Summary:
33 years ago, Inuarashi and Nekomamushi left Zou to find Wano Country. After washing Wan and meeting Kawamatsu, the three were tied up and bullied by some Kuri citizens. However, Oden came and stopped them and the three started to follow him. Oden started to run out of money and his followers went to steal some from Yasui. They were caught, but to their surprise he gave them money with the order to improve their social standing and raise Oden’s respectability. They did, and after three years were able to form a formal procession during Oden’s visit to Sukiyaki in the Flower Capital.
Later that year, Oden discovered that the Whitebeard Pirates had washed ashore in Wano. He ran towards them and confronted Whitebeard, saying that he wanted to join his crew.
Centuries ago, the Norse tribe and the Kozuki family made an oath to help each other in times of need. When they heard about this, young Inuarashi and Nekomamushi became very interested in Wano Country and sailed there to have a look. However, when they finally arrived, he and Kawamatsu were tied to pillars on Kuri Beach by the citizens of Wano, who decided to burn them at the stake. However, Oden then emerged from the nearby ocean with a giant fish, which he used to make Oden’s soup that night. When he saw his subjects torturing a kappa and two minks, he immediately beat them and reprimanded them for mistreating those who looked different. However, to the shock of the pursued trio, he then left without going to free them.
Inuarashi, Nekomamushi, and Kawamatsu were eventually freed and followed Oden back to his residence, where he gave them some oden to eat. Oden recognized Inuarashi and Nekomamushi as members of the mink tribe his father had told him about, but wondered what Kawamatsu was. Kawamatsu revealed that he was a fish man, and he and his mother washed ashore on Wano after their ship sank. The townspeople persecuted them because of their race and fatally injured his mother by throwing rocks, and she told him to hide from the persecution by going as a kappa. Oden says goodbye to the trio and looks forward to meeting more unique people like them when he sets out to sea. However, the trio begged to stay with him.
Oden later spoke to Denjir about their group growing, saying that they were all strong, but he was now running out of resources; Denjiro scolded Oden for another loan to Orochi. Oden’s servants then went to Hakumai to try to steal money from Yasui, but were caught. However, to their surprise, Yasuie gave them the money they tried to steal, as well as another amount. He tells them to use this money to dress properly, learn manners, and expand their knowledge, saying that they need to become the best samurai in the land so they can properly serve Oden when he becomes Shogun. The servants obeyed Yasuie’s orders and three years later it was rumored that they and Oden would arrive in the Flower Capital. The citizens of the capital were wary, believing them to be hooligans. However, they were surprised when the servants formed an orderly and dignified procession around Oden that was so professional it resembled a shogun’s procession. Some onlookers were so stunned that they fell to their knees. Oden was reunited with his father, Sukiyaki, and Sukiyaki was happy that his son had become a good man. Oden thanked him for turning him into one, surprising Sukiyaki even more. Oden came to see his father because he heard he had fallen ill, but was relieved to see Sukiyaki bursting with energy. However, that would end up being the last time he saw his father.
That same year, Moby Dick washed ashore at Port Itachi and the Whitebeard Pirates were trapped on Wano for a week until they could repair their ship. They had lost all of their supplies due to the flooding of the hold, so a small group prepared to go to Wano to collect supplies. At the same time, Oden’s servants panicked when they discovered that Oden had fled to Port Itachi after hearing that a pirate ship had been sighted there. Whitebeard noticed Oden running towards them and engaged in a powerful clash with the samurai. Oden introduced himself to Whitebeard and said he wanted to join his crew.