Chapter 729: Princess and Vassals (Two-in-One Chapter)
"Kuri!?"
Upon hearing Marco's words, the little princess Nea immediately covered her mouth with her hand and blurted out in surprise: "You... are you also pirates from the Kaido Pirates!?"
At these words, the samurai and ninja protecting her inside the wooden hut instantly drew their weapons and rushed forward to shield her, while those outside reacted the same way, charging in one after another, facing Ian and his two companions as if facing a formidable enemy.
"Protect Princess Kuchihime!" they shouted.
Hmm!? Why such a reaction? Could it be...
As Ian pondered this, Marco quickly waved his hands and said: "Don't misunderstand, we're not from the Beast Pirates!"
"The Beast Pirates? What's that..." Princess Nea was momentarily stunned.
Ian slapped his forehead, finally understanding the situation, and asked: "This... Princess Nea, you must have heard about the Kaido Pirates from someone else, right?!"
This little princess called the Beast Pirates the Kaido Pirates, but when she heard the actual name of Kaido's crew, she looked completely clueless. This could only mean she had heard about it from someone else, and probably not very clearly.
Sure enough, Nea nodded and said: "Yes, I overheard it from Father..."
So Ian had to explain to her: "The Kaido Pirates are the Beast Pirates, but we are not members of his crew! On the contrary, we are his enemies!"
Ian had already noticed that when the little princess mentioned the Kaido Pirates, the samurai and ninja here all became extremely tense, which meant they had no good feelings toward Kaido and the Beast Pirates.
As for whether Princess Nea's father, Daimyo Hitazaki of Nishinoue, was on which side, it was still unknown, but Ian felt that at least he wasn't on Kaido's side.
Ian guessed correctly. Upon hearing that the three were not from the Beast Pirates but were instead their enemies, the samurai inside and outside the hut all showed relieved expressions. The ninja were similar, though their faces were covered, their hostility noticeably decreased.
Bonney then curiously interjected: "We only asked about Kuri, why did you react so strongly?"
Nea turned to look at Bonney, taking in her fashionable and sexy attire, and her little face blushed red. Yet she still secretly studied Bonney's clothes, her eyes full of novelty. However, she still answered the three: "Because no normal person would want to go to Kuri right now, right? It's already been razed to ruins by the Beast Pirates..."
Upon hearing this, Marco immediately became anxious and pressed further: "So, does that mean the war between your shogun and the Kozuki Family has really ended!?"
Although they had already guessed this situation after learning that Ace had been captured, the Whitebeard Pirates still held onto a faint hope when Marco arrived here. Now suddenly hearing that Kuri had been reduced to ruins, it was naturally hard to accept.
A group of foreign pirates actually cared about the war between the shogun of Wano Country and a daimyo. This was indeed strange. Not only Princess Nea, but the samurai in the room also looked at Ian and his two companions with curiosity.
"Yes, it's over!" Nea nodded. "Just the day before yesterday, I received a letter from Father. He told me that the shogun's army had already withdrawn from Kuri, leaving only the Beast Pirates there... Since you are enemies of the Beast Pirates, did you come here to help the Kozuki Family fight? I heard from Father that this time, the Kozuki Family had quite a few strange and talented people helping them resist..."
Strange and talented people probably referred to Ace, Fujitora, and Izo and the others, right?
This little princess Nea, perhaps due to her status as a princess, seemed somewhat precocious, but regardless, she was only a twelve or thirteen-year-old little girl, still somewhat childish. Ian could tell that although she knew some things, she didn't understand much. She had probably only heard about these people from her father, so she knew they existed but didn't know the details.
Ian thought for a moment and felt that encountering such a little princess here might be a good thing. He could first gather some information from her.
So Ian asked: "Princess Nea, is your father also one of the daimyo of Wano Country?"
"Yes!" Nea nodded.
"Then in this war between your shogun and the Kozuki Family, didn't your father participate? As a daimyo, logically, he should have sided with the shogun, right?" Ian asked.
"No!" Princess Nea shook her head. "In fact, it's not just Father; the other two daimyo also did not participate in this punitive expedition..."
"Oh?" Ian raised an eyebrow, sat cross-legged on the ground, and said: "Can you tell us more about it?"
Seeing Ian's casual demeanor, a nearby samurai couldn't help but shout: "How rude! To dare act like this before Princess Kuchihime..."
Before he could finish, Nea waved her hand without concern and said: "It's fine!"
Then she curiously said to Ian: "I've actually met some outsiders before. I heard that people from the outside world only don't pay much attention to etiquette in front of familiar 'friends' and 'companions.' Are you treating me as a friend too?"
Ian was amused by this. This little girl felt quite adorable. So he nodded and said: "Haha, having a little princess as a friend would be great! Let me introduce myself. My name is Ian, and I'm a pirate now. My pirate crew is called the Dragon Hunter Pirates. This pineapple-headed guy is Marco, the First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. And this tattered-dressed little sister is Bonney. She's also a captain of her own pirate crew!"
