Oden... his son was dead?
Kozuki Sukiyaki found it hard to accept. By his generation, the Kōzuki Clan had only this one heir.
Although Kozuki Oden had been a complete little menace as a child, his behavior in recent years showed that he was maturing.
For this reason, Kozuki Sukiyaki had appointed him Daimyo of Kuri and begun training him in the affairs of state, hoping that one day he could succeed him as shogun.
"Who... who was it?!"
Kozuki Sukiyaki was furious, his lips trembling.
"P-pirates! They're in the reception room!" the ninja answered cautiously.
With a swish, Kozuki Sukiyaki rose to his feet, drew a katana from the rack behind him, and strode out of the study with murderous intent.
When he arrived at the reception room, he indeed saw two people.
One was huge; even sitting down, he towered over ordinary men.
The other stood with two swords at his waist, apparently a samurai.
"No... those swords on you!"
Kozuki Sukiyaki's pupils shrank. Those two swords were Ame no Habakiri and Enma!
Oden's swords!
"You mean these? Naturally, they're trophies of war."
Dimon's expression remained calm. He had killed Kozuki Oden, so the two famous blades naturally belonged to him.
Kaido kept a sake gourd in hand, staring drunkenly at Kozuki Sukiyaki as he grinned.
"This guy's the shogun, right? Dimon, should we kill him?"
"Try using that muscle-filled brain of yours. Killing him will only provoke resistance across the country." Dimon shot him a glance.
"Ever heard the saying, 'Hold the shogun hostage to command the daimyo'?"
"I told you, I never studied!" Kaido's face darkened. "So what do we do?"
"Capture him!"
The two spoke as if no one else were present, and Kozuki Sukiyaki's expression turned extremely ugly.
"Attack!"
At the command, the Kozuki Special Ninja Unit hidden in the shadows sprang into action.
This was the ninja force directly under the shogun's command. Every one of them was among the elite, proficient in infiltration, assassination, protection, and more.
Some ninjas charged out from behind folding screens, while others burst through the ceiling in a Divine Descent.
There were even ninjas thrusting their blades up through the floor.
More than a dozen ninjas worked in perfect coordination, their lethal attacks converging on Dimon and Kaido.
"Trash, get lost!"
Kaido snorted coldly. His eyes narrowed as Conqueror's Haki instantly surged outward, and a powerful Shockwave swept in all directions.
Dimon could not even be bothered to dodge. He allowed a ninja to ambush him from behind and stab a sword straight through his chest.
"That hurt a little. You were aiming for the heart?"
Looking down, he saw the ninja blade protruding from his chest, dripping with bright red blood.
Dimon turned his head slightly as if nothing had happened, looking at his attacker with enough leisure to mock him.
"Too bad you were off by 0.5 centimeters. Pathetic. You need more practice."
The ambushing ninja's lower face was concealed behind a black mask, but the eyes exposed above it clearly held utter disbelief.
He pulled out his ninja blade and swiftly retreated to widen the distance.
At the same time, the blood at Dimon's pierced chest flowed backward, and the wound healed in the blink of an eye.
The sight made the ambushing ninja's eyes widen even further. His lips trembled as he muttered.
"M-monster!! Why won't you die?!"
Ignoring the ninjas desperately trying to protect their lord, Kaido rose and grabbed Kozuki Sukiyaki by the head, lifting him into the air.
Kozuki Sukiyaki screamed in pain, feeling as though his skull were about to be crushed.
"Ahhhhh! What do you want?!"
Dimon said blandly, "Immediately summon the daimyo from the other regions to the Flower Capital. Kuri won't be necessary. I already killed the Daimyo of Kuri."
Of Wano Country's six regions, the Flower Capital was the core territory directly ruled by the shogun, while Kuri was Kozuki Oden's domain.
The remaining four regions each had a daimyo stationed there, and none of them were weak.
Dimon had mostly forgotten who they were and what they were called.
But that did not matter. As long as they came, he could catch them all in one net.
If Dong Zhuo could hold the emperor hostage to command the lords, there was no reason he could not do the same.
If it came down to it, he would kill them all!
In this world, where personal strength reigned supreme, such trifling resistance was nothing to fear.
