Though they had heard about him long ago, seeing Ian in person still left the three CP0 agents somewhat astonished.
An eight-year-old King was an explosive enough prospect even across the entire Blue Sea.
But aside from his status, this young King himself was anything but ordinary.
On the way here from the harbor, the Wano Country samurai escorting them had proudly said that the young King had single-handedly crushed an army.
He was Kaido's disciple.
Was the Beasts Pirates about to gain another monster?
That was what the CP0 agents thought.
But it did not matter much to them.
That was something the people above them should worry about.
No, it was something the Marines should worry about. It had nothing to do with them.
Besides, this King's background was not important to them.
They were only here to make a deal.
"Your Majesty Ian,"
The CP0 agent in the Goat Mask stepped forward. His posture was very humble, and his voice was gentle. "Can we begin discussing our cooperation?"
"No rush,"
Ian turned around and leaned against the railing. "Come watch with me. There's a good show about to begin."
A good show?
Goat Mask hesitated slightly before walking forward and stopping by the railing.
Down in the plaza, a man was about to be executed.
They had seen that when they arrived.
Was this the good show the young King had mentioned?
Did he want them to watch an execution?
What terrible taste. Was this to be expected from a disciple Kaido had taught?
Ian did not turn around. "Fukurokuju, how are the arrangements?"
His chief ninja immediately answered, "The ninjas and samurai recalled in an emergency have already been deployed around the castle tower. As soon as the enemy appears, we can immediately counter them."
Only then did Goat Mask understand.
This child King was fishing.
Was his target this country's remaining resistance forces?
Below, on the execution platform, Shimotsuki Yasuie knelt silently, his entire body wrapped in bandages. Two executioner samurai had already taken the stage, using wet towels to clean their sharp blades.
Around the platform, the onlooking citizens all had some measure of reluctance in their eyes.
Shimotsuki Yasuie was a renowned samurai Daimyo of Wano Country.
Even if he had committed a grave crime, they should not have denied him even the chance to commit seppuku. They were actually going to chop off his head directly!
It seemed the age of samurai had truly come to an end.
People still did not know how to adapt to such changes.
One of the executioner samurai stepped forward and raised his sharp katana high. In the next moment, he would separate Shimotsuki Yasuie's head from his body.
However, at that very moment, a sharp arrow suddenly flew in, and the executioner holding the katana fell in response.
"Charge! Save Lord Kanjuro!"
Several samurai suddenly rushed out from the buildings along the street behind the crowd.
At the end of the street, heavy hoofbeats rang out as a group of samurai came charging in on horseback.
"Seriously? They actually managed to get hold of a batch of warhorses in the Flower Capital?"
Ian spoke softly from atop the castle tower.
This commotion was a bit too great.
Fukurokuju instantly broke out in a cold sweat. "This is my failure."
But he had his reasons. The ninjas under his command had all been sent elsewhere before, and security in the Flower Capital had already been weak. Even after recalling them in an emergency, there had been no time to search the capital.
"I'll immediately send out the ambushers."
Fukurokuju intended to make up for his mistake.
But Ian turned back to look at Goat Mask. "Could you let me witness CP0's strength?"
"What?" Goat Mask's tone was surprised. "Your Majesty Ian, we are not your subordinates."
CP0 were agents directly under the Celestial Dragons. Only the Celestial Dragons could command them.
Ian raised his sharp eyebrows. "Then go back. If you can't even meet such a request, what cooperation is there to discuss?"
Tch.
Ian clearly heard the click of Goat Mask's tongue from behind his mask.
"Please wait a moment."
He had compromised.
They absolutely could not terminate the deal.
If the negotiations collapsed over such a foolish reason, they would definitely be skinned alive by their superiors when they returned.
Goat Mask turned around. "Let's go."
The other two CP0 agents did not object. They merely nodded lightly.
The next second, all three leaped down from the castle tower.
Below.
