Capital of Flowers: Stalling with Words
The Wano Country, the Capital of Flowers.
"What a happy day!"
"The annual 'Fire Festival' has begun~~"
In one of only two prosperous areas in the entire Wano Country (the other being Zhonghua Town), lanterns and lights adorned the streets, children wearing masks ran and played with laughter, and adults set aside their burdens to enjoy a drink and watch the various performances on the streets.
Giant demon puppets allow people to stand on their arms and dance; 'mask of Uba' wearing Hannya mask breathes flames to ward off evil; various street food stalls emit fragrant aromas; and there's the traditional goldfish scooping game, etc... But behind this 'prosperity':
"If only time could stand still on this day forever."
The only day they could be carefree was now when the older children had to start helping with chores around the house;
"After the memorial service, we have to wait another year before we can drink alcohol."
Living in the capital is no easy feat. If I don't work incredibly hard, my whole family might be evicted.
"Damn it... If it weren't for Kaido backing Orochi...!!"
The old samurai covered his face with his hands, but tears streamed down his cheeks uncontrollably.
If it were simply Kurozumi Orochi, his perverse and wanton destruction of the country would have been met with fierce condemnation from the samurai of Wano Country long ago. However, he is backed by Kaido, hailed as the World's Strongest Creature, and countless swordsmen and great swordsmen of Wano Country have fallen beneath his spiked clubs...
Only on this day of commemorating the departed can everyone relax, forget past hatred, forget the hardships of life, forget everything, put on their best clothes, sit at their doorsteps and look at the lights of thousands of homes, so that their loved ones in heaven will not worry about them.
"It must be lively, Tama."
"Master, this place... is simply heaven!"
The Tengu Swordsmith, leading Tama by the hand, walked along the streets of the Capital of Flowers. The bustling scene before him was simply too much for the little girl, who had to work hard every day weaving straw hats just to make ends meet.
"My older brothers said that once we defeat Kaido, the entire Wano Country can be like—"
Oops, I accidentally let it slip!
"Hahaha, defeat Kaido?"
However, upon hearing Tama's words, the man holding the sake pot did not change his expression as Tama expected. Instead, with a mixture of seven parts drunkenness and three parts anticipation, he raised the sake, which was mostly diluted with water.
"The little girl's story is good, tell us more about it~~"
"Yes, only today."
Another old man, carrying a glass of water, took a sip of the liquid in his glass. "Only when Orochi and his lackeys go to Onigashima to pay homage to their master can we speak freely!"
"So, little girl, boldly tell your made-up story. Let everyone have a laugh—"
"That's not a story!!"
?
"Big Brother Ace, Captain Luffy, Mr. Roman, and many Outer Sea Warriors!"
"There's also a large group of samurai they rescued. I saw them assemble a massive fleet, and tonight they're heading to Onigashima to defeat Orochi and Kaido!"
??
This····
After a second of stunned silence, everyone on the street:
"Hahahaha~~~!!"
"I can't take it anymore, this is hilarious..."
"This is the happiest thing I've heard all year, even though it's just a fantasy—"
However, those around them soon went from laughing to crying.
"If only there were a samurai who could defeat Orochi and Kaido,"
"Speak your dreams freely, for no one will die innocently today! Although tomorrow will be the same."
"Young lady, it's been twenty years! I've personally witnessed twenty-three samurai going to Onigashima to fight Kaido, but none of those men of steel have returned. Nevertheless, I still want to thank you for your words, which have stirred a glimmer of emotion in my otherwise lifeless heart."
······
The little girl felt utterly bewildered by the well-meaning 'comfort' offered to her by the crowd.
"Why won't any of you believe me! I clearly said—"
"Never mind, Tama."
The swordsmith 'Tenguyama Hitetsu', who was wearing a tengu mask, shook his head slightly.
"This country has suffered too much and experienced too much despair. Even in its dreams, it can only dream of today."
This is still the most 'prosperous' Capital of Flowers, where ordinary people are already struggling under immense pressure. In other areas, starvation is rampant, most people suffer from heavy metal poisoning, and are emaciated; living to fifty is considered a 'long life'.
"Today, just today, let everyone put everything aside and remember the past."
However, children like Tama have no memory of the 'former' Wano Country. Their memories of Wano Country are of a land shrouded in smoke, overflowing with poisonous water, and teeming with mutated creatures. Since they have nothing to 'reminisce' about, they can only 'look forward' to the future.
"Big Brother Ace and the others will definitely win!"
"They were once among the Four Emperors, on par with Kaido, in the Outer Seas, as was Luffy, who was also known as the 'Yonko' by the people of the Outer Seas!"
????
"A former Four Emperors?"
"I've vaguely heard about this. Two years ago, one of the 'Four Emperors' launched a war that swept across the entire outer seas..."
"Could it really be this time—"
Just as the people on the street were vaguely sensing that this 'slaying of Onigashima's was different, a rumbling thunderclap echoed in the sky, even drowning out the commotion in the entire Capital of Flowers, causing everyone to look up in confusion:
"What is that...?"
"It looks like an island, doesn't it?"
As the island hurtling towards them with a deafening roar drew ever closer, lightning flashed, light shone, and a massive Flying Slash... and that sound that the people of Wano Country would never forget:
"Oh ho ho ho~~ You're quite capable, aren't you kids!"
It's Kaido?!
In an instant, the familiar voice sent a chill down the spines of the reveling civilians! However, compared to its usual domineering and powerful tone, the voice now sounded hoarse, low, and lacking in stamina. But without a doubt:
"It's Kaido himself!"