That very day, four secret orders were sent from the General's Mansion to the four regions of Shimotsuki, Udon, Ringo, and Hakumai.
The next day, the secret orders arrived one after another at the residences of the local daimyo.
Hakumai.
The Shimotsuki family ruled this region, and its current daimyo was Shimotsuki Yasuie.
At that moment, in the audience chamber.
Kurozumi Orochi carried over tea and carefully stood behind Shimotsuki Yasuie, studying the contents of the secret order.
"Shogun Sukiyaki has suddenly summoned us. Did something happen?"
After reading the order, Shimotsuki Yasuie frowned in confusion.
Unless summoned by the shogun, daimyo generally could not enter the Flower Capital at will. And once they were summoned, it meant something major had happened.
For example, the shogun might be dying and planning to pass his position to the next generation, requiring the daimyo to bear witness.
But Sukiyaki was not old, and he was in good health.
Moreover, the wording of this secret order made it clear that it differed from previous summons.
Shogun Kozuki Sukiyaki seemed to be asking for help.
"Orochi, make preparations. I'm making a trip to the Flower Capital."
"Yes, Lord Yasuie."
Kurozumi Orochi nodded and accepted the order.
After leaving the audience chamber, however, he was stopped by a maidservant.
She was a middle-aged woman responsible for various chores around the residence, such as laundry.
She led Kurozumi Orochi to a secluded corner.
"Orochi, Kozuki Oden is dead!"
"What?!"
Kurozumi Orochi let out a shriek, then immediately covered his mouth. Thinking of the secret order that had just arrived from the Flower Capital, he promptly told her about it.
The middle-aged woman gave a strange chuckle. "Pirates from beyond the seas—the remnants of the Rocks Pirates!"
After a pause, she added, "It's not quite according to plan, but the opportunity has come. Orochi, make a trip to the Flower Capital."
The two whispered together. A moment later, Kurozumi Orochi left excitedly.
He went to prepare a carriage for the journey. Shimotsuki Yasuie was in a hurry, so everything was kept simple.
Two days later.
The four daimyo entered the Flower Capital with their attendants.
Upon arriving at the General's Mansion, the four gathered in the reception room and exchanged glances.
"Do any of you know what happened?"
"No. My territory is busy with the autumn harvest right now. To summon us so suddenly, there must be something important to explain..."
"Stay sharp, everyone. Something about this situation is wrong!"
The other three daimyo spoke quietly among themselves, but Shimotsuki Yasuie said nothing. He silently stroked the sword at his waist.
At that moment, the reception room doors were pulled open by maidservants, and Dimon and Kaido entered one after the other.
The two sat down openly, looking at the four daimyo below them.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen."
Dimon greeted them with a smile, his gaze sweeping across their faces one by one. When he saw the Daimyo of Ringo, he froze for a moment.
"Zoro? No, what's your name?"
"Shimotsuki Ushimaru."
The man calling himself Shimotsuki Ushimaru looked extremely similar to Roronoa Zoro.
He stared sharply at Dimon and asked, "Who are you? Where is the shogun?"
"I know you're in a hurry, but don't be so hasty."
Dimon smiled, then turned to the Daimyo of Hakumai. He did not know the others, but he remembered this one.
"You're Shimotsuki Yasuie?"
"Yes..."
Shimotsuki Yasuie's heart sank. His premonition had indeed been correct; something had happened at the General's Mansion.
He did not act rashly, intending to first understand the situation before making a plan.
Dimon nodded and asked, "Do you have a servant named Kurozumi Orochi? Has he come?"
"He's outside." Shimotsuki Yasuie frowned slightly.
"Bring him in."
Very soon, Kurozumi Orochi was summoned and entered the meeting room.
"Greetings, Sho—"
The moment Kurozumi Orochi entered, he was about to kneel and pay his respects. But when he did not see Kozuki Sukiyaki, he could not help but freeze.
And in that instant, Dimon moved.
Enma abruptly flew from its sheath at his waist like an arrow, piercing through Kurozumi Orochi's chest in an instant.
With a wet sound, the sharp blades plunged in.
Kurozumi Orochi was hurled backward by the impact, his expression still frozen in confusion and shock.
Before you continue