Landing, Ringo, Shusui, Samurai

Wano Country was a very special nation.

Its isolationist policies were only part of it; its geographical environment and terrain were equally unique.

The waters surrounding its borders churned with enormous waves year-round, filled with violent undercurrents and whirlpools. Ordinary ships would find it difficult even to approach the island.

And after getting close, its true peculiarities became apparent.

"What a special country."

The giant snails steadily climbed the steep rock face. Dylan looked down in amazement. "It was built atop a plateau?"

Doflamingo curled his lips.

Wasn't this country called Germa even more unusual?

Which was stranger, building on a plateau or building on the backs of snails?

Besides, all the structures on the snails' backs had undergone special modifications, so even climbing a vertical cliff had no effect on them.

"Not even close."

Luo Ya smiled.

On Blue Star in his previous life, Wano Country's terrain might indeed have been quite unique.

But in this chaotic world, what did Wano Country amount to?

Compared to places like Elbaf, Fish-Man Island, and Sky Island, it truly had nothing going for it.

Before long, the enormous snails had reached the top of the rock wall, and the true scenery of Wano Country finally unfolded before them.

Ahead lay a vast, rippling sea.

"A sea within an island?"

Abel flapped his wings and flew into the air, looking into the distance. "An island within the sea?"

Nested dolls, huh?

"What do we do next?"

Kaido slowly rose from the ground. Somehow, he had produced a spiked club and slung it over his shoulder. The corners of his mouth gradually lifted. "Where do we start destroying?"

"Don't make it sound so scary, Big Brother Kaido."

Luo Ya stood beside him. Though their height difference was rather considerable, that was beside the point. "What we bring isn't destruction, but—"

"Civilization!"

Factories and machinery, workers and factory owners, new classes and new relations of production.

Together, they were called advanced civilization.

"Worororororo!"

Kaido instantly burst into laughter, planting his spiked club on the ground and laughing so hard he could barely straighten his back.

"Then let's get going! Don't keep them waiting too long."

The snails rumbled onward, easily crossing the inland sea and finally setting foot on Wano Country's soil.

Mm, this operation would be called the Snails' Voyage.

"What heavy snow."

Luo Ya raised his head as flurries of snow, like goose feathers, drifted down.

This should be the Ringo region, right?

Located in the northeast of Wano Country, it snowed there all year round.

A timely snowfall promised a good harvest. A good omen.

"Boss! There's a town about thirty li to the front right."

Abel descended from the sky.

"Well done, Abel."

Luo Ya nodded lightly. "Then let's find someone to show us the way first."

"Big Brother Kaido, what do you think of the plan to find this country's ruler and have him help us?"

In other words, holding the emperor hostage to command the lords.

"I don't care."

The enormous snails sped forward, leaving huge trails across the land blanketed in pristine snow.

"Hm? What's that?"

Not long after, Luo Ya spotted an anomaly amid the white earth.

Everything was a vast expanse of white, but that place was black. It stood out far too much.

"People."

Kaido suddenly spoke.

"That's perfect. We can ask about this country while we're at it," Luo Ya said.

The snail herd turned and headed toward the cluster of buildings.

Yamashita Gorō was a samurai serving the Shimotsuki Family of Ringo.

His proudest achievement had been following Daimyo Shimotsuki Ushimaru to wipe out four groups of bandits entrenched in Ringo's snowy mountains in a single day.

But that operation had also cost Yamashita Gorō his right hand.

A samurai who could no longer hold a sword had lost his value.

Still, Daimyo Ushimaru had shown him some compassion and entrusted Yamashita Gorō with an important duty.

He was assigned to guard the northern cemetery of Ringo.

There was nothing special about the cemetery itself. What made it special was that Ryoma, the guardian deity of Wano Country and the God of the Blade, was buried there. His beloved sword, Wano Country's national treasure Shusui, was also enshrined in a shrine there.

Though this place held immense significance, the job itself was actually quite leisurely.

Ryoma's status in Wano Country was simply too high. Even the most vicious bandits spoke of him with reverence.

No one had ever dared cause trouble here.

Thus, Yamashita Gorō's fellow guards were all elderly, weak, sick, or disabled samurai.

They were all satisfied with this work.

What could be more honorable than guarding Lord Ryoma's peace after death?