"What do you mean by tattered-dressed!?" Bonney was displeased upon hearing this, tugging at her clothes and saying: "This is called fashion! You just don't appreciate it, you philistine!"
"Fashion?" Little Princess Nea curiously looked at Bonney's clothes, her little face blushing again. She naturally couldn't understand the word fashion, only feeling that Bonney's clothes were quite embarrassing...
Meanwhile, Ian noticed that the people of Wano Country present didn't react much to his self-introduction. It was one thing if they didn't know about the newly risen Yonko crew, the Dragon Hunter Pirates, but even the long-established Whitebeard Pirates were unknown to them. That was somewhat frustrating...
Marco probably felt the same way. On the seas of the New World, he was a famous figure, but here, he was less eye-catching than Bonney's outfit...
After hearing that Ian was willing to be friends with her, Little Princess Nea seemed quite happy. However, the samurai beside her were somewhat annoyed. In their view, Princess Kuchihime's status was so noble that she couldn't casually befriend unknown pirates. So they glared at Ian with indignation.
From this, one could already see a bit of the situation in Wano Country. For the younger generation like Princess Nea, they were willing to accept new things and were curious about the outside world. But those deeply influenced by class concepts were very uncomfortable with this, like the samurai present.
Ian naturally ignored these people. After successfully getting a bit closer to Nea, he asked: "Nea, you said that several daimyo in Wano Country were unwilling to participate in the war. What's that about?"
"Actually, I heard it from Father!" Nea's little face became serious as she said: "Because even in Wano Country, the Kozuki Family is a prestigious family, and they have been loyal ministers for generations. Although in Lord Oden's generation, Daimyo Kozuki Oden secretly violated the ban and went out to sea, and after returning, he kept seeking to open Wano Country's borders, which led to him being charged with crimes, in Father's view, the Kozuki Family didn't deserve death!"
"It's not just Father who thinks this way; the other two daimyo also believe the same. They all feel that the Kozuki Family only needed a slight punishment, and there was no need for such a large-scale military action!" Nea tried hard to recall her father's words. "But for some reason, the shogun insisted on moving against the Kozuki Family. Father and the others couldn't dissuade him, so they had to take a neutral stance and were unwilling to send troops to answer the shogun's call!"
Upon hearing this, Ian exchanged a glance with Marco, both seeing deep regret in each other's eyes.
Princess Nea was still young and might not detect the underlying meaning. In Ian's view, the neutral stance of these daimyo might have been well-intentioned, but they didn't realize that it actually harmed the Kozuki Family!
The reason was simple: Why did the shogun of Wano Country insist on moving against the Kozuki Family? Wasn't it because the policy and philosophy of opening the country could potentially threaten his ruling position?
He had already sensed the crisis that the Kozuki Family's ideas could bring!
Under such circumstances, the shogun of Wano Country demanded that other daimyo join him in sending troops. If all the other daimyo responded to his call and sent troops, it might make the shogun realize that his position was still secure, and perhaps the Kozuki Family might have been spared.
This was also related to the political situation in Wano Country. Below the shogun, there were seven daimyo as feudal lords, but the shogun didn't control the entire country's military. Instead, the daimyo could have their own armies...
And because these daimyo took a neutral stance, the shogun of Wano Country discovered that his orders were no longer effective! This made it even more necessary to take action to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys!
With several daimyo not sending troops, the shogun of Wano Country might have lacked sufficient military strength. To achieve the best deterrent effect, he didn't hesitate to borrow the power of the Beast Pirates to completely suppress the Kozuki Family!
Good intentions leading to bad outcomes—that's what this situation was...
However, Ian and the others also learned something from Nea's account: Nea's father, Daimyo Hitazaki of Nishinoue, probably had goodwill toward the Kozuki Family.
This goodwill might have been based on the Kozuki Family's popularity, or it might have been related to his disgust at the shogun borrowing the power of Kaido of the Beasts. The other daimyo probably had similar thoughts. Under this political system, it was impossible for them to be a monolithic bloc.
This might bring some convenience to Ian and the others' upcoming rescue operation...
Nea then continued: "Although Father and the others didn't participate, the shogun still attacked the Kozuki Family. Father said that during the resistance, the Kozuki Family had many strange and talented people who knew sorcery, and the shogun's army suffered considerable casualties. However, with Kaido's help, the Kozuki Family ultimately failed. Lord Kozuki Oden was executed, but his vassals managed to escape. Now, the Kozuki Family's territory of Kuri is entirely occupied by the Beast Pirates. Father is very angry about this..."
"What about you?" Bonney asked curiously. "Princess, why are you here instead of with your father?"
Hearing this question, Nea's little face looked somewhat gloomy. She pouted unhappily and said: "After the shogun began his punitive expedition against the Kozuki Family, Father sent me here. This is the territory of our Shirakaba Family. The ninja and samurai here are all vassals of the Shirakaba Family..."
