Deep in the night, the sky was shrouded in clouds, obscuring the stars.
The pitch-black night made it hard to see one's own fingers; only the firelight burning in lanterns could illuminate the surroundings.
Inside the Capital, there was a street brightly lit with lamps, struggling stubbornly against the darkness of the night.
Countless men, wearing smiles or reeking of alcohol, disappeared and reappeared around street corners, entering and exiting shop doors in an endless stream, as lively as a commercial street during the day.
Countless young women stood before each door, their faces painted with beautiful, garish makeup, striking poses and casting flirtatious glances.
"Hehehe~"
When the bell-like laughter rang out, passersby would usually be charmed into a daze.
Lost in the chorus of "My Lord," they would be pulled inside by smooth little hands, unwittingly squandering all the money on their persons.
Here was the Red Light District.
However, the most famous establishment in the Red Light District was uncharacteristically closed to guests, with only two dim lanterns hanging on the door.
Several warriors clad in beast skins and armor acted as gatekeepers, simply standing there to drive away men whose original destination was this place.
These men arrived in high spirits but left swallowing their anger, not daring to utter a single word of complaint.
Because these were people they absolutely could not afford to offend.
Kaido's subordinates.
Inside the room, oil lamps and lanterns lit the space brightly, and the wonderful scent of incense filled the air.
The Oiran, Komurasaki, sat dignified on a cushion, pouring tea for the man opposite her.
Originally, it was sake, but unfortunately, it was rejected by the other party.
She tried to strike up a conversation, but was coldly interrupted.
Only then did she realize that this man wrapped in black clothes, the rumored King the Conflagration, had little interest in wine or women.
After a moment of silence as their eyes met, she tried picking up her shamisen. This time, the other party did not interrupt.
So, she breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to play a song.
Komurasaki nodded slightly in respect, adjusted the instrument, and prepared to play her most skilled piece, Moon Princess.
She guessed that the other party had taken a fancy to her stunning beauty and pleasant music, and thus could not bear to defile it.
After all, she was the most beautiful woman in Wano Country.
A peerless Oiran.
A beauty that all men would love endlessly.
She had always been absolutely confident in her appearance.
Years of pillow talk beside various dignitaries had honed her professional skills for a long time.
This confidence also extended to her professional career.
It was just a pity that the man before her didn't seem to have that kind of interest. It was rare for her to take the initiative.
After all, she was already tired of accompanying those dignitaries with ugly appearances and bloated bodies.
She was thinking that perhaps she could change her taste.
She was interested in the appearance under that mask.
The other party's figure looked good, though his size was also...
He was probably three or four times her height.
...
His belly wouldn't be bulging, right...
Her cheeks turned slightly red, she gave a light cough, and her eyes became a bit hazy.
Just as she placed her fingers on the strings and was about to play, the main door was slid open with a clatter. Startled, she looked over to see a familiar and trusted person.
"Lord Kyoshiro."
She looked at the samurai who had protected her for many years in surprise, not understanding why he would come here at this time.
Kyoshiro himself was also confused.
A subordinate from the Beasts Pirates had delivered a message that King the Conflagration invited him to meet. Upon asking, he found out King had gone to the brothel to play with the Oiran, so he came here too.
"You're here," King suddenly spoke up, pausing before calling out again, "Denjiro."
His real name exposed, it was as if his lifeline had been seized. The two members of the Kozuki family froze instantly.
Denjiro's pupils contracted to pinpoints, and a chill instantly rose all over his body.
Even Kozuki Hiyori was full of astonishment, her body trembling, and the shamisen in her hands fell to the ground with a clatter.
Denjiro instantly understood the reason King invited him to the Oiran's place late at night, and he knew that both their identities were exposed.
"Do you feel fear?"
King stood up and turned to face Denjiro, blocking Kozuki Hiyori behind him to cut off the other party's rescue route. His eyes revealed endless coldness.
"Draw your sword. Let me see where you got the courage to lurk beside me."
A long sword was drawn from its sheath. Raging flames covered the blade, roasting the space until it distorted.
The extreme heat was enough to burn everything in the surroundings!
...
Meanwhile.
On the mountains of Kuri.
The usual chirping of insects and birds had vanished completely at this moment. The entire forest held only a deathly silence.
The bandit minions were completely wiped out. Corpses lay scattered everywhere in disorder; a single glance revealed nothing but severed limbs and broken arms.
The further up the mountain one went, the more corpses there were, with blood flowing like a river.
Flames soared into the sky at the summit camp, and the Beasts Pirates' troops surrounded the entire hilltop.
In the middle of the camp, the naturally large-framed Shutenmaru was covered in wounds, kneeling on one knee and gasping for breath with great difficulty.
Beside him, a giant Mammoth covered in sword marks stared deathly at him, yet acted as if it wasn't injured at all, mocking him wantonly and twisting its body.
There was also an extraordinary Saber-toothed Tiger crawling on the ground, laughing creepily, its eyes shining like lanterns, with blood from Shutenmaru dripping from its sword-like teeth.
"I told you to pick up your sword and stand up! Shutenmaru!"
Jack the Drought roared and charged at Shutenmaru like a small mountain.
Shutenmaru lifted his head with effort, looking at the approaching behemoth, already powerless to raise his hand again.
Looks like this is the end for me too...
Thud!!
Jack was extremely fast, hitting the opponent squarely with his elephant trunk and pushing him, smashing him into the distance.
Cough!
If... If only...
If we had gathered the samurai and attacked back when Kaido's power was weak...
My ending...
Would have been different, right...
A large tree collapsed, dust flying everywhere.
A figure flew out and crashed to the ground, life or death unknown.
...
A remote area of Kuri, Amigasa Village.
A white-haired man wearing a Tengu mask, walking on stilts, and carrying a pair of large wings on his back, was using the cursed blade, Nidai Kitetsu, in his hands to protect the little girl in the room behind him.
"Sasaki! Drake! I can go with you, but Otama is innocent!"
With the Kitetsu held between the opponent's sword and axe, Kozuki Sukiyaki seized the opportunity to try and negotiate.
"That's not up to you. Governor-General Kaido named you specifically to be brought back."
X Drake suddenly transformed into an Allosaurus and swung his tail violently, knocking Sukiyaki into the trunk of a giant tree.
Watching blood seep out from under the mask after the opponent coughed heavily, he gave the order:
"Arrest him, raid the house, and tie that kid up with Seastone."
"Yes!"
...
Flower Capital.
A fat, round-headed middle-aged woman dressed in a tight pink ninja outfit was leaping across rooftops, fleeing for her life.
But no matter where she ran, there were always pursuers behind her.
Turning another street corner, she leaped into the next district. A young woman's voice came from behind.
"Bastard old hag, stop right there!!!"
"Who are you calling an old hag! I am a mature woman full of charm, okay?!"
"Who would have such heavy tastes! Pay-Pay! Speed up!!!"
Ulti was riding on the head of a Spinosaurus, rushing towards Shinobu not far away.
"You can't escape!"
In her hand, a mouse with a pattern sticker on its head constantly transmitted a voice.
"Turn right ahead, she fled into the Red Light District."
...
In contrast, Queen, who was in charge of the Udon Prison, had it easy.
"Mwahahaha~ The person to be arrested was already in prison. It's rare to be able to slack off when everyone is mobilized~"
"Even Brother Kaido is practicing advanced Haki all night long, I think it's called Ryou or Internal Destruction?"
"Whatever, I'll have a comfortable sleep."
"There will be a good show to watch tomorrow!"