When Jack brought the fully dressed and elegantly made-up Komurasaki to Onigashima, the atmosphere shifted. The sight of Jack's body, wrapped in thick layers of bandages applied by his subordinates, left everyone momentarily stunned.
"Whoa~, what a mess. You actually got beaten up by those samurai...!"
Sasaki stood at the gate, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he couldn't help but mock him.
Jack didn't rise to the bait this time. Instead, he pressed a hand gently against his wounds, the throbbing pain serving as a harsh reminder of his failure. He shot Sasaki a cold glance but said nothing. Without acknowledging him further, Jack turned and led Komurasaki straight into the main hall.
Kaido and King had just returned after resolving the issue surrounding Yamato. With that rebellious daughter no longer a threat to expose secrets, Kaido's grip on Wano felt even more secure.
"Kaido-aniki, I've brought Komurasaki."
The moment she stepped into view, every man in the hall turned to look. The effect was immediate and varied.
Queen and Sasaki were the most obvious. Their eyes roamed shamelessly, and Queen in particular looked nearly unhinged with lust, drool visibly forming at the corner of his mouth.
Others reacted differently.
King's expression flickered with surprise. If Kaido hadn't told him the truth beforehand, he never would've suspected that the most stunning woman in Wano was actually the daughter of Oden, Kozuki Hiyori.
Fukurokuju's gaze darkened with malicious intent. A delicate woman like this? In his eyes, she wouldn't survive even a few days under Kaido-sama's will.
Page One looked completely indifferent, his interest nonexistent.
Black Maria gave her a glance filled with disdain, as though she couldn't understand what the fuss was about.
Ulti's reaction was the strongest. Her face twisted with revulsion as she growled in open disgust.
"What a filthy woman..."
At last, Kaido got to lay eyes on the most poorly written noblewoman in all of the Pirate King's world, a shamisen-playing, dancing, singing daughter of a hated enemy.
Kozuki Hiyori.
Her appearance alone justified her reputation as the most beautiful woman in Wano. But to Kaido, who had dealt with countless women and enemies alike, she was especially loathsome, more so than most of the other female characters in the world.
Still, for a pawn, she would do.
As the members of the Beasts Pirates scrutinized her, Hiyori kept her head low, avoiding their gazes. Her body was rigid with fear and shame. The mere thought of facing the man who had taken her father's life made her stomach churn. She didn't know how long she could hold herself together.
But then, a voice broke through the haze of dread and shame, catching her off guard.
"So, Jack. How were those samurai?"
Jack's hand instinctively reached for his chest again, the pain still sharp and unforgiving. His eyes narrowed.
"They're strong. But don't worry, Kaido-aniki. I'll kill that man called Kyoshiro."
"Oh? In that case, I'll leave that man's life to you."
"No problem, Kaido-aniki."
"Good. Now then, I'll explain my real plan. But first, we're waiting for someone. Has Orochi arrived yet?"
Kaido wasn't planning to waste his own forces unnecessarily. The samurai posed a serious threat, and the cost of fighting them would be steep.
So he intended to draw Orochi into the battle as well. With the Shogun's deep-rooted hatred for Oden, there was no doubt he would throw himself into the fight with everything he had.
Then, while the two sides clashed, Kaido would sit back and collect the rewards.
Jack stepped forward and spoke with a trace of uncertainty.
"I already told that Kyoshiro guy what you said, Kaido-aniki. But whether he'll actually show up..."
Just then, a voice echoed from outside the hall.
"Kaido-sama! Shogun Kurozumi Orochi requests an audience!"
"Heh... let him in."
From the side, Queen chuckled with clear amusement.
"Oh, this is gonna be good. Orochi's completely obsessed with that woman. The guy's always been scared stiff of you, and now he has the nerve to come all the way to Onigashima..."
As Queen finished speaking, Orochi made his entrance. His lecherous figure shuffled into the hall, instantly drawing every gaze. Draped in an ornate black shogun's robe, he wore a slimy grin that barely hid the fear behind his eyes. Each step he took was cautious, almost rehearsed.
Flanking him were Fukurokuju, the leader of the Oniwabanshu, and Kyoshiro.
The moment the three entered, all their eyes locked onto Komurasaki. Seeing that she seemed unharmed, both Orochi and Kyoshiro breathed out subtle sighs of relief.
Then Orochi gathered the last of his courage and addressed Kaido.
