Franky House.
As Kaido's gaze landed on her, Kalifa went pale. This situation was nothing like when Bruno had defected from the World Government of his own accord. Her father and sister still served in CP, loyal to the very institution she was now betraying. If her infiltration of the Hundred Beasts Pirates had been under coercion, she could claim she was blackmailed by Kaido and perhaps find a way to protect herself and her family. But if she said anything offensive about the Celestial Dragons and it was recorded, used against her later, there would be no salvation. No redemption. Just death.
Kaido watched her reaction with a smirk of amusement.
"What's wrong? Unwilling?"
The words struck like a whip. Kalifa shivered, her mind blank with fear. Her lips trembled before she managed to reply.
"N no... Lord... Lord Kaido, I... I'm willing..."
She forced herself to say the words, teeth clenched, her voice breaking as she committed fully to the deception. There was no turning back. The Den Den Mushi captured every word.
Only after hearing her declaration did Kaido, satisfied at last, hang up the Den Den Mushi and glance at Bruno, who lay sprawled on the floor.
"Make up an excuse later. No one can know I was here. Understood?"
Kalifa clenched her teeth, then gave a respectful nod.
"Understood, Lord Kaido. Can we leave now?"
Every fiber of her being screamed to escape this place. Her breath caught in her throat, and she cursed inwardly.
Damn it. If it weren't for that bastard Lucci, she wouldn't be in this hell, trapped by a monster like Kaido.
But just as she was about to step away, she saw Takamagahara casually gesture to her, motioning with a single finger.
"What's the rush?"
"...???"
She froze. Her feet refused to move, but disobeying wasn't an option. Trembling, she approached him slowly. Each step felt like she was walking toward the jaws of death.
When she finally reached him, Kaido's hand moved toward her. She braced herself, expecting the fatal blow.
Instead, she felt a firm smack on her butt.
Eyes wide in disbelief, she looked up and saw Kaido grinning at her.
The sensation was... familiar. Oddly familiar enough to numb the paralyzing fear that had taken root in her chest.
So this is what it is. No matter how terrifying the monster, in the end, he's still just a man.
Kaido's mocking voice echoed beside her ear.
"You know what to do, don't you?"
Her heart skipped. Trapped in his arms, with the full weight of his overwhelming presence pressing against her and his mocking gaze piercing through her, Kalifa dropped her head in submission and nodded.
But then Kaido frowned.
"The hell are you doing?"
Kalifa blinked, startled.
"I..."
Before she could say another word, Kaido let out a long sigh.
"Make sure to massage every fiber of my muscle."
Her eyes widened. A small, almost involuntary smile curved her lips. For a moment, she felt the tension ease. Even this monster had a trace of humanity left. So she obeyed, silently giving him the relief he demanded.
As Kaido leaned back, clearly enjoying the comfort, his face showed total satisfaction. He understood what Kalifa had intended and was amused, but there was one problem. She was far too small for him. Just his thing alone could match her entire body in size. If she tried to use her mouth, he might barely feel it at all. It would be like a hamster tickling him.
Still, Kaido would have them all in time. Every beauty would fall into his hands eventually.
The Kaido of the past had cared little for women. Not because he disliked them, but because he had experienced too much, seen too deeply into the emptiness of pleasure. He had transcended those base desires. But now, reborn into this world, something had changed. His passion for everything—pleasure, power, control—had returned with a vengeance.
===
Ever since news spread across Wano Country that Orochi and Kaido intended to publicly execute Kozuki Hiyori and Denjirou on Onigashima, it caused the reaction both tyrants had anticipated. Hidden supporters of Oden, scattered throughout the land and long dormant, began to stir restlessly.
That night, in Kuri, inside a warmly lit home tucked into the mountains, Ashura Douji sat in heavy silence. Once one of Oden's trusted retainers and a proud member of the Nine Red Scabbards, he stared at the wanted posters Orochi had released. The faces of Hiyori and Denjirou were printed in bold ink, their fates sealed by the shogun's cruelty. A dark pressure filled the room, rolling off Ashura's broad shoulders.
After a long pause, his hand slammed onto the table with force. The wood groaned beneath the weight.
"Someone, come here!"
A subordinate from the Mt. Atama Thieves came rushing in, alert and tense.
"Boss, what's the matter?"
"Contact the Hundred Beasts Pirates. Tell them the Mt. Atama Thieves are ready to accept their offer and join them!"
The underling blinked, stunned by the sudden decision. But the look on Ashura Douji's face left no room for questioning. Just as he turned to carry out the order, Ashura added one more command.
"Tell everyone. If anyone doesn't want to join, they can back out now. I won't blame them."
The subordinate hesitated for only a moment. His gaze flickered to the posters on the table, and something in his mind seemed to click. His expression hardened with understanding.
"I understand, Boss. I'll explain it to everyone."
"Good. Go."
As the man left, Ashura's instincts flared. He looked up sharply.
"Who's there?"
From the shadows above, a figure dropped down, landing with one knee on the floor. Calm, composed, but unmistakably familiar.
"It's been a long time, Boss Shutenmaru."
"You're... Shinobu?!"
===
Meanwhile, in the labor camp of Udon, deep within Wano Country, night had fallen. The clang of tools and the cries of suffering had faded, and the exhausted prisoners finally lay still, allowed a few hours of rest. The Beast Pirates guarding them were in stark contrast—laughing, drinking sake, gorging on meat, and celebrating their own ignorance.
"Hey hey, did you hear?"
"Of course. Who hasn't heard something like that?"
"Can you believe it? That Oiran Komurasaki was actually Kozuki Hiyori, the daughter of that fool Oden. And Kyoshiro? That bastard turned out to be Denjirou, one of the Nine Red Scabbards!"
"Yeah, I thought they were all dead. Never imagined they were hiding in plain sight all this time."
"Guess those old rumors were true. Back during the fire, none of the Scabbards' bodies were ever found. Looks like they survived after all."
"Now that you say it, that's actually kind of creepy."
"What's there to be afraid of? Even if Oden came back from the dead, don't forget who we serve."
"Exactly. With Lord Kaido around, what's the point of worrying?"
"It's just a damn shame though..."
"A shame?"
"Komurasaki, man. Such a stunning woman, and now she's gone. What a damn waste."
"Yeah, yeah... Hahaha..."
In one of the dark prison cells, far from the drunken chatter, silence reigned. Most of the prisoners had already fallen into uneasy sleep, their bodies worn down by years of torment. A few remained awake, sitting in shadow, their faces tense and eyes filled with long-suppressed rage.
At the center of the room sat a frail old man, hunched and still. His name was Hyogoro of the Flower, once the most powerful yakuza boss in Wano. Time and imprisonment had worn his frame down, but not the fire in his spirit. The men surrounding him, former retainers and warriors who still remembered his true identity, sat in silence, fists clenched tight, jaws locked with frustration.
Eighteen years of captivity had nearly snuffed out their will to resist. But the news that Kaido and Orochi were planning to execute Hiyori and Denjirou ignited something long buried. The embers of rebellion began to glow again. Still, what could they possibly do? Escape was a fantasy. Power, a memory.
Then a silhouette appeared at the cell entrance, cloaked in darkness. The voice that followed shook them all, not with fear, but with familiarity.
"It's been a long time, Hyogoro."
The old man raised his head slowly, his vision sharpening in the dim light. His eyes widened as they settled on the figure standing beyond the iron bars, bathed in moonlight.
"Lord... Kawamatsu..."