Kozuki Hiyori

Kozuki Hiyori
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Japanese Name:	日和
Romanized Name:	Hiyori
Official English Name:	Hiyori
Debut:	Chapter 909
Occupations:	Oiran
Alias:	Komurasaki (小紫, Komurasaki?)
Status:	Alive
Age:	26

Kozuki Hiyori is the daughter of the samurai and daimyo Kozuki Oden and Kozuki Toki, and the sister of Kozuki Momonosuke; she was initially his younger sister, but became older than him after he traveled forward in time.

To the people of Wano Country where she lives, she is known as Komurasaki and formerly worked as an oiran, being a dayu (太夫, dayū^?), the highest ranked of all of them. However, she lost this status after angering the shogun Kurozumi Orochi and being presumed to have been murdered by Kyoshiro.

Appearance

Hiyori is a slim woman of average in height. She has long teal hair that reaches her waist and red-violet eyes. Her she wears light pink lipstick on her prominent lips.

As Komurasaki, she wore geta to make her look very tall. Her hair was extremely adorned, with multiple flowers and pins attached to it. She wore an extremely opulent red furisode kimono that sparkles in the sunlight, with the sleeve adorned with a peacock and flowers on it. Her appearance was considered by many to be amazingly beautiful to the point where men are blinded or pass out by trying to gaze at her.

After leaving the Flower Capital, Hiyori left most of her hair down with her bangs covering her forehead. She took out many of its adornments except for a rose-shaped one with a dangler on each side of her head and some of her hair is held up by pins in an elaborate bun behind her head. She also stopped wearing her outer garment, wearing a dark furisode kimono with flower designs along the sleeves and the bottom.

Full body view of Hiyori as the oiran "Komurasaki".

File:Komurasaki's Manga Color Scheme.png

Hiyori's color scheme in the manga.

File:Komurasaki with Kitsune Mask.png

Hiyori wearing her kitsune mask.

Personality

— Hiyori to the shogun Orochi.

Hiyori is a very self-willed and confident woman who refuses to submit herself to authority, being unafraid of standing up to and even attacking the shogun Kurozumi Orochi despite the heavy consequences. She sees nothing appealing about becoming his wife, and would rather be killed than live a submissive life. She is kind to those she is close to, such as her kamuro Toko, and she was appalled when Orochi attempted to attack her, given that she is a child.

However, Hiyori was infamous for actions she has apparently committed in private as Komurasaki. She appeared to be a greedy and materialistic woman, as well as a good manipulator. After successfully swindling her victims, she treated them very coldly without any compassion or remorse, saying that she despises the poor.

While being chased by Kamazo, Hiyori lost her prideful attitude, pleading for Zoro to help her and Toko. She is very gracious, as she was extremely grateful to Zoro for saving her and made good on her offer to feed him in return. She can be rather careless and timid.

Relationships

Family

Parents

Hiyori loves her parents so much.

Momonosuke

As siblings, Hiyori cares deeply for her elder brother, Momonosuke as she was searching for him for 20 years.

Friends

Toko

Hiyori is very affectionate with her personal kamuro, Toko, as she was worried when the latter went off to try Sanji's famous soba without informing her. Toko is very dutiful towards Hiyori and faithfully serves her.

Roronoa Zoro

After Zoro saved her from Kamazo, Hiyori thanked him and fallen in love with him despite her hatred toward men.

Others

Men

Hiyori has claimed to despise men, whom she insultingly referred to as dogs whose only worth is giving her money. Thus, she had no problems cheating certain men such as Bingo of their entire wealth, manipulating them into selling off their assets and even their own families to fund her lavish lifestyle, and after they are finally reduced to poverty, she would sarcastically thank them while revealing that she had squandered all of the money they gave her, much to their despair. When her victims attempted revenge, she would cruelly mock them for their poverty, stating they are worthless to her now without any remorse. However, she was subservient towards powerful men who held great political authority in Wano such as her clients Kyoshiro and the shogun Kurozumi Orochi. When serving Orochi in his banquet, she meekly reciprocated the latter's enthusiasm and sat next to Orochi, even allowing him to hug her. However, when Orochi attempted to attack Toko, Komurasaki slapped him.

Flower Capital Citizens

Due to her great beauty, refined charisma, and mannerism as the highest ranking courtesan of Wano, Hiyori was immensely popular among the citizens who live in the Flower Capital, having been described by a fellow courtesan as the dream of all men and perfection of all women in Wano. While proceeding to Orochi's palace, many men and women gathered to see and cheer for Komurasaki while captivated by her beauty. They respectfully referred to her as Komurasaki-sama.

