The Great Voyage Begins with the Celestial Dragons

No matter how you look at it, this homeland is a place filled with sorrow for Hiyori.

Ultimately, however, she chose to return here.

It wasn't just Luther's or Amatsuki's expectations, but also her own personal thoughts.

Luther once told her that truly strong people are always able to face their past misery and thus become stronger.

She strongly agrees with this statement.

Upon returning to Wano Country, she will reclaim everything she once lost and fulfill the long-cherished wish buried deep in her heart.

She will do what Kozuki Oden couldn't do.

She takes care of the things that Momonosuke can't do.

She came back this time to prove how ridiculous the naivety of that father and son was back then.

Sitting across from Hiyori, gazing at the now mature Hiyori, Kawamatsu couldn't help but sigh:

"Lord Hiyori, it has indeed been a long time. It's just a pity, and I feel somewhat ashamed, that I haven't managed Lord Momonosuke well."

When Momonosuke was mentioned, Kawamatsu lowered his head in shame.

He had advised Momonosuke against indulging in pleasure, but perhaps his approach was too direct, and his advice was completely ignored.

As a retainer, even though he knew Moria could discipline Momonosuke, he would never allow Moria to do so.

It can be said that he personally witnessed Momonosuke transform from a normal person into what he is now, a half-dead man.

Kawamatsu also couldn't understand why Momonosuke would be so obsessed with women.

However, now that Hiyori has returned, he can say that he has not failed the general, at least the general has a successor.

Spending a lot of time with Momonosuke makes it hard not to develop feelings of dislike for him.

Even a loyal retainer like Kawamatsu felt a strange unease in his heart.

At least compared to Momonosuke, Moria is far better.

Fortunately, he was loyal to the Kozuki family, not Momonosuke, and Hiyori's appearance allowed him to transfer this loyalty to her.

Looking at Kawamatsu's expression, Hiyori immediately understood what he meant and said accordingly:

"Momonosuke brought this upon himself. Kawamatsu, from now on you will stay by my side."

"As you command, Hiyori-sama!"

He Song agreed without hesitation, and breathed a sigh of relief.

As a member of Wano Country, he usually helps Moria handle internal affairs of Wano Country.

Strictly speaking, he was the chief samurai of Wano Country, in charge of the country's internal military forces.

Having spent so much time with Moria over the years, he inevitably started comparing the two sides.

To his shame, he had considered switching sides to Moria several times.

After all, Momonosuke is practically half dead. They rarely see each other, and their emotional connection is mostly limited to past vows.

"With Hiyori in charge, what kind of country is Wano Country?"

Sitting in the car on the way to the Flower Capital, Luo asked a question out of curiosity.

They had been driving on a wide, flat road all the way from Baiwu.

Vehicles came and went in an endless stream, including freight vehicles, passenger vehicles, and samurai vehicles.

Luo could easily tell whether someone was a local by looking at their clothes.

The people here are more vibrant than the people of Flevans.

Perhaps without the presence of platinum lead poisoning, the two sides would be roughly equal.

However, without platinum lead poisoning, there would also be no wealth derived from platinum and lead, and Frevans would not have been so rich.

Law was eager to know what it was that made Wano Country so wealthy.

He didn't believe that the territory of a strong person could bring wealth. Doflamingo was considered strong in the North Blue, but his territory was still dilapidated and he would have to move to a new one soon.

Moreover, he had heard of other places where strong leaders often brought dictatorship and tyranny, rather than development.

"What kind of country is it? A country with a prosperity that shouldn't belong to it," Hiyori commented sharply.

"Prosperity that doesn't belong to you? What do you mean?" Luo's curiosity grew even stronger.

"Heh, don't be fooled by Wano Country's current prosperity. Its prosperity has nothing to do with the people here. Moria and that prince can easily create another Wano Country by simply marking a piece of land on a map, but once Wano Country is separated from them, it will immediately revert to being an ordinary, isolated country."

Hiyori gave her straightforward evaluation.

Hearing her evaluation, even Kawamatsu, who had been watching the development of Wano Country, couldn't help but nod slightly.

This is something he felt most deeply about.

Without Luther and Moria, Wano Country would never be what it is today, not even if Kozuki Oden were in charge.

Over time, Kawamatsu became acutely aware of Kozuki Oden's limitations.

He was a good leader, but definitely not a good ruler.

