don't have that kind of time right now, we still have to find the youngest member of the Kozuki clan, and even though Kozuki Oden betrayed the Whitebeard Pirates, I know that Pops still thinks of him as a son in his heart."

Vista said, twirling his beard lightly, "Since Pops still approves of him, his son is our son and nephew, and we can't stand idly by now that little guy is in trouble."

The pirate on the other side couldn't help but ask, "Captain Vista, I seem to have heard that that guy called Kozuki Oden was once the second captain of our Whitebeard Pirates? And then defected to the Roger Pirates ship?"

Vista shook his head, "Actually, it can't be said that he defected. He and Roger admired each other and were tapped by Roger to go over there. But no matter what, there's a rivalry between the Roger Pirates and our Whitebeard Pirates, not to mention that Kozuki Oden helped Roger crack the secrets of Poneglyph, allowing Roger to become the Pirate King before anyone else."

"Therefore, this kind of behavior of his is no different from a traitor in the eyes of many brothers, and it only was because Pops was concerned about the emotions of the others that he didn't send reinforcements from the squad. But we also all know that the fact that the Second Squad captain's position has remained vacant that Pops means he still can't forget his son, even if the other side once left him."

"And those of us who are sons should always help Pops out with something."

The three men with white coats on their bodies and funny masks on their faces are hidden in the forest, whispering.

"Have you found any sign of Kozuki Momonosuke? His identity might be a powerful weapon for the Government to open the door to Wano, and he must not be taken away by those pirates." The one closest to the standard size of the three said indifferently, seemingly dominating the trio.

"Not yet, the ninjas of Wano have always been very good at hiding their shapes, and that, combined with the harsh environment of the island, makes the search even more difficult." The tallest masked man replied.

"Also, that hegemonic war a year ago cost our subordinate CP a lot of underlings, and there's not much power left in the New World that can be used in a short time."

"Misty Island is such a big place; they can't hide it for long."

"Chief Wasp, Kozuki Oden is a murderous criminal who has arrived in Raftel with the Roger Pirates and is even on the Government's must-kill list. So even if we do take down Kozuki Momonosuke, it will be hard to get him to work for the Government, right?" The medium-sized masked man asked.

"Wano is a place of righteousness and fame, and by capturing Kozuki Momonosuke, we can use his status as the heir to the Kozuki clan to open the gates of Wano, and it doesn't even matter if Kozuki Oden lives or dies." The typical human-sized Wasp explained.

...

At this moment, Kataz, the sword-bearer from the Ice Kingdom, was humiliatingly clawing at the ground turf. While Apophis was unhurriedly walking out of the forest, a yell mixed with anger and ecstasy, drawing the crowd's attention in the distance.

"The Red Swordsman, Apophis! Now that I've found you, have you decided how you're going to die? Bastards!"

A strong man with an oval head came from afar, and behind him was a group of ruthless pirates, the Happo Navy that had chased them from the West Blue.