Super Card System

“Kuri?!”

Upon hearing Marco’s words, the young princess Naya immediately covered her small mouth with her hand and exclaimed in surprise, “Are… are you pirates from the Kaido Pirates too?!”

As soon as they heard this, the samurai and ninja tasked with protecting her in the wooden house immediately drew their weapons and rushed to stand in front of her. The people outside reacted similarly; they all charged in, looking at Ian and his two companions as if facing a formidable enemy.

“Protect Lady Karei-hime!!” they shouted.

Hmm!? Why such a reaction? Could it be…

While Ian was pondering, Marco hurriedly waved his hands and said, “Don’t misunderstand, we are not members of the Beasts Pirates!”

“Beasts Pirates? What is that…” Princess Naya looked puzzled.

Ian slapped his forehead. He understood and asked, “Princess Naya, you must have heard about the Kaido Pirates from someone else, right?!”

This little princess called the Beasts Pirates the Kaido Pirates, but when she heard the real name of Kaido’s pirate group, she looked confused. This can only mean she heard it from someone else and probably didn’t hear it clearly.

So Ian had to explain to her, “The Kaido Pirates are the Beasts Pirates. However, we are not members of his pirate group! In fact, we are his enemies!”

Ian had already noticed that when the little princess mentioned the Kaido Pirates, all the samurai and ninja here became extremely nervous. This indicates that they don’t have a good impression of Kaido and the Beasts Pirates.

As for which side Naya’s father, the daimyo of Nishi-Ueno, Hidakira, is on, it’s still unknown. But Ian felt that at least he is not on Kaido’s side.

Ian guessed right. Upon hearing that the three were not members of the Beasts Pirates but their enemies, the samurai inside and outside the house all showed relieved expressions. The ninjas were similar; although their faces were covered and expressions couldn’t be seen, their hostility had decreased significantly.

At this time, Bonney curiously interjected, “We just asked about Kuri, why did you react so strongly?”

Naya turned her head to look at Bonney. Seeing her fashionable and revealing attire, her little face blushed immediately, but she still secretly glanced at Bonney’s clothes, her eyes full of novelty. However, she still answered the three, “Because now, normal people wouldn’t want to go to Kuri, right? It has been razed to ruins by the Beasts Pirates…”

Hearing this, Marco became anxious and quickly asked, “So, the war between your shogun and the Kozuki family is really over?!”

Although they knew about Ace being captured, and the Whitebeard Pirates had basically guessed this situation, Marco still held a glimmer of hope when he came here. Now, suddenly hearing that Kuri had been razed to ruins, he naturally found it hard to accept.

A group of foreign pirates actually cared about the war between the shogun and a daimyo of Wano Country. This was indeed a bit strange. Not only Princess Naya, but the samurai in the room also looked at Ian and his two companions curiously.

“Yes, it’s over!” Naya nodded and said, “Just the day before yesterday, I received a letter from Father. He told me that the shogun’s army has withdrawn from Kuri, and only the Beasts Pirates are left there… Since you are enemies of the Beasts Pirates, did you come here to help the Kozuki family fight? I heard from Father that this time, many strange and extraordinary people helped them resist…”

Strange and extraordinary people probably refer to Ace, Fujitora, and Izo, right?

This Princess Naya, perhaps because of her royal status, seems a bit precocious. But anyway, she’s only a little girl of twelve or thirteen years old, still somewhat childish. Ian could tell that although she knew some things, she didn’t know much detail. She probably only knew what her father told her, so she only knew that there were such people but didn’t know the specifics.

Ian thought for a moment and felt that meeting such a little princess here might be a good thing. They could first inquire about some information from her.

So Ian asked, “Princess Naya, your father is also one of the daimyos of Wano Country?”

“Yes!” Naya nodded.

“Then, in this war between the shogun and the Kozuki family, didn’t your father participate? As one of the daimyos, he should have helped the shogun, right?” Ian asked.

“No!” Princess Naya shook her head, “In fact, not only Father but two other daimyos also did not participate in this crusade…”

“Oh?” Ian raised an eyebrow, sat cross-legged on the ground, and said, “Can you tell us more?”

Seeing Ian’s casual posture, a samurai next to him couldn’t help but shout, “Rude fellow! How dare you act like this in front of Lady Karei-hime…”

Before he could finish, Naya waved her hand indifferently, “It’s okay!”

Then, she curiously said to Ian, “I have actually met some outsiders. It’s said that people from the outside seas only disregard etiquette in front of familiar ‘friends’ and ‘companions.’ Do you also consider me a friend?”

Ian was amused by her words. This little girl seemed quite endearing, so he nodded, “Haha, it’s certainly good to have a little princess as a friend! Let me introduce myself. My name is Ian, and I’m currently a pirate. My pirate group is called the Dragon Hunter Pirates. This pineapple-headed guy is Marco, the first division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. This scantily clad lady is Bonney. She is also a pirate captain!”

