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"Kyoshiro-san! T-T-The Oniwabanshu are....!" one of Kyoshiro's thugs shrieked.
"What?!" Denjiro exclaimed.
"…Huh?"
Kouzuki Hiyori, still reeling from the revelation of Ian's identity, was momentarily stunned. She hadn't realized his reputation outside the Flower Capital was so big.
To single-handedly defeat both Kaido and Big Mom… such a feat suggested an alliance with Whitebeard was not out of the question. And the remaining samurai of the Kozuki Clan were waiting in the wings, ready to strike.
Just as Hiyori was about to speak, a booming voice echoed from outside, followed by several figures bursting into the room.
"All courtesans, withdraw! Oniwabanshu on official business! All unrelated personnel, clear the area!"
The leader, clad in black, wore a mask and carried two swords crossed on his back. His left hand formed a series of rapid hand seals, his sharp gaze fixed on Ian. The courtesans, initially startled, quickly retreated in fear. The Oniwabanshu?
Tashigi, seated beside Ian, also wore an expression of surprise. These were Orochi's personal guards, under his direct command, a force even Kyoshiro couldn't mobilize. She was more surprised to encounter ninja in this land of samurai.
Kyoshiro watched the chaotic scene unfold below, his eyes narrowing slightly.
With a *whoosh*, he and Kouzuki Hiyori descended from the third floor to the main hall. Upon seeing Kyoshiro, the Oniwabanshu members immediately bowed.
"Kyoshiro-san. We are here on Fukurokuju's orders to apprehend a dangerous individual."
"If those are Fukurokuju's orders…then proceed. However, any damage to my establishment will be compensated in full." Kyoshiro's gaze swept over the four ninja.
Fukurokuju, like himself, served as Orochi's personal guard, and both possessed the authority to act independently under special circumstances. Kouzuki Hiyori was about to speak, but Kyoshiro stopped her. He still didn't fully trust Ian.
If the rumors of "Black Winged Devil" were true, then dealing with these ninja would be a trivial matter. And if so, perhaps joining their rebellion against Orochi…
…wasn't such a bad idea. He couldn't risk revealing his true allegiance prematurely. They had worked too hard to gain Orochi's trust and infiltrate his inner circle.
"Honestly…" Ian sighed, his expression unchanged as the ninja surrounded them. Tashigi rested her chin on her hand, tilting her head as she looked at him.
"Why is it that wherever we go, there's always someone trying to spoil the fun? It seems they don't trust us, even after we offered to help them restore their clan without asking for anything in return. And this is how they repay us."
The courtesans quickly evacuated, leaving only the Oniwabanshu, Kyoshiro, and his companions in the hall. The rest of the patrons had retreated to the streets outside.
"Surrender!" one of the ninja commanded.
"This area is completely surrounded. Escape is impossible against the Oniwabanshu, the most elite ninja force in Wano." The ninja encircled Ian and Tashigi, their weapons and shuriken drawn, their gazes cold and hostile.
They also noticed the severed Snake head of Orochi, still dripping blood, lying nearby.
Ian remained seated, seemingly oblivious to the ninja surrounding him. He poured himself another cup of sake. "Trust is a fickle thing. If I were in their position, even after witnessing such a feat, I would still require further proof. Very well, let's demonstrate our worth."
"Heh," the leader, sneered. "You're surrounded."
Another ninja spoke, his voice low and menacing. "All ninja in Wano are under the jurisdiction of the Oniwabanshu. Devil Fruit users are under the control of Kaido-sama. We've never seen you before. You must be affiliated with the remnants of the Kozuki Clan."
Ian lifted his sake cup but didn't drink, holding it before him. His transformed appearance, a result of his Devil Fruit, did resemble a Zoan-type user.
"While I have no affiliation with the Kozuki Clan…" Ian finally took a sip of his sake, a smile playing on his lips. "Does justice require allegiance to a specific faction?"
His words hung in the air, silencing the ninja momentarily.
"Attack!" The Leader roared, launching a volley of shuriken at Ian.
"Ninja Art: Shurikenjutsu!"
"Ninja Art: Jigoku Biwa!"
"Ninja Art…" The other ninja followed suit, unleashing a barrage of attacks.
Ian's eyes flickered with a hint of nostalgia. Facing the incoming attacks, he simply extended his hand.
Clang! Clang! Clatter!
An invisible force field, a repulsive barrier, emanated from his palm, deflecting the shuriken and other projectiles.
"What…sorcery is this?!" The Oniwabanshu ninja exchanged uneasy glances. Such abilities were unheard of in their ninjutsu.
Ian, with Tashigi in his arms, vanished in a flash of Sonido, reappearing on the roof of the pleasure house.
"Don't let him escape!" the ninja shouted, leaping onto the roof after him.
But as they reached the rooftop, Ian, still holding Tashigi, unleashed a fiery attack. He channeled Owen's Heat-Heat Fruit powers.
"Heat Haze Fist!"
BOOM!
A torrent of crimson flames, spanning hundreds of meters, erupted from his fist, engulfing the Oniwabanshu ninja. Even the courtesans who had retreated to the streets below could see the inferno.
"S-Sorcery!" The Oniwabanshu ninja stared in disbelief as the flames descended upon them. Their ninjutsu included fire-based techniques, but creating such a massive inferno was beyond their capabilities.
"What sorcery.. is t-this...?" The terrified ninja retreated, drawing their weapons and slashing upwards at the approaching flames.
Even Kyoshiro's lips twitched in surprise at the display of power.
