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Chapter 71: Oden Night
🕑 Added 2025-10-08 08:32:13 +0000 UTCThe sails of the Oro Jackson filled with wind, carrying a crew with varied thoughts and one ecstatic "guest" as they bid farewell to the Whitebeard Pirates.
Kozuki Oden was like a rare beast just released from its cage, filled with boundless curiosity about everything on the ship.
One moment he'd dash to the bow, feeling the sea breeze blow through his long hair with abandon. The next, he'd crowd next to the helmsman, pointing at the complex wheel and sea charts, exclaiming "Oh oh oh!" in amazement.
The social butterfly Oden's enthusiasm burned like a flame, but the Roger Pirates' crew was like a bunch of wet matches, keeping their distance.
"Hey, Shanks, is that guy really going to adventure with us for a whole year?" Buggy hid behind the mainmast, lowering his voice as he sneakily pointed at Kozuki Oden in the distance.
Shanks had a blade of grass between his teeth, hands clasped behind his head, but his eyes never left the samurai for a moment.
"Captain Roger went to get him personally, how could it be fake? But... he doesn't really seem like a pirate. More like some country bumpkin who's never left home."
"He's a division commander on Whitebeard's ship. Anyone Whitebeard would call his little brother can't be simple." Scopper Gaban leaned against the rail, polishing his twin axes. His tone was flat, but his sharp gaze scrutinized Oden's every move like a hawk.
As one of the ship's veterans, he'd seen countless strong fighters, but the purity bordering on naivety in Oden's manner really clashed with the identity of "fierce warrior under Whitebeard."
Honestly... he seems like an idiot...
Kyle lounged leisurely in a deck chair, sunglasses covering most of his face, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Like an outsider, he watched this silent "new employee onboarding observation" with great interest.
The crew's rejection and Oden's complete obliviousness formed a rather comical picture.
This delicate standoff reached a turning point when the Oro Jackson docked at a bustling commercial island.
"Oh oh oh! What a lively town!" Oden was the first to jump ship, the Ame no Habakiri and Enma at his waist lightly clinking together with his movements, making crisp sounds.
He looked around, eyes shining, then turned back to shout at everyone on the ship. "Everyone! To celebrate me joining the crew, today I'll let you taste the ultimate delicacy from my homeland of Wano, oden!"
Without waiting for anyone's reaction, he rushed into the bustling streets like a gust of wind.
"Oden?" Buggy and Shanks looked at each other, completely confused.
"Hey! Oden!" Gaban sighed and hung his axes back at his waist. "Let's follow him and make sure he doesn't cause any trouble."
Kozuki Oden strode boldly between various stalls.
He walked up to a vegetable stand, picked up several huge white radishes, and flashed a cheerful smile at the vendor. "These are good!"
Then he rushed to a tofu shop, scooped up several blocks of freshly made fried tofu, and patted the shopkeeper's shoulder. "Great craftsmanship!"
Next came fishcakes, konjac noodles, kelp knots... Everywhere he went, he'd grab things, leave behind a hearty word of thanks, then turn and leave, without any concept of payment whatsoever.
In his mind, sharing delicious food was natural, so naturally the ingredients should be free too.
The vendors he'd "patronized" first froze, then came to their senses. One by one they jumped up and down in anger, their shouts rising one after another.
"Hey! That samurai! Stop right there!"
"It's robbery! Someone's stealing without paying!"
Following behind, Gaban covered his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
Shanks and Buggy were completely dumbfounded. Buggy's jaw nearly hit the ground. "This guy... is he actually an idiot?!"
Soon, a group of thugs who clearly weren't good people surrounded them from street corners and alleyways.
They wore civilian clothes, but their exposed arms were covered in tattoos, their gazes fierce, their waists bulging, obviously local gang members.
A scarred man in the lead blocked Oden's path, sneering. "Hey, outsider. Did you ask us before taking things on this street?"
Oden stopped, arms full of ingredients, scratching his head in confusion. "Huh? I just wanted to borrow some ingredients to make everyone a delicious oden. Isn't that something to be happy about?"
"Happy?" The scarred man acted like he'd heard the funniest joke. "You taking us for fools?! Brothers, show him what 'rules' mean!"
