One Piece: Capitalist Brook's Crew Expansion Plan
Chapter 144: Setting Off for Kuri

Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Setting Off for Kuri

When the ragtag samurai boarded the Golden Ark, they couldn’t hide their shock. Even the hands holding their beloved swords were trembling — the ship was just too luxurious.

Not even the shogun’s residence in the Flower Capital was this grand. For a moment, they were truly tempted to pledge themselves to these foreign outsiders.

Then there was the food. The head chef, Streusen, whipped up dishes that utterly conquered their taste buds. Some of the samurai were so moved they actually teared up. What kind of heavenly delicacies were these?

Even back when they were aristocrats or underworld bosses, they had never tasted food this delicious. Was this the splendor of the world beyond Wano?

The tales were true after all — the great seas outside Wano were filled with adventure, passion, exotic customs, and the most incredible foods. No wonder so many longed to set sail.

...

"Honored samurai, the Shogun Sukiyaki has leased Kuri to me. In other words, I now hold the rights of a daimyō there—at least for now. After we pacify Kuri... how would you feel about becoming the founding families of a new era?"

These men were all samurai who had fallen from grace in the Flower Capital, desperately hunting for a chance to rise again. Whether for fame or fortune, Brook decided it was best to throw out the bait first!

"Brook-sama, we’re only helping you suppress Kuri for the money. We are loyal vassals of Shogun Sukiyaki! Once Kuri is settled, we will return to the Flower Capital immediately!"

A young samurai, full of righteous spirit, spoke up. Clearly, he hadn’t been beaten down by society yet. The older samurai, more experienced, kept their silence.

The youth couldn’t have been more than twenty, but he had already learned to wield Haki—a sign of excellent potential. Off to the side, Golden Lion Shiki bit down on his cigar, grinning as he sized up the kid.

Maybe he was even considering whether to tear off a "souvenir" from him during the battle for Kuri!

...

"Tom, let’s take off!"

Brook had originally planned to recruit for another day, but it seemed they had enough. Over a hundred of Hyougoro’s men had crammed aboard the Golden Ark, making things a bit crowded.

Still, flying from the Flower Capital to Kuri wouldn’t take a full day. They could endure it for now. Their first destination was Amigasa Village, the closest spot to the Udon Quarry.

Brook had decided to abandon the main Kuri Castle for now. Although it would become Oden Castle in the future and was the most populous part of Kuri, it was also the most chaotic at present.

The worst trouble spots were Kuri Castle and Atamayama. Itachi Port remained under Kozuki protection, while places like Amigasa Village were poorer and saw less fighting.

...

As the Golden Ark soared into the skies from the Flower Capital, it drew the attention of countless onlookers. Some samurai felt immediate regret—they realized they might have missed their golden ticket!

Meanwhile, inside the Flower Capital prison, something incredible was happening.

A young boy had shattered his handcuffs through sheer brute force, escaping into the streets. Oddly, the guards didn’t put up much resistance. After all, this was the son of the Shogun! How could mere prison guards dare to harm him? Especially when they weren’t even strong enough to stop him!

All they could do was hurriedly send word to the Shogun’s estate.

...

Kozuki Oden was furious. He had missed the martial recruitment, and now he was missing the departure to Kuri as well! He absolutely could not let the outsiders leave without him — he hadn’t even boarded the Golden Ark yet!

The moment he heard about the recruitment drive, he had been struggling to break free of his chains, desperate to join the adventure.

"Fools! How could that brat possibly survive in real battle?! Capture him immediately—and this time, shackle him with pure Seastone cuffs!"

Even Kozuki Sukiyaki felt some headache over his unruly son. Sure, he admitted that Oden’s talent was extraordinary, and his current strength impressive... but he was still just a child!

An eight-year-old brawling in life-and-death fights—what a scandal! Not to mention Oden was his only heir. If something happened to him, the Kozuki family would face extinction.

The last time they came close to dying out was during the rebellion decades ago, when four daimyo lost their lives. If not for Sukiyaki’s birth, Wano might very well be ruled by the Charcoal Clan today!

...

Oden grabbed his twin swords and sprinted toward the foreign recruits, determined to board that ship no matter what.

As the Golden Ark rose higher, Oden roared in anger but refused to give up. He leapt onto rooftops, chasing after the ship at breakneck speed, crashing through countless tile roofs as furious homeowners yelled after him.

But he paid them no mind. His eyes were locked onto the flying ship—getting closer and closer!

Fueled by sheer desperation, Oden’s speed increased until... he began stepping on the air itself, soaring upward like a shooting star!

...

Brook and Redfield had already noticed the boy’s frantic chase. A single flash of sword aura from Brook or a bolt of lightning from Redfield would have easily blasted him back.

But Brook simply chuckled.

"Let him on board."

Brook grinned to himself.

Sukiyaki, your precious son is delivering himself to me. Don’t blame me later—whether as hostage or retainer, from now on you’ll have to think twice before moving against us.

...

Oden closed the gap and tried to stab his twin swords into the Golden Ark to anchor himself—but the Hell Pirates weren’t about to let anyone damage their ship. Not even two tiny sword holes!

At that moment, Golden Lion Shiki moved. With a flick of his fingers, a table flew up and intercepted Oden’s swords midair.

For a moment, Oden thought he had been blocked and glared up at the ship in frustration.

But then he realized—his swords had sunk into a floating table, not the ship itself! And before he could even react, the table, along with him, was pulled upward into the Golden Ark!

...

"This is AMAZING!! You guys have sorcerers who can make things fly, right?! WHO?! I wanna be friends with him!!"

Oden was yelling at the top of his lungs, racing around the deck, gawking at everything like an excited kid. He leaned over the railing, admiring the view of Wano far below.

...

"It’s so beautiful... The Flower Capital looks even more stunning from the sky! I LOVE this ship!"

Oden bounced around like an overexcited puppy, talking non-stop, infecting even the hardened samurai with his energy. Many found themselves stopping to admire the breathtaking view.

From up here, the world looked vast and endless. For a moment, they could forget their hardships and failures. A powerful, stirring feeling rose in their hearts.

Maybe... if you raise your gaze high enough, you can see a broader world.

Those who lived on the wide plains grew bold and open-hearted. Those who lived among mountains and rivers grew gentle and subtle. It all made sense now.

...

"What’s THAT?! It’s incredible!!"

Oden was yelling again. His eyes had landed on Zeus, the thundercloud, and Prometheus, the living sun—Big Mom’s companions—floating not far away. Without hesitation, he bolted over to touch them!

...

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