Chapter 790: Chapter 789: Yoru Approaches
Fourteen years ago, the great battle in the Flower Capital changed everything in Wano Kuni. After that, Wano Kuni entered a time of rapid development.
Kozuki Hiyori’s puppet regime made most people give up resistance, and the tangible benefits brought by reality gradually made them accept the life they have now.
The prophecy left by Kozuki Toki before she disappeared was gradually forgotten, and fewer and fewer people were willing to uphold it.
There weren’t many people at the table, and those present appeared quite aged. They refused to accept the changes brought by the Hundred Beasts, stubbornly living in the old ways. Low-yield crops required more labor to fill their stomachs, which made them look older.
"Does assassinating General Hiyori... really have any meaning?"
"She’s not a general! Have you ever seen a general willing to be an enemy’s puppet?! If she had any spirit, she should have died to uphold her principles! More and more people are forgetting all this.
Only by killing her and stripping the Beasts of their legitimacy can we inspire the courage of Wano Kuni’s citizens to resist. Only then in the future can we stand up to challenge their rule and give Master Momonosuke enough strength!
Even if Lord Oden were still alive, he wouldn’t want to see today’s situation."
The leader continued to preach his power, portraying Kozuki Hiyori as a heinous criminal in his narrative.
"But... isn’t the enemy supposed to be Kaidou? Shouldn’t we defeat him? Lady Hiyori may have no choice; even Lord Oden is dead, so what could she do..."
"Don’t call her ’Lady’! That woman no longer deserves the title!"
The root problem of Wano Kuni is the Hundred Beasts Pirates stationed here, a fact he knows well. If he could drive away the Hundred Beasts, that would be far more meaningful than assassinating Kozuki Hiyori, but the problem is, he can’t.
Kaidou’s power isn’t comparable to Kozuki Hiyori’s. Even though she has countless protectors, she’s much easier to deal with than an invincible Kaidou.
Assassinate Kaidou?
If he had that capability, he wouldn’t be scheming in this run-down hut.
They resolved to assassinate Kozuki Hiyori because they felt they had to do something. In today’s Wano Kuni, a person might not know the general, but he surely has heard of the Hundred Beasts, a situation these people most hate to see.
Moreover, many things prompted them to act, like the photo on an empty spot at the table, of someone who had recently passed away.
Not long ago, an elderly man in critical condition was brought to the Hundred Beasts Pokemon Center.
He did not want to come, but his children, against his wishes, forcibly brought him to the Hundred Beasts Pokemon Center.
After a series of examinations, the doctors concluded it was too late.
Conventional methods no longer worked; they suggested climbing Tenguyama and using the Healing Spring Water from above.
In other nations, this would be psychological comfort, but in Wano Kuni, this was a reach beyond human power, something achievable with determination. Yet, the patient adamantly refused, ultimately passing away.
This rang alarm bells for the group; they realized they were old and could not afford to wait any longer. Even if someone did come, they might not be able to wield their weapons.
Moreover, Queen played an indispensable role in this, with the nationwide identity checks and random reviews every few days making them suspect that Queen was guarding against them.
Human perception limits many things. Their understanding of Oden was very strong, yet they didn’t know how strong. A farmer deep in the mountains might believe an emperor’s life is lived by farming with a golden hoe and dining on white steamed buns every day.
They also had a very simple logic: people die when they are killed, and Queen also feared assassination.
In fact, they were only half right. Queen indeed feared assassination, but not from them. Even if he lay there for three days, letting them attack, they might not damage him faster than he could recover.
"Think carefully, can you still afford to wait? They’ve almost entirely forgotten the Kozuki now. Can you imagine what it will be like in six years?"
"With just us, can we even get into the palace in the Flower Capital?"
Their gathering here showed that they all held their belief, but that belief was to drive out Kaidou. Now, evolving into assassinating Kozuki Hiyori made many hesitate.
But they also thought the other party was right, so they merely raised their concerns without outright leaving.
"This is a chance. In a few days, it’s the New Year Festival. The Hundred Beasts people will all be celebrating on Ghost Island and won’t stay in Wano Kuni. Kozuki Hiyori will also participate in the celebrations within the country. This is our chance!"
For over a decade, things had been peaceful, and the protection of the general was not as strict as during the Kurozumi family’s rebellion. It would certainly be easier to act at the celebration than in the palace.
Yet, he could see that many were afraid. Explaining things clearly, he now resorted to playing the emotional card.
"We all grew up together. Remember the test of courage when we were kids? People fear because they care too much about themselves. Empty your mind and take a gamble, Sunacchi!"
A Wano Kuni tradition, to abandon name and wisdom, and fight like a beast. At this moment, this phrase was brought up again.
"Sunacchi!"
"Sunacchi!"
Similar voices echoed in the room, eventually turning into a unified chant. With the crowd’s support, an action was thus launched.
But this group plotting the plan didn’t notice that a special frog was hanging upside down on the eaves outside.
The frog that appeared here was naturally a Greninja, responsible for the Ninjas in Wano Kuni.
The Hundred Beasts now exercised non-terrorizing rule; as long as there was no explicit rebellion, one’s safety wasn’t at risk.
Although these people hadn’t acted, they were priority monitoring targets.
Every time they gathered, they were under the Hundred Beasts’ control. For a while, they had been acting strangely, so Greninja had long been watching them.
Not long after they dispersed, Greninja also left.
He did not return to the Flower Capital but instead went straight to Ghost Island, taking advantage of the night.
...
"Lord Arceus, that’s the situation. These people did not cherish your mercy; do you need me to act?"
Running a finger across his tongue, Greninja’s intent was clear.
These Ninjas were adept at assassination, and if Arceus required it, these people would disappear before the New Year Festival, and no one would notice anything amiss.
"No need, arrange for someone to control the situation. Let that little girl just understand that, in today’s Wano Kuni, we are the ones who most want her to live peacefully."