"Oi, Kaido! Komurasaki is my woman. Give her back to me. If it's women you want, I'll let you have your pick of all the beauties in Wano."
His pompous tone made the Beasts Pirates collectively scowl in irritation.
Fukurokuju instantly tensed, bracing for Kaido's reaction. But Kaido remained relaxed, resting his chin on one hand, a playful smile curling at his lips.
"Return this woman to you? That's not really a problem."
Orochi's face immediately lit up, his expression becoming more arrogant by the second. However, the next words from Kaido caused his face to stiffen.
"However, are you really sure you want to take this woman back?"
Orochi blinked, clearly confused by the question, his smile faltering.
Kyoshiro, standing off to the side, felt a wave of dread crawl down his spine.
Kaido's eyes sharpened. He turned to look directly at Komurasaki, watching how her movements still carried the elegance of a trained courtesan. Then, he dropped the bomb.
"The oiran of the Flower Capital... should I call you Komurasaki? Or by your real name: Kozuki Hiyori!"
Bam!
In that split second, Komurasaki-no, Kozuki Hiyori, froze. Her pupils contracted, her entire body trembling, and her face turned pale as ash.
Kyoshiro's eyes widened in alarm, and his expression twisted in horror.
Gasps and murmurs spread among the Beasts Pirates. Every gaze fixed on the woman now known to be the daughter of Oden, processing the truth they had just heard.
Orochi stood frozen. His entire frame shook as he stared at her, unable to breathe properly. He instinctively stepped backward, his face contorted with terror.
"Kozuki... Kozuki... How could that be? That surname... You're..."
The name rang in his mind like a death knell. It shattered whatever composure he had left.
Beside him, Fukurokuju was equally shaken.
"Kozuki Hiyori... Orochi-sama, isn't that Oden's daughter's name!?"
!!!
Without warning, Kyoshiro sprang into motion.
His katana flashed from its sheath. In an instant, he stood beside the trembling Hiyori. With one swift strike, blood arced through the air. Kozuki Hiyori collapsed to the floor, her face frozen in shock, eyes wide with disbelief.
The entire hall fell into stunned silence.
Orochi's voice cracked as he screamed in confusion and outrage.
"Kyoshiro! What are you doing!?"
With a dark expression, Kyoshiro withdrew his blood-stained blade, raised it solemnly above his head, and then dropped to one knee before Orochi.
"Orochi-sama, I've failed your trust. To think I allowed such a dangerous woman to remain at your side. I beg you to punish me!"
!!!
Orochi stood frozen, speechless, his mind completely overwhelmed. So much had happened in mere seconds that he could barely register the chaos.
He looked down at the blood-soaked Komurasaki sprawled on the floor. A mixture of grief and reluctance twisted across his face. His fists clenched tightly as rage overtook him.
"So she really was... the daughter of Kozuki Oden...!"
Kyoshiro slowly lifted his head, his gaze sharp and icy.
"Whether she was or wasn't no longer matters, Orochi-sama. She's already a corpse."
"What!?"
From Kaido's left side, a voice rang out. Low, steady, and as cold as steel.
"Oi, samurai. I don't know what your connection is with that woman, but did you really think a cheap trick like that would fool us?"
It was King, who had been silently watching the entire scene unfold.
"Huh!?"
Orochi reeled back in confusion, completely unable to follow what was happening. But Kyoshiro had already made up his mind. His body was tense, and sweat poured down his back.
Without hesitation, he reached for his waist and pulled out two smoke bombs. He hurled them to the ground, and within seconds, the hall was filled with thick, blinding smoke.
Seizing the moment, Kyoshiro scooped up Komurasaki into his arms. With a powerful leap, he soared over the stunned crowd, making a desperate bid for escape. But before he could clear the hall, a voice sliced through the smoke like a blade.
"Oi, samurai... where do you think you're going?"
Sriiip—
A searing pain tore across his back. His muscles locked, and his body twisted in midair. Kyoshiro crashed hard to the ground, his grip on Komurasaki faltering.
He hadn't even seen King move. Against someone like him, Kyoshiro never stood a chance.
The moment he hit the floor, two more shadows closed in.
Fukurokuju was the first to act. He grabbed Kyoshiro's arm and pinned him with brutal efficiency.
Ulti stormed forward and yanked the limp body of Kozuki Hiyori away from him. As she stared at the woman's pale face, a twitch in Hiyori's brow betrayed the truth.
Ulti snarled in fury.
"So you really were just playing dead, you filthy woman!"