In the year 1498 of the Sea Circle Calendar, both the pirates and the Marines remained unusually quiet.
With the sudden loss of two legendary figures in the recent war, the global pirate community pinned their remaining hopes on the Roger Pirates.
And while Vice-Admiral Raleigh was busy subduing Crocodile, the Roger Pirates finally tracked down the powerful warrior their captain had long sought: Kozuki Oden.
Because the Whitebeard Pirates had been crippled early, Oden never crossed paths with them and was currently adventuring across the seas independently.
This also meant that the legendary, three-day clash between the Roger Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates never needed to happen.
On Zofuno Island, based on intelligence gathered by Rayleigh, Kozuki Oden and his family were currently taking a stroll.
"Hey, Rayleigh! Are you saying this samurai is really on this island?" Roger rubbed his hands together, his face brimming with pure excitement.
"This is fantastic! I am absolutely making him my crew member!"
Rayleigh silently glanced at his captain but said nothing.
He had long grown accustomed to Roger's impulsive, whimsical nature—especially when it involved completely abandoning their planned course just to track down some mysterious samurai.
Originally, they were supposed to be sailing to find a doctor for Roger's worsening illness, but at the captain's stubborn insistence, the samurai had to come first.
"Yes, according to our intel, Kozuki Oden just arrived on this island. We have plenty of time to locate him," Rayleigh confirmed with a sigh.
"Ooh, a samurai! A real samurai! A mysterious and powerful warrior from the Land of Wano!" Roger exclaimed dramatically, his booming laugh echoing across the deck.
It had to be said that most of Roger's crew members shared his reckless temperament.
Aside from the ever-pragmatic Rayleigh, nearly everyone on the Oro Jackson was deeply intrigued by this samurai.
"Rayleigh-san, is that samurai's swordsmanship really that strong?"
The young apprentice, Shanks, gripped the small cutlass in his hand.
He was determined to follow the exact same path as Roger—becoming a master swordsman—and had already begun showing the potential to master all three types of Haki.
Roger had once personally guided Shanks in his training, confidently telling the boy that in another decade or so, he would likely become the man with the strongest Conqueror's Haki on the entire sea.
Ever since receiving his captain's high praise, Shanks had trained with even greater diligence.
His swordsmanship had now officially broken through to the level of a true Swordmaster.
"Is the Land of Wano really filled with gold?!" Buggy suddenly yelled, pushing his way to the front. "I really want to see that country, Captain Roger! Can we go take a look at the samurai's homeland?!"
After being accidentally startled by Shanks and eating the Chop-Chop Fruit, Buggy had been depressed for a long while.
However, his burning love for treasure soon reignited his motivation.
Right now, Buggy did not care about the samurai's strength or his swordsmanship—he only cared whether Kozuki Oden's homeland was truly paved with solid gold.
"Hahahaha! I do not know either, Buggy!" Roger stood proudly at the ship's bow, resting his hands on his hips and laughing heartily.
"But when adventuring on the sea, isn't the unknown the most fascinating part?"
Shanks and Buggy's eyes lit up, each boy picturing a completely different vision based on Roger's words.
One envisioned a glorious sword duel with the samurai, defeating him to reach the Great Swordsman realm.
The other pictured arriving at the legendary Land of Gold, gleefully stuffing his pockets with giant gold nuggets.
Thump, thump, thump.
The commercial district of Zofuno Island was exceptionally bustling.
As a necessary stop on this route of the Grand Line and the protected territory of a powerful pirate crew, it was highly secure.
With no rogue pirates daring to cause trouble here, prosperity naturally flourished.
At that moment, a man and a woman dressed in traditional clothing completely alien to everyone around them walked along the busy pedestrian street.
"Oya, this place is so different from our homeland."
Kozuki Toki held a newborn baby wrapped in a soft blanket, following closely beside her husband.
The infant in her arms was the recently born Kozuki Hiyori.
Meanwhile, Kozuki Oden held up a bright paper parasol, thoughtfully shielding his beautiful wife and daughter from the glaring sun.
"It is," Oden laughed loudly. "But compared to that rigid, closed-off country, I much prefer this free and unrestrained world!"
Kozuki Oden's wild, boisterous personality clashed sharply with the strict traditions of Wano Country.
Because of his reckless temperament, his father, the Shogun, had long disapproved of his actions.
If Oden had not successfully tamed the lawless criminals and governed the Kuri region, his father might have permanently cut ties with him.
However, that incident was over a decade ago.
Most people in Wano Country had come to accept Oden's unconventional character and loved him dearly.
Nevertheless, the Lord of Kuri had desperately longed to set sail ever since he was a young man, a desire that only grew after encountering the stranded Minks, Inuarashi and Nekomamushi.
After years of preparation, he had finally arranged all affairs in Wano and embarked on a grand journey across the seas with his wife.
"The outside world is truly strange, though. Many people seem to enjoy using 'bounties' to flaunt their strength—I really do not understand the obsession," Oden muttered in bewilderment.
Since setting sail, he had encountered no shortage of so-called high-bounty pirates.
Lusting after Toki's striking beauty, countless foolish pirate captains had tried to attack them, only to immediately meet their end under Oden's twin blades.
This brutal protective streak had quickly established Oden's fearsome reputation across the Grand Line, which was precisely why Roger had taken notice of him.
At this moment, Oden was wholly focused on enjoying the food, drinks, and leisure of the island with his family.
He was completely unaware that the man intending to recruit him had already arrived.
"Captain, look! I see that guy!" Buggy shouted excitedly from the crowd, pointing a finger.
Roger nodded, a massive grin spreading across his face. He had spotted the towering samurai long before Buggy did.
However, what greatly piqued Roger's curiosity was that the samurai before them seemed so relaxed that he wasn't actively using Observation Haki, remaining completely oblivious to their legendary crew approaching.
"I'm going to ask if he would like to become our crewmate!"
Roger confidently marched directly over to the family.
Seeing a group of heavily armed pirates openly approaching them, the strange, shifting atmosphere in the street naturally caught Oden's attention.
Oden watched the mustached pirate in the captain's coat warily, his thick brow slightly furrowed.
"Is there something you need, sir?"
Oden silently stepped forward, positioning his massive frame protectively in front of Toki and baby Hiyori.
Both of his large hands rested casually on the hilts of Enma and Ame no Habakiri, ready to unleash a thunderbolt strike at the slightest hint of danger.
"Now, now, there is no need for violence, Mr. Samurai!" Roger laughed, holding his hands up peacefully.
"My name is Gol D. Roger, captain of the Roger Pirates. After reading about your incredible exploits in the newspaper, I became very interested in you... and I would like to formally invite you to join my crew!"
Roger's eyes were burning with sincerity—he was genuinely fascinated by Kozuki Oden.
Oden's expression remained perfectly flat.
"I'm sorry, Captain Roger, but I currently have absolutely no intention of joining any pirate crew."