Moonlight parted the gauzy clouds and fell upon the bustling Flower Capital.
Under the night sky, lanterns flickered as pedestrians in all manner of kimono passed along the lively streets.
At the end of the street stood an elaborately decorated pavilion. Singing, dancing, and bursts of laughter drifted out from time to time. Inside one of its banquet halls,
an Oiran onstage held a shamisen and played for several tables of guests below.
She wore a pink floral kimono, her emerald hair flowing down her back. Her jade-white skin seemed delicate enough to break at a touch, and her clear eyes shimmered like rippling water.
She was Komurasaki, the Oiran hailed as Wano Country's greatest beauty.
As the establishment's top Oiran, Komurasaki would normally only show her face when personally receiving a guest alone, rather than serving several guests alongside other Oiran as she was now.
In Kyoshiro's words, it was a business strategy—and it also made it easier for him to protect himself.
But today's guests had paid far too much.
For the extra reward of one hundred million Berries, Komurasaki had refused Kyoshiro's request and resolutely appeared before these guests who called themselves the Yorozuya.
How much food could one hundred million Berries buy? How many commoners suffering from hunger and cold outside the Flower Capital could it save?
Wasn't this the sort of work she had always done—using her beauty to swindle money from wealthy nobles?
The plectrum swiftly plucked the strings, producing a serene, pure melody—simple yet lingering, bright and lively. A breeze carried several cherry blossom petals in through the window.
At that moment, Komurasaki discreetly studied the man who called himself the Yorozuya's owner.
His blond hair was neatly combed, and his light-blue kimono hung slightly open to reveal his toned chest. He wore