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Akazaya Nine Profile
Oden’s nine sworn retainers — the Nine Red Scabbards — recast in Wano’s state history as the “bad samurai” who tried to open the closed country and were “vanquished” by Shogun Orochi 20 years ago. Named in-series for the first time Ch. 919 (Flower-Capital school propaganda). The individual members are not identified on-page this chapter.
Notable events
Ch. 1047 (flashback) —
the retainers beg Toki to let them die as samurai
Twenty years ago, in Momonosuke ’s remembered flashback, the retainers begged Kozuki Toki to “allow us to die as samurai” — “to perish… with blades in hand” — rather than flee to the future, before accepting her decision to send the children and vassals forward in time (p. 4).
Ch. 1004 —
the wounded Scabbards escape Kaido and are hunted beneath the roof
Detected by the Beasts’ surveillance as “bruised and bloodied!!! …but still breathing!!” beneath the roof / the treasure repository’s exterior second floor, having escaped Kaido after the rooftop clash; Kin’emon shown among them (pp. 16–17). King orders Black Maria to “kill all the samurai for good,” and a mysterious unseen figure approaches to save them in the gloom (cliffhanger).
Ch. 992 —
the coordinated strike wounds Kaido; Oden’s Two-Sword Style finishes
On the Skull Dome rooftop the Scabbards’ coordinated, each-his-own-style assault visibly wounds Kaido — their refusal to learn Oden’s single Two-Sword Style is what keeps Kaido from reading them (memory, p. 16); Kin’emon & Denjiro still finish with Oden’s “Paradise Totsuka ” (pp. 17–19). Kaido is baffled the styles unlike Oden’s blades still cut him (p. 13).
Ch. 987 —
the Scabbards’ rooftop strike reopens Oden’s scar; the Sulong play set up
The Scabbards’ coordinated surprise strike wounds Kaido in dragon form — reopening Oden’s scar with Ryuo-infused blades and making Kaido scream for the first time. They reveal they were the imprisoned “yakuza” of Udon in disguise — “the REAL vassals of Oden” — then deliberately lure Kaido to the open Dome Roof, recreating Oden’s last stand “just like the last time,” having secretly brought Mink warriors from Zou for the full-moon Sulong play. (Pages 3–9, 18–19)
Ch. 976 —
raid eve: the fleet sails; the mole acts
The alliance fleet sails for Onigashima ; the scabbards rally around Kin’emon (“We served Lord Oden together!!”). Kanjuro is exposed as the enemy mole in action — he kidnaps Momonosuke and turns his Devil Fruit on the fleet (“Ukiyo Portrait: Evening Shower”), confirming the traitor in the Akazaya’s own ranks.
Ch. 975 —
the ninth scabbard returns
The missing Red Scabbard Denjiro 5,400 (pp. 10-17).
Ch. 974 —
the mole within the ranks exposed
The Akazaya reach the Tokage Port rally point on the Fire-Festival eve to find it wrecked and empty — none of the 4,200 mustered warriors present, the plan leaked again (pp. 7–9). Cornered into suspecting a traitor among themselves, they watch one of their own nine — Kanjuro — confess to being Kurozumi Kanjuro , Orochi ’s 20-year deep-cover spy who leaked Oden’s raid, the Zou attack, and Yasuie ’s changed meeting place (pp. 10–11). Roster shown: Kin’emon , Kiku , Kawamatsu , Ashura Doji , Inuarashi (Dogstorm), Nekomamushi , Raizo , Momonosuke (little lord).
Ch. 972 —
Oden flashback: the nine survive the execution
The nine were sentenced to boil alongside their lord but survived because Oden held them above the oil the entire hour (pp. 6–13); when Orochi ’s firing squad opened up, Oden hurled them clear toward Kuri (“Don’t make the mistake… of underestimating our samurai”, p. 13). Inuarashi and Nekomamushi are shown straining to act (“Don’t wind him up, Cat!!”, p. 11). The survival of the nine is the on-page setup for The Kozuki Time-Leap .
