"...Is it coming?"
Baihu suddenly muttered in a voice that only the two of them could hear, as if sensing something.
Who's coming?
Shano was growing more and more impatient. This guy was acting all mysterious—was he going to fight or not?
He talked like he was making small talk but never gave a straight answer. Just stood there like a wooden stick, making others guess.
That kind of person—Shano hated them the most.
Forget it.
If you won't talk, then I'll get the answer myself!
That thought flashing through his mind, he made a swift decision—his wrist flicked, and the bamboo sword suddenly thrust forward.
By the time Baihu turned his head in a daze, the bamboo sword had already struck clean—his mask was flicked off with precision.
Clack—
The fox mask hit the ground, revealing a thin, weathered face that looked to be in his early fifties, full of exhaustion and life's wear. It was projected on the big screen hanging above, for everyone to see.
The whole venue fell into dead silence.
It was so quiet, the sound of the mask rolling on the floor could be clearly heard.
Shano noticed the strange reaction from the crowd and frowned as he stared at the man's face.
Was this guy... famous?
In the next instant—
Like a giant stone dropped into a still lake, the entire crowd exploded in shock!
Almost everyone stood up in disbelief.
"No way! That face... that's...!"
"That's Director Sakuragi Ki!"
"He's still alive?!"
What was going on?!
Sakuragi Ki, the legendary figure—wasn't he supposed to have died five years ago in a shipwreck during a storm?!
"Father!!!"
The curtain of the changing room was flung open, and Junichi burst out like a madman.
When he reached the front, his entire body was trembling. He stared wide-eyed at the thin man, terrified that this was all just a dream.
"It's really you... is it really you...?"
"It's me, Junichi."
The withered man stretched out a slightly shaking hand and gently patted Junichi's head, as if he had countless words to say.
But in the end, his eyes just reddened, and two streams of tears fell.
He murmured, "Junichi... my Junichi..."
"Father!!!"
Junichi couldn't hold back anymore and threw himself into his arms, hugging the bony, dry chest tightly and crying his heart out.
"Ugh... I'm gonna cry too..."
Even the announcer at the edge of the stage started sniffling. He took off his glasses to wipe his tears, drawing a side glance from Shano.
Shano silently took a few steps back, leaving the center of the stage to the father and son.
"...Junichi, step aside for now. Be good. I don't have much time before I lose control again. Let me say the important stuff first."
The withered man patted his son's head again. Junichi wiped his tears and nodded hard. Though reluctant, he knew what mattered most right now.
The man turned to face the audience.
"Everyone... it's been a long time. Or rather, it's been a long time since I appeared as Sakuragi Ki."
His voice was hoarse and low. "What you all want to know most... is probably what really happened during that shipwreck five years ago—and how I'm still alive."
Most of the audience instinctively nodded.
"That wasn't a shipwreck. It was a carefully laid trap."
As he recalled that nightmare, pain filled Sakuragi's eyes.
"A devil... or rather, a man who had gained the power of a devil fruit, known as 'The Carpenter,' targeted my body—because I still had some strength left. He set a trap to lure me off the island, knocked me unconscious, and while I was out... he used his ability to take control of me."
The Carpenter?
Most of the outsiders present looked confused. But many locals instantly froze.
They knew that name far too well.
This "Carpenter" had been a rising force in the island's underworld for the past five years.
A career beggar, casino enforcer, loan shark, even brothel owner—he had his hands in every dirty trade you could name. His infamy was unmatched.
To the average citizen, he was someone to avoid at all costs.
But in the open, his status was nowhere near that of the island's true top figures.
And Sakuragi Ki—was without doubt, one of those big names.
A sewer rat from the underworld dared to strike at a man like him?
Where did he get the nerve—and the power?
Could it really be that devil fruit power Sakuragi spoke of?
"Sakuragi-san! Are you saying... that Carpenter is a devil fruit user?"
Someone in the audience finally caught on and couldn't help but shout.
"That's right." Sakuragi nodded bitterly. "To be exact, he's a user of the Paramecia-type 'Puppet Puppet Fruit.' He can..."
"—He can turn humans into puppets that obey his every command!"
BANG!
The dojo's doors were suddenly kicked open with a loud crash.
A middle-aged man, wearing a luxurious coat and biting a cigar, strode in with a smug and sinister look on his face.
It was none other than the infamous "Carpenter" known to every island local.
And behind him were two others.
The crowd looked closely—only to find, to their shock, that they were none other than the town sheriff and the commanding officer of the island's northern 129th Navy Base, Major Tomte!
"Tsk tsk... I must've underestimated your willpower, Sakuragi."
The Carpenter stared coldly at the thin man on stage.
"Most puppets are fully obedient after just one brainwashing. You're the only exception... every now and then you try to break free. I only re-brainwashed you last month—what set you off this time? Let me guess... was it this brat?"
His gaze landed on Junichi.
Standing just behind him, Major Tomte raised a flintlock pistol without emotion, aiming it right at Junichi.
"Major Tomte! What the hell are you doing?! Why are you taking orders from a thug—and pointing a gun at a kid?!"
A furious shout came from the audience.
It was a sailor from the 129th base who had come to watch the tournament during his leave. Seeing this scene, he couldn't believe his eyes.
Was this really the same kind, upright major he admired?
"I told you already," Sakuragi said with a bitter smile. "It's the power of the Puppet Puppet Fruit. Your major and the sheriff were already under his control long ago. On the surface they act like normal people, but the moment the Carpenter wills it, they become his puppets—utterly obedient."
"Also, each puppet takes one finger to control. He has ten fingers—he doesn't waste any."
He looked toward the seven dojo masters seated to the south, his voice turning more and more hoarse.
"So, my old friends... none of them were spared either."
Once again, the crowd was thrown into an uproar.
The seven dojo masters still sat cold-faced, showing no sign of refuting the claim.
This silence only confirmed Sakuragi's words.
The audience around them panicked as if they'd seen a plague, stumbling backward, pushing and shoving to flee.
Among them were family members and close aides of the dojo masters.
They suddenly recalled how strange their leaders had become over the past five years.
Now, looking at those familiar yet foreign backs, a chill ran down their spines.
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