[RLOP] Chapter : 27 - Izo's entry

A dilapidated hut stood lonely against the wilderness.

Outside, a slender figure in a kimono lingered by the door. Pale-skinned, with two pistols at her waist, she studied a secret letter—its cipher legible only to the Kozuki retainers.

After confirming the location, her hand hovered, hesitating to knock.

“Come in, Izo.”

The familiar voice froze her in place.

In that instant, the disguise fell away—revealing not a woman, but him: Whitebeard Pirates’ 16th Division Commander, Kozuki retainer—Izo.

Creak—

He steadied the storm inside his chest and pushed the door open.

Within sat a hunched old man in a Tengu mask. Though the mask concealed his face, Izo recognized him instantly.

The former Shogun of Wano, father of Kozuki Oden—Kozuki Sukiyaki.

The man thought long dead.

And yet, here he was, alive.

“Long time no see, Izo,” Sukiyaki said lightly. “Seems my carrier pigeon finally reached you.”

Time itself seemed to stop.

Shock, rage, joy, and disbelief clashed across Izo’s face. His fists clenched, his body trembling as he stepped forward—then halted before the old man.

“Why… Your Excellency Sukiyaki…” His voice cracked.

The thoughts of Oden’s boiling execution surged, and tears streamed down his face.

“If you were alive—why didn’t you stand up when Oden-sama was killed!?

“Why didn’t you appear when Orochi hunted us retainers!?"

“Why didn’t you come forward when the people of Wano starved and suffered!?

“Why! Why! WHY!"

“What have you been doing all these years!?”

His furious roar made Sukiyaki falter. Behind the mask, his expression twisted between sorrow, shame, and anger.

Part of him wanted to cry that Izo had no right to condemn him without knowing Wano’s hidden truths. But he needed Izo’s strength.

So he forced composure. Gesturing at the wooden puppets scattered across the room, he said weakly, “Making dolls. See? I craft them well, don’t I?”

He handed one to Izo, attempting levity.

But Izo’s twitching eye betrayed the barely restrained fury burning inside him.

Quickly, Sukiyaki added, “I was imprisoned by Orochi. By the time I escaped, everything had already… changed.”

“Changed?!” Izo snapped. “You watched! You let the people suffer while the samurai turned into predators and the Beasts Pirates—Kaido’s men!—became their protectors! Do you understand how twisted that is!?”

Silence.

Of course Sukiyaki knew. But burdened with Wano’s hidden legacy, he had chosen to remain in the shadows—for Momonosuke’s sake.

At last, he spoke, voice low. “Izo… there are matters I cannot reveal. Secrets I must deliver only to Momonosuke. For that, I cannot die, nor can I expose myself.”

The words reignited Izo’s fury.

“More important than your people!? More important than your family!?”

“I cannot tell you.”

Izo’s breath hitched. His gaze swept the room again—only puppets, nothing else.

“…Where is Hiyori?” he demanded at last.

“I don’t know.”

“That’s your granddaughter! And you say you don’t—”

He cut himself off when Sukiyaki suddenly dropped to his knees, bowing deeply.

“I’m sorry, Izo. I know your grievances. But Orochi’s behavior has grown erratic… I must confirm whether he knows of that matter! Please…” His forehead struck the floorboards. Thud! “Take me to Onigashima!”

Izo trembled.

The man before him—this once-proud shogun—felt like a stranger. So cold. So distant.

“What could be so important that you would abandon your own blood?”

Having lived under Whitebeard, a man who valued family above all, Izo could not comprehend it.

“…Do you even know what it means for the Commander of Whitebeard’s 16th Division to set foot in Wano?” he asked bitterly.

“In the name of the Kozuki clan,” Sukiyaki answered, forehead still pressed to the floor.

Izo closed his eyes, exhaling a long, weary breath. “This is the last time. No matter what happens… I will take Hiyori away. And after that—remove the Kozuki crest from me.”

The sun sank. Night fell.

High above the land, a radiant white giant cat streaked across the sky like a falling star.

Two young girls clung to its back, laughing in awe.

“You’re so fast, Lucci!”

“Wow~ The scenery’s flying past, Lucci-sama!”

“Wuwu Big kitty Big kitty So soft and warm, it feels like a bed”

“Eh? A feather!” Hiyori gasped, holding up one larger than her hand. She pressed it against her cheek, feeling the warmth and faint scent of Lucci. Her face flushed pink.

Like how dogs had their scent… this tiger carried his own.

A raw, untamed musk. Fierce. No seasoning needed.

The massive tiger head glanced back, golden eyes narrowing.

“Don’t pull my feathers.”

His deep, resonant voice rolled across the sky like something divine.

Hiyori yelped softly, hiding the feather against her chest. “I’m sorry, Lucci-sama…” She stuck her tongue out sheepishly, cheeks red.

After a pause, Lucci looked forward again. Forget it. Just a feather.

But then he turned once more.

And there was Yamato—beaming, a feather tucked into her hair like an ornament.

The majestic beast's eye twitched, his sacred aura cracking into exasperation.

“Don’t be stingy~” Yamato laughed, tilting her head. “Well? How does it look, Lucci?”

Her cheer was bright, carefree—like the Yamato from his past-life memories.

Ever since that morning, after being struck by Lucci’s Conqueror’s Haki, she seemed reborn. No longer chasing Oden’s ghost, no longer desperate for meaning.

She had reset.

Returned to her unguarded, innocent self.

In her own words, Yamato was no longer lost. She had found the courage to move forward—thanks to Lucci.

And in return, she wanted to help him climb to the very top. She wanted to see, with her own eyes, the so-called “empty throne” welcome its new master.

