Uta and Nami were intentionally left outside the City of Devouring Time by Hera. The appearance of Yamata no Orochi just now had already caused panic among the people in the capital, and Uta's ability was more suitable for soothing the citizens outside.
As Uta's singing began, the panicked citizens gradually calmed down. Orochi's subordinates hidden among the crowd were also exposed by Uta's song.
The combination of soul-stirring singing and spirit power allowed Uta's Observation Haki to see people's inner emotions; her singing could even control others.
Those with evil intentions were controlled by musical notes onto a sheet of music. Dark clouds filled the sky, and under Nami's control, lightning punishment descended.
The lightning knocked out all the hidden people who wanted to fish in troubled waters or take advantage of the chaos.
The chaotic crowd slowly calmed down under the soothing effect of Uta's singing.
Inside the City of Devouring Time, the ninjas obeying Orochi began to appear, attacking Hera from all directions in an attempt to kill her.
Several ghosts passed through their chests, causing the ninjas, who were immersed in anger, to collapse on the ground one after another.
In the midst of the chaos, Denjiro stood protectively in front of Kozuki Hiyori, who was using the alias Komurasaki, warily watching Hera as she walked toward them step by step.
As Hera strolled forward, the eleven members of the Orochi Oniwabanshu summoned by Orochi charged forward one after another, wanting to avenge their master.
But they were all stopped by the crew of the Argo. For a moment, Reiju's poison mist and Perona's ghosts echoed in this space, either poisoning the ninjas into unconsciousness or making them lie on the ground in despair.
With the fall of their leader, Fukurokuju, the eleven members of the Orochi Oniwabanshu, whom Orochi had high hopes for, were defeated by just two people from the Argo.
"Sigh, isn't there even a single opponent who can make us enjoy ourselves?"
Ain and Kuina looked bored at the fallen ninjas around them. Under their Observation Haki perception, these opponents weren't even worth their intervention.
"Don't be in a hurry. The main part this time isn't these rabble."
Hera smiled and comforted the two Crew members beside her, then bypassed Denjiro and walked directly in front of Kozuki Hiyori.
Wearing a magnificent kimono embroidered with peacocks and her beautiful emerald hair styled in a princess cut, Hiyori knelt before a screen, still holding the Shamisen she was supposed to use during her performance.
Hera tilted up the head of the person before her, looking into her pure, emerald eyes: "Why not play a tune upon seeing such a beautiful scene?"
With her chin tilted up by Hera, Kozuki Hiyori was forced to meet Hera's gaze. There was no fear in her eyes; twenty years as an oiran had long since made her heart calm and unshakeable.
The Shamisen in her hands began to play. The piece she played was her favorite, "Moon Princess." Amidst the melodious music, Orochi's henchmen were all struck down.
Hera sat to the side, in the seat that originally belonged to Orochi, nodding along to the music.
The defeated ninjas were controlled by Ain and brought before Hera, as if waiting for her final judgment.
Hera ignored those ninjas, as if their fate was not as important as the music at this moment.
Hancock looked at Hera, hearts surging in her eyes: "As expected of my woman, this scene is truly handsome."
Reiju seemed to think back to when she first met Hera and chuckled: "It's just like you; you really have a way."
Kuina curled her lip, seemingly dissatisfied with Hera showing off again, but she didn't expose her. Instead, she began to think in her heart about how she should punish Hera tonight.
After a long time, the piece ended. Hera nodded and looked at Kozuki Hiyori: "Well played. You deserve a reward. Is there anything you want?"
Kozuki Hiyori shook her head: "If I can just be allowed to leave safely for the sake of this song, that will be enough."
Hera shook her head and reached out a hand toward Kozuki Hiyori, as if teasing the number one oiran of Wano Country.
"Ahem." Kuina's cough exploded in Hera's ear, followed by a glare and a roll of the eyes at her.
Hera awkwardly withdrew the hand she had intended to lift Kozuki Hiyori with: "This won't do. If word gets out that I listen to music without paying, what will people say?"
Then, Hera propped her head on her hand, pretending to think. Suddenly, she clapped her hands and said:
"Since you are also a member of the Kozuki family, how about I let you be the new Shogun, Kozuki Hiyori?"
As soon as the name Kozuki Hiyori left Hera's mouth, the previously calm Kozuki Hiyori actually played a wrong note on her Shamisen.
Denjiro even unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Hera: "How is that possible? How do you know that name?"
Hera spoke indifferently: "On this sea, there is nothing that can be hidden from me."
Kozuki Hiyori shook her head, about to refuse, when she heard Hera say:
"If you're going to talk about that legend, don't bother waiting. The person you're waiting for has already vanished."
Kozuki Hiyori's pupils flickered, and she could no longer maintain her previous composure: "What do you mean? What happened to Kozuki Momonosuke?"
Hera shrugged: "Dead. On this sea, what other end could there be for an ignorant brat who doesn't know the height of the heavens? Not everyone has a good temper and can forgive him based on his appearance."
Kozuki Hiyori seemed to lose all her strength and collapsed to the ground: "How can it be? The hope for the Kozuki family's restoration... how could my mother's prophecy be wrong?"
Hera looked at the despondent Kozuki Hiyori and Denjiro beside her, curled her lip, and sighed.
Behind her, the huge clock face of the ability emerged from Hera's back, reflecting in the eyes of Kozuki Hiyori and Denjiro. The others who had been subdued also seemed to be affected by something.
They all looked up at the clock face behind Hera.
The ability gradually grew towering and closer in their eyes, as if it were entering directly into their pupils under their gaze.
"Sigh, that bastard Kozuki Oden. I didn't want to use this move, but he forced me."
Only when Hera saw a faint, hard-to-detect white light in each of their eyes did she retract her ability.
In Hera's view, the current mess in Wano Country was no longer something that could be solved through communication. Moreover, she wasn't very good at Talk-no-Jutsu.
She couldn't help her killing intent whenever she saw that brat Kozuki Momonosuke, so it seemed this was the best way.
Two streams of clear tears flowed from Kozuki Hiyori's eyes. She felt as if she had forgotten something and felt a hint of sadness.
But soon, this emotion was replaced by a fanaticism toward Hera.
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