Chapter 735: The Oiran
Ian did not avoid Hitosaki and Princess Nea when he spoke with Old Man Whitebeard, so they overheard most of the conversation.
Little Princess Nea was rather confused by what Ian and the others were talking about, but Hitosaki, as a Daimyo, understood some of it.
Although he didn't know what the Soul Fruit Ian mentioned was, he understood that Kaido of the Beasts, one of the Four Emperors, seemed to have left Wano Country for some important reason.
Not only had he left, but it seemed he had also taken his pirate crew's important combat forces with him...
So while Ian was talking to Whitebeard, Hitosaki listened quietly, wearing a thoughtful expression.
Ian was not from Wano, so he didn't understand the relationships between the noble classes there. If he had carefully observed the crest of the Shirakaba family and the Kozuki family, he would have realized that these two families were actually connected. Their family emblems both shared the common Kyuyo symbol.
Every family that could become a Daimyo in Wano was a prominent, illustrious clan. Under Wano's strict hierarchical system, marriage among the nobility could naturally only be with other nobles. The same was true for the Shirakaba and Kozuki families. Strictly speaking, little Princess Nea, in terms of seniority, was the cousin of Kozuki Momonosuke, the heir of the Kozuki family!
Although, in terms of stance, each regional Daimyo ruled their own territory and all owed allegiance to the Shogun, these large families often considered blood relations to some extent. That was why, during the Shogun's campaign against the Kozuki family, the Shirakaba family showed sympathy towards them. This was not only due to the Kozuki family's reputation in Wano but also because of the existing blood ties between the two families.
Of course, sympathy was one thing, but the Shirakaba family couldn't do much for the moment. They also had to consider their own family's interests. They even had to worry that their blood relation to the Kozuki family might incur the Shogun's wrath upon them. This was precisely why, during the war, he had sent his only daughter, Nea, to the ninja village for protection.
Now, the head of the Kozuki family, Kozuki Oden, had been executed. On the surface, the Shogun's authority had been upheld. But Hitosaki understood that, in reality, this action had planted a thorn in the hearts of the Daimyos.
The reason was simple: the Shogun had borrowed the power of the Beast Pirates!
No one could understand what the Shogun was thinking. Was he worried about the impact of the Kozuki family's advocacy for opening the country on his rule, or did he have other concerns? Ignoring the objections of Hitosaki and several other Daimyos, he not only moved against the Kozuki family but also borrowed the power of the Beast Pirates, a pirate crew most hated by the people of Wano.
One must know that over the years, the Beast Pirates had harassed and attacked Wano countless times. If Wano didn't have a sufficient samurai class to serve as its main military force, repeatedly driving back the Beast Pirates, Wano would have long become a pirate's paradise...
In Hitosaki's view, this was definitely a terrible move! Many people in the country witnessed this but, intimidated by the Shogun's authority and the Beast Pirates' overwhelming military power, dared not speak out. The long-standing hierarchical system had cultivated a nature of obedience in the people of Wano, but their reverence and sympathy for the Kozuki family, ironically, caused the Kozuki family's advocated ideology of opening the country to secretly influence more people.
Wano had always prided itself on being a strong nation. But one had to admit, Kaido's intervention this time showed the people of Wano the development and strength of the outside world. Even Hitosaki, a member of the ruling class, realized that the Kozuki family's idea of opening the country might have merit. Isolating the country and clinging to outdated ways would eventually mean Wano couldn't keep up with the outside world...
An incompetent Shogun was unworthy of being a ruler. A ruler who brought in outside pirates to suppress his own people was even more unworthy. Hitosaki was a Daimyo under the Shogun, and such thoughts were dangerous and treasonous. But the tragedy that befell the Kozuki family forced these thoughts into his mind.
Moreover, no one knew how long the Beast Pirates would remain entrenched in Wano after the Kozuki family's destruction. Hitosaki wasn't the only one; other Daimyos likely shared this worry.
He looked up at Ian, then at Marco. These two young men before him—one was a capable subordinate of an outside Emperor, and the other was even more remarkable, a newly ascended Emperor himself!
Perhaps, he could open his mind and seek some help from this young man? The only ones who could fight an Emperor were probably other Emperors, right?
Of course, even as Hitosaki thought this, he understood that to seek help from others, it was best to offer some assistance when they needed it.
So, after Ian finished his call, Hitosaki stood up, fetched a map from another room, and spread it out before Ian and the others.
"This is..." Ian and the others looked at the map curiously, then at Hitosaki.
"This is the defense map of the capital city, Kyoto!" Hitosaki said with a smile. "It covers all the streets and alleys of Kyoto, and naturally, the location of the main prison... I thought, if you want to rescue someone, you might find it useful..."
