"Worororororo! Since you're so eager to be a loyal dog, I'll show some mercy and tell you the truth!"
Kaido's mood shifted at lightning speed—
one moment dark and oppressive, the next bursting into uninhibited, boisterous laughter.
"That's because someone struck a far more tempting deal with me! Remember this well—pirates care only about profit, never morality! His offer was something I simply couldn't refuse, so you're out!"
"As for those samurai rebellions you're worried about… that mysterious fellow openly declared he wants the entire Land of Wano! Wororororo! I'm actually quite curious just how capable that bastard really is!"
—Click!
The Den Den Mushi was cut off unilaterally.
Kurozumi Orochi stood there with his mouth agape, the rest of his words jammed hard in his throat.
He froze for two seconds—then humiliation and fury surged up at once. Snatching the Den Den Mushi, he smashed it violently into the floor.
—Bang!
"Kaido, you faithless piece of trash!!!"
With a furious roar, Orochi slammed his fist down on the table.
In the grip of extreme rage, his Zoan Devil Fruit activated instinctively. His body swelled grotesquely, transforming into a colossal serpent with eight vicious heads, thrashing wildly within the hall.
"W-what… what do we do now, Lord Orochi?!"
The geisha had long since fled in terror. Having clearly heard the undisguised contents of the call, the Oniwabanshu were now in utter panic, clamoring anxiously.
They all knew Kaido's terror well.
If someone could make even Kaido step back—abandoning a treasure trove like Wano—then how frightening must that person be? And how outrageous must the price he offered have been?
Facing their frantic questioning, Orochi—in his Yamata no Orochi form—turned all eight heads simultaneously toward a gaunt old man seated beside the shogun's dais.
Kurozumi Semimaru.
With the death of the strategist Kurozumi Higurashi, this taciturn old man—wielder of the Barrier-Barrier Fruit—had become Orochi's greatest pillar of support and ultimate life insurance.
Yet Semimaru merely sat there, plucking at his biwa.
For a complex political crisis like this, his dull, wooden mind had no advice to give.
Seeing this, Orochi's expression darkened to the point of dripping gloom—but his crafty mind spun rapidly. He suddenly roared:
"Right! Didn't Kaido say it himself? That mysterious outsider wants the entire Land of Wano!"
"I'm the legitimate shogun in name! No matter who he is, if he wants Wano, he'll have to get past me first!"
The words rang loud and bold—but everyone present could hear the hollow bravado beneath them.
After this upheaval, the once-decadent, festive atmosphere of the banquet vanished without a trace.
Glaring at the Oniwabanshu, Orochi barked through clenched teeth:
"From this moment on, set up an impenetrable defense around Orochi Castle! Tighten security to the maximum! Any unusual movement—report it to me immediately!"
"I'll personally take men to confront Kaido face-to-face! I refuse to believe he truly doesn't want money!"
"Semimaru—this time, you must stay by my side at all times…"
As Orochi spoke, he turned his head toward the man beside him.
And with that glance, every scale on his body seemed to explode outward.
Behind Kurozumi Semimaru, a pitch-black silhouette had appeared—
silently, without warning.
The sudden sight sent Orochi's voice shrieking out of tune as he screamed in terror:
"Semimaru-sama!!! Behind you!!!"
But before the last note could even fall—
A blood-red arc flashed past, faster than the naked eye could possibly follow—
like the scythe of the Grim Reaper.
In an instant, a violent gale erupted. The air shrieked as it was torn apart.
The man who possessed an absolute defensive barrier, who had once rendered even Kozuki Oden helpless—
didn't even have time to lift a finger.
His body went limp and collapsed, blood spraying like a fountain, soaking the tatami beneath him in crimson.
The horrifying scene instantly short-circuited everyone's mind.
The battle-hardened Oniwabanshu reacted first—drawing their weapons and swiftly forming a protective wall in front of Orochi.
Meanwhile, Orochi stared wide-eyed with all eight heads at Semimaru's body lying motionless in a pool of blood, his mind utterly blank.
In his heart, Semimaru might not have been as devious as Higurashi,
but when it came to peace of mind, nothing in this world surpassed the Barrier-Barrier Fruit!
That was absolute defense—something that could perfectly block even Oden's monstrous slashes!
How could it possibly be instantaneously killed?!
What Orochi didn't know was that precisely because Tenma understood how troublesome the Barrier-Barrier Fruit was, he had locked on with Observation Haki from the start—while simultaneously activating the Moa Moa no Mi's extreme speed amplification.
One strike. Certain kill.
No chance—not even a single second—for a barrier to be deployed.
"Y-you… who the hell are you?!"
"Quick! Take him down!"
"I want this assassin torn to pieces and subjected to the most brutal boiling punishment imaginable!!!"
Orochi shrieked hysterically.
Seeing Tenma's samurai attire, Orochi naturally assumed this was just another suicidal Wano swordsman attempting an assassination.
"A mere wandering ronin dares to storm the shogun's residence and commit murder—courting death!"
Fukurokuju, leader of the Oniwabanshu, shouted sharply.
The ninjas immediately took up battle stances—shuriken and ninjutsu at the ready—eyes locked warily on the mysterious intruder.
Unlike Orochi, who had been blinded by rage, they had remained vigilant at all times.
And yet—
they hadn't detected how this man entered at all.
That alone was terrifying.
"Oh? Ninjas, huh? Interesting."
Tenma's expression remained calm as he took a single step forward.
—Zzzkraak!
The air itself seemed to freeze.
Countless invisible streaks of black-and-red lightning erupted out of nowhere, saturating the pressure within the great hall.
An overwhelming, suffocating will—
like a raging tsunami, wave after wave—crashed down upon the Oniwabanshu.
It was the pressure of a king.
Like the heavens collapsing, it descended violently, as if an unseen hand had seized everyone's hearts and crushed them tight.
Cold sweat drenched their backs instantly.
This feeling…
this bone-deep, soul-quaking terror—
It was identical to the sensation they'd felt back then, when Kaido had merely cast them a glance and robbed them of all will to resist.
Every Oniwabanshu's face went deathly pale.
The hand seals they'd just formed for ninjutsu loosened against their will, hands trembling uncontrollably.
"What are you idiots standing around for?!"
"Get up there and kill him already!!!"
Orochi continued screaming madly from behind.
Even he could feel that terrifying pressure, knew full well that this samurai was anything but ordinary.
Yet despite the shogun's desperate commands, the once-obedient Oniwabanshu stood frozen in place—
Not a single one dared to take even half a step forward.