Chapter 260 Hiyori's Challenge

"Is that so...?"

When Luo heard such comments, his first thought was pity.

In his mind, Moria was to Wano Country what platinum and lead were to Flevans.

Even if it's poison, it can still be an opportunity for development.

Once Moria leaves or is no longer around, Wano Country will be reduced to its original state, just like Flevance.

Of course, this is just speculation based on the current situation.

Now that Hiyori has returned, everything in the future is uncertain again.

The location for welcoming Hiyori was not the Shogun's Mansion in the Flower Capital.

Before even reaching the Flower City, the vehicle turned onto a small road.

The further they went, the more desolate the surrounding scenery became, with only a few scattered vehicles transporting sea stone.

Luo keenly sensed something was wrong, but when he noticed that Hiyori was expressionless, Barrett was eager to try, and a knowing look appeared in his eyes.

"Hey, is there anything I should be careful about, Head of the household?"

Because he was unfamiliar with his new boss, Luo decided to ask directly.

Logically speaking, it was Kawamatsu who received Hiyori this time, and Hiyori is currently a retainer, so there shouldn't be any major danger for her in the future.

"The area around the rabbit bowl is located in a desert plain, which is boundless. There's nothing to be careful about; just take good care of yourself."

Hiyori's gaze lingered on the distant wilderness, a strange light flickering in her eyes.

This place was both familiar and unfamiliar to her.

It felt unfamiliar because she had never been there before.

It's familiar because this is the place where Kozuki Oden and even Kaido fell.

She was in Kuri at the time, but she watched the whole thing through a live Den Den Mushi (a type of electric telephone).

It was around that time that she developed an extreme admiration for Luther.

At that time, she didn't understand who was strong and who was weak; she only knew that the loser was weak. Luther was the only one who swept everything away with overwhelming force, leaving a very deep impression on her.

"Lord Hiyori, we have arrived."

Kawamatsu's slightly somber voice rang out; returning to this place again had put him in a bad mood.

He was a participant in that battle and still remembers it vividly.

Even now, he can't blame Oden's death on Luther and Moria. You could say they didn't go all out, but if it weren't for Luther and the others helping to hold off Kaido, they would have been wiped out by Kaido long ago.

In the end, it's still that bastard Kanjuro Kurozumi!

Thinking this, Kawamatsu opened the curtain of the carriage, got off first, and gestured for him to proceed.

Hiyori walked down at a leisurely pace, with Luo following closely behind her.

As for Barrett, he had already jumped out of the window, leaving a large hole in the otherwise intact side of the car.

When Hiyori got off the train, she saw the grand preparations Moria had made for her.

It's fair to say that everything that should have come and everything that shouldn't have come came; it was practically Moria's entire crew making an appearance.

Looking at Moria and a large group of people on the hilltop not far away, Hiyori's gaze swept over them one by one.

As if confirming something, or perhaps introducing it to Luo:

"One of the three emperors of the New World, Gecko Moria, with a bounty of 3.2425 billion, is the de facto ruler of Wano Country."

"The strongest demon created by Moria's power, a monster sculpted from the shadow of Kaido and the body of Kozuki Oden."

"Inuarashi, a former retainer of Kozuki Oden and the current king of the Saobu Mink Clan."

"One of Moria's three top lieutenants, Absalom, nicknamed 'The Hermit,' has a bounty of 230 million."

"One of Moria's three top executives, Katrin Demi, nicknamed 'Wakatsuki Hunter,' with a bounty of 270 million, is Moria's ardent admirer."

"One of Moria's three top executives, Basque Jot, nicknamed 'Barrel,' with a bounty of 190 million, was an executive who was defeated and subdued by Moria."

"And finally, the samurai leader of Wano Country, Kawamatsu!"

Hiyori watched as Kawamatsu walked into Moria's ranks, leaving only the three of them to face Moria's entire force.

Overall, Moria had five vice admiral-level officers under his command, and his shadow summons served as his second-in-commands. In the New World, his overall strength was second only to the Whitebeard Pirates.

"Hehehe!!"

Moriah, on the hill, burst into his distinctive laughter.

In an instant, a powerful surge of Conqueror's Haki swept down, directly targeting the three people below.

He is now at his peak, no longer the loser he once was.

Nurturing his status as the Pirate Emperor, his Conqueror's Haki improved dramatically, and he didn't fall behind in any other aspects either.