Incense burned quietly inside the grand halls of the Shogun's palace.
Sitting upon his gilded throne, Kurozumi Orochi drank a shallow cup of morning sake. The tyrant remained in high spirits. Believing the Straw Hat pirates and the lingering ghosts of the Kouzuki clan were annihilated by Kaido's recent attack, a heavy burden had lifted from his mind.
The sliding paper doors shifted open.
Stepping into the throne room, Fukurokuju bowed low. The leader of the Oniwabanshu ninja kept his elongated head still, holding a rolled parchment in his hands.
"Lord Orochi," the ninja reported, his voice echoing in the large room. "The capital guards have successfully apprehended Ushimitsu Kozo. The Witching Hour Boy is in custody."
Lowering his sake cup, the Shogun raised a sparse eyebrow. The thief had embarrassed the local authorities for months, stealing government funds and distributing the wealth to the impoverished towns.
"Finally," Orochi sneered, waving a hand lazily. "Who is the rat hiding behind the mask?"
Unrolling the parchment, Fukurokuju read the official identification. "It is Shimotsuki Yasuie. The former daimyo of Hakumai."
The sake cup slipped from Orochi's fingers, clattering against the wooden floorboards.
Shock washed over the Shogun's large face, quickly replaced by a twisting grin. The former daimyo had defied his rise to power twenty years ago. Capturing such a prominent figure of the old regime presented a perfect opportunity to crush any remaining flickers of rebellion in the capital.
"Yasuie," Orochi laughed loudly, the grating sound bouncing off the walls. "To think a proud daimyo fell so low as to become a petty street thief. Excellent. We will use this."
Standing up from his throne, the Shogun issued his commands.
"Construct crosses at the execution grounds in Rasetsu Town," Orochi ordered. "We will crucify him publicly. Set up visual snails across the country. Broadcast his death alongside the funeral procession of my beloved Komurasaki. Let the entire nation watch the final remnants of the old era die."
Bowing once more, the ninja commander retreated from the room to make the preparations.
Snow continued to fall over the Northern Cemetery in the Ringo region.
Sitting on a frozen stone wall, the swordsman watched the snowflakes drift lazily toward the ground. The pink, floral-patterned haori provided little warmth, but Zoro ignored the cold. Only two swords rested at his hip. Having agreed to leave the legendary Shusui at Ryuma's grave, he now waited for the promised replacement blade.
Standing a few yards away, Hiyori brushed dirt from her torn kimono. Next to the princess, the little girl named Toko chased a small snow rabbit, her laughter echoing brightly across the quiet graveyard.
The crunch of boots on the snow interrupted the peaceful morning.
Walking up the cemetery path, a tall figure approached the group. Wearing heavy wooden sandals and a dark kimono tied with a purple sash, the newcomer possessed a long, flowing white beard. Despite the freezing temperature, Brook seemed comfortable in his Shigekuni Yamamoto disguise, lacking skin or nerves to feel the cold.
"Zoro-san," the skeletal musician called out, stopping near the stone wall. "I am glad I found you. The capital is in uproar."
Jumping down from the wall, Zoro rested a hand on his remaining sword hilts. "Did the cook cause another scene at his food cart?"
"No, not Sanji-san," Brook answered, shaking his head. "It is the local authorities. They caught the famous thief, Ushimitsu Kozo, early this morning. The Shogun has ordered a public execution in Rasetsu Town, broadcasting it across all regions."
Listening to the conversation, Hiyori stepped closer. "The Witching Hour Boy? Who is it?"
"A man named Tonoyasu," Brook revealed, repeating the news he had heard in the taverns. "The always-smiling man from Ebisu Town."
The little girl froze instantly.
Dropping the stick she held, Toko stared at the disguised skeleton. Her face twisted in terror, but the defective SMILE fruit forced a wide, manic grin onto her lips.
"Daddy?!" Toko shrieked, tears bursting from her eyes as harsh, panicked laughter ripped from her throat. "Ahahaha! Daddy is caught?! Ahahaha!"
Without waiting for another word, the child spun around and sprinted down the snowy path. Her small sandals kicked up white powder as she ran desperately toward the capital.
"Toko, wait!" Hiyori yelled, immediately chasing after the crying, laughing child.
Cursing loudly, Zoro sprinted after them both. The execution grounds lay in the heart of enemy territory, heavily guarded by the Shogun's elite samurai. A little girl and a former courtesan running into the center of the capital meant certain death.
Miles away in a secluded hideout, the Vanguard leadership watched the events unfold through a visual Den Den Mushi.
