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Chapter 3: Arrest! Not A Single Kozuki Remnant Is Left!
Deep into the night, clouds shroud the sky and stars refuse to shine. In the pitch darkness, it's hard to see even your own fingers. Only the light of a fire in a lantern can illuminate the surroundings. In the capital, there is one street that fights fiercely against the night's darkness, brightly lit. Men, some smiling, some reeking of alcohol, disappear around street corners, moving in and out of the storefronts. They come and go without end, making the area as lively as a shopping street in daylight.
In front of these establishments stand numerous young women in the prime of their youth. Their faces are adorned with beautiful makeup as they playfully giggle and cast enchanting glances.
"Gurgle~"
The sound of their laughter, reminiscent of silver bells, often dazzles the men passing by. They find themselves lured into an adult fantasy, only to be pulled in by the women's smooth hands and unwittingly waste away all their money. This is Flower Street.
But tonight, Flower Street's most famous house stands unusually silent, save for two dim lanterns hanging by the door. Warriors clad in animal skins and armor serve as doormen, their mere presence enough to deter the men who were once drawn here. These men arrive with joy and leave in a subdued state, not daring to say a word. They are certain: these doormen are Kaido's subordinates, not to be trifled with.
Inside a room, oil lamps and lanterns cast a warm glow, while the air is rich with the scent of incense. The courtesan Kozuki Hiyori sits on a futon, pouring tea for the man across from her. She offers wine but is politely declined. Her attempts at conversation are met with cold indifference, making it clear that this mysterious man cloaked in black has little interest in wine or pleasures of the flesh.
After a moment of silent eye contact, she reaches for her shamisen to play, and this time, he doesn't stop her. She sighs with relief and prepares to play her best piece, Yueji. Hiyori guesses that he must appreciate her beauty and her music, considering her offer to play for him an act of respect rather than dishonor. Indeed, she is the most beautiful woman in Wanokuni—unrivaled in charm—a beauty men adore. She has always had great confidence in her appearance and her skills, honed through years of attending to dignitaries.
The man sitting before her doesn't share this interest, which is rare, and she wonders if she might experience something new and exciting. She has grown weary of the unpleasant, bloated dignitaries and is intrigued by what she might find beneath his mask. His physique is impressive—tall and powerful. The thought of this makes her cheeks flush with a hint of redness. She coughs softly, her gaze clouded with curiosity.
Just as her fingers touch the strings and she's about to begin her performance, the door slams open. Recognizing the figure who enters, she is startled but also relieved. It's someone she knows and trusts.
"Denjiro."
She addresses the samurai who has protected her for years with surprise, uncertain of why he would come at such a time. He was just as confused. He had received a message from a member of the Beasts Pirates that King wished to meet with him. Upon inquiry, he learned that King had gone to Flower Capital to enjoy Hiyori's company, so he too made his way here.
"Here it comes," King breaks the silence. After a brief pause, he speaks up again, "Denjiro."
The utterance of his real name hits them like a bolt. The two Kozuki family members freeze as if caught in a life-or-death grip. Denjiro's pupils shrink, and a chill runs down his spine. Kozuki Hiyori is equally taken aback, her body shaking and the shamisen clattering to the ground with a thud.
Denjiro instantly grasped why King had summoned him to Flower Capital that evening and realized his secret identities were discovered.
"Feeling scared?"
King stood and turned to confront Denjiro, placing Kozuki Hiyori behind him, blocking any chance of rescue, his eyes reflecting boundless cold.
"Draw your knife and show me the courage that lets you spy on us."
The long knife left its Scabbards, flames engulfing the blade warping the space around it.
The intense heat threatened to consume all in its vicinity.
Meanwhile, on Nine Mile Mountain, the usual chorus of insects and birds fell silent; the forest lay as quiet as death itself.
Mountain thieves and soldiers sprawled across the ground, all dismembered.
Ascending the mountain revealed more bodies and rivers of blood.
An inferno raged at the camp's summit while the hundred beast troops encircled the mountain.
At the camp's center, the enormous Ashura Doji, marred by wounds, knelt, struggling for breath.
Beside him, a mammoth, scored with knife marks, stared him down, unaffected by its injuries, arrogantly twisting its body.
Another giant, the saber-toothed tiger, cackled madly on the ground, its eyes gleaming and fangs dripping with Ashura Doji's blood.
"Get up and take up your knife, Ashura Doji!"
Jack the Drought charged, slamming into Ashura Doji like a monstrous hill.
Ashura Doji tried to lift his head to face the oncoming giant but could no longer muster the strength to raise his arm.
It seems this is the end...
With astonishing speed, Jack struck with his trunk, sending his foe flying.
Coughing, Ashura Doji pondered,
Had Kaido been weak and they had gathered samurai to strike, their fate might have been different...
Trees toppled, and plumes of smoke rose as a figure was sent flying, landing with no sign of life or death.
Nine miles away, in the weaving village, a white-haired man in a tengu mask, stilts on his feet, and a large wing on his back,
guarded himself and the little girl behind him with the second-generation ghost knife.
"Sasaki! Drake! Take me if you must, but Tama is innocent!" Kozuki Sukiyaki announced, resisting the attackers while seeking negotiation.
"It's not your decision. Kaido-sama demands her," retorted Drake.
Suddenly transforming, Drake's heterosaurus form thrashed his tail, propelling Sukiyaki into a giant tree trunk.
Sukiyaki, coughing and blood seeping beneath his mask, received an order from his attacker,
"Capture him and seize the house. Bind the child with seastone."
"Understood."
In the Flower Capital,
A plump woman in a tight pink ninja outfit dodged pursuit, leaping across rooftops.
Yet, followers were always close behind.
After vaulting into another street, a young woman's voice called out.
"Stop, Big Mom!!!"
"Who's Big Mom? I'm in great shape, okay?!"
The hefty young ninja persisted,
"Chase her harder!!!"
Ulti, mounted atop a spiny-backed dragon, pursued the nimble shinobi.
"You can't escape!"
A sticker-adorned mouse in her hand squeaked directions,
"Turn right ahead; she's fled into Flower Street."
By contrast, Queen, who ran the prison, relished a rare break.
"Ha! With everyone detained, it's a rare day off, when there's a full mobilization."
"Even Brother Kaido is training some advanced Haki all night, something about a mission or internal sabotage?"
"No matter. Time for a comfortable sleep."
"Tomorrow promises to be quite the spectacle!"