“What do you mean by scantily clad?!” Bonney was unhappy when she heard this, tugging at her clothes, “This is called fashion! You uncultured guy!”

“Fashion?” Princess Naya looked curiously at Bonney’s clothes, her little face blushing again. Of course, she couldn’t understand the word fashion; she just felt Bonney’s clothes were so embarrassing…

Ian noticed that the people of Wano Country present didn’t have much reaction to his self-introduction. It’s understandable that they didn’t know about the Dragon Hunter Pirates, a newly rising Emperor-level pirate group, but even not knowing about the old Whitebeard Pirates was a bit depressing…

Marco probably felt the same way. On the seas of the New World, he was a famous person. But here, he wasn’t as eye-catching as Bonney’s attire…

After hearing that Ian was willing to befriend her, Princess Naya seemed quite happy. However, the samurai beside her were a bit angry. In their view, how could Lady Karei-hime, with her noble status, casually befriend unknown pirates? So they glared at Ian with resentment.

From here, one can actually see a bit of Wano Country’s situation. For young people like Princess Naya, they are willing to accept new things and are curious about the outside world. But those deeply influenced by class concepts are very uncomfortable with this, just like the samurai present.

As for these people, Ian naturally couldn’t be bothered. After successfully getting a bit closer to Naya, Ian asked, “Naya, you said that several daimyos of Wano Country didn’t want to participate in the war. What’s going on?”

“Actually, I also heard from Father!” Naya’s little face looked a bit serious at this time, “Because even in Wano Country, the Kozuki family is a noble family and has been loyal for generations. Although in this generation, Lord Kozuki Oden, as a daimyo, secretly violated the law and went to sea, and after returning, he has been seeking to open the country, leading to being branded with a crime. But in Father’s view, the Kozuki family doesn’t deserve death!”

“Not only does Father think so, but the other two daimyos think so too. They all believe that only a slight punishment is needed for the Kozuki family, and there’s no need to make a big fuss!” Naya tried hard to recall her father’s words, “But for some reason, the shogun insisted on attacking the Kozuki family. Father and the others couldn’t dissuade him, so they could only adopt a neutral attitude and were unwilling to send troops in response to the shogun’s call!”

Hearing this, Ian couldn’t help but exchange a glance with Marco. They saw deep regret in each other’s eyes.

Princess Naya was still young and might not realize the meaning behind this. In fact, in Ian’s view, these daimyos adopting a neutral attitude might have been well-intentioned, but they didn’t know that they were actually harming the Kozuki family!

The reason is simple. Why did the shogun of Wano Country insist on attacking the Kozuki family? Isn’t it because the policy and ideology of opening the country might harm his ruling position?

He had already sensed the potential crisis that the Kozuki family’s thoughts might bring!

In this situation, if all the other daimyos responded to his call and sent troops, perhaps it would make the shogun realize that his position was still very secure. Perhaps, on the contrary, it might let the Kozuki family escape disaster.

This also relates to the political situation of Wano Country. Under the shogun, the seven daimyos act as feudal lords, but the shogun doesn’t have control over the national army. Instead, the daimyos can have their own armies…

And it’s precisely because these daimyos adopted a neutral attitude, making the shogun of Wano Country realize that his orders were no longer effective! This made him even more determined to take action to kill one as a warning to others!

The daimyos not sending troops, the shogun might have insufficient forces. In order to achieve the best deterrent effect, he didn’t hesitate to borrow the power of the Beasts Pirates to completely suppress the Kozuki family!

Doing a bad thing with good intentions—that’s what this situation describes…

However, Ian and the others also learned from Naya’s narration that Naya’s father, the daimyo of Nishi-Ueno, Hidakira, should be kind to the Kozuki family.

This kindness may be based on the Kozuki family’s reputation or may be related to disgust at the shogun borrowing the power of Kaido. The other daimyos may have similar thoughts. In short, under such a political system, it’s impossible for them to be united.

This might bring some convenience to Ian and the others’ upcoming rescue operation…

At this time, Naya continued, “Although Father and the others didn’t participate, the shogun still attacked the Kozuki family. Father said that during the resistance, many strange and extraordinary people appeared on the Kozuki family’s side. The shogun’s army also suffered significant casualties. But because of Kaido’s help, the Kozuki family was ultimately defeated. Lord Kozuki Oden was executed, but his retainers escaped. Now, the Kozuki family’s territory, Kuri, is entirely occupied by the Beasts Pirates. Father is very angry about this…”

“Then what about you?” Bonney asked curiously, “Princess, why are you here and not with your father?”

