Chapter 43: Good News And Gifts
Shinobu didn't know that a group of outsiders was eyeing her.
At this time, she was in a state of extreme confusion.
Every day in the bamboo forest, she lived a life of seclusion.
Sometimes, she would leave the bamboo forest to look at the burnt Oden Castle from a distance, thinking about the people she once knew.
In the beginning, she recalled the beautiful scenes of Lord Oden, Lady Toki, and the Nine Akazaya every day.
Now, she didn't know what to do other than wait for her companions to return in the future.
It might be because of this confusion and failure to find a direction or goal that Shinobu experienced a life of self-defeat during the long twenty-year wait, causing her weight to skyrocket. Eventually, she became a short, fat old woman, unable to lose weight.
Today, Shinobu was in a daze, as usual.
She didn't realize that a group of outsiders had broken into the bamboo forest where she lived alone.
"...Ninja, right?"
By the time Shinobu discovered these outsiders, Kahn and his gang had already come up behind her.
Swish—
Awakened by the sound, Shinobu's face changed drastically, and she subconsciously pulled out the samurai sword she was carrying, turning to look at the person behind her.
"You... who are you?"
Shinobu thought it was someone from Kurozumi Orochi who had found her and come to arrest her.
But when she saw the voices were from five teenagers who looked like minors, Shinobu couldn't help but be slightly taken aback.
Then she asked, half-vigilant and half-doubtful.
"Don't be nervous. We have no malicious intentions."
Kahn smiled and said the words he had already prepared: "We are people from overseas. We are here to find you. We are helping Izo to send you something. By the way, we would like to ask you for a favour."
"Master Izo?"
Hearing this very familiar name, Shinobu's eyes lit up immediately. She looked at Kahn excitedly and asked, "You are friends with Master Izo? Has Master Izo left Wano?"
"Yes..."
Kahn nodded and said with a smile: "Izo joined the Whitebeard Pirates. Do you know this pirate crew?"
"Yes... that's the pirate crew that Lord Oden once stayed with. I heard Lady Toki mention it."
Shinobu nodded repeatedly, no longer doubting Kahn's identity.
She didn't sense any hostility from Kahn, only kindness.
Little did she know, Kahn was actually trying to please her.
If Shinobu had been the short, fat woman from nineteen years later, the smile on Kahn's face would have been a hypocritical one.
By the way, in Wano, Haki is referred to as Ryuo.
Whether it is Observation Haki, Armament Haki, or the advanced use of two-colour Haki, they are collectively called Ryuo.
"Right..."
Immediately, Shinobu seemed to have thought of something. She looked at Kahn suspiciously and asked, "Master Izo asked you to send something back? What do you want me to do for you?"
"Izo wanted me to bring you good news and a little gift," Kahn said slowly. "The good news is that during the war last year, Denjiro, one of the Nine Akazaya, rescued Princess Hiyori and helped her escape. She's known as Komurasaki now."
"Izo asked me to tell you that if you feel lost right now, you can go to the Flower Capital to find Princess Hiyori, whose alias is Komurasaki, and protect her in secret."
"As for the gift..."
After a slight pause, Kahn turned to Mary, who was standing next to him, while Shinobu, overwhelmed with joy, watched eagerly. "Mary, take out that 'gift.'"
"Yes, Master."
On the way here, Mary had learned part of the plan from Kahn. She nodded obediently, opened a small compartment on her person, and took out a piece of gold the size of a fingernail from the treasure vault of the castle.
When the gold passed through the transparent membrane, and the mask covering her body disappeared, it immediately expanded from the size of a fingernail to a large gold nugget half the size of Mary.
"This... this is..."
Seeing Mary use special ninjutsu to conjure a huge piece of gold, Shinobu, who had finally found a direction and goal, was momentarily stunned.
"Don't be surprised. This is the power of a Devil Fruit."
Noting Shinobu's reaction, Kahn explained with a smile, "There are special fruits in this world. After eating one, you gain magical abilities but become unable to swim. This is why we came to ask for your help."
"I see..."
Shinobu seemed to recall something and suddenly said, "Is my lady's enchantment technique because I ate that fruit back then?"
"Wait a minute..."
Shinobu realized something. He looked at the extremely young Kahn and his group and asked, "Do you want me to help you mature your biological age?"
"Yes."
Kahn nodded. "My maids are too young, and their physical strength is very limited. So after I learned about your abilities from Izo, I brought them here to ask for your help in maturing them."
"No problem. How old do you want them to be?"
Believing that Kahn's group were friends of Master Izo, Shinobu readily agreed.
But then she remembered something and quickly added, "By the way, once my enchantment technique is used, it cannot be reversed."
"So you will be sacrificing your lifespan in exchange for your body's growth. You need to consider this carefully."
"We are already aware of this."
Kahn reached out and touched Mary's head, pulling her in front of him. He said to Shinobu, "Please mature them all until they are eighteen years old."
"Okay, it's not convenient to use it here. Come with me."
Shinobu didn't act immediately but looked around, put away the samurai sword in her hand, and led Kahn and his group to her home in the bamboo forest.
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