Owen's Heat-Heat Fruit didn't naturally produce flames. It was like a branch of a tree. But Ian, possessing a soul that transcended this world, could easily Enhance that branch into a towering inferno.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
A flurry of sword strikes sliced through the flames, cleaving a path through the inferno. The pleasure house, caught in the crossfire, crumbled and burned. The courtesans, jolted from their stupor, fled in terror.
The Oniwabanshu ninja emerged from the burning building, landing on the street below.
They looked up to see Ian hovering in the air, dozens of meters above them. Tashigi, no longer in his arms, was now clinging to his back, her arms wrapped around his waist.
Ian looked down at the ninja, a faint smile playing on his lips. He raised his hands, and the air around them grew frigid, snowflakes falling from the sky, mingling with the pink cherry blossoms of Wano, creating a surreal and beautiful scene.
"Snow? No way…"
The ninja stared in disbelief. Then, their eyes widened in horror as the snowflakes sliced through their clothes, leaving behind cuts as if they had been slashed by blades. The frigid air pierced their skin, numbing their bodies.
The Oniwabanshu ninja used Ryuo, their version of Busoshoku Haki, to protect themselves, but it did little to ward off the intense cold.
"Raiton: Kirin!"
Ian declared, his right hand crackling with blue-white lightning. The sky darkened, storm clouds gathering as thunder rumbled and a shadowy, horned beast materialized in the darkness.
Crackle! Boom!
A blinding flash of lightning, spanning hundreds of meters, descended from the sky, striking the Oniwabanshu ninja. The electricity coursed through the snow-covered ground, amplifying its power.
Despite their Ryuo, the ninja were electrocuted, their bodies convulsing, their hair standing on end, the smell of burnt flesh filling the air.
Kyoshiro, possessing greater strength, managed to withstand the lightning's onslaught by coating his body in Busoshoku Haki. He quickly grabbed Kouzuki Hiyori and leaped onto the roof of a nearby building, his eyes wide with astonishment as he watched Ian.
"Fire, snow…and lightning?"
While not a ninja himself, he was familiar with their techniques. Ninja possessed elemental jutsu, but none could match the sheer power and scale of Ian's attacks.
Moreover, ninja typically relied on tools and scrolls to perform their jutsu. Ian, however, seemed to conjure these elements effortlessly, with no external aids. And most importantly…
He was floating in mid-air without any visible support. This was beyond the capabilities of any ninja he knew.
"Desert La Grana Funeral!"
Rumble!
The ground beneath the Oniwabanshu ninja transformed into sand, swallowing them whole. While their Haki had protected them from the lightning's full force, they were still momentarily paralyzed. Unable to react, they were engulfed by the swirling sandstorm.
Half of the Flower Capital's pleasure district vanished, replaced by a massive stone giant standing amidst the ruins. This was Pica's Stone-Stone Fruit ability.
"Are they all dead?" Tashigi, peering over Ian's shoulder, asked.
Ian paused, a smile playing on his lips. "Not quite. Ninja are surprisingly resilient. They are all proficient in Haki, putting them above the average pirate in the first half of the Grand Line and the Four Blues."
Pirates from the first half of the Grand Line wouldn't have survived the Desert La Grana Funeral, but these ninja, like seasoned warriors of the New World, possessed enhanced durability thanks to their Haki, making them far more resistant to damage.
Nearly all of them had equal strength of 100 million berries Pirates.
Even Kaido's Gifters, artificial Zoan users, could hold their own against Luffy, Zoro, and Kid.
Crack! Crack!
Cracks appeared on the stone giant's surface, and several figures emerged, battered and bruised. It was the Oniwabanshu ninja. While they had survived, they were covered in wounds, their bodies barely holding together. They struggled to even crawl out of the stone giant, gasping for air.
The weaker ones had been crushed and desiccated, buried within the stone giant's core. They looked at Ian with terror in their eyes.
Wind, snow, lightning, earth… and fire.
"Cough…cough… Such ninjutsu… and Devil Fruit abilities… impossible!"
"Who…who are you?" one of the ninja asked, his voice filled with fear. He lowered his right hand, his left hand still forming a hand seal.
Ian smiled faintly. "Me? I'm a pirate. A former Marine. And I happen to know a thing or two about your precious ninjutsu. Now, let me ask you a question." A glint of mischief flickered in his eyes. "Would you consider… explosions… a form of ninjutsu?"
The ninja stared at him in horror, their eyes widening as they looked at the massive stone giant looming over the Flower Capital. They tried to move, to react, but it was too late.
Ian's laughter echoed through the air, his white clothing billowing around him as he hovered in the sky.
"Art…is an explosion!"
BOOM! The stone giant, now a massive sphere of rock, detonated in a blinding flash of light. A mushroom cloud, rose into the sky, threatening to consume the entire Flower Capital.
The force of the explosion was enough to shatter the island, but it was contained by an unseen force, a crimson barrier that prevented the shockwave from spreading beyond the pleasure district.
It was the same technique Ulquiorra used to protect his allies, a defensive barrier similar to the Barrier-Barrier Fruit or the Four Red Yang Formation used by the Kage in Naruto.
Ian had realized he might have gone too far with the explosion, so he had quickly erected a barrier to contain the blast, limiting the damage to the pleasure district.
He couldn't help but feel a thrill, reminiscent of Madara vs shinobi alliance.
As the light subsided and the barrier dissipated, the pleasure district was gone, replaced by a massive crater.
"Is this…the Power of a God?" someone whispered.
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