Sitting on a tatami mat, Kin'emon stared intently at the glowing screen. Next to him, the veteran female ninja, Shinobu, clasped her hands together nervously. The broadcast displayed the execution platform in Rasetsu Town. Heavily armed guards surrounded a wooden cross.
Bound to the timber, a short, bruised man with a wild shock of blue hair hung above the gathered crowd.
Despite the ropes cutting into his wrists and the imminent threat of death, the prisoner smiled broadly. He laughed, looking out at the weeping citizens of Ebisu Town who had gathered to watch his final moments.
Seeing the face on the screen, Kin'emon stopped breathing.
"It cannot be," the samurai whispered, leaning closer to the projection.
Tears immediately filled Shinobu's eyes. "Lord Yasuie."
Memories flooded back, pulling the samurai into the distant past.
Forty years ago, the Hakumai region prospered under the strict, honorable rule of Shimotsuki Yasuie. During that era, a young, reckless Kozuki Oden had caused endless trouble across the country. Exiled by his own father, Oden had spent time lounging in Yasuie's estate, acting entirely cavalier about the future. Oden frequently claimed Yasuie was better suited to become the next Shogun.
Refusing the compliment, Yasuie had lectured the young rebel. The strict daimyo insisted Oden embrace his lineage, forcing him to live up to the immense challenge of ruling Wano.
A few years later, the rebellious Oden had gathered a group of street thugs and outcasts. Kin'emon, Raizo, Denjiro, and the others lacked manners, education, and wealth.
Desperate to help their lord, the young retainers had broken into Yasuie's treasury, attempting to steal gold.
Caught red-handed by the daimyo himself, the young thugs expected execution. Instead, Yasuie had done the unthinkable. Handing them even more gold from his own pockets, he allowed them to leave. The strict lord demanded they use the money to buy books, clean their clothes, and educate themselves. If they were to serve Oden on his path to becoming Shogun, they needed to act like proper samurai, not street rats.
The generosity and strict guidance of Yasuie had molded the Akazaya Nine into respectable warriors.
Snapping back to the present, Kin'emon watched the broadcast through blurry eyes. The proud, strict daimyo had been reduced to a ragged, smiling prisoner in a ruined town.
Loud cheers and jeers filled the air in Rasetsu Town.
Carried by a dozen servants, an ornate palanquin arrived at the execution platform. Stepping out from behind the silk curtains, Kurozumi Orochi walked up the wooden stairs. The Shogun wore a smug, arrogant expression, holding a flintlock pistol in his hand.
Looking at the bound prisoner, Orochi laughed.
"Look at you," the Shogun mocked, standing a few feet from the cross. "The great Shimotsuki Yasuie. Reduced to stealing loose change in the middle of the night. Where is your pride now?"
Hanging from the ropes, Yasuie smiled brightly.
"My pride remains intact," Yasuie answered, his voice projecting clearly across the silent square. "But you, Orochi. You are nothing but a pest. A parasite chewing blindly on the leaves of this great country. You lack the vision to see the tree you are destroying."
The smug expression vanished from Orochi's face, replaced by a deep, ugly scowl.
"The Kozuki prophecy will come true," Yasuie continued, ignoring the loaded pistol pointed at his chest. "The dawn will arrive, and you will be wiped from this land entirely."
Throwing his head back, Orochi let out a grating, victorious laugh.
"The prophecy is dead!" the Shogun yelled to the crowd. "The ghosts of the past have already been eradicated! Kaido himself visited Oden Castle a few days ago! He burned the remaining scabbards to ash with his own breath! Your rebellion is over, Yasuie! There is no one left to save this country!"
Hearing the proclamation, a ripple of despair washed over the gathered citizens.
Yasuie simply laughed louder. Knowing the resilience of the Kozuki retainers, he refused to believe the tyrant's claims.
"You are a coward, Orochi," Yasuie insulted smoothly. "You hide behind the scales of a dragon because you lack the strength to swing a sword yourself. Even with all your stolen wealth, you will die as a pathetic, terrified little man."
The insults hit their mark. The tyrant's fragile ego shattered instantly.
"Silence!" Orochi roared, his face turning a deep shade of purple. Aiming his flintlock pistol directly at the prisoner's head, he signaled the surrounding firing squad. "Shoot him! Fill him with lead!"
Dozens of riflemen raised their weapons, taking aim at the smiling prisoner.
Gunfire erupted across the execution platform.
A sharp, violent gust of wind swept across the wooden planks.
Moving faster than the eye could track, a blur of pristine white intercepted the bullets flying from the left side of the platform. A leg, coated in dense Armament Haki, kicked the air with impossible precision. Sparks flew as the leather sole deflected the lead projectiles, sending them ricocheting harmlessly into the wooden floorboards.