For that, she would keep growing stronger. Stronger than her father. Stronger than Kaido of the Beasts himself.

Seeing Yamato in this state, Lucci knew. She had completely pledged herself to him.

It felt like drawing an SSR character card—his mood could only be described as elated.

As for surpassing Kaido? In a world where bloodlines defined destiny, Lucci believed she could do it. After all, Yamato’s lineage was nothing short of monstrous.

Well—except for Ace, the most tragically nerfed second-gen king of all time.

“Lucci, say something.”

Yamato’s voice tugged him from his thoughts. She was tugging his fur like an impatient child. Just as she began to pout, thinking he wouldn’t answer, the sacred voice finally rumbled from his beast-form throat:

“It looks good.”

A beat of silence.

“…You too, Hiyori.”

“Wow~ Thank you, Lucci-sama!”

Bliss spread across Hiyori’s face. She had tucked a feather into her hair like Yamato and now pressed her cheek deep into the warm fur on his back, nuzzling as if she’d never let go.

Yamato beamed too, but then her eyes sparked mischievously. She tried pulling out more feathers to fix her hairstyle—only to find not a single one would budge.

After several failed attempts, she puffed her cheeks and made a silly face at him.
“Nyah-nyah~ Stingy kitty.”

Still a child, Lucci thought, observing all of it with his Haki.

Though he had to remind himself: if you counted his age in this life, he wasn’t much older either. Barely fourteen.

Yamato soon gave up, lying flat against his back, soaking in his warmth. Her voice drifted up, quiet now, almost hesitant.

“Hey, Lucci… do you think Father will ever forgive me?”

She didn’t wait for an answer before rambling on, her voice tinged with loneliness.
“I’ve always gone against him. Every time I made him angry, I got tossed into the dungeon. The Beast Pirates don’t even like me.”

She bit her lip, replaying all the reckless choices she once thought were right—now realizing how wrong they had been.

“Kaido-san is the one who loves you the most in this world.”

“…What?”

The certainty in Lucci’s reply stunned her. She gave a bitter laugh, almost like a child desperate to deny it.
“How could that be? What father tries to kill his own daughter?”

“You didn’t die, did you?”

“Eh?”

Lucci’s tone was calm, factual.
“The battles between pirates aren’t children’s games. Kaido and Kozuki Oden were enemies. For you, his daughter, to shout that you wanted to become Oden—that was betrayal. And Kaido never forgives betrayal. Usually, traitors are tortured by King, then used in Queen’s experiments…”

Yamato flinched, recalling the torments. Then, almost whispering, she admitted, “And yet I lived.”

“Exactly. You betrayed him for three years and still didn’t die. That’s the proof.”

Lucci thought he was still underselling it. If he hadn’t meddled in Wano, Yamato would have kept screaming about becoming Oden for two decades straight under Kaido’s nose—and still wouldn’t have been killed. She even, by sheer ‘coincidence,’ ate an impossibly rare Mythical Zoan.

If that wasn’t Kaido’s twisted way of protecting her… what was?

Kaido… I’ve been worrying about your family more than you have.

In return, I’ll be taking your daughter.

With that thought, Lucci decided to drop a quiet bombshell.

“Kaido-san even kept a Mythical Zoan for you. He planned to give it once you realized your mistake.”

Yamato’s eyes widened.
“A Mythical Zoan!? Father saved it for me!? If I eat it, will I turn into a big kitty like you!?”

Before Lucci could reply, she buried her face into his fur like Hiyori, her muffled voice warm with childlike hope.
“Then… what should I do?”

“It’s simple. Just apologize.”

“Really!?”

“No father rejects an apology from his daughter.”

“…Mmm.”

Above the two, Hiyori trembled. Her face, hidden in Lucci’s fur, had drained from crimson to ash.

Kozuki… Kozuki… Kozuki…

Why did the name still haunt her? Why, even in death, did her father still bind her? Why was everything given to her brother—yet she could never escape?

Hiyori hadn’t revealed her identity to Lucci and Yamato. Not because of schemes, but because of fear. The truth was too dangerous. Her father, Kozuki Oden, had been Kaido’s sworn enemy. If they knew she was his daughter, her fragile happiness would shatter in an instant.

For three years since Oden’s death, she had wandered Wano’s mountains. She no longer cared for right or wrong. All she wanted was to live each day well—by Lucci’s side.

If they knew I was Oden’s daughter…

The thought froze her.

“Don’t cry, you two.”

Lucci’s voice rumbled, breaking the silence. “Besides making my back all wet, what does it solve?”

“Urusai!” Yamato snapped, the only one to answer.

But Lucci’s sharp eyes caught Hiyori’s silence. He wasn’t prying enough to dig into minds—but he could guess. The admiration shining in her eyes was as strong as Yamato’s.

You’re afraid I’ll push you away if I learn the truth, aren’t you? Interesting.

With that thought, Lucci flapped his wings, picking up speed.

“Lucci-sama.”

“What is it?”

“When we reach Mt. Atama, please drop me off. I’ll go alone.”

“What!? No way!” Yamato protested instantly. “Those bandits are strong! What if they hurt you?”

Hiyori only smiled softly, warmed by Yamato’s concern. “It’s fine, Sister Yamato. I’m friends with them. If I go in first, I can explain things and avoid misunderstandings. Besides… isn’t Lucci-sama going after Orochi? Denjiro is a powerful samurai—if he and the bandits join us, it will help Lucci-sama.”

Yamato frowned. “If Denjiro is that strong, then I don’t think—”

Lucci cut her off.

“Do as you wish, Hiyori.”

He paused, his voice flat.

“But you don’t need to worry about Denjiro. I already killed him.”

“Eh!?”

Two voices gasped at once.