Shimotsuki Haruko?
Magnus felt like he'd heard that na sowhere before, but he couldn't place it.
After all, he'd been in this world for decades. Unless it was soone truly famous, forgetting was only natural.
All the better. He could learn a bit about Wano from these people.
"My na is Magnus."
After Ripley moved Haruko's raft onto stable ice, Magnus grinned. "As you can see — I'm a pirate."
His tone was steady, open.
"This is Ripley, one of my crew."
Unlike most pirates who raided villages for scraps, the White Wolf Pirates had no need for such petty thods.
Only weak pirates pillaged.
The strong could live off the protection fees sent to them from across the seas.
But Magnus underestimated Haruko's innocence.
When she heard him admit it, she didn't panic — she bead.
"Really? You're really a pirate? I thought pirates were supposed to look terrifying. All the storybooks say they're ugly and crude."
"But you—"
Haruko's eyes road up and down Magnus.
A floral shirt, shorts, and sandals — beach attire that should have looked careless.
But Magnus was too handso.
Beneath the shirt, muscles like sculpted steel. Silver-white hair. A mature face that had aged into power, not frailty. He was every bit the lady-killer.
Haruko's heart thundered in her chest.
From a distance she hadn't noticed.
But up close — wasn't this just a perfect man?
Were all n from outside Wano this handso?
She flushed, suddenly self-conscious. Had she been too forward just now?
Thankfully, she wasn't the only one speaking.
"What business do pirates have in Wano?"
Though he felt Magnus's pressure, Shimotsuki Kōsaburō still set a hand on his sword.
Unlike Haruko, who had grown under the family's protection, he was both smith and samurai.
Older than her, in his thirties, he was the true leader of their group.
"Haha, relax. If Wano weren't so closed off, you'd know. The White Wolf Pirates aren't the rampaging kind. I prefer to call us an adventure crew."
Anywhere else, his na alone would make most n too afraid to fight. But this youth stood firm.
Still, Kōsaburō was no boy. A renowned swordsmith, a seasoned warrior. He had long wanted to see beyond Wano's borders.
Yet here, before he even left, he had stumbled into one of the strongest n in the world.
"Then why stop us? What's your aim?"
Suspicion burned in his eyes. No way Magnus ca to Wano just for sightseeing. There had to be so hidden sche.
"Just passing through."
Magnus shrugged.
"But if you're willing to tell about Wano, I'll tell you about the outside world."
"Really?"
"Don't even think about it!"
Haruko's eyes sparkled. Kōsaburō barked in refusal.
"Kōsaburō-nii!"
"Haruko, don't be naïve! Did you forget what we swore before leaving? Even if we flee Wano, we must never reveal our nas, never reveal our nation's secrets!"
As retainers of the Kozuki family, the Shimotsuki would never betray their land.
"Well… strictly speaking, I'm not exactly an outsider."
"Huh?"
"My wife is from Wano. This ti, I'm only here to let her visit her family. Learning about Wano shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Magnus smirked.
He didn't care about Wano's status.
But with Toki, the claim was easy to make.
"Toki!"
At his call, Haruko and Kōsaburō saw her — a young woman with long green hair tied with a red-and-yellow ornant, clad in a pink kimono.
She leapt from the great ship.
And landed in Magnus's arms.
"I am Amatsuki Toki," she said gracefully. "My ancestors left Wano long ago. Only with my husband's help have I returned to my holand."
Haruko and Kōsaburō, born to noble lines themselves, instantly recognized the truth in her bearing. She was the image of an ideal Yamato Nadeshiko.
Kōsaburō's voice stamred.
"G-good to et you. I am Shimotsuki Kōsaburō, of the Shimotsuki clan. It's… an honor…"
"You idiot!"
Haruko slapped him on the head and bowed quickly.
"Sorry! My blockhead cousin only knows how to forge and fight. He's hopeless with people."
A mont ago, he'd lectured her. Now she was the one saving face.
But Kōsaburō realized how reckless he'd sounded.
Had Toki been single, maybe…
But she had a husband, and he was right there.
Words like his could start a duel in Wano.
Magnus's eyes glinted with killing intent.
Haruko's quick slap spared Kōsaburō. Otherwise, Magnus would have dealt with him himself.
That was the price of having a beautiful wife.
If Kōsaburō knew Toki was only one of many won, he'd probably charge Magnus on the spot.
But Magnus let it slide.
"Now, can we talk?"
"Hmph. Amatsuki… so you're of the clan that left Wano generations ago. In that case, I can explain a little."
Kōsaburō's tone softened, though his eyes still lingered regretfully on Toki.
The Amatsuki and Shimotsuki were two of the five great vassal clans of Wano, sworn to the Kozuki shogunate.
The five were Shimotsuki, Amatsuki, Uzuki, Fūgetsu, and Kurozumi.
But over twenty years ago, crisis struck.
The shogun had no heir. Rumors spread that one vassal clan would be chosen as successor.
The Kurozumi grew greedy.
They poisoned rival daimyō, hoping to wipe out the other clans through civil strife, leaving only themselves.
But before their plan succeeded, the shogun's child was born.
The plot collapsed.
The Kurozumi were purged.
Now, only four vassal clans remained.
Still, turmoil lingered.
Only under Kozuki Sukiyaki's steady rule had Wano begun to recover.
"So don't think our recent troubles make us weak. Wano's samurai are countless. If you seek mischief, abandon the thought!"
Kōsaburō straightened his back proudly.
Wano's strength was legend.
Even now, he believed it unmatched in the world.
So, despite Magnus's display, he wasn't afraid. Surely there were even stronger warriors within Wano.
"Haha, good. That reassures ."
If Wano had been weak, Magnus would have been disappointed.
But if it had that many strong n — then Ripley and Newgate would have their fill of battles.
As for himself?
Sadly, his Observation Haki couldn't see all of Wano, but he'd sensed the main hubs.
And he'd found no one worth his attention.
But what he couldn't find — his system had.
For the first ti in nearly a year, it stirred.
It wrote across his mind:
[In Sea Circle Calendar 1484, you arrive in mighty Wano and et the fad swordsmith, Shimotsuki Kōsaburō.]
[After just four years to reach the world's peak, you stand alone in solitude, seeing no rival even here.]
[But the soul of the Dragon-Slaying Swordsman still whispers.]
Magnus raised a brow. Ryuma had been dead for ages. Could he have left sothing behind?
[Whenever you or your crew defeat a daimyō of Wano, you will gain a Soul Seal.]
[Gather four Soul Seals.]
[And you will earn the chance to fight the Dragon-Slaying Swordsman across ti itself!]
(End of Chapter)
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