"Whew—"
Kozuki Oden exhaled slowly, sensing the seriousness in the man's tone.
"Dispersed power is always ineffective. To strengthen this nation, to make it step forth into the world, and even dominate the seas," the Shogun said, "I must consolidate power. Thus, you, Daimyo, are truly an eyesore."
"You who block this nation's path, Kozuki Oden!"
"So, please, just die!"
"Hmm—"
Listening to the Shogun's words, Flare Vlad chuckled, "Suddenly, I think he makes a lot of sense! Lord Oden, a unified central will is necessary for a nation to grow strong. Dispersal only signifies weakness!"
"Don't joke, Mr. Vlad," Kozuki Oden replied. "If the method to strengthen this nation relies on foreign invaders and plunges its people into blood and fire, I'd rather see it continue to decline."
"That is—"
"Not up to you!"
"Which—"
Like a breeze passing by, the Shogun's figure vanished instantly, reappearing in front of Kozuki Oden. His long sword, covered in dark Haki, cleaved through the air, slashing fiercely towards Oden.
"Clang—"
Unperturbed in the face of danger, Kozuki Oden, though from a closed-off nation, was a master of Haki, a power not inferior to any found overseas. Handling black blades was, indeed, a mark of a true samurai.
Kozuki Oden skillfully raised his blade, his dark, gleaming sword clashing hard!
"Crack—"
A sharp aura burst forth, instantly creating deep, fissured marks on the ground around them. The clash of two top-level sworders had begun!
"Ah, so it starts?" Flare Vlad mused with a grin. "Since it's begun here, I'm on my own. Well then, we can't fall behind!"
"Flame Slice—"
Vlad clasped his hands to form a blade swirling with platinum flames. He swung downward fiercely, releasing a fiery blade straight at Kaido.
"Let's see what kind of monster you are, Kaido!" Vlad laughed maniacally.
"Don't get too cocky, kid!" Kaido roared back, undaunted by the fiery blade cleaving towards his head. His body, like a cannon, shot towards the sky-bound Vlad.
"Sploosh—"
As the ground parted like butter under a hot knife, Vlad's fiery blade, as sharp as any true blade, proved ineffective against Kaido's monstrous physique. While not as invincible as Charlotte Linlin's iron balloon, Kaido's beastly body was tough to penetrate.
"Hahaha—"
Vlad flapped his wings vigorously, soaring higher, "Let's change the location! This place is too cramped for Kozuki Oden and his foe to battle; we shouldn't add to the chaos!"
Fire erupted from Vlad, propelling him at extreme speeds. In the blink of an eye, he was far away. Truthfully, few in the world could match Vlad's speed when it came to fleeing.
"Damn it!"
Kaido charged like a freight train, smashing everything in his path. His speed was incredible for his size.
"Just right."
The Shogun swung his sword, releasing a black slash that instantly struck Kozuki Oden's blade, forcing him back.
"With the nuisance gone, we can fight properly!"
"You lunatic!" Oden retorted, raising his swords above his head and slashing down, his blade emitting a cherry blossom-hued glow. The technique was breathtakingly beautiful, like the brilliant sun, as if cherry blossoms were falling, yet it was also supremely powerful.
Feeling targeted by the world, the Shogun sensed an inescapable strike, as if even hiding at the world's end would not save him from Oden's renowned blade.
However, the Shogun was not an opponent that could be easily defeated. A man whose reputation was unremarkable in Wano, his true strength was unknown.
"Clang—"
The swords collided, creating a thunderous noise.
"What is the teacher doing?" Sakata thought to himself. He wasn't just thinking about how Kozuki Oden dealt with the Shogun; his opponents were naturally the black-clad men who accompanied the Shogun.
"Don't even think about interfering in the teacher's battle!" Sakata declared.
"GIA!!!!"
A piercing roar echoed as the sharp edge of his blade sliced through the air, but it cut through space.
Fool, how could such an obvious move be effective? Consider it a loss if it could harm even a single hair on me!
Sakata easily dodged an ambush from one of the black-clad men. As a disciple officially recognized by Kozuki Oden to inherit his sword techniques, Sakata's mastery of Haki was also strong.
"Clang!"
Sakata's left hand swiftly flicked upward, knocking away another black-clad man's long sword. The immense force immediately unbalanced the man, revealing a moment of vulnerability.
"Just die like this! Fool, challenging Lord Sakata is the biggest mistake you'll ever make!" Sakata readied his right-hand long sword.
"Tooth Thrust!!!!"
With a powerful gust, shining with a cerulean glow and covered in black Haki, Sakata thrust directly at the chest of the black-clad man.
"Clang!"
What?
Sakata's eyes sharpened suddenly.
Five swords appeared simultaneously, blocking his long sword. Although each man's strength was far less than Sakata's, the combined force of the five was surprisingly enough to overpower him.
These guys are no ordinary fighters!
Sakata gripped his sword handle tightly, facing no ordinary warriors.
"What are you doing, Kozuki Oden?" The Shogun forcefully pushed Oden back with a slash, sounding quite irritated, "What are you hesitating for?"
"..."
Kozuki Oden remained silent.
"Forget it; I don't want to know what you're thinking, but..." The Shogun suddenly whistled.
"What?" Kozuki Oden's expression changed drastically, and a fierce anger appeared in his eyes for the first time.
"This means you can't avoid fighting seriously now, does it?" the Shogun said.
Not far from the two, a pole was suddenly erected, guarded by several black-clad men at its base, with a little imp named Momonosuke tied up at the top!