The moonlight was frosty, blanketing the silent cemetery. Shimotsuki Ushimaru looked up, staring intently at King hovering in mid-air, his brow slightly furrowed. He slowly exhaled a turbid breath, holding his longsword upright before him, its cold blade reflecting the faint moonlight.
"Shimotsuki Style: Moon Shadow Slash!"
The low voice echoed in the night sky as Shimotsuki Ushimaru's figure suddenly grew indistinct, as if merging with the moonlight itself. A fierce blade of light sliced through the night, precisely cleaving King's body down the middle. Yet, no look of victory appeared on Shimotsuki Ushimaru's face; instead, it grew more grave—this victory had come far too easily.
Sure enough, King, who had been cut in two, suddenly dissolved into countless black bats that reformed behind Shimotsuki Ushimaru. Before the samurai could turn, King had already swung Enma, a searing fiery slash roaring toward him.
"This is bad!"
The alarm bells screamed in Shimotsuki Ushimaru's mind, but it was too late to dodge. The scorching slash struck his chest squarely. Blood spurted out instantly. His body flew backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily against a cold tombstone with a dull thud.
"Cough... cough..."
Shimotsuki Ushimaru struggled to prop up his upper body, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. Excruciating pain radiated from the wound on his chest, but he still gripped his longsword tightly, his gaze fixed like a torch on the figure ahead. Under the moonlight, King's silhouette seemed particularly sinister and terrifying, those icy eyes seeming to see right through him.
At that moment, the rapid sound of footsteps and the clatter of armor came from the distance. A squad of fully armed samurai appeared at the edge of the cemetery, led by the Captain of the Flower Capital's guard. They held torches, illuminating the dim graveyard brightly.
"Lord Ushimaru!" the guard captain called out loudly, his voice tinged with obvious urgency. "We received a report of unusual activity here..."
King swept a cold glance over the arriving reinforcements, then turned his gaze back to Shimotsuki Ushimaru. The corner of his mouth curled into a sneer, his voice piercing as ice. "That's enough for today. I'll come for your life another time."
With that, King walked directly to the spot where the Devil Fruit had been, retrieved it, and tucked it into his robe. His immense black wings suddenly spread wide, casting a huge shadow under the moonlight. In the blink of an eye, his figure vanished into the vast expanse of the moonlit sky, leaving only a few black feathers drifting slowly down.
The guard captain hurried forward, carefully helping Shimotsuki Ushimaru to his feet. "My lord, your injury..." His voice was full of concern, his eyes falling on the ugly wound on Shimotsuki Ushimaru's chest.
"It's nothing," Shimotsuki Ushimaru forced himself to stand, blood still oozing from his chest wound. He stared in the direction where King had disappeared, his hand tightening unconsciously around his sword, knuckles turning white from the force. "That enemy... is more dangerous than anticipated." His voice was low and grave.
The guard captain immediately gave orders. "Quick, prepare a stretcher!"
"Unnecessary," Shimotsuki Ushimaru raised a hand to stop him. "Prepare a carriage for me. I must go to the Flower Capital immediately to report to Lord Sukiyaki." His tone brooked no argument. Despite his severe injury, a samurai's dignity prevented him from showing weakness before his subordinates.
"Yes, sir!" the guard replied promptly, immediately turning to make arrangements.
Soon, a plain but sturdy carriage was ready. With the support of the guards, Shimotsuki Ushimaru boarded it. Several medical personnel were already waiting inside and immediately began tending to his wounds, their movements skilled and gentle.
"The wound is deep, but it didn't reach the internal organs," the lead medic said quietly, his hands not stopping as he bandaged it. "It requires more thorough treatment immediately."
Shimotsuki Ushimaru gave a slight nod, looking out the carriage window into the distance. Under the moonlight, the outline of the Flower Capital was already faintly visible.
Just as Shimotsuki Ushimaru was heading to the Flower Capital, King had already returned to Kuri.