Simultaneously, a blur of pink floral fabric intercepted the right flank.
Drawing two swords in a flash of polished steel, the newcomer swung the blades rapidly. The sharp metal clashed against the incoming bullets, slicing them perfectly in half before they could reach the bound prisoner.
Smoke cleared from the platform.
Yasuie remained unharmed, hanging from the ropes with wide, surprised eyes.
Standing on the left, Sanji adjusted the silver-framed glasses resting on his nose. The cook wore a pristine white kimono, his raven-black hair falling neatly across his forehead. He kept his hands casually in his pockets, resting his weight on one leg.
Standing on the right, Zoro lowered Wado Ichimonji and Sandai Kitetsu. The swordsman wore a dark kimono beneath a pink floral haori, the woven straw hat casting a shadow over his eye.
"You stepped on my foot, curly-brows," Zoro grunted, glaring across the platform.
"You have terrible spatial awareness, moss-head," Sanji replied coldly, not breaking character. "Keep your overgrown weeds out of my way."
Down in the crowd, Hiyori pulled the crying Toko into an alleyway, keeping the little girl safe from the crossfire.
Staring at the two intruders, Orochi stumbled backward in shock.
"Who are you?!" the Shogun screamed, waving his pistol wildly. "Kill them! Cut them down!"
Dozens of palace samurai and Oniwabanshu ninja flooded the platform, drawing their blades and charging the two disguised pirates.
"I'll take the right," Zoro announced, stepping forward.
"Try not to get lost," Sanji shot back, stepping to the left.
The battle commenced instantly.
Swinging their katanas, three samurai lunged at the cook. Sanji did not use his hands. Utilizing the sliding, frictionless Bo-Bup footwork, he evaded the vertical slashes smoothly. Pivoting on his heel, he whipped his right leg around in a rapid, blurring arc.
The heavy kicks struck the samurai in the chest simultaneously. Ribs cracked. The three guards flew off the platform, crashing into a nearby food stall.
Two ninja threw a barrage of poisoned shuriken from the shadows.
Sensing the projectiles with Observation Haki, Sanji leaped into the air. Spinning gracefully, he kicked the metal throwing stars away with pinpoint accuracy. Landing lightly on the wooden railing, the cook launched himself forward, delivering a devastating descending heel drop directly onto the heads of the hidden assassins.
On the opposite side of the platform, the swordsman engaged a larger group of armored guards.
Blocking a heavy spear thrust with Sandai Kitetsu, Zoro deflected the weapon downward. Stepping into the opening, he slashed upward with Wado Ichimonji, cutting the guard's armor clean in half.
Two Sword Style: Hawk Wave.
Swinging both blades diagonally, a powerful blast of compressed air shot across the wooden planks. The flying slash tore through a line of advancing samurai, knocking them backward and shattering their weapons into pieces.
"Don't let them escape!" Fukurokuju yelled, appearing near the back of the platform. The ninja commander unleashed a wave of searing fire from his elongated earlobes.
Dodging the flames, Zoro bounded forward. Coating his two blades in Armament Haki, the metal turned pitch black.
"Out of my way," Zoro growled.
Crossing the swords in front of his chest, the pirate unleashed a spinning tornado of razor-sharp wind. The attack blew the flames back toward the ninja commander, forcing Fukurokuju to retreat behind a wooden pillar to avoid getting sliced to ribbons.
Realizing the overwhelming strength of the intruders, Orochi panicked entirely.
"Protect me!" the Shogun shrieked, dropping his pistol. Scrambling backward into his ornate palanquin, he ordered the servants to flee. Picking up the heavy wooden carriage, the terrified attendants sprinted away from the execution grounds, abandoning the guards to their fate.
With the Shogun retreating, the remaining guards lost their nerve.
"Grab him," Zoro instructed, slicing the thick ropes binding the prisoner to the cross.
Catching the falling daimyo, Sanji hauled Yasuie over his shoulder effortlessly.
"Hold on tight, old man," the cook advised, adjusting his glasses with his free hand.
Tapping his foot against the wooden planks, Sanji utilized the Geppo technique. Kicking the air itself, the disguised cook launched into the sky, carrying the rescued prisoner high above the chaotic square.
Sheathing his two swords rapidly, Zoro followed close behind. Jumping off the platform, the swordsman dashed through the panicked crowd, keeping a sharp eye on the flying cook to avoid getting lost in the winding capital streets.
Leaving the ruined execution grounds and the battered guards behind, the two disguised pirates successfully vanished into the safety of the surrounding districts, bringing the smiling daimyo back from the brink of death.