"Bang!" Ashura Doji's furious palm slammed heavily onto the wooden table, making it groan under the strain. "Damn it! These bastards are already planning to betray Lord Oden after such a short time!"
The atmosphere in the room was so heavy it was almost suffocating. Ashura Doji's chest heaved violently - the continuous stream of bad news these past few days had pushed this Red Scabbard Samurai to his limit. What pained him most was that even the samurai who had once sworn loyalty to Lord Oden were now beginning to show traitors.
"The situation is worse than we imagined," Denjiro said gravely, his fingers unconsciously stroking his sword hilt. "All of Kuri is now singing praises of Kaidou's 'achievements' - clearly that bastard is manipulating public opinion behind the scenes."
Raizo anxiously rubbed his hands together. "If this continues, even when Lord Oden returns, it will be difficult to reclaim Kuri."
Ashura Doji turned to Kin'emon. "Did you get any response to the sailing application you submitted to Kaidou yesterday?"
Kin'emon's face darkened. "That bastard rejected our application outright, citing Wano Country's prohibition on sailing."
"Damn it!" Ashura Doji punched the wall. "In that case, we'll force our way out to sea tonight under cover of darkness!"
At this moment, Kurozumi Kanjuro, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up. "Are all of us leaving?"
Kiku immediately looked at Kanjuro with alarm. "What do you mean by that? Are you thinking of betraying Lord Oden?"
"Kiku!" Kanjuro glared angrily. "Are you questioning my loyalty?"
"Enough!" Ashura Doji snapped sharply. "Kanjuro, if you have thoughts, speak them plainly."
Kanjuro took a deep breath and looked around at everyone. "What I mean is, with Kuri's situation already so dire, if we all leave, the situation here will spiral completely out of control. Some of us must stay behind so we can inform Lord Oden about Kuri's developments when he returns."
The room fell into brief silence as everyone nodded in agreement. Seeing this, Kanjuro continued, revealing the plan he had secretly devised with Kaidou the previous night: "I suggest that I, Kawamatsu, Inuarashi, and Nekomamushi stay behind. Kawamatsu is of the same race as Sebastian under Kaidou's command, making it easier to gather intelligence. Inuarashi, Nekomamushi and I will be responsible for supporting Kawamatsu."
After a moment of contemplation, Ashura Doji made the final decision: "Kanjuro, you'll still come to sea with us - we'll need your abilities on the ocean. Denjiro, since you're usually cautious in your work, you'll stay behind with Kawamatsu, Inuarashi, and Nekomamushi. The rest will set sail with me tonight."
Denjiro nodded upon hearing this. Kanjuro, having been refused, said nothing and simply agreed.
....
The waters around Wano Country late at night were shrouded in silence, with only faint moonlight shimmering on the rippling sea surface. Ashura Doji stood on the deck of their newly built ship, followed by Kin'emon, Kiku, Raizo, Kanjuro and other Red Scabbard Samurai, along with dozens of loyal samurai. They had just completed building the vessel and were preparing to leave Wano Country under cover of darkness, seeking power that could stand against Kaidou.
The sails billowed gently in the night breeze, emitting faint rustling sounds. The ship slowly departed from the coast of Wano Country, gradually fading into the distance. The samurai gazed at the increasingly blurred land, their hearts filled with both nostalgia for their homeland and anticipation for the new journey. Ashura Doji stood with his arms crossed, his gaze fixed firmly on the distant horizon. He understood the importance of this mission and the risks involved, but they had no other choice.
However, they remained unaware that their every move was being closely monitored by Kaidou's forces. From the high grounds of Kuri, Kaidou held a telescope, sneering coldly as he watched the departing ship. He lowered the telescope and turned to King behind him: "Let them enjoy their moment a little longer. King, once the ship leaves Wano Country's territorial waters, contact Bullet immediately. Have him eliminate them completely at sea."
"As you command," King responded in a low voice, his black wings glinting coldly under the moonlight. He swiftly turned and disappeared into the night, preparing to execute this meticulously planned ambush. Kaidou watched the receding ship, a cruel smile curling at the corners of his mouth. He had long anticipated these samurai would make a move and had specifically arranged this trap.
The sea breeze gradually strengthened, and Ashura Doji's ship slowly became a small black dot on the ocean's surface. The samurai stood on the deck, feeling the sea wind against their faces, their hearts filled with both hope for the future and unease about the unknown. Kin'emon approached Ashura Doji and said quietly, "I hope we can successfully find Lord Oden this time."
Ashura Doji nodded: "As long as we can safely leave Wano Country's waters, there is hope."
Before long, the ship finally sailed beyond Wano Country's territorial waters.
At that moment, Kin'emon suddenly spotted a pirate ship approaching in the distance. He narrowed his eyes to get a better look, then his face lit up with excitement.
"What is it, Kin'emon?" Ashura Doji noticed his unusual behavior and asked.
"There's no mistake," Kin'emon said excitedly, "This is the very ship Lord Oden used when he left Wano Country!"
"What? Could it be that Lord Oden has had a change of heart and is returning?" Kiku also became excited upon hearing this, her eyes sparkling with hope.
"Yes, it must be! Hey, Lord Oden, we're over here!" Raizo immediately ran to the bow of the ship, shouting toward the approaching pirate vessel and waving his arms continuously. The other samurai also began to show joyful expressions.
However, aboard the opposing pirate ship, Bullet stood at the bow, coldly watching the cheering samurai on the distant vessel. A bloodthirsty smile curled on his lips as he issued a cold command: "Prepare to fire the cannons immediately." And have the Fish-man units ready to enter the sea - monitor everything from below the surface. The captain's orders are clear: not a single survivor is to be allowed."
"Yes, sir!" the pirates on board responded in unison, quickly springing into action. The pirates began moving ammunition, loading cannonballs into the barrels. Meanwhile, the Fish-men leaped into the sea one after another, preparing to take action underwater. Bullet watched his busy crew with satisfaction - he had been preparing for this ambush for a long time.
"Captain Bullet, all ammunition has been loaded into the cannons. Awaiting your orders," a pirate reported to Bullet.
"Good, open fire!" Bullet commanded without hesitation.
"Yes, sir!"
With the command given, over a dozen cannons roared simultaneously with deafening blasts. Cannonballs tore through the night sky, whistling with the promise of death as they headed straight for Ashura Doji's ship. The sea surface was instantly shrouded in flames and smoke, shattering the tranquility of the night.
Boom—!
One after another, the cannonballs exploded in the waters near the ship, with several landing directly on the deck, instantly killing a number of Samurai. The sudden ambush caught the Samurai off guard, and chaos quickly erupted on the deck.
"Damn it, that's not Lord Oden—it's the enemy!" Ashura Doji realized immediately. "Return fire at once!"
"Lord Ashura Doji, our ship isn't equipped with cannonballs," a Samurai reported urgently.
"What? Then change course immediately," Ashura Doji commanded without hesitation.
As he spoke, several more cannonballs struck the ship, exploding upon impact. Wood splinters flew in all directions, flames shot skyward, and the vessel began to list. The Samurai fought desperately to extinguish the fires while dodging the relentless barrage of incoming cannonballs.
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