Ch. 971 —
Oden flashback: the nine vassals in the execution pot
Oden’s nine vassals are condemned to die in the boiling-oil pot with him; instead of letting them die, Oden holds all nine up on a plank above the oilRaizo (“Stop whinin’, Raizo”) and Nekomamushi (“Don’t move, cat!!”) (p. 12). This is the on-page mechanism by which the nine survive the execution — supports The Ghosts Of Wano Are Graves Bearing The Names Of Living Men .
Ch. 970 —
Oden flashback: the Kozuki fall — captured & sentenced
The Nine Red Scabbards are captured alongside Oden after Orochi ’s hostage trick and imprisoned in the Flower Capital — the on-page origin of the “Kozuki fall” the present-day arc avenges. Oden’s nine retainers fight as part of the eleven loyalist samurai against ~1,000 pirates; after Oden’s capture, “the daimyo of Kuri, Kozuki Oden, and his nine followers” are sentenced — the ten wicked samurai to be boiled to death in three days (pp. 15–17). All nine shown in the cells (Denjiro among them, not individually named). See Oden And His Retainers Sentenced To Be Boiled To Death .
Ch. 969 —
Oden flashback: the name origin
The “Akazaya Nine” name is given. The nine men Oden raised to samurai through his patronage stood with him at crimson sunset; for their red scabbards, and in honor of their strength and loyalty, they came to be called the Akazaya Nine (Nine Red Scabbards) — the start of the “Hour of Legends ” (pp. 16–17).
Ch. 962 —
Oden flashback: the band’s origin/recruitment
Origin of Oden ’s retainer band: Kanjuro (Kibi ), Raizo , Kikunojo/Kiku & her brother Izo (Ringo ), and Ashura Doji (Kuri ) are each shown being personally gathered by Oden during his wandering years. The future Red Scabbards begin here as the misfits and reformed ruffians who chose to serve him.
Ch. 960 —
Oden flashback (pre-retainer youths)
The Kozuki Oden flashback opens. Two future Red Scabbards are shown in their youth, before Oden recruits them : Kin’emon (a capital thug/pickpocket) and Denjiro (an orphan swindler — now first SHOWN on-page; his note is minted). Hyogoro the Flower also appears in his prime — a yakuza boss of the capital, NOT one of the Nine , but tied into the era. They are not yet assembled as a band .
Ch. 952 — Kawamatsu freed and active at Ringo
The scabbard Kawamatsu — freed from Udon (per Raizo ’s report, p. 12) — is back in the field at Ringo , reuniting with Lady Hiyori whom he raised in hiding.
Ch. 939 — pp. 5–6 —
full roster named on-page for the first time
Kozuki Hiyori names all nine for Zoro : the six “we know about” — Kin’emon , Kanjuro , Raizo , Okiku (Kiku), Inuarashi (Dogstorm) , Nekomamushi (Cat Viper) Kawamatsu , Denjiro, Ashura Doji
Members appear in Oden’s flashback. On-page-named members this chapter: Kin’emon , Kanjuro , Raizo , Okiku (“Kiku”) and Ashura Doji (the “Demon Child”), alongside the Mink dukes Inuarashi (Dogstorm) and Nekomamushi (Cat Viper) as Oden’s allied retainers. “Not one of the bodies of the Akazaya Nine was ever found” (p. 13); “the other four of us” travelled to recruit allies (p. 14). Sent 20 years into the future by Toki ’s Toki Toki no Mi to topple Orochi and Kaido .
Cross-links
Notes
Etymology done : 赤鞘九人男 Akazaya Kunin-otoko = “Red-Sheathed Nine Men”; the revenge band mirrors the historical 47 rōnin (lie low, then avenge the lord) and Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (“Seven Scoundrels” draft); each member’s favorite food is an oden ingredient (SBS 96). See frontmatter etymology.