Deep within the Kibi Bamboo Forest,
An emerald sea of bamboo rippled gently under the caress of the breeze.
At this moment, a swordmaster captain was fully immersed in demonstrating astonishing swordsmanship.
The katana in his hand gleamed with a chilling cold light under the sunlight.
As his arms swung, the katana traced elegant arcs through the air.
Wherever he passed, the thick bamboo stalks seemed as fragile as brittle twigs.
With a light sweep of his blade, the bamboo split cleanly with a crisp "snap."
The cut surfaces were as smooth as polished mirrors, flawless and showcasing his masterful blade work.
The surrounding children were utterly captivated by this breathtaking display.
Their eyes sparkled with curiosity and awe, mouths agape as they held their breath.
Among them, a bolder child mustered the courage to ask, "Are you stronger than Kaido?"
The youthful voice echoed through the quiet bamboo grove, carrying a hint of doubt and exploration of the unknown.
The captain slowly sheathed his sword with graceful composure as a faint smile curling beneath his mask.
"Kaido?" He paused, his voice dripping with contempt. "Before our Lord Ron, he's nothing but a mere ant."
With that, he casually pulled a handful of colorful candies from his waist pouch and tossed them forcefully into the children's hands.
The children cheered immediately.
Watching them, the captain's eyes revealed a sense of expectation as he continued.
"Remember, only a true Dragon can defeat the evil dragon."
.....
Udon Mine,
A scene of bustling chaos prevailed.
The air was thick with a pungent odor and swirling dust—a massive prison that tightly bound those trapped within.
However, on this day, a group of rescued prisoners gathered around a woman from the Divine Kingdom.
Tears of emotion streamed down their faces, some sobbing uncontrollably.
"From today onward, you are free." Her gaze swept across everyone present.
"But true freedom..." She paused slightly, then pointed to her own heart.
"...is to carry the Eternal Divine Kingdom will in here."
The smell of gunpowder still seemed to linger in the air, yet a silent conquest of faith was gradually unfolding across this land.
When the first rays of dawn touched the Land of Wano the next morning, golden sunlight bathed the earth, bringing new hope and vitality to this soil.
In the hearts of many, the seed of faith had already been sown unknowingly.
Like a dormant seed, it lay quietly buried in the soil, waiting only for the right moment.
Once the time was ripe, it would take root, sprout, and grow robustly, eventually becoming a towering tree of faith that would shelter the people of this land from storms and guide them toward a bright future.
.....
During this period,
Ashura Doji concealed himself alone in the shadows of a dilapidated temple, its walls long weathered and mottled, covered with the marks of time.
The temple was filled with a decaying atmosphere, dust swirling freely in the air.
Occasional faint rays of light streamed through the cracks in the dilapidated roof, illuminating the clutter piled on the ground and the solitary figure of Ashura.
His rough fingers dug deeply into the mottled wooden pillar, knuckles turning white from the force.
Twenty years of dormancy had carved countless lines of hardship into his heart like a merciless chisel, gradually wearing down his will.
The once blazing fighting spirit had been eroded over the long years, leaving behind only endless exhaustion and confusion.
Yet now, his sharp eyes flickered with wavering light.
"Who exactly are these guys...?"
He murmured softly, his voice echoing in the silent temple with a trace of doubt.
His gaze remained fixed on the crimson dragon circling in the sky, revealing a complex emotion—both vigilance and a hint of barely perceptible anticipation.
The dragon soared through the air, precisely spewing flames that instantly engulfed a squad of Tobi Roppo collecting "protection fees."
After the flames subsided, only scorched earth and remnants emitting a pungent odor remained.
The Tobi Roppo had been reduced to charcoal under the onslaught of the fire, without even time to scream.
Surprisingly, the dragon showed no harm to the fleeing civilians, skillfully controlling the range of its flames with a clear ability to distinguish good from evil.
What shocked Ashura even more was that after the dragon landed and transformed into human form, it distributed all the food seized from the Beasts Pirates' warehouse to the emaciated villagers.
The villagers, whose eyes had been filled with despair and helplessness, now shone with hope upon seeing the food.
They carefully accepted the provisions, gratitude spreading across their faces as they glimpsed a ray of hope for life.
Suddenly, the floodgates of memory opened, and the scene from twenty years ago vividly appeared in his mind like a film.
Oden had done the same, distributing all the treasures he had won to the poor of Flower Capital.
Back then, Oden stood tall on the platform, his posture upright, eyes filled with kindness and determination.
He handed out the treasures one by one to the poor, encouraging them to live bravely.
His warm smile and resonant voice seemed to still echo in Ashura's ears.
"Dammit, why am I remembering this again..."
Ashura's fists unconsciously clenched, his nails digging deep into the calluses on his palms.
Those calluses were witnesses of time and marks of his past struggles.
The scene from that passionate night when the nine of them knelt before Oden, swearing to open the country's borders, now appeared vividly before his eyes.
Back then, their faces radiated youthful vitality and hope for the future, their vows echoing through the night sky.
"Hey, mister." A childish voice suddenly broke Ashura's contemplation.
Ashura turned sharply to find a ragged little boy.
The boy's clothes were worn and patched but cleanly washed.
His hair was somewhat messy, his face bearing a mix of curiosity and innocence.
At that moment, he was holding the rice ball he had just received, curiously studying Ashura.
"That big brother said they came to help us drive Kaido away. You're a samurai too, why don't you go fight Kaido?" The child took a bite of rice ball, speaking unclearly, his eyes revealing a trace of expectation.
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