Chapter 311: After the Storm: Oden’s Hope and Karl’s Rule

“Gurararara!”

“That’s enough for today, brats from Karl’s Pirate Crew. The battle ends here.”

“We’ve got some family business to take care of.”

Perospero stood at the front of the deck, face grim as he watched Whitebeard Newgate towering in the distance. He waved his hand in silence.

If Whitebeard Newgate himself joined the fight, things would turn dire for them.

Something must have happened to make Whitebeard Newgate act like this.

Soon, Perospero and his crew retreated back to their own ship.

“If you just want to handle private matters and don’t wish for a fight, I suggest you fall back from the border.”

Whitebeard Newgate heard this and a flicker of anger stirred inside him.

“Little candy brat, you’ve got no right to talk to me that way. Go fetch Karl if you want to talk.”

“Or are you itching to take me on yourself?”

The massive Cloud Cutter slammed down on the deck.

The shockwave even traveled from the Moby Dick straight out into the nearby sea.

All the ships rocked violently from the impact.

“Let’s go!”

Perospero clenched his teeth and glared at Whitebeard Newgate in the distance. He’d remember this humiliation.

One day, he’d make sure Whitebeard knew the Karl Family wasn’t to be messed with.

If it weren’t for the fact that Whitebeard Newgate once knew his own father, these two giant pirate crews would have gone to war long ago.

As Perospero and his ships sailed away, Whitebeard Newgate called Kozuki Oden over.

“Oden, just now, I heard there’s some bad blood between you and Karl.”

Whitebeard Newgate had overheard his talks with Katakuri, and that was why he’d intervened.

Realizing there was no point hiding anymore, Kozuki Oden approached slowly.

He recounted everything about himself and Karl since the days of the Rocks Era, the attack on God Valley, and the news of Karl’s death, up until his own father on the island wanted to rebel against Karl’s rule.

He spent hours laying it all out in detail.

Whitebeard finished listening and found himself at a loss.

He knew that the islands under Karl’s rule were doing pretty well.

At least everyone was well-fed and dressed. Nobody needed to worry about pirates or kidnappers showing up at any moment.

But for those rulers whose islands suddenly fell under someone else’s control, it was impossible not to feel upset or unwilling.

After hearing about Karl’s rumored death, it made sense to resist his control.

Noticing the unease on Kozuki Oden’s face, Whitebeard let out a hearty laugh.

“Gurararara!”

“You’re my brother now!”

“Relax, as long as you’re with the Whitebeard Pirates,

I won’t let Karl mess with you.”

Compared to years of sailing together, nothing beat the bond he now felt with Kozuki Oden.

And men who roam the seas should have already braced for such things.

“Whitey, that really moves me.”

“Sons! It’s time to party!”

As the crew burst into celebration, Whitebeard Newgate let out a silent sigh where no one could see.

If Kozuki Oden’s enemy was anyone else, even Golden Lion, he could have stepped in for him.

But Oden’s enemy was Karl. Who didn’t know Karl’s strength?

Now even Whitebeard wouldn’t say he could beat Karl, let alone with Charlotte Linlin and Ledfield as top-tier allies.

And not to mention a countless number of vice-admiral—or even admiral-level—subordinates.

If they really clashed, the Whitebeard Pirates could suffer grievous losses.

For now, he’d have to bury these worries deep.

At the same time, changes in Wano were beyond anyone’s expectations.

Thanks to Karl’s years of effort, Wano had long since opened its borders.

Hardliners were sent away to mine in the quarries.

After years of moving people around, only a tenth of Wano’s original population remained.

That made it easier for Karl to keep control and extract the rich seastone resources there.

Across Wano, skyscrapers now towered overhead, trains and subways ran everywhere.

Vegapunk had gotten so many new ideas from Karl and managed to turn many of them into reality over the years.

Aside from the most cutting-edge tech, every other field had advanced in leaps and bounds.

Technology seemed to develop faster than ever.

Even smartphones had reached the old Nokia level—capable of calls, but touchscreen devices would have to wait just a bit longer.

Back in a prison at Rabi Well, Kozuki Sukiyaki had wasted away to skin and bones.

His only escape was to watch films and shows on a video transponder snail in his spare time.

The heirs of the main families had either worked themselves to death or were tortured beyond recognition.

The only thing keeping them going was the hope that Kozuki Oden was still out there somewhere.

They clung to the hope that one day Oden would return to this island.

“Kozuki Oden, you’re the only hope left for all of Wano now.”

So, what was our Kozuki Oden up to these days?

After that brief run-in with Perospero, their fleet had returned to base.

Along the way, Kozuki Oden and Toki grew close and ended up holding a wedding on the ship.

“Congratulations!”

“Who’d have thought, out of all the old bachelors here, you’d be the first to tie the knot.”

No one could match the envy in Marco’s eyes.

Who would’ve guessed all it took was Oden playing hero to win a beauty’s heart? The others could only dream.

“Heh, what’s so great about getting married? It’s just falling into the grave of matrimony.”

“A man’s heart is free from women, only then can he truly unsheath his blade.”

Even without looking, everyone knew that was Vista’s line.

That tone couldn’t have sounded more like classic sour grapes.

“Hahaha!”

“You all talk big, but your hearts say otherwise.”

Thatch walked out holding a plate heaped with grilled meat.

“If you ask me, you’re just jealous.”

“Tch, who’s jealous? Not me, no way.”

“But your grilling skills are off today, man. Doesn’t taste right.”

“Or are you jealous, too?”

Jozu joked as he ate, squinting at him with a teasing look.

It was all the same—everyone poking fun at each other, pretending not to care.

“Hey, you eating that or not? If not, hand it over.”

Hearing that Thatch was going to swipe his food, Jozu immediately bolted with the platter of grilled meat.

“Hahaha!”

“Look at the way Jozu runs!”

“…”

Good times were always so short-lived.

Oden’s wedding wasn’t the only surprise.

Over on Karl’s side, the first batch of robots was already under research.

In the lab, Karl couldn’t help but ask Vegapunk as he fiddled with the robots.

“How’s their combat power? How long can they run?”

Vegapunk shook his head after careful tests and analysis.

“These robots have short battery life and limited firepower—they’re only good as cannon fodder.”

“Their attack power is nothing compared to the gene clones.”

“The only advantage is they’re cheap and can be mass-produced, so they’re good for patrols.”

Karl was disappointed. He’d hoped these machines would make a difference.

The things they were about to do were earth-shaking—no amount of cannon fodder would be enough for that kind of battlefield.

For clearing out small fry, maybe, but it wasn’t worth pouring in too many resources. He’d have a batch made and see how they worked.