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...
When Fukurokuju arrived at the Flower Capital's pleasure district, a scene of utter devastation greeted him. Geishas and patrons stood frozen in place, their faces etched with shock and disbelief, staring blankly at the ruins of what was once a bustling hub of entertainment.
Where vibrant streets and teahouses once stood, there was now only a vast, empty crater, as if struck by a meteor.
"This… damn it!" Fukurokuju cursed under his breath.
The pleasure district was a vital source of income, accounting for nearly a third of the Flower Capital's revenue. Its destruction would not only incur Orochi's wrath but also offend Kyoshiro and his associates.
He looked up sharply, spotting two figures hovering above the ravaged landscape. Ian and Tashigi descended from the sky, landing gracefully on the roof of a nearby building.
Whoosh!
In a flash, Fukurokuju launched himself onto another rooftop, confronting Ian with a steely gaze. "Destroying the pleasure district is a crime punishable by death. Who are you?"
Tashigi released her grip on Ian, taking her place beside him. Ian stared coldly at Fukurokuju, offering no response.
As the other members of the Oniwabanshu arrived, surrounding Ian, Fukurokuju continued, his voice laced with suspicion and anger. "No matter which clandestine organization trained you, ninja or Devil Fruit user, they clearly aren't affiliated with Shogun Orochi. And now you've committed this heinous crime. There will be no mercy."
He drew his weapon, the other Oniwabanshu following suit, encircling Ian. "Attack!" he commanded.
...
At that moment, several burly men carrying a palanquin hurried towards the scene. Inside sat Kurozumi Orochi, the shogun of Wano.
As he approached, the devastation came into view. The pleasure district had been completely leveled, leaving only a barren wasteland. Crowds of people huddled behind buildings, panic and chaos reigning supreme. Orochi's face darkened with fury. "So, the pleasure district has been completely destroyed. Those fools! What are Fukurokuju and Kyoshiro doing?!"
He stepped out of the palanquin, and the surrounding crowd, noticing his arrival, bowed their heads in fear and respect.
"Orochi-sama!" they stammered.
Ignoring their greetings, Orochi sensed the ongoing battle ahead and turned his attention towards the ravaged streets.
BOOM!
A familiar figure came hurtling through the air, crashing into the ground a short distance from Orochi, creating a spiderweb of cracks in the pavement. It was Fukurokuju, the leader of the Oniwabanshu, blood trickling from his lips, his eyes wide with shock. "Such power…"
He stared in disbelief towards the source of the attack. Orochi's face paled, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. "Fukurokuju?!"
"Damn it! That bastard came here! Is Komurasaki alright?! Fukurokuju, Raizo, save my Komurasaki!"
Consumed by his infatuation with the courtesan, Orochi's voice was laced with panic and desperation. Just then, another earth-shattering boom echoed through the streets as a figure descended from the sky, landing squarely on the Rasetsu Town district, sending dust and debris swirling into the air.
"Who's there?!" Orochi roared.
"Have you forgotten me so soon?"
Ian stepped out of the dust cloud, his cold gaze fixed on Orochi. Screams of terror erupted from the surrounding crowd as they recognized the assassin from the previous night.
Orochi's eyes widened, his grotesque face contorting in fear as the memories of his near-death experience came flooding back.
"It's him! The assassin from last night! Protect me!" he shrieked.
The remaining Oniwabanshu ninjas, led by Fukurokuju, and the patrol unit samurai, commanded by Raizo, drew their swords, forming a protective circle around Orochi.
Ian turned his attention to Orochi and his thousand-strong army, his chilling gaze and demonic visage sending shivers down their spines. Orochi, overcome by terror, let out another pathetic shriek.
Despite being surrounded by his forces, he felt no sense of security. He knew, with absolute certainty, that Ian was far more terrifying than he could have imagined. Even the All-Stars of the Beast Pirates, figures like King and Queen, paled in comparison.
This was a monster on par with Kaido himself.
Speaking of Queen, after Orochi had shown him Ian's portrait, the Plague had immediately retreated to Udon Prison, claiming he needed to inspect the working conditions.
Now, Orochi realized that Queen had likely known something all along, abandoning him to face this terrifying foe alone.
"N-no… don't kill me! It's all a misunderstanding! Please! I'll lick your feet! I'll give you anything you want, just spare my life!" Orochi pleaded, his voice trembling with fear.
"Ian-sama!" A sweet, melodic voice called out. Komurasaki, the beautiful courtesan, dressed in a vibrant red kimono, approached them, accompanied by her retainer, Denjiro.
"Kyoshiro! Komurasaki! What's the meaning of this?!" Orochi's eyes bulged in disbelief as he stared at the figures behind Ian. Denjiro and Komurasaki, however, ignored his outburst.
"Ian-dono, I sincerely apologize for my earlier rudeness and suspicion."
Denjiro bowed deeply, his face a mixture of awe, excitement, and fanaticism. Witnessing Ian effortlessly defeat the Oniwabanshu and the patrol unit had erased any doubts he had about his power. He, too, had felt the oppressive aura, comparable to Kaido, perhaps even stronger.
The events of the past few days had confirmed the truth of Ian's words. There was no reason for a figure of his stature to lie to mortals like them.
Ian and Whitebeard, 2 Yonko-level powerhouses, had joined forces. The Beast Pirates, who had ruled Wano for two decades, were about to be overthrown, their reign of terror coming to an end.
Even with Big Mom's alliance, their fate was sealed. Both Ian and Whitebeard were unmatched in strength, and they could easily overcome any numerical disadvantage.
Denjiro's excitement surged, his attitude towards Ian shifting dramatically.
