Chapter 31 Denjiro And Shutenmaru Join His Ranks

The Capital of Flowers

It was late at night, and the streets were already deserted.

As usual, Denjiro, who had been busy most of the night, removed his disguise and was about to return to the Shogun's Mansion.

At the corner of the street, a figure suddenly appeared. Judging by the figure's stance, it seemed he had been waiting for some time.

"Carlos…"

"What an unexpected visitor. I wonder what brings you here at this late hour?"

Denjiro stopped and looked at the figure coldly.

Although the Beasts Pirates were their allies, they usually kept their distance, with no personal contact.

Carlos's sudden visit made Denjiro uneasy.

"Becoming the 'Witching Hour Boy' to rob the rich and give to the poor—this is your form of revenge? Quite the act, madman."

"No, I should call you Denjiro."

Denjiro was shocked. A chill surged up his spine, reaching the top of his head.

His right hand quietly moved to the hilt of the sword at his waist.

I must draw the sword! he thought instinctively.

But in the next moment, Denjiro resisted the urge. He took a deep breath and said in a low voice:

"How much do you know? And why are you telling me this?"

The fact that his secret had been uncovered but not exposed indicated that the situation wasn't beyond redemption—yet.

Most importantly, he wasn't confident he could defeat Carlos.

Carlos glanced at Denjiro's hand, which had retreated into his sleeve.

"Smart choice. If you had drawn your sword, you might be lying in bed like Ashura Doji now."

"Ashura Doji!" Denjiro's pupils shrank at the name. "You…"

"This isn't the place for a conversation. Come with me."

With that, Carlos turned and walked away.

Denjiro hesitated, his face conflicted.

"If you don't come, don't regret it later."

"Damn it…"

Denjiro gritted his teeth and quickly followed behind Carlos.

…

By the time the two arrived at Oden Castle, it was already dawn.

"Ashura... What happened to you? Did this guy do it?"

Denjiro's expression changed drastically as he saw Shutenmaru lying on the bed, wrapped in thick bandages. He suddenly drew the sharp blade from his waist.

As a member of the Nine Red Scabbards, Denjiro knew well Ashura Doji's strength.

He never expected him to be beaten so badly!

"Wait! You're no match for him!" Shutenmaru quickly said, stopping Denjiro.

Recalling the battle last night, a trace of fear appeared in Shutenmaru's eyes.

Even though he had reinforced his entire body with Armament Haki, he still couldn't withstand Carlos's attack.

Under the onslaught of the black flames, it felt as if even his soul was burning!

The pain was truly unforgettable.

The two of them stared at Carlos as though he were an overwhelming adversary. The atmosphere grew tense.

At that moment, a beautiful figure appeared at the door.

Seeing the girl who had suddenly arrived, the two couldn't help but frown.

Denjiro hesitated and asked:

"You… are you Ms. Hiyori?"

"Yes! I am Kozuki Hiyori, the daughter of Kozuki Oden!"

The expressions on the two men's faces immediately changed.

"What! You bastard! You even kidnapped the young lady!"

Denjiro shouted angrily, and Shutenmaru beside him struggled to get up from the bed.

The two drew their weapons and prepared to attack.

"Wait! Mr. Carlos isn't an enemy—he's our ally!"

The two were stunned.

"What do you mean?"

"He wants to kill Kaido and help us save Wano!"

…

After Kozuki Hiyori's confident explanation, the two remained doubtful.

After all, they didn't know everything that had happened while Oden was at sea.

"Overthrow Kaido? Lord Oden's closest friend?"

"That… That's hard to believe…"

Carlos clapped his hands.

"So, what do you two think?"

Denjiro and Shutenmaru exchanged glances, then smiled bitterly.

"Restoring Wano… Your Excellency seems to have a lot of faith in us," Denjiro said softly.

"It's not that we're unwilling, but this is nearly an impossible goal."

"Not only do we have to deal with the Beasts Pirates, but we also have to face Kurozumi Orochi. His Orochi Oniwabanshu are a force to be reckoned with," Shutenmaru added.

"Not to mention Kaido and his top commanders. We're also up against tens of thousands of troops. With just the three of us, there's no chance of success!"

Kozuki Hiyori's eyes dimmed. Although she knew the task was daunting, she hadn't realized just how vast the gap between the two sides was—it felt almost hopeless.

Carlos waved his hand dismissively.

"If we don't have enough manpower, then we'll recruit more."

"I remember you being Kurozumi Orochi's most trusted confidant, and you have a strong reputation among the samurai. It shouldn't be too difficult to gather some followers, right?"

Denjiro laughed bitterly.

"It's not as simple as you think. Recruiting soldiers or convincing Kurozumi's men to defect would cost a fortune—at least hundreds of millions of Berries. I don't have that kind of money…"

Over the years, the Beasts Pirates had enforced militarism and rampant exploitation. Except for the Flower Capital, the people of Wano were living in dire straits, with many unable to afford even a meal.

Denjiro's small savings had been used to help those in need. He had no choice but to become the Witching Hour Boy at night, robbing the rich to give to the poor.

"Money? That's not something you need to worry about. I have plenty."

Carlos led them to a warehouse within the mansion.

When the door opened,

Their eyes nearly popped out of their heads.

Dozens of large chests were neatly stacked, occupying nearly the entire room.

Stacks of Berries, golden bars, and jewels filled the chests, so much so that they couldn't be closed and were almost overflowing.

"The total value of these is nearly a billion Berries. If it's not enough, I'll find more."

"If we're serious about this, we need to prepare thoroughly. And if money can solve the problem, it's not really a problem at all."

Denjiro, Shutenmaru, and Kozuki Hiyori stared in disbelief at the treasure before them.

They glanced at Carlos, who remained indifferent, and swallowed hard.

Is it possible to be this rich as a pirate...

The thought crossed their minds.

"That's more than enough!" Denjiro shouted excitedly. "With this treasure, I'm confident I can recruit thousands of samurai! I can even turn many of Kurozumi's men against him!"

"There are still countless samurai loyal to Lord Oden living among the people of Wano. They're also a force we can rally!"

"If we bring them all together, we could organize nearly ten thousand fighters!"

Everyone became excited at Denjiro's words.

Carlos then reminded them:

"Kaido has taken notice of the Witching Hour Boy. In the coming days, focus all your energy on recruiting allies. Be careful not to expose your identity."

"No problem."

Denjiro nodded seriously, understanding the gravity of the situation.

He knew that robbing the rich and giving to the poor only addressed the symptoms, not the root cause.

For the people of Wano to escape their current plight and truly live happy lives, there was only one way: defeat Kurozumi Orochi and Kaido!

"However, manpower alone isn't enough. We'll also need a lot of weapons and equipment..."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You can visit my Patreon page:

Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel

I upload 2 chapters daily on Patreon!

There are 30+ advanced chapters available for you to read.

Your support would be greatly appreciated.