When Yamashita Gorō sensed that something was wrong, he had been carrying out his routine task of cleaning the gravestones in the cemetery.

He suddenly noticed the snow on the ground trembling.

Then, before long, even the gravestones began to shake.

Something was coming!

Had some wild beast arrived?

Wano Country was home to many enormous monsters of astonishing strength.

The experienced old samurai immediately rushed out of the cemetery, his left hand pressing against the sword at his waist.

No matter what beast it was, he would never allow it to defile Lord Ryoma's—

His hurried footsteps abruptly stopped, and his expression gradually went blank.

What... was this?

One enormous monster snail after another, each like a small mountain, completely blocked the wilderness ahead.

On the snails' backs stood rows of houses.

In front of the snails, his colleagues were kneeling helplessly on the ground before a young man.

"Thank you," the young man politely said. "So Black Blade Shusui is here?"

He took a step.

He was walking toward him.

Shusui!

He wanted Shusui!

Yamashita Gorō gripped his sword hilt.

Though he only had one left hand, he had never stopped training over the years.

With one hand, his strength was weaker, so he practiced iaijutsu to increase the power of his slashes.

Closer!

Closer! He was about to enter his attack range!

Veins bulged across the back of Yamashita Gorō's left hand as he gripped his sword.

Die.

Luo Ya passed by the one-armed samurai, feeling rather baffled.

What a nutcase.

Thud.

The one-armed samurai collapsed onto the ground.

Why... couldn't he draw it?

Terrifying. Truly... terrifying.

A little later, the snail swarm continued rumbling forward.

Luo Ya sat cross-legged atop the Giant Snail's head, raising the sword in his hand.

Its blade was purple-black, with a chaotic reverse T-shaped temper pattern and red serrated markings.

"Pretty cool, right? Black Blade Shusui!"

Luo Ya praised it.

A national treasure of Wano Country, the sword once wielded by the Sword God Ryoma, one of the only two known black blades in the world—oh, now it was the only one.

Suddenly, red currents of energy spiraled up Luo Ya's arm, coiling around Shusui and making the entire blade tremble.

"Don't make trouble."

Luo Ya tapped the sword at his waist. "This blade is for research, so you can evolve again."

Only then did the red currents fade away.

Sigh, there was no helping it. After Tiger Soul had been fed to its fill, it had become somewhat yandere.

"Research?"

Kaido sat beside him, drinking wine as he said casually, "What's there to research about a lousy sword?"

"I see you don't understand at all, Big Brother Kaido."

As the versions gradually updated and combat power continued to inflate, the black blades that had never revealed their true nature surely possessed some unknown and astonishing power.

Otherwise, Hawkeye would look pretty pathetic.

"Judge."

Luo Ya sheathed the sword and casually tossed it to Judge beside him. "I'll leave it to you."

Haki should fall within the scope of human science, right?

Judge, who specialized in human modification, ought to be able to research something from it.

"I understand!"

Judge, with dark circles around his eyes, eagerly accepted the new assignment.

"Then next,"

Luo Ya turned to look at the several samurai cowering fearfully in the rear. "The battle is about to begin."

"The lord of this region is called Shimotsuki Ushimaru, right?"

Kaido was intrigued as well. "A Wano Country samurai said to be quite formidable, wororororo! Let me see just what kind of strength he possesses!"

"Shimotsuki isn't important,"

Luo Ya smiled meaningfully. "The important one is that invincible Kozuki Oden."

"Invincible?"

Kaido sneered. "A frog living at the bottom of a well—what does it know of the vastness of the sky!"

Tsk, tsk. With that attitude, it looked like he was bound to get slashed again.

But that could wait until later.

They had arrived.

Luo Ya stood up.

The white earth abruptly vanished.

In its place were black farmlands, and beyond them, a thriving city.

This was the capital of the Ringo region.

And on a mountain beyond the town stood a towering castle. In Wano Country terms, it should be called a residence castle—the Daimyo's home.

Almost at the same time, atop the Castle Keep of that fortress, Ringo's Daimyo, descendant of the Sword God Shimotsuki Ryoma, Shimotsuki Ushimaru, held a fox in his arms as he stared in astonishment at those enormous creatures rapidly approaching in the distance.

What the hell were those things?