Chapter 378: The Oiran and the Blade
Wano Country · Flower Capital
As night fell, the city was draped in the glow of high-hanging paper lanterns, weaving a tapestry of red and gold across the streets. The sounds of laughter from the brothels mingled with the rhythmic plucking of shamisen strings. Drunken patrons and geishas blurred together in a display of festive prosperity, yet beneath the glamour, the air was thick with the scent of decay.
Zoro and Kuina, draped in dark cloaks, moved with silent footsteps—two shadows weaving through the narrow, lightless alleys.
Finally, they locked onto their target.
She was the most dazzling presence in Wano: the "Number One Oiran," Kozuki Hiyori. Her silhouette was elegant, her raven hair pinned into an intricate Shimada style adorned with pink floral hairpins. Her silk kimono trailed behind her, shimmering with every step she took in her high wooden geta. She held a long tobacco pipe, the drifting smoke framing her porcelain face—a picture of serene beauty that masked a core of unshakable iron.
Zoro's gaze burned. His hand instinctively brushed the hilt of his sword, his voice dropping to a low growl. "That's her. Roy said Enma is with her."
Before he could finish, he leaned forward, ready to reveal himself.
Kuina's palm slammed against his chest, pinning him back. "You idiot! If you just charge out and demand the sword, do you think she'll just give it to you? You'll only alert the guards!"
Zoro's brow furrowed, a frustrated huff escaping his lips. "Then what? If we wait, that blade is just going to be wasted in the hands of some bloated aristocrat."
Kuina's eyes flashed with a cold light. "We follow her. We move when the moment is right."
The Banquet of Rot
Hiyori slowly entered the residence of Kurozumi Orochi. The estate was decked in festive lights; fueled by the news of the alliance between Kaido and Big Mom, the aristocrats of Wano felt more secure than ever, leading to even more unbridled debauchery.
The air was a foul mixture of expensive sake, sweat, and corruption. Zoro and Kuina moved like ghosts, perching atop the ceiling beams and looking down through the eaves.
Kurozumi Orochi lay sprawled across the tatami mats, his belly round and his face flushed a deep, drunken red. The officials around him were in various states of collapse, surrounded by overturned sake jars and leftover scraps of food.
However, the moment Hiyori—known as Komurasaki—stepped into the hall, the drunkenness in Orochi's eyes faded, replaced by raw, naked greed.
"Ohhh~ Komurasaki!" Orochi's saliva practically pooled as his tongue flicked across his lips. He staggered to his feet and grabbed her slender wrist with a disgusting, sweaty grip. "Come—dance for me!"
A flicker of pure loathing passed through Hiyori's eyes, but she masked it instantly. Her gaze lowered, replaced by a practiced, demure smile. "As you wish, Lord Orochi."
Her voice was soft, her posture graceful, looking every bit the submissive entertainer. But the slight tremble in her fingertips betrayed the absolute disgust she felt.
From the beams above, Kuina narrowed her eyes. "She's enduring it..."
Zoro's gaze turned freezing. His hands gripped his sword hilts until his veins bulged. "These animals... I want to cleave them all right now."
"Wait," Kuina hissed. "The time to strike isn't here yet."
The Slap Heard Across the Capital
As the sake flowed, Orochi's drunken rambling grew louder. He tilted his head, letting out a cold, manic laugh. "Hahahaha! Listen well! The Kozuki clan... they didn't actually perish!!"
The hall fell into a deathly silence. A sake jar tipped over, the liquid winding across the tatami mats with a sharp, echoing hiss.
Beside Hiyori, the young attendant Toko shook with fear. However, due to the side effects of the failed SMILE fruit, she couldn't stop herself. A "Pffft!" escaped her lips.
Though quiet, in the tomb-like silence, it sounded like a thunderclap.
Orochi's smile froze. His gaze turned lethal and snakelike as he locked onto Toko. "You little brat... what are you laughing at?"
Orochi drew his blade and began to slowly close in. Toko's face turned ashen, her legs going weak, yet she couldn't stop the smiling mask on her face.
"STOP IT!!!"
Hiyori suddenly lunged forward, shielding Toko behind her.
"SLAP—!"
She delivered a stinging blow across Orochi's face just as he reached for the girl! The crisp sound of the slap exploded through the hall. The surrounding nobles were so stunned they forgot to breathe. Hiyori's hand was shaking, but she gritted her teeth and roared:
"I won't let you touch her!!"
Wrath of the Eight-Headed Serpent
Orochi's eyes instantly filled with blood. His face turned a violent shade of red as he shrieked in a manic fury: "You... you dare strike me?! You harlot!! You dare defy the Shogun?!"
His body began to twist and distend. His skin cracked and split as his bloodline erupted in a gruesome transformation!
"ROAR—!!!"
In an instant, he transformed into the legendary Yamata-no-Orochi! Eight massive serpent heads roared in unison, their fangs bared amidst a foul, stinking wind. One of the heads lunged, its maw wide enough to swallow Hiyori whole!
"AHHH—!!!"
The shrieks of the nobles and Hiyori's cry intertwined in a chaotic frenzy. Guests scattered like startled birds. Nearby, Kyoshiro's gaze turned cold, his hand gripping his hilt so hard it creaked. He was a heartbeat away from drawing his blade.
Just then—
"SHING—!"
A clear, ringing sword-cry sliced through the noise! Kuina dove from the ceiling like a falling star, her blade-light as fast as a meteor, precisely striking the serpent's fangs!
SWISH—!
She caught Hiyori and Toko, pulling them back as they narrowly escaped the jaws of death. Simultaneously—
"CLANG!!!"
The sound of metal screaming against metal exploded as Zoro drew all three of his blades. His Haki erupted, and a violent sword-intent filled the room!
"Three Sword Style: TIGER HUNT!!!"
VROOM-VROOM-VROOM—!!!
Blade-lights crisscrossed like a sudden storm.
SPURT!!!
Seven of the Yamata-no-Orochi's heads were severed in a single instant. A mist of blood sprayed into the air as Orochi let out a heaven-shaking shriek of agony!
Orochi struggled manically, his seven severed heads dissolving into shadows, leaving only his original human head to gasp for air. He collapsed, his body shaking, cold sweat pouring down his face. He actually lost control of his bladder right there on the tatami.
"Don't kill me!! Please don't kill me!!!"
The hall was as silent as a grave. Everyone stared in shock at the "Shogun" who had been reduced to such a pathetic state.
Hiyori's vision was hazy. Before she lost consciousness, the last thing she saw was the silhouette of the stranger who had decapitated the serpent—as steady as a mountain and as sharp as a gale.
"Father..." she murmured before finally fainting.
Kyoshiro's eyes flickered. He knew that if he didn't provide cover, Kaido's subordinates would soon descend. He immediately threw a smoke bomb!
"BOOM—!!!"
White mist filled the hall. The choking smoke threw the nobles and guards into a total panic. "Protect the Shogun!! Guard him!!!"
Kyoshiro roared, leading his samurai into the center of the chaos, appearing to protect Orochi while actually blocking the path. Zoro and Kuina shared a knowing look.
"Go!"
Kuina scooped up the unconscious Hiyori while Zoro grabbed the trembling Toko. They blurred through the smoke, using the chaos to vanish into the night.
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