Ian and Marco exchanged a strange glance. A Daimyo from far-off Kami no Kuni actually had a detailed map of Kyoto? This...
Hitosaki might have guessed what they were thinking. He smiled wryly and said, "To be honest with you two, I had originally planned, when the Kozuki family was escorted to Kyoto and imprisoned, to find a way to send ninjas to rescue them and then get them out of Wano. Then I would rally several Daimyos to intercede with the Shogun, hoping to resolve the matter peacefully. But..."
But no one expected that the Shogun would use Kaido's hand to directly execute the Kozuki family head, Kozuki Oden. This completely ruined Hitosaki's plan...
Hearing him speak so frankly, Ian and Marco no longer doubted him and lowered their heads to study the map.
"There are three main prisons in Kyoto!" Hitosaki pointed them out one by one. "But the other two are only for holding common criminals. Your friends are from the outside world; they would only be held in the special prison for heavy criminals, here..."
Ian and the others followed Hitosaki's finger to the location on the map and firmly memorized the position of that prison, asking detailed questions about the surrounding area.
"Kyoto, as our largest capital city, has the strongest defenses!" Hitosaki said. "Moreover, Kyoto has the largest number of samurai. If any disturbance occurs in Kyoto, these samurai will become your obstacles. So, I think it's best for you to infiltrate."
With that, he clapped his hands. A ninja suddenly appeared, kneeling before him, holding three sets of clothes in his hands, head bowed in offering.
Hitosaki took the clothes and handed them to Ian. "Your clothes are too conspicuous. If you enter Kyoto like this, you'll be stopped and questioned immediately. Moreover, the people of Kyoto are the most xenophobic. If you walk the streets of Kyoto in these clothes, you'll be watched everywhere. It's better to disguise yourselves as people of Wano; it will make things much easier!"
"That's right, Big Brother Ian! You carry swords, so you can disguise yourself as a samurai!" Little Princess Nea chimed in happily. "And a dual-wielding samurai at that!"
Ian took the clothes and found that two of the sets were samurai attire from Wano. Not only were there clothes, but also two straw hats!
As soon as Marco saw the straw hats, he immediately grabbed one, looking somewhat surprised. "Ha, I've seen this kind of hat before. That guy Ace made one for Little Oars Jr. He learned the technique from Wano..."
Wearing this straw hat would naturally hide their hair, meaning Ian and the others wouldn't have to style their hair in the samurai topknot, which was a good thing because Ian found that topknot style strange and ugly.
Moreover, the straw hat was wide and large. Marco didn't look like a native of Wano, but as long as he wore the hat and kept his head down, no one could clearly see his face.
Perhaps they could even get a sword for him to hang at his waist; that would make it even more convincing.
But... Ian and the others' disguises were settled, but Bonney...
"Hey, hey! What's with this outfit!?" Bonney held the set of clothes meant for her, her face turning pale as she asked. The clothes looked nice, but why did they seem so complicated?
"Oh, that outfit is the attire of an Oiran!" Hitosaki explained.
"Oiran? What's that?" Bonney asked, puzzled.
Marco, however, knew. He suppressed a laugh and whispered an explanation in Bonney's ear.
The next second, Bonney exploded. She grabbed Hitosaki by the collar and shouted, "Hey! What do you mean by this!? You want me to dress up as an Oiran!?"
But Hitosaki was equally bewildered. He didn't know why Bonney was reacting so strongly. Confused, he said, "What's wrong? In our Wano, the Oiran of Yoshiwara are very popular!"
"What!? Say that again!?" Bonney refused to accept it, shaking Hitosaki by the collar violently.
This was a difference in cultural perception. In Wano, the Oiran were indeed very popular. But to outsiders, the so-called Oiran were essentially women of the red-light district. Although Bonney dressed in a sexy and fashionable way, that didn't mean she was willing to be seen as a woman in the service industry...
The surrounding ninjas were frantic. Their lord was being grabbed by Bonney, and they wanted to step in to rescue him, but the situation didn't seem like a conflict was brewing.
In the end, Ian stepped in to mediate. Suppressing a laugh, he said, "Alright, alright, Bonney. Let go of the Daimyo-sama!"
He had casually called her a "tattered little sister" before, and now it almost came true...
Seeing Bonney release Hitosaki with a huff, Ian looked thoughtfully at little Princess Nea.
Little Princess Nea felt a bit shy under Ian's gaze. She fidgeted with her hands in front of her, blushing, and asked, "Big Brother Ian... why are you looking at me?"
"Nea, could you lend one of your outfits to Bonney?" Ian asked with a smile. "Not a princess's robe, but the clothes you usually wear."
"That's possible, but... can Big Sister Bonney wear them?" Nea asked doubtfully.
Heh! Ian glanced at Bonney. Of course, she could...