Kozuki Oden was no fool, he would not casually agree to just anyone's invitation.
Firstly, he was not someone who enjoyed killing, and in his mind, "pirates" were entirely synonymous with senseless slaughter and cruelty.
Secondly, he truly had no idea of the Roger Pirates' actual strength.
In his view, a pirate crew that extended invitations so casually to strangers on the street could not possibly be powerful.
Moreover, he quickly counted the members of the Roger Pirates standing before him and inwardly lowered his estimation of them even further.
Just how few of them are there? Even worse, two of them clearly look like children!
To a crew like this, Kozuki Oden did not hesitate to refuse outright.
"Don't be like that, Mr. Samurai! Our pirate crew is really strong!" Roger said earnestly, leaning forward with a massive grin.
"Captain, I have made my stance clear. Please do not obstruct my path any further," Oden warned, his voice dropping an octave.
"If you refuse to step aside, I will have no choice but to draw my blades."
Kozuki Oden had no desire to prolong the encounter with Roger, so he intended to use the threat of overwhelming force to drive the pirates away.
However, while his plan was sound in theory, he had completely failed to account for this specific opponent's monstrous strength.
Roger stroked his mustache and retorted, "Mr. Samurai, if I can defeat you, you will become our crewmate, right? Great! Let us get started then!"
Seeing Roger's resolute, beaming declaration, Kozuki Oden felt a flicker of hesitation.
He had never wanted to fight Roger in the first place—he could sense from the man's aura alone that he was incredibly dangerous.
But as a samurai of Wano, his warrior's pride had just been directly challenged.
Faced with Roger's blatant invitation to a duel, Kozuki Oden found it impossible to back down.
"Then I must ask your forgiveness for my rudeness," Oden said, his eyes narrowing sharply. "Oden Two-Sword Style: Kairo Koukai!"
Kozuki Oden swiftly drew Enma and Ame no Habakiri from his waist.
A mysterious, untamed power immediately enveloped the twin blades.
A flash of cold light cut through the space between the two men as the samurai surged forward, his two famous swords leading the charge.
Kozuki Oden was highly confident.
Against this technique, whether it was a ferocious beast or a powerful New World pirate, they would all be cleaved cleanly in two.
This move had never failed him during his journey at sea!
Clang!
A clear, deafening sound of impact rang out, instantly freezing the confident expression on Oden's face.
He never expected that the man smiling before him could block his killing technique merely by casually drawing his cutlass to parry.
In Kozuki Oden's memory, absolutely no one should have been able to completely halt his momentum like that.
At this moment, Roger raised his smiling face, his eyes sparkling with genuine surprise.
"Samurai, I never imagined you had also Conqueror's Haki! Truly remarkable!"
Though Roger's words carried absolutely no mockery, Oden's pride as an undefeated warrior made him unwilling to casually accept the pirate's praise.
"Are you mocking me?!"
Oden leaped backward, separating from Roger and dropping into a low stance, blades at the ready.
Roger replied casually, resting his sword on his shoulder. "Not at all, samurai! Although your Conqueror's Coating is already quite skilled, if you are willing to join my ship, I can teach you far better ways to wield it. My strongest technique is swordsmanship enhanced by advanced Conqueror's Haki."
"Hah! I do not believe your strength is beyond challenge!" Oden barked. "Oden Two-Sword Style: Paradise Totsuka!"
The unyielding samurai launched another explosive attack.
This time, he employed his ultimate technique, crossing his two Ryuo-coated famous swords directly before his chest.
After pinpointing Roger's exact position, Kozuki Oden swiftly swung both blades outward.
A massive, cross-shaped sword beam shot toward Roger like a meteor streaking across the sky.
Seeing this devastating move approaching, Roger showed a faintly helpless, excited expression.
"Well then, it seems I will have to show some real skill to convince this stubborn fellow."
Roger recognized that Kozuki Oden was the exact type of man who only submitted to true strength. Just like Douglas Bullet, the way to deal with such proud warriors was straightforward and brutal.
By thoroughly defeating him with overwhelming power, Oden would naturally agree to his request.
"Divine Departure!"
Roger raised his Supreme Grade sword, Ace, enveloping the blade with a density of Conqueror's Haki that far surpassed anything he had shown before.
Both in blistering speed and overwhelming quality, it vastly exceeded the technique Oden had just unleashed.
Though Kozuki Oden instinctively anticipated the terrifying outcome in his heart, he had already charged forward behind his sword beam—retreating was no longer an option.
Gritting his teeth fiercely, Oden prepared to carve out a safe path with his own attack.
BOOM!
The exact moment their attacks made contact, overwhelming shock flashed through Kozuki Oden's mind.
He instantly realized that his own Conqueror's Coating was truly just child's play compared to Roger's mastery!
In a fraction of a second, Oden's cross-shaped attack was severed as cleanly as butter cut by a hot knife.
A moment later, Roger's Ace struck Oden's body directly.
Even though Oden immediately covered himself with a thick layer of Armament Haki for defense, it proved utterly useless.
All of his defensive measures were torn apart in mere moments. Kozuki Oden was instantly sent flying backward by the sheer kinetic force of the attack, crashing violently through numerous buildings along his path.
Roger confidently sheathed Ace. This strike had been intended to cleanly resolve the fight in a single blow.
Had Kozuki Oden's swordsmanship and physical toughness not been genuinely exceptional, he might have actually died from that single attack.
However, Roger would never personally invite anyone who could not withstand even one of his strikes.
After all, having lost their third-in-command and several powerful crew members in the recent war, the Roger Pirates were in urgent need of replenishing their high-level combat strength.
Kozuki Oden of Wano possessed exceptional power and aligned perfectly with Roger's free-spirited temperament, which was exactly why Roger had gone out of his way to find him.
'Cough... How could this be?'
Kozuki Oden's still-functional left hand pounded forcefully against the rubble.
He had actually lost in a pure sword duel—something the proud samurai found incredibly difficult to accept.
Yet, at the exact same time, he felt somewhat resigned to the outcome. After all, the man standing before him was a true monster, capable of crushing him at any moment.
Losing to such a miraculously formidable opponent was nothing to be ashamed of.
As these thoughts raced through his dizzy mind, Oden suddenly noticed a pair of boots stepping into the rubble before him.
Looking up, he saw Roger clad in his captain's coat, extending a hand downward.
"So, what do you say, samurai? Join us." Roger beamed. "I will teach you how to precisely control your Conqueror's Haki to unleash its full, true potential."
It must be said that Gol D. Roger was a truly remarkable man, capable of achieving his goals and winning over hearts almost imperceptibly.
Back when he first met Rayleigh, Roger had succeeded through this exact same brand of magnetic persuasion—and back then, Roger had absolutely nothing to his name.
After encountering Rayleigh, not only did he secure a ship, but he also gained a meticulously loyal first mate.
As for the defeated Kozuki Oden, he was ultimately just a provincial samurai with limited exposure to the true monsters of the world.
Though he initially harbored some annoyance toward Roger and was fully inclined to reject his offer, Kozuki Oden found himself inexplicably reaching up to take the pirate's hand, as if guided by some unseen, irresistible force of destiny.
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