Thud… thud… thud!
Within mere breaths of time after Senbonzakura scattered, hundreds of pirates had already fallen.
"Careful! Don't touch the cherry blossoms!"
Sharp-eyed pirates shouted warnings to the others.
A few braver ones even raised their blades to strike at the floating petals.
But it was useless. Against thousands of cherry blossoms, their knives and swords were nothing.
One or two petals? Maybe you could block. Hundreds or thousands? Impossible.
If they had that skill, they wouldn't still be wasting their lives in Mock Town.
Ah…
Screams of the pirates never ceased.
Byakuya Kuchiki's handsome face now looked like a demon in the eyes of the pirates.
"Bastard! Die, damn you!"
Rossio, finally arriving on the scene, saw how many of his men had already fallen. Rage overtook him, and he charged directly at Byakuya.
Even with a bounty of 42 million berries, Rossio was a capable pirate.
He deftly avoided the swirling petals of Senbonzakura, leaping from the rooftops straight toward Byakuya.
Byakuya's Zanpakuto had one major weakness—the blade disassembles upon Shikai, losing its close-combat capability.
Rossio's reckless rush, by accident, let him bypass the edge of the petals.
"No-name rookie, how dare you act so boldly in the Grand Line! I'll teach you a lesson!"
Rossio swung a curved sword in a wide arc, leaping several meters as he aimed to decapitate Byakuya.
Hence the title: "The Executioner."
But a dragon is still a dragon. Even with an opening, ants aren't allowed to test their luck.
Byakuya gave Rossio a cold, indifferent glance and lifted his left hand slightly.
"Hado #4: Byakurai!"
Boom!
A fist-thick bolt of white lightning shot across the sky, appearing suddenly before Rossio.
Too fast! Too fast!
Rossio saw it coming, but his body couldn't react in time.
In the blink of an eye, the bolt pierced his chest with unstoppable force.
Thud!
His body fell, sliding a few meters on the ground before stopping at Byakuya's feet.
The greatest pirate of Jaya Island lay at the feet of his enemy. That single image shattered the morale of the remaining pirates.
"Rossio's dead! Run!"
"That guy's a monster! We can't win!"
"The main port is frozen! Let's try the side ports!"
In an instant, the remaining pirates scattered in a desperate escape.
They still had hope.
This man who controlled cherry blossoms was strong—but there was only one of him. He couldn't possibly wipe out tens of thousands in Mock Town.
Though the town appeared to have only one main port, the pirates had prepared two hidden escape points.
In case a truly invincible enemy arrived, they could flee smoothly.
"Fools."
Byakuya scoffed at the fleeing pirates.
Why had the Lord Soul King brought only him and Rukia?
Because he alone could annihilate the entire town.
The scattered petals returned to the hilt of Senbonzakura.
He flipped the blade, pointing it toward the ground, and released it gently.
Ripples spread across the surface, and the petals vanished into the shimmering reflection.
"Bankai! Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!"
In an instant, hundreds of massive blades rose on either side of Byakuya.
The next moment, they scattered into a blizzard of cherry blossoms, obscuring the sky entirely.
The number of petals in Bankai was a hundred million times that of Shikai.
Whoosh!
A flood of petals surged into Mock Town, covering every street.
"Run! Run for your lives!"
The pirates sprinted frantically under the overwhelming onslaught.
Wherever the petals passed, they struck down pirates instantly, leaving no chance to resist.
"Quick! The hidden port's ahead! We can escape!"
Hope glimmered in their eyes as the coastline approached.
But just as they began to rejoice…
A figure emerged from the hidden port.
Oguro, Zanpakuto in hand, a cold smirk on his lips.
"Sorry… this way is blocked."
"No! Boss!"
One pirate pointed in terror.
"Our ships—they're destroyed!"
Looking toward the port, several wrecked ships lay scattered, completely unusable.
Oguro's grin deepened.
Why hadn't he appeared at the main port?
To prevent the pirates from escaping. Byakuya and Rukia drew their attention at the front, while Oguro sabotaged the rear escape routes.
He had done the same at the second port.
Now, there was nowhere to run.
Behind them, the screams of pirates pierced the air, sending shivers through the fugitives.
"We surrender! We surrender!"
In the next moment, the pirates decisively gave up.
"Tch! What cowards…"
Oguro didn't find it surprising.
Those who remained in Mock Town were all weak-willed, afraid to push forward.
Real pirates with ambition had already set their sights on the New World.
Expecting courage from these guys was a fantasy.
"Sorry… I don't need so many prisoners."
Oguro's expression turned cold. He calmly watched the cherry blossom storm engulf the pirates.
He only needed a few thousand for forced labor on Skypiea—a number easily controlled by its military.
"Damn it! If I die, I'll take you with me!"
Seeing no hope, the remaining pirates, bloodshot eyes blazing, charged at Oguro.
With a casual flick of his Zanpakuto…
Whoosh!
A three-meter-wide blade swept through the crowd.
The three pirates at the front lost their heads instantly.
After summoning Byakuya, Oguro's own strength had risen another level.
His spiritual pressure and Kido were already at officer-level, and his swordsmanship, hand-to-hand, and Shunpo were only a step away.
Now, even facing a Marine Vice Admiral head-on, Oguro would not fall behind.
Three severed heads fell, instantly snapping the rest of the pirates back to reality.
One recognized him, exclaiming, "It's him! The 200 million berry bounty 'Young Noble,' Sith Oguro!"
In an instant, a wave of despair spread among the pirates.
A bounty of 200 million berries—almost five times Rossio's.
What chance did they have now?
"I don't care! I will survive!"
At this point, a few refused to give up.
Oguro and Byakuya were out of reach, and the sea of petals behind them even more so.
Their only option: jump into the sea.