In the blink of an eye,
A week had passed.
Shen Yuan sat inside a command tent on Border Island, sipping the tea Kalifa had brewed for him with practiced grace.
The calm was broken as the previously silent Den Den Mushi suddenly came alive.
"Buru buru... buru buru..."
Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, took another slow sip of his tea, and then picked up the receiver.
A voice crackled on the other end.
"Hello? Mr. Shen Yuan? This is He Song!"
It was Kawamatsu, holding a black-shelled Den Den Mushi—one attuned specifically to Shen Yuan.
"What is it?" Shen Yuan asked, his tone serene and unaffected.
"We've mobilized our forces and gathered at Touge Mountain… but..."
He Song's voice faltered.
"But what?"
A sly smile curled Shen Yuan's lips as his mind began to spin—thinking about how to eliminate them with precision and overwhelming force.
"But... Ashura Doji seems to have vanished. We can't locate him, and attempts to contact him have failed."
Shen Yuan's grin widened inwardly.
Vanished? No—he'd been reduced to bone dust, reconstituted as nutrients through Dark Matter Conversion.
"It's fine. How many warriors came this time?"
Kawamatsu sounded uneasy but continued:
"This time, I've gathered Nekomamushi and Inuarashi, along with many loyal retainers of the Kozuki clan! I thought it would take more effort to cross, but Wano's border security is lax now—Kaido's injuries have made them careless. We were let in after basic identity checks."
Shen Yuan's expression didn't change, but inside, euphoria bubbled.
Still, he replied with quiet restraint.
"Very well. Wait for me at Touge Mountain."
He hung up the receiver, set down the Den Den Mushi, and stood with deliberate intent.
"What a beautiful day."
And with that, he vanished into thin air.
---
Kuri, Wano Country
Hundreds of Kozuki retainers were assembled atop the ridge.
Kawamatsu stepped forward.
"Everyone, the God of Death will strike down Kaido! He already crushed Orochi and grievously wounded Kaido. You all know this!"
Nekomamushi frowned but nodded.
Indeed, he did know.
This same man had annihilated Enies Lobby, and wiped out Cipher Pol operatives with frightening ease.
It wasn't just courage—it was unfiltered, undeniable strength.
Kawamatsu looked around, his voice more cautious now.
"Any sign of Ashura Doji?"
"No," replied a Mink guard. "Even Zou's trackers haven't found a trace."
"Tch…"
Kawamatsu's brows tightened. Then, as if struck by another thought:
"I heard Denjiro vanished recently too."
"He vanished as well?" Nekomamushi's jaw dropped.
Denjiro—the undercover daimyo of the Flower Capital—was known for careful planning.
Could Kaido have quietly eliminated them both?
Inuarashi, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke with a grim tone.
"Could Kaido be eliminating us all, one by one?"
None could answer.
But in the next moment, their resolve reignited.
"We still have the God of Death. He'll lead us to victory."
Far above them, Shen Yuan floated in the sky, laughter dripping with malice.
"Yes... Kaido will fall—soon."
"But before that… let's clean up the garbage."
"Dark Incarnation: Second Form!"
A black storm erupted from Shen Yuan's body, forming a perfect armored construct, like a Gundam forged from void and heat.
"Take aim."
From the giant's arms, a great obsidian bow materialized, the bowstring crackling with gravity.
"Hellbinding Shot: Devouring Arrow—Thousand-Degree Attachment!"
A high-temperature dark energy arrow formed—infused with both gravitational collapse and solar heat.
"Fwoosh—!"
The arrow launched with thunderous sound, streaking down toward Touge Mountain.
"Boom—!"
The sonic blast alerted those on the mountain, who instinctively turned their gazes skyward.
"What in the world…!?" gasped one retainer.
"Didn't I say that God of Death guy was shady?!" Nekomamushi raised his arms to shield against the force, as did Inuarashi and the rest.
But it was too late.
The blackened arrow crashed down like a Bijuudama, detonating at the mountain's core.
In that instant—intense heat, crushing gravitational pull, and spatial annihilation consumed the mountaintop.
"Hehehe… DIE!"
Shen Yuan roared joyfully.
"One more!"
He readied another arrow.
"Hellbinding Shot: Devouring Arrow—Thousand-Degree Attachment!"
Another flaming black arrow fired at the same target, bursting on impact like an infernal meteor.
The entire peak collapsed.
No retainer remained.
Not even bones.
Just black ash on the wind.
The system chimed:
> [Eliminated key plot characters: Nekomamushi, Inuarashi, Kawamatsu — Skill Points +9 acquired!]
Mission complete.
Shen Yuan clapped his hands with satisfaction.
Even activating this second form didn't drain him.
Instead, his blood surged with primal energy at high temperatures.
"There's no downside at all. Hahaha! Maybe two of these on Mariejois would be a nice gift from me to the world nobles. The Kozuki clan should be grateful!"
With a chuckle, Shen Yuan vanished again.
---
When he reappeared, he stood in the shadow of a rocky cliffside—watching Kaido and Black Maria together.
"Yo. You heal fast for a hag. Guess old man Kaido still has stamina."
He smiled teasingly and locked eyes with Kaido.
"Kaido, everything's in position. We can begin."
Kaido didn't react to the jab. Instead, he looked pleased.
Black Maria, however, staggered up in terror and huddled in the corner.
Her eyes were wide, and she curled into herself like a thief caught red-handed.
"Oi, Kaido, what's wrong with your dog? She sick in the head?"
Kaido's face darkened. He knew exactly why Maria trembled.
Shen Yuan had broken her mind weeks ago during a test of Void Compression Torture.
Kaido cleared his throat, defusing the tension.
"Ahem..."
"Just speak, don't drag it."
Kaido scowled, but complied.
"This is the location. We strike tonight, as agreed."
He handed over a map scribbled with notes and timings.
Shen Yuan scanned it quickly and then incinerated it in his palm.
"Don't forget—Komurasaki is now Shogun."
Kaido nodded.
"Understood."
"See you tonight."
With that, Shen Yuan vanished into mist.
Kaido and Maria were left alone in the cave.
Kaido glanced at her—still curled up, visibly shaking.
He snorted and picked up a Den Den Mushi.
"Buru buru…"
The line connected.
"Well, well! Kaido! You finally calling? Ready to move?" came the unmistakable, overbearing voice of Big Mom.
"Aah, ha ha… Linlin! Everything is in place. We move tonight. Are your ambush teams in position?"
Big Mom scoffed.
"Kaido! I sent ten of my children, and even included three top commanders of the Charlotte Family! Mmm-hmm!"
Kaido let out a deep belly laugh, his dragon voice echoing across the sky.
"Ahahahahaha! Then I'll unleash my three top calamities and the entire army of Gifters! This time, we make sure that brat Shen Yuan doesn't crawl away!"
"Yesss! I'm getting excited just thinking about it!"
—
High above, Shen Yuan hung in the sky, arms crossed.
He'd heard everything.
"Perfect. More enemies means more rewards."
He grinned as the air around him darkened.
"Come on, then. I'll kill every last one of you. Let's make this massacre a masterpiece."
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