Just as the group entered the borders of Kuri, a band of rough-looking knights rode out to meet them.
It was immediately clear—these were the so-called bandits currently occupying the region.
Though every one of them was injured, their morale was sky-high. Their expressions made it obvious—they were all itching to rip Kurozumi Orochi to pieces.
There was no need to ask: the break-in at the prisoner quarry last night and the liberation of all the captives had clearly been their handiwork.
Kurozumi Orochi, visibly trembling, urged his horse forward to the side of the carriage and whispered nervously toward the window,
"My lord, please... I ask you to explain our purpose here, so as to avoid unnecessary conflict."
Kozuki Hiyori replied with a sneer,
"What's the matter? Are you regretting bringing too many troops, drawing unwanted attention?"
"Or are you regretting bringing too few, unable to guarantee your own safety?"
Orochi's face contorted with fury, but he dared not argue. He forced a smile and said,
"The princess jests. I merely had Lord Roya's safety in mind. I only wished to prevent overzealous commoners from getting too close."
Hiyori rolled her eyes. Then, glancing at Roya, who sat quietly with eyes closed in meditation, she lifted the curtain and revealed her unearthly beauty to the knights outside.
At the same time, she raised high the crest of the Kozuki clan.
The moment they saw the emblem, the bandits immediately transformed from unruly warriors into deferential soldiers.
One of the samurai, clearly a leader, rode forward, received the emblem with both hands, and galloped toward Mt. Atamayama.
The rest of the knights no longer acted aggressively, but they still maintained a subtle encirclement of the entire procession.
This scene alone made it painfully clear: Orochi's control over Wano was rapidly crumbling.
Orochi stole a glance at Roya's expression, feeling deeply embarrassed.
The more Roya learned about Wano's current state, the fewer bargaining chips Orochi had left.
If Roya decided it was more profitable to overthrow him, he'd be utterly doomed.
As panic crept into his thoughts, the returning rider arrived—this time accompanied by a tall, commanding samurai.
"Kin'emon...!"
Orochi immediately recognized him—the formidable warrior who had given him so much trouble in the past.
He cursed inwardly,
"What's wrong with that idiot Kanjuro? So many key developments, and he couldn't even report back in time!"
Kin'emon's sharp gaze swept across Orochi's face. But when his eyes landed on Hiyori, they softened into the warm look of an elder seeing a beloved niece.
"Princess... it's been too long."
Hiyori was barely able to contain her emotions.
"Uncle Kin'emon... I'm so happy to see you again!"
Kin'emon took a deep breath, then turned to glare at Orochi.
"Kurozumi Orochi. I'll spare your life today, only because you're escorting the princess."
"But the next time we meet, I'll cut off every one of your heads—however many you've got."
"Now get out of my sight!"
Orochi flinched violently, looking helplessly toward Roya's carriage for support.
Roya opened his eyes and gave him a slight nod.
"You may leave. Once this matter is settled, I'll come speak with you again."
There was still a chance—those words meant there was still something to negotiate.
Orochi exhaled in deep relief. He quickly signaled to his men and fled in haste.
Either by mistake or intention, he even took the carriage driver with him, leaving only the vehicle behind for Roya.
Kin'emon leapt down from his horse and hopped onto the driver's seat, personally taking the reins.
As the cart moved forward, he spoke with Hiyori, who was overjoyed, and the two shared stories of what had happened since she had traveled through time.
Roya gazed at her lively expression, but his own thoughts grew more and more complex.
Because he had recognized Kin'emon's aura—it was identical to one of the unknown presences he had sensed at Punk Hazard's secret research facility.
By that logic, the other mysterious presence that caught his attention at the time could only have been... Momonosuke.
What's more, the timing of Kin'emon and Momonosuke's return to Wano matched exactly with the intelligence Lucci had delivered about the Zero Prototype.
It was becoming hard not to suspect that Momonosuke was the Zero Prototype himself.
If that were true, then helping him restore the Kozuki clan would effectively be helping the World Government take over Wano—the world's only known source of seastone.
That, in turn, would validate the theory that the World Government had ample reason to turn Momonosuke into an experimental subject.
"Once I see him, I'll be able to confirm everything... I just hope it's not really him."
Roya sighed inwardly and closed his eyes again.
---
The carriage swayed for some time before finally coming to a stop.
Before Roya even opened his eyes, he heard a voice—a child's voice, yet with a tone bizarrely vulgar and greasy.
"Ahaha! Hiyori, I can't believe how much you've grown! You're stunning now! Come give your big brother a long-awaited hug!"
Despite the awkwardness of the request, Hiyori—overwhelmed with joy at seeing her family—felt no discomfort at all. She leapt from the carriage, arms open for the hug.
But Roya floated down from the cart just in time, stepped between them, and gently pushed Momonosuke back with his knee.
He cleared his throat and said,
"You're Kozuki Momonosuke? The heir of Kozuki Oden?"
Even as he asked, Roya's Observation Haki domain expanded, fully enveloping Momonosuke.
And what he sensed—was nothing.
"No wonder I couldn't detect his presence earlier. His aura is nearly undetectable... no way to confirm whether he's the one I sensed at Punk Hazard."
"Clearly, he's prepared... specifically to deal with someone like me."
Roya chuckled coldly in his heart. In that moment, he confirmed his suspicion: Momonosuke was the Zero Prototype.
His advanced Observation Haki, mutated and refined to the highest level, could still glean nothing from Momonosuke.
That fact alone spoke volumes.
Momonosuke had hoped to obfuscate things, to confuse and mislead with feigned ignorance.
But he had no idea that Roya's ability had surpassed the boundaries of common understanding.
His deception had exposed him instead.
"For now, I'll pretend not to know. Let him lead the rebellion against Kaido."
"Then, using his young age as a reason, I'll push Hiyori into a regency role."
"That will force him to reveal his true intentions—and make a grab for Wano's control."
"Only then can I expose him without hurting the people's faith in the Kozuki name."
In that instant, Roya finalized his plan.
He then reached out, playfully rubbed Momonosuke's freshly shaved head, and teased,
"Well hello there, little Momonosuke."
Momonosuke's eyes glinted with rage, his temper nearly boiling over.
Before he could speak, Denjiro arrived, finally breaking the tension.
"Lord Roya! Thank you for saving my life last night!"
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