Shimotsuki Haruko?
Magnus felt like he'd heard that name somewhere before, but he couldn't place it.
After all, he'd been in this world for decades. Unless it was someone truly famous, forgetting was only natural.
All the better. He could learn a bit about Wano from these people.
"My name 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 methods.
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 beamed.
"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 roamed up and down Magnus.
A floral shirt, shorts, and sandals — beach attire that should have looked careless.
But Magnus was too handsome.
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 men from outside Wano this handsome?
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 name alone would make most men 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 men in the world.
"Then why stop us? What's your aim?"
Suspicion burned in his eyes. No way Magnus came to Wano just for sightseeing. There had to be some hidden scheme.
"Just passing through."
Magnus shrugged.
"But if you're willing to tell me 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 names, 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 time, 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 ornament, 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 homeland."
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 stammered.
"G-good to meet 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 moment 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 women, 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 me."
If Wano had been weak, Magnus would have been disappointed.
But if it had that many strong men — 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 time in nearly a year, it stirred.
It wrote across his mind:
[In Sea Circle Calendar 1484, you arrive in mighty Wano and meet the famed 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 something 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 time itself!]
(End of Chapter)
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