"Ugh, sorry Orochi, I had a bit too much to drink, my hands slipped... *hiccup*."
Kaidou looked completely drunk, but Orochi didn't believe a word of it. Dropping a weapon might be excused if drunk, but who uses Haki before letting go?
He wasn't strong himself, but it didn't mean he hadn't seen others use Ryuo.
Ryuo is what Armament Haki is called in Wano Kuni. Due to its isolation, Wano Kuni has many unique terms, for example, Devil Fruit Users are called Demon Mages, Armament is called Ryuo.
Ryuo is not the highest form of Armament Haki; all Armament Haki is collectively known as Ryuo in Wano Kuni. The advanced Armament Haki, which can cause internal destruction, is called the highest level of Ryuo, but this is just a name and not a distinction of levels.
Kaidou clearly intended to kill him with that blow. If it weren't for a reliable person, that strike would have cost him his life.
The one who stopped Kaidou's blow was the Barrier-Barrier Fruit, one of the most overpowered Devil Fruits, capable of creating an Absolute Defense—an impenetrable barrier.
The barrier can't be broken by any means; it can even block an attack from a Four Emperors.
The downside is that the total area of the barrier released at the same time is limited, and it requires maintaining a crossed fingers gesture with index and middle fingers.
The current user of the Barrier-Barrier Fruit is Kurozumi Semimaru, known as the Lute Mage, who, like Kurozumi Higurashi, is a member of the Kurozumi Family that lived abroad.
And of course, Kaidou wasn't really being careless; he did it on purpose. The sake in Wano Kuni is much weaker than outside, so drinking a bit of it wouldn't make him drunk. Having entered Wano Kuni, he wanted to see if he could give Orochi one clean blow.
If he could get rid of him directly, the strategic approach of the Hundred Beasts would change immediately, and they have many ways to handle the subsequent situation once they've infiltrated the inside.
After all, it was just a slip-up, not intentional, but since the attack was blocked, he had no intention of continuing against Orochi. It was just a trial attempt; success would've been great, but failure wasn't a loss either, just a little show of power.
Moreover, that strike successfully forced Orochi to reveal a trump card, and the influence of this barrier ability is significant.
As for why he did it, mentioning something someone doesn't want to hear, Kurozumi Orochi's words only hastened his own death. Unfortunately, he still didn't know the extent of his mistake.
The reason for not continuing was also simple; it was merely accidental manslaughter, not intentional. But if he struck again, it would have been on purpose.
Directly eliminating his "ally" upon arrival wouldn't benefit future development. Besides, letting him live wasn't entirely useless; he could use him to shape the image of the Hundred Beasts.
"Slipped hand? Kaidou, do you even believe that reason?"
"Huh? I'm only telling the truth! I often slip, right, boys?"
"Yeah, yeah, Big Brother Kaidou always does weird things after drinking. Last time, he danced at a Navy Base."
"Wasn't that a long time ago? Didn't he just have a fight with someone? Who was it again... Never mind, they're dead now anyway."
The people below chimed in, helping to solidify the notion of Kaidou's clumsiness.
Amid the laughter from the Hundred Beasts members, Orochi was struggling to maintain his composure, and his body was subtly changing, but Kurozumi Higurashi beside him grabbed his hand and shook his head, signaling Orochi to calm down.
Seeing Orochi not take action, Kaidou shook his head in disappointment. If he fought back, the Hundred Beasts would have a reason to strike. As for the Barrier-Barrier Fruit, though troublesome, it wasn't unbeatable.
At worst, he could transform into a Cyan Dragon and toss both him and the building into the sea. He didn't believe a Devil Fruit User could stir up anything after being thrown into the sea.
"Kaidou, that's enough. We're guests, and we should give him some face. This is Wano Kuni; we'll need to rely on him more in the future."
Arceus spoke to stop Kaidou, having some understanding of Wano Kuni's situation. If the Hundred Beasts wanted to rule here, they'd need to leverage Kurozumi Orochi to eliminate the Kozuki Family's control.
Then, by exposing Orochi's actions, they could channel people's hatred towards him and establish a new puppet government, allowing them to completely control Wano Kuni.
Subsequently, they could use time to get the ordinary people used to the rule of the Hundred Beasts. It's hard to find a scapegoat as good as Orochi; just a few years is worth enduring for great development.
In the midst of the laughter, Arceus, who directly called Kaidou by name, became an outlier. The most critical part was that Kaidou really listened to him, naturally catching Orochi's attention.
However, the next moment, he realized it was all an illusion. Kaidou's actions were only meant to embarrass him, while Arceus's actions were genuinely cutting into his flesh.
"This time, we brought over a thousand people. Having sailed so long, many are feeling quite bored. On the way, we seemed to have glimpsed your brothels. Many are interested, but it seems you don't use Belly here. How about supporting us with some funds?
Just a few dozen gold pieces each will do. Entertainment and lodging always cost money."
The currency in Wano Kuni consists of Platinum, Gold, and Silver. Although Platinum is rare, it is the most valuable, enough to build a house in Wano Kuni.
Ordinary residents usually use Gold and Silver, with Gold valued at around ten thousand Belly and Silver at a hundred Belly.
Arceus suggested giving each person a few dozen Gold, which amounts to having Orochi hand over billions of Belly. He had just secured the position of acting General not long ago, and maintaining his subordinates cost money too. Now, this really stabbed him in the heart.
Kaidou made him lose face, but in comparison to the financial loss, face meant nothing.
He knew he had to spend, but he thought preparing some money for Kaidou would suffice. As for his pirates, aren't they pirates? Pirates needing to pay for things?
He didn't know that both Kaidou and Arceus saw Wano Kuni as their territory. On their own turf, of course, they couldn't do anything as foolish as fishing with dynamite; spending money was the right course of action.
Moreover, brothels aren't exactly respectable places. It's extremely disgraceful to freeload on the hard-earned money of others.
At that moment, Kaidou suddenly realized he'd misunderstood Arceus' intention. Temporarily sparing them didn't mean letting them completely off the hook; it was about squeezing out their value first and then dealing with them. His thought of a quick finish was overly naïve by comparison.
"You're right, Orochi, just a mere tens of thousands of Gold. Surely, you wouldn't be so stingy?"