"Damn it, why is that guy in the Capital of Flowers? Could that island in the sky be...?"
Onigashima?
The Fire Festival in the entire Capital of Flowers was forced to a halt, and everyone looked up anxiously at the island slowly approaching from the sky. Even the bright moon in the sky was obscured by the massive island; only the thunderous battle and resolute voices could be heard.
"Kaido, you're doomed to lose today!"
?
"That's right, I will set sail with Ace, and we'll leave after we blast you Wano Country! Kaido— "
?!
Amidst the shouts of battle, intermittent roars came from above, leaving the silent crowd below feeling as if they were in a dream.
Could it really be Kaido fighting someone overhead? And, it seems, perhaps, maybe:
Is Kaido a disadvantage?
"Oh ho ho~~ Ignorant brats, since you've been working so hard, I'll tell you the 'truth' about this world!"
In the sky above Onigashima, a battered dragon looked down at several equally wounded young people who refused to fall. Its massive jaws split open, revealing two rows of sharp, invincible fangs, several of which were missing.
Do you think the title of 'King of the Pirates' is just an empty name?
"Whoever reaches Laugh Tale, whoever sits in that position, must bear the obligation to challenge the Celestial Dragons ' 'God'!!"
?!
Ace and Luffy below were both stunned, after all, their dream was, and still is, to become the 'King of the Pirates King'. But they never expected that this title would involve the Celestial Dragons... and what exactly is God of the Celestial Dragons?
"So, we'll be besieged by the Navy... or even Admiral?"
Seeing Luffy's confusion, the giant dragon in the sky seemed to have heard something funny and burst into wild laughter.
"Navy? Admiral?"
"They're all just dogs of the Celestial Dragons!"
"You don't actually think the Navy obeys those idiotic Celestial Dragons because of some nonsense about them being 'descendants of the Creator,' do you? And those self-proclaimed righteous Admiral, do you think they don't know what Celestial Dragons look like? Haven't you ever wondered why they don't dare—"
"Rebellion?"
In this world where power resides in one person, a single Admiral is worth a thousand soldiers. If two or even three Admiral disapproved of the Celestial Dragons' actions, then the so-called Holy Land Mary Geoise should have ceased to exist long ago, right? But:
"Now you understand, right? Not all Celestial Dragons are idiots. The 'gods' standing behind them are the real reason these pigs have been able to run rampant for eight hundred years!"
Kaido narrowed his enormous dragon eyes, looking down at the brats below who were stunned by his 'revelation,' and secretly made the most of his time to recover!
Even the Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Azure Dragon Form, was badly injured by the Conqueror's Haki coating and a double Haki compression attack. Otherwise, why would Kaido suddenly give up the fight and start 'explaining' the truth of the world?
It's just a delaying tactic.
"Throughout history, many powerful figures like myself have conquered the Red Line, but have you ever heard of their legends?"
No, not a single one!
The only explanation is:
"The World Government has erased history,"
Robin, who had defeated Black Maria, one of the Six, in a one-on-one duel with the "Hundred-Armed Guanyin," walked over. She had noticed it long ago—many ruins in this world showed that those islands once possessed glorious civilizations, but inexplicably turned into ruins in the end.
"Oh, yes, that's right. Nico Robin— "
With his enormous golden pupils rotating, Kaido's gaze fell upon Robin.
"You are more important than you realize! You, who can decipher the Poneglyph, are the key to the hidden 'Greatest Treasure' in Laugh Tale!"
"Only by obtaining the Greatest Treasure of Laugh Tale and taking the Ancient Weapon into our hands can we have the qualifications to challenge the Celestial Dragons, the 'gods' who have dominated the world for eight hundred years, and only then can we restore true 'freedom' to this world!"
"Now, do you understand?"
"Compared to the battlefield I face, you're just a bunch of mud-playing brats! Roger, due to his physical limitations, could only use himself as bait to usher in the Great Pirate Era. And the one who will inherit the title of King of the Pirates must break the shackles that have bound this world for eight hundred years! Of course—"
"It has to be me!!"
The roar from below interrupted Kaido's stalling tactics, Luffy looked up and stared intently at the giant dragon in the sky.
"Only I can become the King of the Pirates! I don't care about any grudges from the past eight hundred years, I just want to be the freest person on this sea!!"
"You've got guts, kid..."
To become the freest person on this sea, the Celestial Dragons are the absolute obstacle! Luffy has made it very clear: Celestial Dragons or whatever "god" they are, let them come!
"Anything that stands in my way will be smashed to pieces!"
Brush,
A finger points to Kaido in the sky.
"Right now, I'm going to beat you to a pulp!!!"
······
As Luffy's Haki declaration echoed throughout Onigashima, even the Capital of Flowers below fell into a deathly silence. Everyone, even those who hadn't witnessed it, seemed to see a towering figure.
"It's Luffy Big Brother!!"
Tama's cheers brought the people on the street back to their senses, and their dazed minds finally connected the series of events.
This·····
Could it be that the dragon-slaying warrior... no, in the words of the people of the outer seas: the Dragon Slayer Hero has truly appeared?
On Onigashima:
"I know you're stalling for time to recover, but—"
Roman, his body gleaming with diamonds, waved his hand, and one by one, the 'blood vials' that had been infused with life force flew back into his hand.
"Actually, we were just trying to recover as quickly as possible. If you had kept going, we might have been the ones who collapsed. Kaido ~~"
?!
"You brat!!"
"Everyone, charge!"