Chapter 972

Chapter 972 is titled "I am Oden, And I Was Born to Boil".

Cover Page
Color Spread - The Straw Hat Pirates and their counterparts from the "Hungry Days" commercial series.

Short Summary
Shocked by the reveal, the citizens change their behaviors and starts to cheer for Oden, discovering they are surrounded by Orochi's men. Nearing the end of the set time, the citizens count down and an hour passed, Orochi have Oden and his men held at gun point, still in the pot, claiming he changed the sentence a minute prior. Oden tosses his men above the crowd, saving them, and leave them with his wish to open the boarders of Wano to the world as Kaido shoots him, and the samurai body disappear in the oil.

Back in Kuri, news arrive to Toki and she recalls Oden in prison, giving her his swords for their children, and the letter he left to her before he left, asking her to use her power in preparation for a great war in 20 years time.

Long Summary
As the citizens are surprised by Shinobu revealing the truth behind Oden's actions, she is threaten by Fukurokuju and the Orochi Oniwabanshu for speaking against the shogun. Shinobu confronts her former leader with the rise of the Kozuki Family, but he dismisses her words. Meanwhile, the citizens beg for Orochi to stop the execution, but they are shot with arrows in response.

The crowd then realizes both Orochi's and Oden's actions, but discover too late that they are surrounded by Orochi's men, as words about Oden's bravery spread out. Oden then talks to his retainers about a figure from 800 years ago that Wano Country should be prepared to follow. He then state that he will die today, much to the distress of Kikunojo, and reveal his wish to open Wano to the rest of the world.

News continued to spread through out Wano, to it's further regions, as the temperature of boiling oil kept rising. The citizens cheered for Oden, encouraging him to withstand the torture, and offering the apologies for their harsh words and their ignorance. Despite the situation and their past, Oden forgave and thanked them all, appreciating their support.

Oden then reveal his wish once more, now to the rest of Wano, revealing it was the Kozuki who closed off Wano, in order to protect it from harm by an unknown force. Then he continues to say that Wano and the entire world is waiting for a figure to come after a 800 years span. When that time comes, Wano, as Oden emphasizes, has to welcome and work with them. He then requests his scabbards to open Wano's border for this to happen. As Denjiro start to comment, he is stopped by Raizo, who speaks in behalf of the Scabbards, saying they would make Oden's dream their own.

As the hour was about to pass, and Oden remained standing, Orochi began to worry, and the clock and the citizens counted down as the hour was done. As the citizens and Scabbards celebrated, however, it was short lived, as a firing squad assembled around the pot, and Orochi reveal he changed the sentence a minute prior, and prepare to kill the entire group. As a citizen try to object, and is fired down, Oden throws his men above the crowd, freeing the, as Kin'emon tells them to run towards Kuri. Shinobu is also able to escape, and as the Scabbards reminisce about their savior under fire, Kaido aims a gun at Oden, still in the boiling pot.

The pirate comment on Oden's heroism, and apologize about Higurashi's acts in their last fight, and reveal he had her killed. Oden command him for his rightfulness, and recite his name phrase "I am Oden, and I was born..." but is shoot and sinks into the sizzling oil, leaving the sorrow full citizens to finish in his honor: "To boil!"

Back in Kuri, in Oden Castle, news arrive to Kozuki Toki and she reads a letter left to her by Oden before he left to face Kaido. In the letter, Oden gives Toki instruction in case he fail to bring the pirate down. He tells her that 20 years from than, a war is likely to break, and a power capable of bring Kaido down will come to the New World, and asks her to use her abilities. Toki than remember her visiting Oden while he was imprisoned, giving her his swords to give to their children. Toki tear up the letter, with tears in her eyes, promising to follow Oden's words.

Chapter Notes

 * Oden revealed that the reason the Kozuki Family isolated Wano Country was to protect it from a great force.
 * Oden explained the meaning of opening Wano Country's border and that is about welcoming a certain individual to Wano Country.
 * Seeing Oden surviving the boiling pot, Orochi changed the sentence and ordered a firing squad.
 * Oden managed to save the Nine Red Scabbards by throwing them away from the execution site, and they ran towards Kuri.
 * Kaido revealed that he killed Kurozumi Higurashi prior to Oden's execution.
 * Kaido executed Oden with a pistol.
 * While in prison, Oden handed his swords to Toki.
 * It is revealed that Oden was the one who came up with the plan for Toki to use her Toki Toki no Mi to travel 20 years into the future.