Shirakaba should be Nea's family surname. Her father's full name was probably Shirakaba Hitazaki or something like that...
"He was worried that his neutral stance might also invite the shogun's attack, right?" Ian said. "To avoid implicating you, he sent you here first? So, your father did it for your own good..."
"Of course I know!" Nea sighed. "But I'm so bored here... Although they all respect me, I can't even find anyone to talk to..."
No wonder she let Ian and his two companions in without much guard. She was probably really stifled here...
Upon hearing this, a nearby samurai bowed seriously and said: "Princess Kuchihime, please rest assured. The punitive expedition is over. Nishinoue should be fine. Once the lord's orders arrive, we will escort you back!"
At this moment, Ian's eyes suddenly lit up, and he said: "Your shogun has already attacked one daimyo. He probably won't attack the other daimyo again. You'll be going back sooner or later. How about this: we escort you back, and if possible, we'd like to ask your father about something."
"What is it?" Nea asked curiously.
"It's about those strange and talented people who helped the Kozuki Family fight!" Ian said. "I want to know where those people are being held now. Are they locked up in Kuri in Wano Country, or have they been taken elsewhere? This kind of information might only be known by your father, right?"
Ian knew that since Kuri was now occupied by the Beast Pirates, Ace and Fujitora probably weren't being held there. If they had truly fallen into Kaido's hands, they would likely have been killed. But since Ace and the others' Vivre Cards were normal, it meant they were fine, so they couldn't be in the Beast Pirates' hands.
They were just imprisoned, but where exactly, they needed to find out. Such information wouldn't be known by ordinary civilians. Only someone of daimyo or feudal lord status could possibly learn about it.
Hawkins' divination about this trip had said it would go smoothly. So perhaps meeting this little princess Nea was one of the reasons. She and her father might bring great help. He just needed to go with the flow and make the choices he thought were right.
Upon hearing that Ian had proactively offered to escort her back early, Nea's beautiful big eyes immediately lit up, and she said happily: "Great, great!"
"No!" The samurai who had spoken earlier became anxious, stepping forward and shouting worriedly: "Princess Kuchihime! How can you trust these unknown pirates!? Even if you must return, it must be us who escort you back!"
"But you still have to wait for Father's orders!" Nea also realized that her status didn't allow her to be too willful, so she said helplessly: "When will Father's orders arrive? If they come a month later, won't I have to wait another month?"
"No! How can this be!" Led by that samurai, everyone knelt down, begging Nea: "Princess Kuchihime! If you insist on leaving, it would be our dereliction of duty. We would have no choice but to atone with our deaths!"
Nea could only look helplessly at Ian...
Since the samurai had said this, Ian had to respond: "In that case, there's no helping it. Princess Nea, can you tell us how to find your father?"
However, before Nea could speak, that same samurai jumped up and said: "No! How can we tell you unknown pirates where the lord is!?"
"This won't do, that won't do! Besides these two words, can't you say anything else?" Ian was getting a bit annoyed. "Can't you be a little flexible!?"
"Unless we are dead!" The samurai gripped his sword hilt, staring firmly at Ian.
It was impossible to communicate with these stubborn samurai. Ian almost wanted to knock them all out and take Nea back anyway.
With Ian's current strength, doing such a thing would be easy. The ninja and samurai present combined probably weren't a match for him alone. But he also understood that this might mess things up. These guys were already very wary of the three outsiders. If they forcibly took Nea away, the three of them might be branded as criminals who kidnapped Princess Kuchihime!
They might end up not meeting Nea's father but instead being wanted by him. These people didn't know about the Dragon Hunter Pirates or the Whitebeard Pirates. Ian and Marco's identities were useless here.
"Then, how about this!" Ian thought for a moment and proposed a compromise: "Look, your Princess Kuchihime is bored staying here. Why don't you come along, and all of us escort her back together? Wouldn't that be good? Since she is your respected princess, shouldn't you vassals consider her feelings?"
"Well..." The samurai hesitated.
"Besides!" Ian pressed on. "Maybe your lord also misses the princess. The order to recall her might already be on its way. Sending her back earlier might make your lord very happy."
"Alright then!" The samurai looked at Nea's hopeful eyes and finally gritted his teeth, kneeling before Nea and saying: "Princess Kuchihime, we can send you back, but please promise to let us accompany you at all times!"
Nea straightened up, reached out to gesture for the samurai to rise, and said happily: "Great! It's best that you come along!"
In fact, the reason this samurai agreed was also because he felt this ninja village wasn't secluded enough. Even Ian and these three foreign pirates could find this place. It was hard to say if others might discover it too. So it was better to send the princess back...
For Ian and the others, as long as they could get to Nishinoue, meet Nea's father, and gather information, that was enough. They had no ill intentions toward this little princess anyway, so it didn't matter how they returned...
Thus, after waiting for a while longer, Ian and the others were finally able to set off with Nea.
But for some reason, Ian felt that dealing with these people from Wano Country was quite exhausting...