Kurozumi Orochi's expression was so overly flattering that he looked nothing like the ruler of a nation, drawing open disdain from everyone present.
But Orochi pretended not to notice. With an ingratiating smile, he said,
"My lord, please allow me to escort you in this custom-built carriage. It will take us through the underwater tunnel directly into Wano—no need for the exhausting climb up the cliffs."
Roya cast a disdainful glance at the gaudy purple carriage and replied calmly,
"No need. I don't like purple."
As he spoke, a thread of Observation Haki unfurled beneath his feet—stretching all the way up to the cliff's summit above the waterfalls.
Under Orochi's stunned gaze, Roya stepped forward—walking up the thread path with ease.
Behind him, Squard, Nico Robin, and the others followed closely.
After recovering from his shock, Orochi tucked his head into his oversized sleeves and tried to stifle his laughter.
It took him quite a while to compose himself.
Then, mimicking Roya and the others, he cautiously stepped onto the thread road. After walking a few paces without issue, he relaxed.
He picked up his pace and soon caught up to Roya's side—his back hunched in deference, following him like a servile attendant.
As they moved along, Orochi silently rejoiced:
"Roya's timing couldn't be better! If I can pull him into Wano's internal conflict, Kaido will have no choice but to maintain the current balance!"
Lost in fantasies of how to exploit Roya's overwhelming fame and strength, Orochi didn't even notice that the thread road beneath their feet was floating forward at an incredible speed.
But because everyone on it was moving along with it, it felt no different than walking normally.
In what felt like the blink of an eye, they had already reached Wano's inland sea, and were now right above Onigashima!
From the island, two overwhelming auras erupted into the sky—Kaido's and Charlotte Linlin's.
There was no way Roya wouldn't have noticed.
But to Orochi's disbelief, Roya didn't react at all—he simply strode straight across the sky above Onigashima, utterly unfazed.
Orochi, walking alongside Roya, felt a surge of forbidden thrill and pleasure as they trampled across enemy skies. His mind raced with excitement.
"Amazing! This is perfect! Two tigers cannot share one mountain. A clash between Roya and Kaido is inevitable!"
"No matter who wins or loses, it's all good for me!"
"I just need to butter up Roya, provoke Kaido, and get them to clash!"
"That way, even if Kaido tries to turn on me, Roya will have to protect me, for the sake of his reputation! Heh… haha!"
While he plotted gleefully, the capital—Flower Capital—came into view.
But the first thing they saw wasn't the bustling city.
It was the prison quarry in Udon, filled with laboring inmates.
Even from over a hundred meters away, their agonized screams under the whips of the guards were clearly audible.
From above, they looked like a swarm of ants, toiling endlessly.
Except—these ants wore shackles, and were being whipped not to motivate work, but purely for the sadistic amusement of the jailers.
Nico Robin frowned and scolded,
"Shogun Orochi, even if they're prisoners, this is no way to treat them!"
Her voice trembled with a mix of anger and fear—obviously stirred by painful memories of her own past, being forced to labor like a slave in Tequila Wolf.
Orochi glanced at Roya, quickly realizing it was smarter not to argue. Instead, he changed the subject.
He cleared his throat and called out grandly toward the Flower Capital:
> "People of Wano! Today, we are honored with the presence of the most esteemed of guests!"
"The Navy Admiral Slayer! The Man with the 6-Billion Bounty! The Strongest in the World! The Breaker of Navy Strongholds, the Liberator and Guardian of Dressrosa, undefeated since he first set sail—LORD ROYA!!"
A barrage of ridiculously grandiose titles poured out, even making Roya himself feel a little awkward.
But Orochi's voice seemed empowered by some strange ability, amplifying it like a megaphone across the land.
The previously restless crowds in the capital instantly erupted into a deafening cheer.
"Welcome, Lord Roya!!"
"Long live Lord Roya!!"
All across Wano, people looked up in confusion and awe at the figure in the sky, surrounded by others who seemed like celestial beings.
Each person harbored different thoughts and emotions—but all were drawn to the spectacle.
In the bandit camp on Mt. Head in Kuri, Kin'emon and Ashura Doji stood behind Momonosuke, gazing upward at Roya and his crew.
Kin'emon, excited, said:
"I see a lot of familiar faces! Marco-san, Vista-san… even Izou's come back!"
"I can't believe Roya himself is here to help us! With this strength behind us, we'll finally be able to take Wano back from Kaido and Orochi!"
Ashura Doji scratched his head full of messy pink curls and said,
"If Roya is willing to fight, victory is ours. But if he doesn't…"
His words were cut off by a weird laugh.
The two men turned to see Momonosuke—face flushed, eyes dazed—clearly swooning over someone among the figures in the sky.
Kin'emon and Ashura Doji exchanged helpless glances.
"We need to contact the rest of the samurai right away," Kin'emon said.
"Once we have enough people, we'll launch a surprise raid on the Udon quarry."
"Roya's arrival has completely occupied Orochi's attention—these next few days are our best chance to strike."
Back in the capital, amid the thunderous applause, Roya landed first on the main boulevard leading straight to the Shogun's palace.
Nico Robin, though slightly annoyed by Roya's indifferent attitude toward the prisoners, knew she lacked the power to save them. She could only follow silently.
Roya, sensing her shift in mood, said nothing.
According to Lucci's intel, the World Government's most secretive creation—Experimental Subject Zero—had already been dispatched to Wano.
Its identity and objective were still completely unknown.
If Roya declared his support for Momonosuke and the rebellion too early, it would mean immediate war with Orochi and Kaido.
That would force the rebel army to begin its uprising at once.
And in the chaos, whatever this Zero wanted—it would have a much higher chance of success.
So until he discovered this hidden enemy, Roya was more than happy to keep up appearances, even if it meant playing nice with someone like Orochi.
As he pondered these things, he casually strolled through the lively capital streets.
Crowds bustled to and fro, merchants and hawkers shouting their wares, storefronts full of variety—the Flower Capital was vibrant and thriving.
It hardly looked like a land being bled dry by Kurozumi Orochi and Kaido's iron rule.
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