CHAPTER 196- A Temptation Rejected, A Principle Kept
The sound of helpless sobbing echoed across the moonlit grasslands, lingering long after the tears began to fall.
Seeing Kozuki Hiyori—the once untouchable flower of Wano, a rose armored in thorns—now broken and weeping like a child, left Kyoshiro frozen in place.
The pillar that had kept him standing all these years, the belief that Lord Oden had been a great man, a righteous figure worth enduring every humiliation for—collapsed in an instant.
Everything Luo Yu had said... was too painfully logical to deny.
What if Kozuki Oden had acted differently?
What if he'd united the samurai clans, rallied the warlords, organized the underworld bosses who were themselves masters of swordsmanship and Haki?
With thousands of warriors gathered under the Kozuki banner—backed by the Red Scabbards and Oden himself—couldn't they have crushed Kaido before he gained his grip on the land?
Couldn't Wano have become a rising military power, rather than the decaying husk it was now?
Kyoshiro's heart twisted with frustration.
"Admiral Luo Yu," Tenguyama Hitetsu said quietly as he approached from behind, his voice weary. "What you just did... was worse than killing. It was killing the heart."
"But I can't deny it. Even back then, I knew... Lord Oden wasn't fit to be a shogun."
Luo Yu laughed softly, taking out another bottle of rough sake and casually tossing it toward the elderly man.
"Heh, Lord Sukiyaki... even after you severed ties with your idiot son, he still turned out exactly as you feared."
"Mercy has no place in war. Sentiment can't manage a kingdom. Kozuki Oden was a failure, through and through."
Sukiyaki blinked in surprise—but didn't deny the name he was called by.
Clearly, this Marine knew far more than he let on.
But perhaps... that's exactly the kind of man Wano needs now.
He looked silently at the lone figure seated before them—young, thin, but sharp and terrifying.
This was no ordinary visitor. Maybe... he was the key to Wano's future.
The next day...
Returning to the Flower Capital was smoother than expected.
Under the names of Kyoshiro and the famed courtesan Komurasaki, there were no obstacles.
Inside a quiet residence, as wine and food filled the table, Luo Yu dug in without hesitation.
But after a few rounds of drinking, the silence was broken.
Thud.
Kozuki Hiyori suddenly prostrated herself on the floor, her voice trembling yet resolute.
"Admiral Luo Yu, I've made up my mind."
"If you're willing to help Wano open its borders... I will pay any price."
"Even if it means offering myself."
Silence.
Kyoshiro and Sukiyaki didn't speak a word.
They understood the truth: with Wano in ruins and nothing left to bargain with, Hiyori's body was the most valuable card they had.
They shared a brief glance, and without a word, turned and left.
Click.
The door shut behind them.
Luo Yu glanced over and sighed, rolling his eyes.
So even the old man's sold out his own granddaughter? Ruthless...
He figured Sukiyaki must have revealed his identity to both Hiyori and Kyoshiro on the way back. And clearly, she had made her decision.
As silence fell over the room, the air seemed heavier.
Hiyori stood up slowly.
She had spent years as the Flower Capital's most renowned courtesan—praised for her art, not her body. Even Orochi himself had never touched her.
Now, for the sake of Wano's future, she had decided to break her vow.
Yet her cheeks burned like fire.
And the young man she faced… sat motionless, sipping sake, not even sparing her a glance.
Biting her lip, Hiyori untied the ribbon around her waist.
With a whisper, the sheer layers of her kimono slipped from her porcelain skin, pooling at her feet.
The moonlight filtered through the window, draping her in its silver glow—painting a perfect picture of ethereal beauty.
Even Luo Yu was momentarily stunned.
So that's why they call her Wano's goddess...
Every curve, every detail—flawless. A masterpiece sculpted by the gods.
And yet, as he looked on, Hiyori's face turned crimson. Embarrassed beyond reason, she turned quickly and dove beneath the waiting futon.
"I'm ready. Do... do as you please tonight," she whispered, her voice trembling.
Luo Yu blinked, then scoffed lightly.
"Forget it. I've got principles. I don't take advantage of people."
"Besides, I'm here on official duty—doing this would just complicate things."
He stretched, then casually laid down beside her.
"If you're still interested after everything's done... I might reconsider."
"For now... just warm the bed, it's getting cold."
Hiyori froze.
When she finally processed his words, she turned her head and saw him already dozing off.
Same bed. No touching. Not even a whisper of temptation.
He really just wants to sleep beside me?
Peeking under the blanket, she stared at her own naked body.
Am I not attractive enough...?
I literally threw myself at him... and he fell asleep?
And worse—outside that door, Kyoshiro and Sukiyaki were probably listening, expecting a result.
Her face turned stone-cold.
Should I just fake it? Scream a few times, moan a little—sell the illusion?
The thought barely formed before she burst into laughter, muffled beneath the blanket.
Eventually, the tension faded.
She curled up beside Luo Yu, watching him breathe peacefully.
What started as an act of reluctant duty...
...was now tinged with an inexplicable sweetness.
Maybe next time… I'll make him regret saying no.
Luo Yu, sensing her gaze, scratched his nose with a sigh.
Women really do like what they can't have…
This kind of self-restraint—it's practically a cheat code.
But just then, another thought flashed through his mind.
Wait… if I sleep here and do nothing, will the system count this as overtime?