Wano Country, The Flower Capital.
Inside a lavish pavilion known as Chizuru, the atmosphere was quiet and exclusive. In a single-family compound, a woman in a yellow kimono named Chiyo hesitated in front of a sliding door. With a hint of uncertainty, she raised her right hand and knocked a few times.
"What is it?" Sephiroth's voice sounded from within, tinged with a hint of impatience.
Hearing the voice, Chiyo immediately knelt in the corridor and bowed deeply. "Lord Miyamoto, Lord Fukurokuju from the Shogun's Palace wishes to see you. He said there's something important he wants to discuss."
"Hmm! I understand. Arrange for him to go to the VIP room on the second floor first," Sephiroth replied casually.
"Yes!"
Once Chiyo got up and left, Sephiroth, who was still doing his morning exercises, could only finish them in a hurry. Under Black Maria's service, he began to put on a gray kimono without rushing.
Black Maria stood in front of him. After tying the kimono, she raised her right hand and gently caressed the thin beard on Sephiroth's face. In a slightly hoarse voice, she asked, "My lord, do you need me to help you shave your beard? I think you'll be even more handsome if you do!"
With gentle eyes, the young girl stared at the man in front of her who had conquered her from her body to her soul.
Upon hearing this, Sephiroth immediately burst into laughter. He stretched out his arms, hugged the blonde girl tightly, and rubbed her smooth cheek. "I don't want to shave this beard yet. But... I prefer you to call me 'my lord'."
As if remembering something, Black Maria lowered her head with a shy expression. "I see, my lord!" she replied in a soft voice.
"Hmm! Good girl!"
Sephiroth kissed the girl's forehead softly before letting go of his embrace, opening the door, and stepping out with great spirit. After the night they had spent, Black Maria seemed to love him even more.
In his heart, Sephiroth felt that if his relationship with Black Maria deepened, he would consider giving her the Ancient Zoan-type Devil Fruit, the Kumo Kumo no Mi, model: Rosy Grignard Tarantula. With his training and guidance, Black Maria would certainly not lose to any of the Tobi Roppo. However, as for reaching a level like the Three Disasters? That would depend entirely on her natural talent.
In the VIP room on the second floor of Chizuru Pavilion, a geisha knelt on the performance stage, playing a shamisen with a calming tune. Meanwhile, Fukurokuju, kneeling in front of the table, didn't touch the dishes and drinks. He sat in silence, calm as a meditating monk, even after waiting for more than half an hour.
"Sorry, Lord Fukurokuju! I had an important matter to settle. Why did you come looking for me?"
With a friendly smile, Sephiroth opened the door and sat down opposite Fukurokuju. He was aware that this Shogun's envoy wouldn't come without a reason. Surely Kurozumi Orochi sent him for some purpose. Given their current positions, Sephiroth felt no need to be overly enthusiastic. Making Fukurokuju wait a little was the right tactic so that the other party wouldn't underestimate him.
"I came with a message from the Shogun. He greatly appreciates your ability after hearing you successfully subdued the Kurokoma family and made them your subordinates. Therefore, the Shogun says that if you are willing to serve him, you will gain more power and status than you have now. The Shogun can even help you become the boss of the underworld who rules Wano Country!"
"Uh!? This..."
A surprised expression briefly appeared in Sephiroth's eyes. He didn't expect Kurozumi Orochi to be so bold as to offer such a promise. However, he immediately realized that this was just a blank check. The underworld in Wano was fragmented with more than a dozen small factions and hundreds of large gangs. Sorting that out was not an easy job, even for the Shogun himself. So, Orochi actually just wanted to use his hands to control all the yakuzas there.
Although he was sneering inside, Sephiroth put on a happy face. "That's a great honor! I, Miyamoto Musashi, am very willing to be loyal to Lord Shogun!"
After some small talk, Fukurokuju got up and said his goodbyes. He didn't touch the food or drinks at all, his attitude was extremely cautious, showing he didn't trust Sephiroth.
"How slippery and cautious. It's a pity, a person like this will be useless to me," Sephiroth sighed to himself.
On Sabaody Archipelago, specifically in Area 41, the following days were filled with conflict. Thanks to Kurozumi Orochi's blessing, Sephiroth openly seized territory in the Flower Capital from other yakuza families. Battles kept breaking out, and he successfully expanded his power, gathering thousands of subordinates. Slowly, the Miyamoto family began to dominate the underworld in the Flower Capital.
From the investigation he conducted, Sephiroth found that his troops had been infiltrated by samurai from the Kozuki clan and also ninjas from Fukurokuju's side as spies. He chose to pretend he didn't know, but quietly placed these two groups in marginal positions, so they couldn't access important information.
On the other hand, after spending some intimate time with Black Maria, Sephiroth finally gave her the Ancient Zoan-type Devil Fruit, the Kumo Kumo no Mi, model: Rosy Grignard Tarantula, and then began training her in Rokushiki. However, he noticed that Black Maria's personality slowly changed after eating the fruit. In addition to becoming more tall and fiery, the girl showed an unexpected side.
One time, Sephiroth caught her torturing a geisha who made a mistake with spiderwebs. The powerful aura she exuded made her look like a commanding queen. Ironically, when she was with Sephiroth, Black Maria remained pleasant and obedient. She knew very well how to behave in front of her lord. Knowing this, Sephiroth chose to turn a blind eye. As long as Black Maria's loyalty remained with him, he didn't mind her other unique hobbies.