Chapter 30: 30. The Secret Under The Shogun's Castle

Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari Eager for today's chapter? You can read it in advance by joining my P@treon ---------- In the heart of the Flower Capital, within the Shogun's Mansion, lies the secluded Kokeshi Room—the private quarters of the late Shogun, Kozuki Sukiyaki. This is where Alex brought his captives, a place Kurozumi Orochi knew well. It was a hidden chamber, built by the former Shogun he had betrayed and 'killed', Kozuki Sukiyaki. Yet, as Alex promised they would "meet someone," Orochi grew suspicious. The room was bordered by walls on three sides, filled only with peculiar treasures: rows of delicate kokeshi dolls, ancient swords, and trinkets once prized by the former Shogun. The Oniwabanshu guards, silent and tense, glanced around uncertainly but dared not ask questions. Alex had the room firmly under his control, and they knew better than to interrupt him. Alex examined the room, touching the dolls and the objects around them. He noted the difference in dust thickness between the dolls and the swords—subtle evidence that some items had been tended to, unlike others left untouched for years. "The one I brought you to meet has been lingering here, clinging to his last breaths," Alex said, kneeling to place his hands on the floor. He didn't need to search for the hidden exit; with the power of the Float-Float Fruit, he lifted a large stone slab, revealing a secret passageway leading underground. Kurozumi Orochi's eyes widened as he registered Alex's words, his mind racing. Though it was rumored that Kozuki Sukiyaki had died of illness, Orochi knew better. Sukiyaki had been secretly imprisoned in Onigashima by him and Kurozumi Higurashi. But one day, without warning, Sukiyaki had vanished without a trace. The guards swore no one had entered or left, and eventually, people simply forgot. Now, as he stared down the newly exposed passage, Orochi's pulse quickened, dreading the possibility that Kozuki Sukiyaki might still be alive. Alex descended the staircase with calm purpose, and as he did, he considered the history of Wanokuni. In the distant past, Wanokuni had been a vast island at sea level, open to the world and untouched by towering mountains or cascading waterfalls. Then, eight hundred years ago, to shield itself from the outside world—or perhaps to protect its secrets—a colossal wall was erected around the island. Rainwater, trapped over centuries, flooded the valley, and the people were forced to climb to higher ground, creating the elevated Wanokuni of today. The passage they now entered led to secrets known only to Wanokuni's Shoguns, a lineage of knowledge that neither the self-proclaimed Shogun Kurozumi Orochi nor his associates ever uncovered. Here, the only two who knew these truths were the hidden Kozuki Sukiyaki, and Alex, with his knowledge of the plot. In the hidden chamber beneath the long passageway lay one of Wanokuni's most closely guarded secrets: the Road Poneglyph, a massive red stone inscribed with historical text, and beyond it, the dormant Ancient Weapon—Pluton. For Pluton's formidable power to be fully unleashed, the towering mountain walls surrounding Wanokuni would have to be shattered, symbolizing a literal and metaphorical "rebirth" of the country. In the original timeline, Jack, relying on his Fish-Man physique, had stumbled upon this place, but not until long after Kozuki Sukiyaki's apparent death and the rise of Orochi. However, things had played out differently here. Sukiyaki had eluded death, escaping through this very passage and later adopting the identity of Tenguyama Hitetsu. This was long after Oden's demise, and the secrets remained intact—hidden from Kaido and Orochi's forces. For Alex, with memories of the original tale guiding him, this knowledge was now a weapon he wielded to his advantage. The stairway was steep, stretching hundreds of meters down through the mountain's foundation. As they descended, Alex felt faint yet distinct emotional ripples—apprehension and anxiety that intensified with each step toward the chamber below. At last, they reached the stone gate at the bottom. The emotions behind the door reached a peak, almost palpable in the still air. Alex pushed the gate open, revealing a vast, dimly lit room supported by towering stone pillars. Dominating the chamber was the unmistakable crimson Road Poneglyph in the center, its engraved surface looming in silent authority. Though the room seemed deserted, there were clues of recent activity: freshly used torches, a scattering of fishing gear in one corner. Alex picked up a stone, then, with perfect precision, threw it against the wall torch, sparking it alight and flooding part of the room with warm, flickering light. His gaze fixed on the ancient Poneglyph, Alex spoke firmly, "There's no need to hide, Kozuki Sukiyaki. I know you're here." Kurozumi Orochi's head snapped up in shock, his worst suspicions confirmed. All around him, the ninja guards gasped, horror-struck as if facing a long-lost enemy. Their attention was riveted on the massive red stone, their faces pale with disbelief. His hiding place revealed, Kozuki Sukiyaki finally emerged from the shadows. He looked like a man worn down by hardship, dressed in tattered clothes, his expression wary. Under the torchlight, he could have been mistaken for a beggar, but there was a guarded dignity in his eyes. "Sukiyaki?! You're...alive?!" Orochi's voice trembled with horror, as if he'd seen a ghost. The Oniwabanshu blurted out, "Shogun Sukiyaki?!" Shock held their tongues in check, yet they couldn't contain their amazement. Equally surprised, Sukiyaki's eyes widened as he took in Orochi and Fukurokuju, his gaze hardening. "Orochi! Fukurokuju! So it's you..." But then his gaze turned to Alex, studying him carefully. Sukiyaki's eyes showed a flicker of confusion, wondering who this stranger was, how he could know the Kozuki family's deepest secrets, and why he had brought Orochi and his followers here.