Kyoshiro

Kyoshiro was the one who raised her into the oiran she was. The two of them seem to be heavily associated, as he was sleeping in her residence at one point, suggesting an intimate relationship. When she defied Orochi and refused to apologize, Kyoshiro struck her down, which she acknowledged as the consequence of her choice, and accepted without resistance. Kyoshiro noted he was giving her a samurai's mercy, but was surprised to see the secret message Kin'emon gave to the followers of the Kozuki Family in her hand.

Abilities and Powers

Hiyori seems to have great balance and leg strength to walk with extremely tall geta sandals without any strain. She also owned a fair amount of arm strength, as she slapped the extremely large Orochi with enough force to leave a mark.

Hiyori has shown to be an extremely crafty manipulator, using her beauty in conjunction with superior acting skills to deceive men into giving her all their wealth. She is also an extremely talented musician in playing the shamisen, as she could play an enchanting song that deeply captivated the Orochi, his guests, and her fellow courtesans.

She possesses some degree of medical skill, as she was able to treat Zoro's large shoulder wound.

History

Past

20 years before the present day, Hiyori's father Oden was brought to the Flower Capital and executed by the shogun Kurozumi Orochi after illegally leaving Wano Country. Hiyori was in Oden Castle with her mother Toki and brother Momonosuke when Kaido, who was working with Orochi, set it ablaze. Toki used her Devil Fruit powers to send Momonosuke and her retainers 20 years forward in time; Hiyori did not go through time, but somehow managed to escape the castle conflagration without her mother.

Hiyori was raised by Kyoshiro to become an oiran, and she adopted the name Komurasaki. During her career, Hiyori courted several men, claiming to want her freedom purchased before the shogun Orochi took her and agreeing to go with each man if they managed to do this. The men gave up everything they had to raise the money, which they put in her possession. However, she spent the money and cast the men aside after they had contributed the amount she requested, leaving them without anything.

Wano Country Arc

Hiyori was chosen by Orochi to perform her services at his banquet. She made her way through the streets of the Flower Capital as the citizens gazed at her in awe, and she was joined by her kamuro Toko who had come late to the procession. She was then confronted by some men whom she had swindled, but her guard defeated them. As the men cried in anguish, she mocked and degraded them as she walked away from them. She later made it to Orochi's palace. At the banquet hall, she sat next to Orochi.

Kyoshiro strikes down Hiyori.

During the banquet, Hiyori played some music before returning to Orochi's side. Orochi then talked about the impending return of Kozuki Oden's Nine Red Scabbards and son Momonosuke, and Hiyori was shocked when Toko laughed at him. She pleaded with Orochi not to attack her kamuro, but he did not listen, forcing her to slap him. Hiyori refused to prostrate herself in apology, and Orochi angrily transformed into the Yamata no Orochi. After Hiyori once again refused to apologize, Orochi attacked her and wrested her into his mouth, overwhelming her. However, Hiyori was dislodged from Orochi's grip when the ceiling crashed onto the shogun's head. She then faced Kyoshiro, and accepted his mercy as he struck her down with his sword.

Hiyori was considered dead by everyone, but somehow managed to survive. She reunited with Toko and they fled the Flower Capital as Toko was pursued by Orochi's assassin Kamazo. They were chased to Ringo, and as they came to Oihagi Bridge, Hiyori pleaded for the swordsman Roronoa Zoro and the samurai Gyukimaru to help. She agreed to Zoro's request for food and alcohol in return, and watched as he battled Kamazo. She was shocked when Kamazo pierced Zoro through the shoulder, but Zoro then managed to strike down the assassin.

Zoro then fell unconscious from his wound, and Hiyori took him to a house in the Northern Cemetery to treat it. When Zoro woke up, he attempted to leave immediately, and Hiyori held him back, accidentally aggravating his wound. Hiyori then gave Zoro his food and alcohol, and told him about Gyukimaru as well as what had happened to her and Toko. She then revealed that she was looking for her brother Momonosuke.

Trivia

• The name Komurasaki translates literally to "small purple" and is also the Japanese name for the purple beautyberry.
  • It may also be derived from Miura-ya Komurasaki, a real life Oiran from the Edo period with a tragic love story that is immortalized in Kitagawa Utamaro's painting The Lovers Miura-ya Komurasaki and Shirai Gonpachi. In that story, Shirai Gonpachi also committed crimes to buy her freedom. But the Komurasaki of the story truly loved him and committed suicide when his actions resulted in his death.
• An oiran is a high-ranking courtesan in Japan, whose occupation arose in the Edo period and was largely replaced by geisha by the late 19th century.
• Hiyori has appeared at the beginning and closing of the Wano Country Arc acts, playing the shamisen.