Hearing this question, Naya’s little face showed some melancholy. Pouting, she said unhappily, “After the shogun started the crusade against the Kozuki family, Father sent me here. This is our Shirasaki family’s territory. The ninjas and samurai here are all retainers of the Shirasaki family…”

Shirasaki should be the surname of Naya’s family. Her father’s full name should be Shirasaki Hidakira or something…

“Is he worried that his neutral stance might also lead to the shogun’s attack?” Ian said, “To avoid implicating you, he sent you here first? In that case, your father is doing this for your own good…”

“Of course I know!” Naya sighed, “But I’m so bored here… They all respect me, but I can’t even find someone to talk to…”

No wonder she allowed Ian and his two companions in without much guard. It seems she’s really bored here…

Hearing her words, a samurai beside her bowed solemnly, “Lady Karei-hime, please rest assured. The crusade has ended. Nishi-Ueno should be fine. Once the lord’s order arrives, we will escort you back!”

At this time, Ian’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he said, “Your shogun has already suppressed one daimyo. He probably won’t attack other daimyos again. You will return sooner or later. How about this? We’ll escort you back, and if possible, we’d like to ask your father about something.”

“What is it?” Naya asked curiously.

“It’s about those strange and extraordinary people who helped the Kozuki family fight!” Ian said, “I want to know where those people are being held now. Are they detained in Kuri, or have they been sent elsewhere? Such information might only be known to your father, right?”

Ian knew that since Kuri is now occupied by the Beasts Pirates, Ace and Fujitora are probably not detained there. Because with their identities, if they really fell into Kaido’s hands, they might be killed. Now that Ace’s life paper is normal, it means they are fine, so they can’t have fallen into the hands of the Beasts Pirates.

They are just being held, but where exactly they are being held needs to be found out. Such information is generally not known to ordinary people; only people with the status of daimyos can possibly know.

Hawkins’ divination about this trip said it would be smooth, so maybe meeting Princess Naya this time is one of the reasons. She and her father might bring great help to us. I just need to follow my own choices naturally.

And hearing that Ian actually offered to escort her back early, Naya’s beautiful eyes lit up immediately, and she said happily, “Great, great!”

“No way!” The samurai who spoke before was anxious, stepping forward and loudly saying, “Lady Karei-hime! How can you trust these unknown pirates?! Even if you want to return, you must be escorted by us!”

“But you have to wait for Father’s order!” Naya also realized that her status didn’t allow her to act too willfully, so she said helplessly, “Who knows when Father’s order will arrive? If it doesn’t come for another month, do I have to wait here for another month?”

“Absolutely not! How can this be!” The samurai, leading a group, all knelt down, pleading with Naya, “Lady Karei-hime! If you insist on leaving, it will be our dereliction of duty. We can only apologize with death!”

Naya could only look at Ian helplessly…

Seeing that these samurai were saying this, Ian had to say, “In that case, there’s no way. Princess Naya, can you tell us how to find your father?”

However, before Naya could speak, the samurai shouted again, “No! How can the whereabouts of the lord be told to you unknown pirates?!”

“Not this, not that! Can’t you say anything else besides these two words?” Ian was also a bit angry, “Don’t you know how to be flexible?!”

“Unless we die!” The samurai gripped his sword hilt, staring firmly at Ian.

It’s simply impossible to communicate with these stubborn samurai. Ian almost wanted to knock these guys out and take Naya back.

With Ian’s current strength, doing such a thing would be a piece of cake. The ninjas and samurai present together might not be his match alone. But he also understood that doing so might mess things up. These guys were already very wary of the three of them as outsiders. If they forcibly took Naya away, they might regard them as criminals who kidnapped Lady Karei-hime!

Don’t let it get to the point where they haven’t met Naya’s father but are instead wanted by them; that would be troublesome. These people don’t recognize your Dragon Hunter Pirates or Whitebeard Pirates. Ian and Marco’s identities are of no use here.

“Then, how about this!” Ian thought for a moment and came up with a compromise, “Look, Princess Naya is bored here. Why don’t you come along? We’ll all escort her back together. Isn’t that good? Since she is the princess you respect, shouldn’t you, as her retainers, consider her feelings?”

“This…” The samurai hesitated.

“Moreover!” Ian continued, “Maybe your lord also misses the princess. The order to recall her might already be on the way. If you send her back earlier, your lord might be very happy.”

“Alright then!” The samurai looked at Naya’s expectant eyes, gritted his teeth, and knelt before Naya, “Lady Karei-hime, we can escort you back, but please agree to let us accompany you!”

Naya straightened up, extended her hand to help the samurai up, and said happily, “Great, it’s best if you come along!”

In fact, the reason why this samurai agreed was also because this ninja village didn’t seem hidden enough. Even outsiders like Ian and his two companions could find this place. Who knows if others might discover it, so it’s better to let the princess return…

As for Ian and the others, as long as they can go to Nishi-Ueno and meet Naya’s father, and get the information, it doesn’t matter how they go back. Anyway, they really have no malice towards the little princess, so it doesn’t matter how they return…

So, after waiting for a while, Ian and the others could finally set off with Naya.

But for some reason, Ian always felt that dealing with these people of Wano Country was quite tiring…

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