He held his slightly worn but still shining long sword high in the air.
Then, he hit the Dragon's scales hard with his sword case, making sharp "clang-clang" sounds that cut right through the quiet air.
"Do not even think about trying any tricks! When we reach the Land of Wano, you will get what is coming to you!" the pirate roared at the top of his lungs.
His eyes showed a cruel look, as if he were ready to eat them alive.
Hearing this, Momonosuke shook uncontrollably, his already small body looking even more weak and helpless.
In his eyes, the bottomless feeling of defeat grew even heavier.
It was as if he was covered by a dark fog, with not a single spark of hope to be seen.
The Dragon let out a long cry, carrying them toward the distant sea of clouds.
Waiting for them there was an even darker future...
"Wh... what?! The Land of Wano?!" Kin'emon suddenly lifted his head.
His face, which had looked like a dying flower, instantly twisted in shock.
His eyes went wide, like a quiet lake hit by a massive rock, sending ripples spreading outward.
At this moment, it seemed like he had just heard the craziest, most unbelievable joke in the world, leaving him totally stunned.
"What kind of joke is this?!" Kin'emon suddenly exploded like a bomb, fighting and twisting wildly.
The ropes tying him down cut deeply into his skin, as if trying to bury themselves in his bones, yet he did not even seem to notice.
The rough rope rubbed back and forth against his wrists, slowly wearing through his skin until thin lines of blood leaked out.
The red liquid slowly dripped down the rope, staining a small piece of it dark red.
Yet Kin'emon kept twisting uncontrollably, each struggle filled with endless anger and hate.
"We barely escaped that hell! And now we have to go back?!" His voice was terribly rough, sounding as if it had been scraped by sandpaper, completely filled with bitterness and defeat.
"Go back for what?! We have not found the chosen one yet! Lord Oden's final wish is still not done! Are we just going back to wait for death?!"
The Dragon seemed totally annoyed by his shouting, letting out an angry growl.
The deep roar seemed to carry huge power, making the air around them shake slightly.
Right after that, the Dragon suddenly dove downward so fast that it caught everyone by surprise.
Kin'emon was violently thrown into the air by the sudden drop.
His body flipped out of control like a falling leaf.
Then, he crashed heavily onto the Dragon's tail.
The massive hit almost knocked him out completely.
But his stubborn willpower kept him shouting wildly anyway.
"Young master! Young master, wake up!" He struggled to turn his head toward Momonosuke, who lay weakly nearby.
His voice carried a new level of panic. "We cannot go back like this! The Land of Wano is still waiting for the chosen one to save it!"
A faint spark showed up in Momonosuke's empty eyes, a tiny change in his blank stare.
But soon that spark vanished, and his eyes returned to their dead, gray quiet.
His dry lips moved slightly.
His voice was so soft it was almost impossible to hear, as if he was just talking to himself.
"It is useless... Kin'emon... Against enemies like that... we..."
"No!" Kin'emon sharply cut him off.
His eyes suddenly burned with amazing energy, looking like torches in the dark that lit up his determined face.
"Lord Oden taught us never to give up as long as there is even a tiny sliver of hope!" He desperately twisted his head to look toward the far-off clouds.
Through the thick mist, the shape of the Land of Wano seemed to appear, looking like a distant and mysterious dream.
"We must find the chosen one! We must finish the mission of opening the country's borders! We have to do something!"
Kanjuro stood quietly nearby, looking like a cold stone statue with a complicated look in his eyes.
The corner of his mouth twitched just a tiny bit as a hidden feeling quietly grew inside him.
A gentle breeze blew through his messy hair, but he did not seem to notice.
His eyes stayed locked on Kin'emon.
He spoke slowly, faking a worried voice as he pretended to give advice.
"Kin'emon, calm down... You must understand that fighting back wildly right now will only make things harder for us, and it might even bring dangerous results..."
"Shut up!" Kin'emon roared at his friend with a rare fury, shattering the heavy feeling in the air.
His eyes burned with angry fire, looking like a lit bomb ready to explode.
"Have you forgotten? How Lord Oden's giant figure fell apart under the enemy's evil plans?
How his wise and kind eyes, even in his final moments, stayed locked on the people of the Land of Wano?
How could you forget so easily?
And the people of the Land of Wano—what kind of pain are they suffering through on that land?
The smoke of war hangs heavy, their homes have been crushed, and their families have been torn apart.
They struggle in the dark, holding onto hope, waiting for our return, wishing for the tiniest bit of morning light!
How can you stand to just throw all of that away?"
At this point, Kin'emon's voice suddenly choked up.
The emotions he had pushed down rushed out like a massive tidal wave.
Tears filled his eyes, shining like crystal under the sunlight.
"Twenty years... a full twenty years! We traveled through time itself, survived countless hardships and tests, carrying the heavy weight of our mission, fighting our way to this exact day.
How many times have we stood firm when things got tough? How many times have we stared death right in the eye without blinking?
What was it all for?
Was it not to return to the Land of Wano, to save the suffering people, and to bring true justice and peace?
Now, with our goal so close, you ask me to give up—how can I accept that?"
Just then, the Dragon suddenly turned sharply, its massive body cutting a smooth curve through the sky.
The shadow of the Land of Wano now sat right in front of them—the familiar mountains, rivers, and fields were easy to picture.
Yet, to Kin'emon, this once-familiar sight now felt incredibly cruel.
In a complete panic, he slammed his head against the Dragon's scales, each hit filled with endless defeat and anger.
"Please, let us go!"