Chapter 27 : His Majesty Ian!!
In the heart of the Flower Capital, within the grand hall of the castle built atop a great tree...
"Shogun Ian!"
An elderly man with white hair knelt on the ground, his eyes wide with disbelief as he looked up at the child lounging on the high seat. "Are you truly saying you want to abolish the title of Shogun?"
Several others, similarly aged and dressed in neat kimonos, were also kneeling alongside him.
"Yes."
The child sitting at the head of the room, Ian, the newly appointed—though soon to be former—Shogun of Wano, spoke languidly. "Don't you think this title inherently implies a lower status? It's quite embarrassing to meet other kings with it."
"Absolutely not, Shogun Ian," the elderly man quickly protested. "This is a tradition that has been upheld in Wano since ancient times."
The elderly man was a senior official under the former Shogun Orochi, holding the rank of 'Shushō,' which was akin to the shogun's advisor or a prime minister.
There were four such officials in total, all now kneeling before Ian.
Behind them were lower-ranking high-ranking bureaucrats.
One could say that Orochi's long reign over Wano was largely due to their support.
However, these individuals had little genuine loyalty to the fallen Orochi. Once summoned to Ian by the Oniwabanshu's ninjas, they had all promptly and smoothly knelt.
The old man's plea was echoed by many. Other senior officials also begged, "Lord Ian, please reconsider! Neither the Kozuki nor the Kurozumi families ever altered this tradition!"
"And now both the Kozuki and Kurozumi families are gone."
Ian glanced at them, the boy's appearance still soft and youthful, as he said lightly, "Do you wish to uphold the tradition with them?"
The ministers who had just been fervently defending ancestral customs instantly lowered their heads, their foreheads pressed to the floor as they trembled.
Ian chuckled softly.
In the world he came from, a ruler's power came from the people, from the ruling class.
But in this world, power could also come from one's own strength.
"From today onward, I am the King of Wano. Address me as Your Majesty!"
"Yes, Your Majesty Ian."
Everyone seemed to have forgotten their previous stance, becoming exceedingly compliant.
"Excellent. Your only task from now on is to stabilize the domestic situation."
"Yes."
With the meeting concluded, all the officials respectfully withdrew.
Wasn't that quite simple?
Ian felt the thrill of the fallen Shogun Orochi.
There was no need for him to worry about anything; these elite bureaucrats could handle all affairs related to Wano Country and maintain its operations on their own.
As a Shogun—oh, now he should be referred to as a king—Ian, as the king, only needed to make decisions on certain major issues.
That's exactly what Kaido did.
Even in cases of corruption among officials and conspiracies, there were corresponding measures in place.
"I'll keep a close eye on them, Your Majesty Ian. I won't let them have any opportunity to act recklessly."
After the officials had left, a shadow flickered and knelt before Ian. The shiny bald head under the lamp's light even made Ian squint.
Fukurokuju and the ninjas he led were not just skilled in combat.
They were also Ian's eyes and ears.
They reported every move of these officials to Ian.
Being a king was really easy; Kaido-sensei was absolutely right.
"By the way, Your Majesty Ian, there is someone I think you should meet."
Fukurokuju lifted his head and said suddenly.
"Oh? Lead the way."
Fukurokuju guided Ian to a secret passage in the castle, and after following it down, they soon arrived outside a locked room.
"Inside here is the former Shogun of the Kozuki family, Kozuki Sukiyaki," Fukurokuju said respectfully. "He is actually not dead. For some reason, Lord Kaido and Orochi have kept him imprisoned here."
Ah, so this old man is still alive.
His son, Kozuki Oden, caused chaos throughout Wano Country, but Sukiyaki was not much better. In the original story, after escaping from danger, he did nothing and lived in obscurity for twenty years, letting the country languish in hell.
"Open the door," Ian said.
"Yes."
Fukurokuju took out a key and unlocked the small door.
The space inside was surprisingly spacious. As Ian walked in, he felt a chill, and the floor was quite damp.
Ian saw a row of shelves filled with many beautiful female dolls.
A man sat in front of the shelves, fiddling with one of the dolls.
Oh right, this old guy is a figure enthusiast who enjoys collecting beautiful girl dolls.
Kozuki Sukiyaki turned around and looked at Ian with a slight surprise.
Child?
"Have you really remembered me again? I thought I had long been forgotten."
Ian looked at the man who was slowly speaking. The man appeared to be around fifty or sixty years old, but his hair and beard were completely white.
"At this point, what else could you want from me? Haven't you already gotten hold of that hidden stone?"
Ian recalled that there was a passage further down in this room, leading to a deeper secret chamber where the historical text of Wano's Red Poneglyph was kept.
However, that Red Poneglyph had long been obtained by Kaido.
The current Wano is surrounded by high walls built around the entire country, after the original Wano was submerged. It was constructed on the mountainside.
The secret chamber that preserved the historical text of the Red Poneglyph had long been submerged by water.
Although Kaido didn't know the secret passage, he could reach the chamber through the waters outside the passage.
Ian suspected this was the direct reason why Jack was brought back, as he was a Fishman.
It had been a year since then. When Jack was first brought back, he wasn't yet a Devil Fruit user. Kaido had taken him to the Flower Capital, and after returning to Onigashima, Jack said that Kaido-sensei had instructed him to find a stone in the water.
"I've heard that the Kozuki family is the most famous stonemasonry family in Wano."
Ian walked over to the shelf and picked up a doll.
Honestly, it didn't match his taste. This was a traditional Japanese-style doll, whereas Ian preferred the "Super, Original!" kind of 2D style.
"Yes, Your Majesty Ian."
Fukurokuju quickly responded, "The Kozuki family is not only an ancient royal family of Wano but also the foremost stonemasonry family in this country."
"Your Majesty?"
Kozuki Sukiyaki was momentarily stunned. He turned to Ian and asked, "Who exactly are you?"
Clearly, he was just a child!
"Standing before you is the King of Wano, the esteemed disciple of Kaido, His Majesty Ian!"
Fukurokuju diligently introduced Ian's status. "Before him, you should remain humble!"
"The King!!"
Kozuki Sukiyaki murmured to himself.
How could it be the King!
How could it be a child!
"What on earth happened?" he asked, his voice filled with fear.
"Kozuki Oden's rebellion was defeated by Lord Kaido and he was executed yesterday," Fukurokuju said bluntly. "Kurozumi Orochi's ambition led him to challenge the Beasts Pirates, and he was also personally slain by His Majesty Ian. Now, His Majesty Ian is the true ruler of this country!"
"..."
Kozuki Sukiyaki's lips moved as he stared blankly.
Oden… dead?
Orochi… dead?
The Shogun of this country is now a disciple of Kaido? Has this country been completely controlled by the Beasts Pirates?
The doll in his hand suddenly fell to the ground, its exquisite and ornate clothing now stained with dust.
Ian glanced down at the doll. This fellow had been living quite a leisurely life over the years.
"Let's get back to the point."
Ian looked at Kozuki Sukiyaki, whose face was slowly showing signs of sorrow. "I've also heard that the True History Text was engraved by the ancestors of the Kozuki family."
The sadness on Kozuki Sukiyaki's face froze at that moment.
Meanwhile, Fukurokuju was somewhat confused. Was this really the case? He, a native of Wano Country, had no knowledge of this.
"Since that's the case, you must understand ancient texts, right?"
Ian asked. "Teach me."
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