Born to Kozuki Sukiyaki, the former shogun of Wano, Kozuki Oden was a wildcard from his very birth, rousing up trouble at every turn during his childhood and adolescence. His name was first mentioned during the Zou Arc in One Piece, when the Straw Hats uncovered the connection between the Kozuki family and the Mink tribe. However, the events of the Wano Arc revealed far more about his actual life and deeds, beginning with his role in a conflict against the shogun at the time, Kurozumi Orochi, who was allied with Kaido, the captain of the Beasts Pirates. Throughout the arc, his name remained a constant presence in the story, until the narration of his tale during a flashback right before the final raid on Onigashima at the start of the third act of the Wano Arc in One Piece. His name was so famed that Kaido's own son, Yamato who assumed the name of Oden after his death after seeing him as an idol.
Oden would remain a pivotal figure in the battle between the Straw Hats and their allies — in the Mink tribe, the Nine Red Scabbards, and the crews of Kid and Law — who went up against Kaido, the Beasts Pirates, and Orochi himself. Central to this conflict would be Oden's relationships with the Pirate King Gol D. Roger, his second in command Foxfire Kin'emon, and finally, his son Kozuki Momonosuke, who grew into a man capable of leading his country by the end of the Wano Arc, both literally and figuratively. After his travels with two of the most powerful pirates of his era, Oden made it his goal to open up the shores of Wano, in preparation for the coming of one who would finally end the tyranny of the World Government and change the global power balance, as the return of the mythical figure Joy Boy. This individual was revealed to be none other than Luffy himself, who liberated Oden's subordinates and the people of Wano from Kaido and Orochi's oppression, heralding the dawn of a new age in Wano.
From Outcast To Daimyo
As the son of Wano's shogun, Oden lived a life of privilege in his early years, but was renowned throughout the country for his extremely rowdy, uncouth, and chaotic nature. Picking fights with those far older than him, clashing with the yakuza, starting his own harem, cooking his namesake Oden soup on the cremated ashes of a friend, and spending the crown's money in the pleasure halls of the Flower Capital were but a few of the acts he was guilty of in his youth, which resulted in him being sent to work in the quarries. Here, his talent bloomed and his thrill-seeking and selfish nature began to disappear as he matured. At one point, the people of the Flower Capital were struck with a drought, an Oden strived to end their suffering by diverting the course of a nearby river. This act backfired on him as the city was then flooded with the river's waters, and as a result, Oden tried to escape via the sea for the first time. All in all, he attempted to escape Wano by sea a total of 38 times before turning 18, and was thwarted at each instance. Oden was an immensely strong swordsman even in his youth, with his characteristic two-sword style using the legendary swords Enma and Ame no Habakiri, imbued with his Armament and Conqueror's Haki.
He was directly involved in the Mountain God Incident, where the monstrous creature ravaged the Flower Capital due to the actions of a young Kin'emon. Oden both defeated the beast and took the blame for the damages, leading to his father issuing a decree to disown him. Kin'emon and Denjiro became his followers after this event, and they accompanied him to the lawless territory of Kuri, where Oden sought to meet the criminal Ashura Doji after hearing about him while living with Yasuie, the daimyo of Hakumai, which is also when he first met Kurozumi Orochi. Defeating all of the region's most hardened outlaws in a single night, Oden took control of the area and restored law and order to it. This act prompted his father to make him the daimyo of Kuri, which turned into a region of peace. Oden also gained more followers in this time due to his kindness, and they would go on to become an immensely powerful group of samurai known as the Nine Red Scabbards, who served as his personal retainers.
Sailing With Legends
Following this sequence of events, Oden soon learned of a pirate ship docking on Wano's shores, which turned out to be captained by none other than Edward Newgate, also known as Whitebeard. Clashing with the "Strongest Man In The World," Oden begged to join his crew so that he could see the world, only to be turned down multiple times. When the Whitebeard Pirates finally set sail, Oden clung to their ship with the aid of a chain, which convinced Whitebeard to give the samurai a chance to prove his worth. Challenged to hold on to the ship for three days, Oden held on in spite of every adversity he experienced, but let go at the last minute on hearing the cries of a woman in trouble, which turned out to be his future wife Amatsuki Toki.
Now welcomed aboard the crew, Oden began to keep a sailor's log, where he documented each of the incredible new places he encountered on his travels. Eventually being promoted to the rank of the 2nd Division Commander — a rank that would later be held by Portgas D. Ace — Oden was married aboard his ship and became a father to two children with Toki: Momonosuke and Hiyori. Later, a chance encounter with Gol D. Roger and his crew would lead Oden to join the Roger Pirates on their journey to conquer the Grand Line, as the future Pirate King learned that the samurai was able to read the script of the Poneglyphs.
Boarding the Oro Jackson, Oden was part of Roger's legendary voyage, where he was the one responsible for etching the message left by Roger on to the bell in the Shandorian Golden Belfry. Oden also visited Zou and learned of the past relationship between the Mink Tribe and the Kozuki family, which led him to theorize that Wano's borders were once open to the world. Finally, after dropping off Toki — who fell ill — and his children on Wano, Oden used the Road Poneglyph in his country to lead the Roger Pirates to Laugh Tale, where they learned of the One Piece and the true history of the Void Century. Roger subsequently disbanded his crew and bade farewell to Oden after dropping him off in Wano, intending to turn himself in to the World Government and ignite the Great Age of Pirates with his dying words.
A Hero's End
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Returning to Wano, Oden resolved to take his father's place as shogun and open up the country's borders, only to find his homeland held hostage by Orochi who was now in league with Kaido of the Beasts Pirates. After storming the castle, Oden ran into Orochi and Kaido, who he fought with on even terms. Orochi, who had assumed the role of shogun, threatened to unleash Kaido on the country and held a number of his subjects hostage as collateral to prevent Oden from retaliating against his nefarious plot to turn Wano into an industrial nation devoted to the mass production of weapons. Fearing for the lives of his people, Oden gave in to Orochi's demands and humiliated himself on a weekly basis by dancing naked in the Flower Capital, on the condition that Kaido and Orochi would leave the country in five years.
Naturally, Orochi had no intention of honoring his end of the bargain, and continued his reign of terror, prompting Oden to finally take up arms against him. Rushing to fight him and Kaido with the Nine Red Scabbards, Oden was surprised to find his adversary well-prepared, and was told that it was because of a spy within his ranks, who was later revealed to be Kurozumi Kanjuro. Oden clashed with Kaido once again, and successfully dealt a massive scar to him. When the time came to strike the final blow against Kaido, Oden was distracted by Kurozumi Higurashi, who had transformed into Momonosuke with her Devil Fruit power, portraying a picture of his son being held hostage. Unable to bear this sight, Oden was struck down by Kaido and imprisoned, with him and his retainers all sentenced to death by being boiled alive.
Over the course of an event known as the Legendary Hour, Oden would hoist his subordinates atop a plank while entering the boiling oil himself, after striking a deal with Kaido to spare anyone who survived the ordeal for more than an hour. At the conclusion of this period, Oden threw the Scabbards away from the execution platform and urged them to see out his dream of opening Wano, as he himself was finished off by Kaido's bullet. Meeting his end as a true hero, Oden's sacrifice transformed the negative public opinion of him which had arisen due to his humiliation at Orochi's behest. His goal would finally be fulfilled by none other than Luffy, who defeated Kaido and gained revenge for the Kozuki family, in one of One Piece's most epic narrative arcs.