Chapter 379: Because You Have No Backbone
Wano Country · Flower Capital · Secret Courtyard
The night wind swept into the small courtyard, carrying the lingering scent of blood. The flames within the paper lanterns flickered violently, casting long, dancing shadows against the walls.
Zoro stood like a mountain, his killing intent forming an invisible barrier that made the air in the yard feel suffocated. Kuina sat on the tatami mats, her expression calm as she wiped the cold sweat from the brow of the unconscious Kozuki Hiyori.
Toko, her eyes blurred with tears, clutched Hiyori's hand. Despite her terror, the side effects of the SMILE fruit forced a fragile, trembling smile onto her face.
Finally, Hiyori's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes. Seeing the unfamiliar swordsman, she tensed instinctively, attempting to sit up, but Toko hurried to steady her.
"Hiyori-sama! Don't be afraid! It's them! These two lords saved you! They snatched you right out of Orochi's hands!"
Hiyori froze, her gaze darting between Zoro's three blades—their cold glint still lingering—and Kuina's steady, resolute face. Her heart hammered against her ribs. After a moment, she lowered her head, her voice weak but clear.
"Thank you both for saving my life..."
Kuina helped her sit up, her voice sharp and concise. "We are Marines. We are here under the orders of Vice Admiral Roy to subjugate Onigashima."
"Marines...?" Hiyori's breath hitched, her pupils shrinking.
Having grown up in the isolation of Wano, she had spent her life hearing only the names of Kaido and Orochi. She had no real concept of the "Order of the Outside World." In this moment, she was both shocked and instinctively guarded.
Just as she opened her mouth to speak—
Creak—
The courtyard gate was slowly pushed open. Zoro and Kuina spun around simultaneously, hands snapping to their hilts, their auras turning lethal. Toko shrieked, shielding Hiyori.
However, the person standing at the gate was Kyoshiro.
The drunken, oily demeanor he had displayed at the banquet was gone. His steps were steady, his face solemn, and his eyes were as cold as a blade's edge. He walked straight to Hiyori and slowly sank to one knee.
"Hiyori-sama!"
His voice was low but carried the weight of a decree. "What they say is no lie."
"Vice Admiral Roy is the top powerhouse of this era—he is a man who can pin Kaido down for a beating and who single-handedly pulverized the Big Mom Pirates!!!"
"!!!"
Hiyori's breath caught in her throat. She covered her mouth in horror. "A beating... even Kaido..."
In that heartbeat, Hiyori and Toko were both petrified. It felt as if the very world they knew had been overturned in a single sentence.
Kyoshiro's gaze was freezing, a bitter smile touching his lips. "I have lurked under the identity of 'Kyoshiro' for over ten years, enduring humiliation and serving under Orochi, all for the day of the Kozuki clan's revenge."
His eyes turned into sharp daggers as he locked onto Hiyori. "Now, that moment has finally arrived!!!"
"The Marines have intervened with overwhelming force. Vice Admiral Roy has already swept through two Emperors."
"—This is our best chance, Hiyori-sama!!!"
The only sound in the courtyard was the howling wind and the flickering of the lanterns. Hiyori's shoulders shook. She was overwhelmed by shock, longing, and a sudden, desperate sense of hope.
Kyoshiro stood up straight, his expression solemn. "Hiyori-sama, there is no need for doubt. The world outside is completely different now. The Marines are so strong that even the Yonko can hardly contend with them!"
"Not long ago, Vice Admiral Roy annihilated one of the Four Emperors—the Red-Haired Pirates—by himself. He crushed Captain Shanks and even captured the 'Dark King' Rayleigh alive!"
"The pirates of the old era have been utterly broken by him!!!"
These words hit Hiyori like a thunderbolt. She turned pale, clutching her chest. "The Red-Haired Pirates... annihilated? Rayleigh... captured? How... how is that possible..."
She swayed, nearly falling, only for Toko to catch her.
"This is Wano's only chance in decades!" Kyoshiro pressed. "If we rely on them, the shackles of Kaido and Orochi can finally be severed!!!"
Hiyori's heart raced. After a long silence, she finally lifted her eyes to look at Zoro and Kuina. Her gaze was a complex mixture of shame and burning desire.
"My lords... I know that we, the people of Wano, are weak and incompetent. For decades, we have lived in fear, never daring to save ourselves." She bit her lip, her slender hands shaking, but she forced out a final, resolute plea: "But I must beg you—kill Kaido for us. Save Wano!"
Seeing that the two were master swordsmen, she rose and slowly brought out a long, black-sheathed blade from inside the house.
The scabbard was as dark as ink, surrounded by an ominous, swirling aura.
"This blade is named—Enma."
"It is a relic of my father, Kozuki Oden. It is the demon blade that once scarred Kaido. I, Kozuki Hiyori, wish to offer it to you, if only you will lend us your strength!"
The courtyard fell into a brief, deathly silence. Zoro narrowed his eyes and let out a cold snort, his voice like a blade scraping over stone.
"You don't even dare to pick up a sword yourselves, yet you want to bet all your hope on outsiders? What is the point of a restoration that relies on someone else's blade?"
Kuina also shook her head, her tone chillingly sharp. "If all you know is how to depend on others, then Wano will never be worthy of freedom."
Hearing this, Hiyori's hands trembled, but she thrust the scabbard forward with even more conviction. "Even so, I have no other choice..."
Zoro remained silent for a moment before finally reaching out to grip the hilt.
"SHING—!"
Enma cleared its sheath!
An eerie, haunting cry echoed through the courtyard. The blade acted like a starving beast, manically draining the Armament Haki from Zoro's body!
ZZZT—ZZZT—!
In an instant, the veins in Zoro's arm bulged. His Haki leaked out violently, looking as if his arm might explode. His entire limb turned a shimmering, pitch-black color!
"Oh no!" Kyoshiro's face paled. "Enma will forcibly drain the wielder's Haki!!!"
Hiyori turned ashen, her lips trembling. "No... it's a blade that even my father couldn't fully master..."
However, in the next heartbeat—
"HAA!!!"
Zoro let out a low roar. His feet planted firmly into the earth like iron stakes. His Haki surged in reverse, like a raging tidal wave crashing back, forcibly suppressing Enma's hunger!
"VROOM—!"
The blade vibrated and wailed, its demonic aura roiling, but it gradually lowered its "head" under Zoro's overwhelming pressure. Under the firelight, the edge shimmered with a cold, violet light before finally sliding back into the scabbard, quiet and submissive.
The courtyard was silent, the echo of Enma still ringing in their ears.
Kyoshiro whispered, his eyes filled with shock, "He... he actually made Enma submit?!!"
Toko's jaw dropped in awe. Hiyori stood frozen, tears glistening in her eyes. "Enma... it willingly surrendered to him..."
Zoro slowly tucked the blade away, his gaze lethal and his voice dropping low, striking at their very souls. "It's no wonder no one in this country could master Enma..."
He lifted his head, his dark eyes cutting through everyone present like a blade.
"Because you have no backbone."
In the courtyard, the night wind howled. The scent of blood and fire was blown away, yet the air felt more stinging than ever. Zoro's words were like a heavy hammer, smashing into the hearts of every Wano citizen present.
♧♧♧
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
♧♧♧
-> 30 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.patreon.com/c/Segais
(Just remove the hyphen to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you