"Kyoshiro! Komurasaki! What are you doing?! Who is this man?!" Orochi's frantic cries echoed through the streets.
"Kurozumi Orochi!" Denjiro roared, his eyes burning with hatred as he cast off his disguise. "My name is Denjiro. You haven't forgotten, have you?"
"What?!"
"Denjiro?!"
"One of the Nine Red Scabbards?!"
"Kyoshiro-san is a Scabbard?!" The remaining ninjas and samurai cried out in shock. "If you're Denjiro, then Komurasaki… could she be…?"
"My name is Kozuki Hiyori, daughter of the former shogun of Wano, Kozuki Oden."
...
Chaos erupted in the Rasetsu Town district. The true identities of Kyoshiro and Komurasaki had been revealed. Denjiro, one of the Nine Red Scabbards, and Hiyori, Oden's daughter, had returned. Fear and shock rippled through the ranks of Orochi's forces.
The shogun's most trusted confidant was a traitor, a loyal retainer of Kozuki Oden. Orochi's blood ran cold.
The memories of their shared laughter and camaraderie now filled him with dread.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
He finally understood why Kyoshiro had dropped his act. He was trapped, facing certain doom.
With Denjiro and Hiyori's identities exposed, there was no escape. Oden's retainers and his daughter would never forgive him, the man who had brought ruin upon their nation.
"Denjiro! Princess Hiyori! Are you conspiring with outsiders to seize control of Wano?! This is our country! If you want it back, take it with your own strength!" Orochi shrieked, his voice laced with desperation.
"Hahahaha!" Denjiro laughed, tears streaming down his face.
"Kurozumi Orochi, are you afraid? Still clinging to such naive delusions after all these years! Did you never think this day would come, when you and Kaido murdered Oden-sama eighteen years ago?!"
"Enough talk! Kozuki remnants! Do you really think you've won?! Kaido is the true ruler of this country!" Orochi screamed, cornered and desperate.
"You're right. But today, at least here, none of you are escaping."
Denjiro's eyes widened, his gaze filled with murderous intent.
"You'll never take me alive! Attack! Stop them!" Orochi shrieked, ordering his forces to attack.
Over a thousand samurai charged forward, while Orochi, under their protection, attempted to flee.
"Flame Rend!"
A wall of fire and lightning erupted before Orochi and his fleeing forces, quickly expanding to form a massive circle, trapping them within its fiery embrace.
With Oven's Heat-Heat Fruit augmenting the flames, Ian was confident that its power, while perhaps not identical, was close.
"El Thor!" Ian raised his right hand, clenching it slowly as bolts of lightning rained down from the sky.
In an instant, over eighty percent of Orochi's forces fell, the remaining few blocking their escape route.
"This number… you can handle them, right?" Ian asked calmly. If Denjiro couldn't even manage this, he'd be sorely disappointed.
"Yes!" Denjiro nodded resolutely, charging forward with his katana, his movements fueled by a desperate, all-or-nothing resolve.
Within five minutes, the remaining ninjas and samurai were defeated. Denjiro, a swordsman of considerable skill, capable of cleaving ships in two, cut down his opponents with ruthless efficiency.
Even Orochi, who had transformed into his monstrous eight-headed serpent form, was no match for Denjiro. With a single stroke, he severed six of Orochi's heads.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you just yet. That would be too merciful."
Denjiro, covered in blood, grinned maniacally, his chilling words sending shivers down Orochi's spine.
"Oden-sama was boiled alive and mocked in his final moments. You will suffer a similar fate. If it pleases the people you've tormented, I might postpone your execution. But your judgment day will come."
"Ian-sama, what are our next steps?"
Hiyori inquired, having unconsciously come to rely on Ian's guidance.
"Our next steps…" Ian looked towards the sky.
A bright streak of fire was rapidly approaching from the horizon, its presence noticed by everyone present.
"Could it be King?" Orochi's heart leaped with renewed hope, but even King's arrival wouldn't change much.
He would just be another casualty. Unless Kaido and Big Mom arrived together, their situation was hopeless.
"It's not King." Hiyori said, a sigh of relief escaping her lips. "Those are blue flames."
Orochi's eyes narrowed, a sense of dread washing over him. Moments later, the blue flames descended upon the Flower Capital, revealing Marco in his phoenix form. "Ian, you've certainly caused quite a stir."
Marco chuckled, shaking his head. He had known Ian was a force to be reckoned with, but he hadn't expected him to take down Orochi so quickly.
"It was nothing." Ian replied with a smile.
"Could you be…?"
"Marco?"
Hiyori stared at the familiar phoenix in the sky, memories of her childhood resurfacing, particularly of Marco's distinctive pineapple-shaped hairstyle.
She recognized him instantly, her beautiful face lighting up with joy and excitement. Marco landed beside Ian, Denjiro, and the others, his gaze fixed on the young woman before him.
"You are…?"
A moment later, Marco's jaw dropped, his eyes widening in disbelief and joy.
"Could it be… No, you're Hiyori, aren't you?" He, too, recognized her instantly, her appearance remarkably similar to her mother's.
"Yes, Marco-san! It's me, Hiyori!" She nodded excitedly.
"It's been over twenty years. You've grown into a beautiful woman, just like your mother."
Marco smiled warmly, his voice laced with nostalgia and a hint of sadness. He had been searching for the Kozuki heirs while scouting the Beast Pirates' forces.
He had found nothing. Yet, here she was, discovered by Ian during a casual outing. Perhaps it was fate.
"Enough reminiscing. Old Man Whitebeard has completed his preparations. It's time to take down Kaido and Big Mom."
"We're taking down two Emperors in one fell swoop!"
...
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