Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
The resonance of bronze bells echoed throughout the towns of Wano. Women and children dressed in kimonos froze in their tracks, and patrolling samurai ceased their duties, all turning their gaze toward the constables racing through the streets, beating gongs and drums.
"Intruder! Intruder! All citizens return home and seek shelter! Repeat, all citizens return home and seek shelter!"
The constables shouted as they ran. Elderly people, women, and children with no combat ability scrambled to lock their doors and windows, while the samurai grabbed their blades and headed toward the source of the commotion.
Loli A, having already dispatched the group of samurai blocking the entrance and moved into the town interior, rolled her eyes at the sound of the gongs. What century is this? To still use such archaic methods of communication... She genuinely wondered how this country had managed to survive as long as it had, wedged between the territories of the Immortal Pirates and the Beasts Pirates.
She hadn't even made it half a mile into the town when dozens of samurai in various colored kimonos swarmed from the alleys. Armed with katanas, scythe-bladed spears, and naginatas, they surrounded her in a tense standoff. The sheer contrast in their attire and temperament made it feel as though the two sides were separated by several centuries.
"Who is this woman who dares trespass into our Wano Country?" a lead samurai in blue robes stepped forward and barked.
Woman...
Loli A lost count of how many times she had heard that word today. She didn't care to argue, but unlike the previous Twelve Kingdoms incident, she hadn't come here to massacre a nation. She simply said, "I have no interest in fighting you. Move."
The blue-robed samurai's face darkened with rage as he flourished his naginata, a weapon similar in style to Whitebeard's, though far smaller.
"Since you refuse to explain yourself, then I, as Chief Constable of Wano, shall place you under arrest!"
His body began to undergo a subtle transformation, his limbs becoming oddly loose and slack. It appeared he was a Devil Fruit user. "I am Fukamuro Yū! State your name, woman!"
"A bunch of idiots!"
Loli A was starting to regret coming here. It was a massive waste of time dealing with these eccentrics. However, given her personality, she wasn't about to just tuck tail and leave. If they wanted to fight so badly, then fine.
Loli A's pupils contracted as she raised her guns and fired.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The bullets, shrouded in a faint blue light, tore through the air. Fukamuro's body instantly softened into a semi-liquid, viscous state. He proactively opened a hole in his torso to let the bullets pass through, then swung his naginata with a vicious snap.
The naginata, originally only about two and a half meters long, extended like putty to a length of over ten meters. The moment it neared Loli A, the blade regained its rigid hardness, aiming straight for her neck.
With a flicker of a shadow, Loli A vanished from her spot. When she reappeared, she was standing atop the naginata, which was currently rigid at the tip but soft in the shaft. She grinned curiously. "What Devil Fruit is this?"
"What 'Fruit'?" Shinshitsu snorted, retracting the naginata as it returned to its original state. He raised his head in disdain. "I am one cursed by the Heavens. In exchange for my ability to swim, I have been granted this power, and I swear to use it to punish all evil!"
"A bunch of lunatics."
Loli A felt like she had thought of more insults today than she had in the past year. She used to think Cavendish, whom she met during the Dragon Slaying operation, was a rare specimen of eccentricity, but it turned out there were whole herds of them here.
Shaking her head, Loli A made a gesture as if releasing a sealing spell, her smile turning predatory. "Forget it. This power will be mine soon enough anyway."
…
Inside the highest castle in Wano, within the Grand Council Chamber.
At the very head of the room sat a man representing the highest authority: the Shogun of Wano. He was the equivalent of a King in other nations, and the architect of the "Closed Country" policy. On either side, his retainers knelt on tatami mats.
"What is the meaning of the alarm outside?" the Shogun asked.
Hearing the query, the lead retainer on the left turned toward the Shogun. "General, according to reports, a girl around fifteen years old in strange attire has broken into the country. She has already slain nearly fifty samurai from the Constabulary and the Coastal Guard..."
The Shogun's eyes narrowed, and he roared in fury, "Preposterous! A mere slip of a girl has made a mockery of my samurai? How can you expect to protect me in the future?"
The retainers lowered their heads in shame. If it were a Great Pirate, they could save face, but a fifteen-year-old girl killing so many of their men was a bitter pill for these chauvinists to swallow.
After a moment of thought, the Shogun spoke: "Where is Kozuki Oden?"
A man wearing a peach-colored kimono adorned with cherry blossom motifs stepped forward from the right side and knelt on one knee. "Kozuki Oden is here."
"I have heard that you and your retainers possess exceptional martial prowess," the Shogun commanded. "If you can bring me that girl's head, I shall reward you handsomely."
"I, Kozuki Oden, shall not fail my mission!"
Oden, appearing to be in his forties, accepted the order and quickly left the room. He turned to his subordinates and barked, "Summon Kanjuro, Kin'emon, and Raizo! They are to accompany me!"
…
Back in the town, three samurai used their blades to pin Loli A's arms, momentarily restraining her. At that moment, two other samurai emerged from behind for a sneak attack. They swung their blades in unison, carving a massive "X" shaped wound into her back, nearly severing her spine.
Blood sprayed violently.
But before they could celebrate, the blood that had sprayed out hovered in mid-air and surged back into the wound. The gash healed at a visible, staggering speed.
From the moment she was struck to the moment she fully recovered, less than five seconds had passed. Even her clothes returned to their original state, pure white and without a single drop of blood.
"Too weak!"
Loli A licked her lips, crossed her arms, and swung them downward with a violent force.
The five samurai surrounding her were decapitated instantly. Most of them didn't even see what had happened.
————
Oden is alive, lol.