One Piece: I'm Destined to Be the Son-in-Law King!-Chapter 153: Oden in Imagination

The Spade Pirates' ship sliced through the waves.

Ace was rushed below deck to the Emergency Room. His injuries were severe.

Above, the remaining crew huddled together, fear gripping their hearts. They watched the two figures standing at the ship's bow - a black-haired Marine, and the hulking monster who had nearly killed their captain with a single blow. They barely dared to breathe.

Damn it, one pirate thought, ever since we came to the New World, we're either getting our butts kicked or about to get our butts kicked. Can't a guy catch a break?

Yamato emerged from below deck. She'd changed into simple clothes and pulled a hood over her head. I can't let anyone in Wano discover I'm leaving! Besides the desire for freedom, another powerful dream burned within her.

"Roya," she announced, her voice full of conviction, "I want to become Oden!"

"Oden..." Roya repeated, his gaze lingering on her.

Here it comes, he thought. The inevitable. This girl was a few years older than him, but her harsh life had stunted her emotional growth. In some ways, she was still just a child. And celebrity-obsessed kids are the hardest to deal with.

He said, his tone neutral, "Kozuki Oden. I've heard about him."

"Roya, do you like Oden too?" Yamato asked, her face lighting up with childlike delight. Her expression mirrored a child's adoration for their idol.

Roya shook his head. "No, I hate him."

"Huh?!" Yamato froze, her hopeful heart pierced by an arrow of disappointment. How could she be happy if the person she admired was rejected?

Roya stepped closer. "Yamato, you say you want to become Oden. So, I want to ask you, what aspects of Oden do you admire?"

"I want to go on adventures freely, just like Oden!" Yamato answered instantly, her eyes shining. She carefully pulled a tattered diary from inside her shirt, holding it like a precious treasure. The name "Oden" was faintly visible on the worn cover.

Oden's thrilling adventures filled her with a longing she couldn't quite explain.

"That's not a real reason," Roya countered. "If you only want to adventure freely, you don't need to be Oden. Oden had his adventures, and you'll have your own path to forge."

"..."

Yamato blinked, considering his words. Come to think of it, that's true.

Ah, no, no! She shook her head, puffing out her cheeks in frustration. "Oden is a true samurai! Fifteen years ago, a shocking event happened in the Flower Capital that shook Wano Country!"

Her eyes shone as she recounted the horrific Boil Punishment, the legendary hour of endurance. "Kozuki Oden was the most outstanding samurai. I will never forget the way he bravely faced death that day."

"I see," Roya said slowly, nodding. To be honest, I can't quite understand her thought process.

If Oden had no power to resist, I would respect him as a real man. But according to Yamato's description, Oden and his Nine Vassals had the strength to break free and the stamina to endure boiling oil for an hour. He could have fought Kaido again or escaped the execution ground to regroup, but he chose to surrender, placing his hopes on something happening twenty years later.

Wasn't that just being a complete coward?

Looking at Yamato's adoring expression, he knew it was impossible to reason with her directly.

"We've reached the coast," Roya said, pointing towards the approaching shoreline. "The Coast of Kuri is already in sight."

"Let's go," he continued. "I'll take you to learn about the current state of Wano Country."

Soon, they arrived back at Amigasa Village.

The villagers wept with joy when they saw their families rescued. They hadn't dared to hold out any hope.

The Spade Pirates settled in to rest in Amigasa Village.

Roya took Yamato for a walk around the village, then quietly left with her, heading to other villages and towns. They traveled for an entire day, passing through Kuri, Udon, and Hakumai, eventually arriving at Ebisu Town in Hakumai, where they stayed overnight at Old Kang's house.

Night fell.

After a simple meal, Old Kang's family squeezed into the living room to sleep, leaving the only bedroom for Roya and Yamato.

In the dim moonlight, they lay on the tatami mats.

Roya rested his hands behind his head. "How do you feel about today?"

"Terrible!" Yamato answered sullenly, her back to him.

When she left Onigashima, her heart had been full of anticipation for adventure, but reality had quickly shattered her illusions. Everywhere she looked, there was poverty and hunger. And countless Ronin and villains roamed the land!

"It's nothing like I remember it!" Yamato sat up cross-legged, annoyed. She wore only her underwear and a thin shirt, her figure faintly visible, but she didn't care about modesty. She couldn't sleep now!

Before she turned eight, her father hadn't restricted her freedom, so she often went with ships to play in different towns. In her distant memory, the people of Wano weren't rich, but at least they weren't starving. But now everything was different.

Roya also sat up, facing Yamato. "Yamato, why do you think Wano Country has become like this?"

"Of course, it's because of Father!" Yamato answered confidently. It was all her Father's fault!

"And that despicable General Orochi!"

"Yes, your Father Kaido and General Orochi are indeed the main reasons why Wano Country has become like this," Roya agreed, then changed the subject. "However, Oden is not entirely blameless."

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"What does this have to do with Oden!" Yamato puffed out her cheeks angrily. She had noticed that Roya had a strong negative opinion of Oden.

Instead of answering directly, Roya asked, "Yamato, why did you stop Ace when he was destroying Onigashima?"

"Of course, I had to stop him! That's my home!" Yamato tilted her head, confused, not understanding why Roya was asking this.

She had no Royalty to the Beasts Pirates, and even hated her Father and his subordinates, but Onigashima was, after all, her home, the place where she had grown up.

"That's right, Onigashima is your home," Roya said with a slight smile. "You feel you have a responsibility to protect Onigashima, right?"

"Yes!" Was that not obvious?

"Similarly, Wano Country is Oden's home. Oden had a responsibility to protect Wano Country, and he was the son of the previous General, so he had even greater responsibilities. The common people of Wano Country also placed their hopes on Oden."

Roya said calmly, "Oden failed to protect his home. Doesn't he bear any responsibility?"

"This..." Yamato's mind struggled to process his words.

Roya shook his head slightly. Many countries in the world faced the same problems as Wano Country.

Even Member States were exploited by the Celestial Tribute. Exploitation was exploitation. How different were Kaido and the World Nobles?

The only way to avoid being exploited by invaders was to rely on oneself.

I don't quite agree with Oden not seeking help from his crew, but I can understand it. We can't ask for help every time we encounter trouble.

Just like the few Non-Aligned Nations that the 11th Division had helped before, we could only help temporarily, not permanently.

But Oden's subsequent dancing ...

It defies description.

Roya sighed.

"Yamato, I know you admire Oden, but I hope you know that admiration is the furthest thing from understanding."

"You've only met Oden once and read his diary, so you've created this perfect image of Oden in your mind. But in reality, you haven't even said a single word to Oden."

"You don't know what Oden likes, you don't know what Oden loves to eat, you don't know what Oden's troubles are. You only have a superficial understanding of Oden."

"The Oden you want to become is essentially a perfect image you've imagined, the appearance you long to become. That person can be Oden, or it can be someone else."

Roya asked softly, "Yamato, before you call yourself Oden, ask yourself, do you really understand Kozuki Oden as a person?"

"I... I don't know," Yamato whispered, her eyes blank.

She wanted to argue with Roya, to prove that he was wrong, but she couldn't find a reason to refute him. Over the years, "Oden" had become her spiritual pillar, and now that pillar seemed to be crumbling.

"Go to sleep, Yamato," Roya said gently.

"The night is long."

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[T/N:

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