Shimotsuki Yasuie raised his head. He saw the samurai charging through the crowd toward the execution platform.
He also saw the cavalry force rapidly approaching after the panicked crowd scattered.
His heart clenched with anxiety. "Go back! I order you to go back!"
The young monster named Ian was in the castle tower above! Even Kaido was here!
How could they possibly have any chance of winning?
Yet the samurai who had always obeyed his every command defied his wishes this time. All of them charged forward fearlessly.
Charging onward without hesitation.
"Tempest Kick: Storm!"
A furious roar suddenly came from above.
The sharp sound of air being torn apart buzzed like a swarm of bees. The several samurai who had rushed onto the execution platform looked up, only to see azure slashes falling from the sky like a storm.
Shimotsuki Yasuie's eyes widened as a cloud of blood suddenly blossomed before him.
Every samurai whose name he could clearly call out was completely shredded before his eyes by that storm of slashes descending from the sky. Severed limbs and broken bodies flew everywhere.
"No!!"
Shimotsuki Yasuie screamed himself hoarse.
Goat Mask drifted lightly down beside Shimotsuki Yasuie.
Above him, the other two CP0 agents kicked off the air and shot forward. In an instant, they met the charging cavalry force head-on.
"Finger Pistol."
One of the CP0 agents resembled an elegant pianist, lightly tapping the air with all ten fingers. Yet those gentle movements unleashed invisible "bullets" like a torrential downpour.
The samurai at the front of the charge and the horses beneath them were struck one after another. In the blink of an eye, blood was already flying across the street.
The other CP0 agent had landed directly in the middle of the cavalry formation, as though he had not seen the blades slashing toward him at all.
"Iron Body: Steel!"
Amid a series of crisp clangs, the blades striking him failed to harm him in the slightest. Instead, the samurai wielding them grimaced in pain as their weapons were knocked away.
Then, the CP0 agent leaped slightly, raised his right leg, and spun with the motion. "Tempest Kick: Whirlwind!"
A huge circular slash instantly spread outward, sweeping through everything around it, including the samurai.
They suddenly found their vision spinning and their bodies flying through the air.
Shimotsuki Yasuie's eyes nearly split open.
Everyone had been cut in half in an instant!
Even the surrounding houses had been sliced apart!
Goat Mask nodded lightly. Their movements were fairly quick.
He looked toward the other executioner, who was slumped on the ground. "What are you standing around for? Continue."
The executioner once again stood behind Shimotsuki Yasuie and raised his blade.
But Shimotsuki Yasuie only stared blankly toward the blood-soaked street, his shoulders trembling slightly as he said nothing.
Everything was over.
The blade came down.
Amid the soft gasps of the surrounding citizens, this country's last Daimyo perished.
From this day onward, the shogunate era of Wano Country was completely declared over. This country had only one King now.
Atop the castle tower.
"Your Majesty Ian,"
Goat Mask knelt on a soft cushion and tilted his head toward Ian, who was sitting cross-legged at the head of the room far more casually. "Can we begin now?"
"That was called the Six Powers, right? Those are really interesting techniques."
Ian said eagerly, "Teach them to me. Consider it your show of sincerity."
What?
Goat Mask froze for a moment.
This brat wanted the Six Powers?
The next second, he shouted angrily, "Your Majesty Ian! Don't push your luck! The Six Powers are government secrets."
Ian's eyes widened, and an invisible force of will roared forth. "Either teach me honestly, or get out right now! Or else—"
"You can have the Marines send troops here to fight us! The Beasts Pirates will be ready anytime!"
Conqueror's Haki!
This little brat!!
Goat Mask's pupils suddenly contracted.
"Seastone has never lacked buyers."
Ian said coldly, "Go ahead and make your choice."
Teacher Kai had said it himself. He could act freely.
Goat Mask, who had been so aggressive just moments earlier, fell silent.
A few seconds later, he sat back down. "I need to ask my superiors."
Before you continue