With the tinkling of bells, the most anticipated oiran of Wano appeared at the end of the street.
The woman was stunning, with long green hair elegantly styled into a high bun adorned with golden hairpins. She wore an extravagant pink floral kimono and stepped slowly in towering wooden clogs.
She gently placed her hand on the shoulder of the person holding a parasol beside her. Because of her high footwear, her pace was slow and dignified.
Kalifa glanced at the oiran and remarked,
"She's indeed beautiful... and has a refined air about her."
Kaito gave her a look, confirming that the oiran was none other than Kozuki Oden's daughter—currently going by the alias Komurasaki, but her true name was Kozuki Hiyori.
Kaito didn't care much for Kozuki Hiyori. Compared to other princesses like Shirahoshi, Vivi, or Rebecca, she was utterly unimpressive.
That so-called twenty years of "endurance" in the anime? All it really meant was clinging to old men and Orochi, playing the perfect geisha. She'd mastered the art of charming men, but nothing else.
And in the end, she just stepped up to grab some attention.
That said... she did have good looks, clearly inherited from her mother, Kozuki Toki.
As for her brother, Momonosuke—he matched his father in both idiocy and appearance.
Thinking of Momonosuke, a flash of killing intent passed through Kaito's eyes. That bastard needed to die. No reason required.
Even though the killing intent lasted only a second, a terrifying pressure burst forth from Kaito.
All the civilians on the street let out muffled groans and dropped to their knees, overwhelmed.
Hiyori's face paled, but thanks to the guard beside her, she didn't collapse. The guard, however, was visibly shaking, barely holding himself upright. And this was just the faintest trace of Kaito's aura—released for a mere moment.
Kalifa, having spent much time around Kaito, had developed some resistance, so she wasn't overly affected.
Still, she had noticed that brief flicker of killing intent and asked,
"Boss, what was that just now? Is Kaido nearby?"
"No... just thought of someone disgusting."
Kaito let out a small sigh. Momonosuke was just that revolting—thinking about him was enough to stir his emotions.
Hearing that someone could actually disgust Kaito that much, Kalifa pressed further,
"Boss, is he still alive? Is he strong?"
"No. Pretty weak, actually."
"Oh? Then there's no need for you to deal with him personally. Just send someone to take him out."
Kalifa's voice turned cold. In her eyes, simply making Kaito feel disgust was already a capital offense. Add to that the fact that the guy wasn't even strong? No point in letting someone like that continue existing.
Kaito looked at her icy expression and couldn't help but pull her into his arms, smiling as he said,
"No need for that. He's just a small fry. I'll handle it when the time comes."
"He's in Wano?"
"Yes and no. He's hiding in a very secure place... but I've got ways to drag him out."
"Hmm."
Kalifa let out a soft sound and rested against Kaito's chest, saying no more. This was a rare moment of peace—no point dwelling on annoying matters.
...
In the street, Hiyori had finally recovered from the overwhelming pressure. Her expression serious, she scanned the crowd kneeling around her—until her eyes landed on Kaito and Kalifa.
No helping it. The two stood out immensely, even more so now that everyone else was on their knees. They were the only ones still standing—hugging each other like it was a date. It looked... intimate.
That burst of pressure earlier had to have come from one of them.
Hiyori narrowed her eyes as she observed them, quickly ruling out the woman.
The woman had her eyes closed and was snuggled in the man's embrace, looking completely harmless.
If only Hiyori knew that the so-called harmless woman had just casually offered to have her brother killed, she might've thought differently.
As for the man... one glance was enough for Hiyori to realize he wasn't ordinary—especially those strange eyes of his. Just looking at them gave her a sense of inexplicable pressure... a feeling that matched what she'd felt moments ago.
In fact, there weren't many people left on the seas who didn't recognize Kaito's Rinnegan. Anyone who saw them would instantly know who he was.
But Wano was a closed-off nation. With little contact with the World Government, news from the outside rarely reached here. So Hiyori had no idea what those eyes meant.
Looking at Kaito's youthful face, she couldn't help but think,
"When did Wano gain such a terrifying young powerhouse?"
She hadn't interacted much with the outside world, but she'd encountered Kaido—one of the top beings in the world—and her own father, Kozuki Oden. She knew what powerful auras felt like.
That pressure earlier, though brief, was on the same level as those two—if not greater. Deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that it even surpassed them.
But the source of that pressure looked so young... she couldn't accept it. How could someone so powerful just show up out of nowhere—stronger than her father and Kaido?
Why was someone like that here in Wano? She didn't believe for a second that a man with that kind of strength had come here just to enjoy a trip with a woman.
If he was an enemy, then he had to be with Kaido. But she had never seen him by Kaido's side.
And if he wasn't with Kaido... then she had to recruit him.
Sure, the woman in his arms was beautiful, but she was the oiran of Wano! For some men, that was a huge advantage.
With her beauty and her status, Hiyori was confident she could win Kaito's favor.
Once she had his attention, she could use the same methods she'd employed to drain those high-ranking fools and Orochi of their money. Heck, she might even offer up more—just to get Kaito to do something for her.
She didn't expect him to kill Kaido. But if he could take out Orochi, that would already be a massive win!
Twenty years... the "twenty years" her mother spoke of felt far too long. Even the faintest glimmer of hope was better than continuing to wait.
With that in mind, she turned to her guard and said,
"Go and invite the couple standing over there. Tell them I'm inviting them to join us at the banquet!"
The guard, sent by Denjiro to protect her, looked troubled and whispered,
"But... today's banquet is hosted by Orochi. Won't this risk angering him and affecting the restoration of our nation?"
"No. Kaido isn't here right now. If we can recruit that man, maybe we can use him to eliminate Orochi early!"
"But... how are we supposed to recruit him?"
"I have my ways."
Seeing Hiyori's confident expression, the guard gave a bitter smile. He understood what she meant.
But he had a feeling this time... she would fail.
If that man really had been the source of that pressure earlier—could someone of that level really be recruited with just a pretty face and a oiran's charm?
Not every man was like those desperate nobles... or Kurozumi Orochi.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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