"Big Brother Kaido," King said, landing beside Kaido.
"You're back, King. Did you get it?" Kaido asked him.
"It's secured," King replied, immediately taking out the Devil Fruit and handing it to Kaido.
"Good. Worororororo." Kaido laughed heartily as he took the fruit. Another top-tier Devil Fruit was now in his hands.
"King, did anything happen along the way?" Kaido asked, stowing the fruit away.
"Big Brother Kaido, I was discovered by Shimotsuki Ushimaru while retrieving the fruit. We fought. Then others arrived, so I left immediately," King reported.
"Is that so? King, it seems you need to make a trip to the Flower Capital. Ensure there are no issues over there," Kaido instructed.
"Understood, Big Brother Kaido." Without hesitation upon hearing Kaido's words, King immediately took to the air again, flying toward the direction of the Flower Capital.
After receiving simple wound dressing, Shimotsuki Ushimaru walked directly into the Shogun's castle in the Flower Capital.
"Lord Ushimaru," people he passed on the way, seeing his travel-worn state, greeted him one after another.
But Shimotsuki Ushimaru was in no mood to respond. He headed straight for Sukiyaki's location.
Soon, he arrived at the room where Sukiyaki was.
"Lord Sukiyaki, Shimotsuki Ushimaru requests an audience," Shimotsuki Ushimaru called out toward the room.
"Ah, Ushimaru. Come in quickly," Sukiyaki's voice came from inside.
"Yes, Lord Sukiyaki." Shimotsuki Ushimaru immediately entered the room.
"Ushimaru, what happened to you...?" Sukiyaki asked directly, seeing the still-bleeding wound.
"Lord Sukiyaki, Kaido's subordinate King went to the cemetery in Ringo and dared to take an offering meant for the dead. I could not stand by, so I fought him. That's how I sustained these injuries," Shimotsuki Ushimaru explained.
"An offering? What was it?" Sukiyaki inquired.
"Lord Sukiyaki, it appeared to be a Devil Fruit—what outsiders generally call a Devil Fruit," Shimotsuki Ushimaru replied.
"Oh, a Devil Fruit. That explains it," Sukiyaki said, suddenly understanding.
"You knew about this, Lord Sukiyaki?" Shimotsuki Ushimaru asked.
"Yes. Just two days ago, Kaido had people spread information across all regions that he is purchasing Devil Fruits. I heard a single Devil Fruit can fetch at least one hundred platinum pieces," Sukiyaki stated plainly.
(Note: Wano Country prices: 1 Platinum = 1000 Gold, 1 Gold = 100 Silver, 1 Silver = 100 Berries. Therefore, 1 Platinum = 10 million Berries.)
"What?! There's such a thing?!" Shimotsuki Ushimaru exclaimed.
"Correct. So I believe someone informed King about the Devil Fruit in the northern cemetery, which is why he went to retrieve it," Sukiyaki reasoned.
"Lord Sukiyaki, is it truly wise to allow Kaido and his group to continue developing within Wano Country? Their expansion has been too rapid lately. I've heard many people in Kuri have already begun supporting Kaido," Shimotsuki Ushimaru said to Sukiyaki.
"Ushimaru, say no more. My command was for Kaido to become the daimyo of Kuri. No one is permitted to defy that," Sukiyaki suddenly spoke with severity.
"Yes, I understand, Lord Sukiyaki," Shimotsuki Ushimaru replied upon hearing this.
"However, what you say does hold merit. We cannot allow them to develop like this unchecked," Sukiyaki said after some consideration.
"Very well. Shimotsuki Ushimaru, you are to secretly arrange for people to collect Devil Fruits in all regions and deliver them to the Shogun's castle. These may become bargaining chips for future dealings with Kaido. I will also inform the other regional daimyo," Sukiyaki instructed.
"As you command," Shimotsuki Ushimaru agreed.
***
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