Before he finished speaking, seven or eight thugs drew the cleavers and iron rods hidden behind them with sneers and rushed forward together.
"Really now..." Gaban shook his head helplessly, but he didn't immediately step in. Instead, he looked toward Shanks and Buggy.
Shanks and Buggy exchanged glances, barely hesitating.
Although they thought Oden was weird, right now he bore the name of the "Roger Pirates," so they absolutely couldn't let these third-rate punks push him around.
"Hey! You guys want to fight?" Shanks drew the cutlass at his waist, his small frame blocking Oden's front.
"This great man isn't someone to mess with!" Buggy also pulled out several throwing knives, taking a battle stance.
Oden looked at the two little squirts in front of him, first stunned, then burst into laughter. "Oh oh oh! You're joining in too? Interesting!"
He carefully set down the ingredients in his arms, gripping both swords at his waist.
"Gun: Demon Form!"
The snow-bright blade flashed once. The two thugs rushing at the front didn't even see what happened before they felt a tremendous force strike them. Their whole bodies flew backward, knocking over a row of stalls.
"Oh! Amazing!" Shanks's eyes lit up. The sword in his hand swung out without hesitation, precisely parrying an incoming cleaver.
"Don't underestimate us!" Buggy's throwing knives traced strange arcs through the air, forcing several enemies into a frantic scramble.
Seeing this, Gaban's lips curved slightly upward as he joined the fray.
His twin axes swept in wide arcs, each swing carrying heavy wind pressure. Those gang members couldn't even get close to him.
The battle, if you could call it that, was more like one-sided domination.
Oden's swordsmanship was bold and open, full of overwhelming power. Gaban was steady as a mountain, handling everything with ease. And while Shanks and Buggy were young, they coordinated well and were far more skilled than ordinary people.
In less than five minutes, the entire street was littered with groaning gang members.
Oden sheathed his swords, looking at the three who'd fought alongside him, revealing a brilliant smile. "You're all strong! Ha ha ha!"
Shanks and Buggy were panting, but their faces were flushed with excitement.
That instant of fighting side by side had dissolved the last trace of barrier in their hearts toward this strange samurai.
"You're one to talk, you're a monster." Gaban wiped nonexistent dust from his axe blade, a note of approval in his tone.
...
That evening, a huge iron pot was set up on the deck of the Oro Jackson.
Oden enthusiastically took charge as head chef, processing the ingredients he'd "collected" during the day one by one, dropping them into the rolling broth that gave off a delicious aroma.
The broth was carefully made from sea fish and kelp, the soul of oden.
Soon, a fragrance mixing the sweet freshness of radish, the savory taste of fishcakes, and the rich aroma of soy sauce filled the entire ship.
"Hey, is this stuff really edible?" Buggy leaned over the pot, looking dubiously at the various ingredients cooked to tender softness inside.
"Try it and you'll know!" Roger was the first to pick up a bowl, letting Oden fill it to the brim for him, then ate it in big gulps, broth and ingredients together.
"Mmm! So good! This radish has soaked up all the broth, amazing!"
Seeing this, the crew crowded forward one after another.
"Oh oh! These fishcakes are so bouncy!"
"This tofu... melts in your mouth!"
Buggy and Shanks ate until their mouths dripped with juice, barely able to speak. Gaban held his bowl, eating quietly, a satisfied expression on his face.
Kyle also got a bowl and had Oden serve him some.
He picked up a piece of white radish cooked to crystal clarity and put it in his mouth.
The warm broth instantly burst in his mouth, that familiar, faintly sweet savory flavor making him pause slightly.
This taste... how long has it been?
Mm, there's a faint sense of disconnect...
The feast continued until late into the night.
Oden was surrounded by crew members, drinking heavily and singing on one hand, gesticulating wildly as he told amusing stories about Wano on the other.
Shanks and Buggy had completely become his little followers, calling him "Brother Oden" with every breath.
Roger threw his arm around Oden's neck, drinking heartily, then glanced at Kyle in the distance savoring oden by himself. The smile on his face grew even more carefree.
On the deck, the clinking of cups, boisterous laughter, and the steaming warmth from that pot of oden wove together, dispelling the last trace of awkwardness from the new member's arrival.
From today on, Kozuki Oden was no longer just a borrowed tool, but a true member of the Roger Pirates.
