Battle of Yamatai (5)

The Kozuki and Genji armies clashed, and the battlefield resembled an irregular wave line. The two armies, locked in a fierce battle, were clearly positioned on either side, constantly shifting their positions, advancing or retreating.

"That's the spirit! Haha!"

One of the Genji soldiers charged out with a maniacal laugh, his katana slashing through the air like a demon's head, its gaping maw ready to devour anyone in its path. With each swing of his blade, sprays of hot blood erupted around him.

The Daimyo Takeda watched from the sidelines, his face showing annoyance. "What is this bastard doing? He's even attacking our own people!"

"Hmph... As expected, very arrogant." The Daimyo Shimazu couldn't help but sneer.

Among the Genji Army were also those with keen intuition. They felt a dark, murderous gust of wind sweeping by, and hurriedly jumped out of the circle. When they looked ahead, all they could see were corpses and severed limbs. Cold sweat broke out on their backs. If they had reacted a little slower, they would probably have lost half an arm!

"A red gourd..." a sharp-eyed person exclaimed in surprise, "That's Shuten, the leader of the Izumo Society!"

Even the Genji Army standing at a distance looked over, frowning. "That guy is really going too far!"

"The enemy is charging!!"

Upon seeing this, several officers of the Kozuki Army immediately warned their subordinates to be on guard.

"The Rampaging Sake Aura!"

Shuten straight in, creating a crimson whirlwind on the chaotic battlefield, reaping lives around him like cutting straw. Wherever he went, his momentum was unstoppable, and no one dared to challenge his edge!

"You black-haired bastard, prepare to die!"

A naked, burly man leaped out from the chaos of battle, wielding a large, ornate axe. He hovered three meters in the air behind Shuten, and the axe blade, propelled by the man's strength, cleaved down, the sound of it cutting through the air like a faint firecracker!

A wild smile crept across Shuten's lips as he deftly hooked the Great Grade Sword Onimaru Kunitsuna into his hand, the black and white blade reflecting a cold glint.

He staggered backward, his body slightly turning around, and in the instant the burly man's axe blade fell, his figure transformed into a blur and vanished from the spot!

Puff!

Red drops of blood, mixed with a hint of white wine, drifted across the yellow earth.

The naked giant stood still, his hands trembling as he raised the great axe that had been cleaving the ground. Suddenly, his eyes widened like copper bells, blood gushed from his chest and abdomen like a pillar, and after letting out several painful howls, his entire body collapsed to the ground.

Shuten, with his back to the naked giant, looked at the soldiers around him who were slightly stunned, a wild laugh curling at the corner of his mouth. He transformed into a scarlet whirlwind once again and charged towards the densely packed area of soldiers.

"Stop him!"

"Don't panic! Don't break formation!"

The commanding officer shouted loudly, showing great fear of Shuten, who had disrupted the rhythm of the troops' attack. The powerful impact that this army, composed of only one person, had created in a short time was so great that it almost made people tremble with fear!

Shuten with unparalleled ease in the southwest of the battlefield. Almost no one could stop his advance, and countless soldiers fell to the ground in his blade. Fortunately, the "Battle Horn" could unleash the soldiers' potential.

"That guy is really something..."

Inuarashi glanced at Shuten -dōji out of the corner of his eye, then quickly withdrew his gaze, raising his sword to parry the oncoming strike. Sparks flew through the air in an instant as the four strongest warriors under the Daimyo Takeda, known as the "Wind, Wind, Fire, Mountain, Forest Four Generals," surrounded him. Even Inuarashi, the Mink Tribe King, was unable to break through the encirclement for the time being.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Nekomamushi was also drawn to the attention of Shuten, who had become the focus of the battlefield. However, due to the obstruction of the "Four Guardians" under Shimazu, he had no time to pay attention to them and was very unhappy. He suddenly burst out with power and instantly forced back the Four Guardians. However, the four were like a leech. After exchanging glances, they surrounded Nekomamushi again and tried to restrain him.

"We can't let that guy with the red gourd get away with this..." Hawkins murmured, looking at the Daimyo Asakura who had personally led the attack. "But now, I'm the one being targeted..."

In the center of the army formation, surrounded by his personal guards Kozuki Oden view of the entire battlefield. Shuten, as expected of the renowned swordsman of Wano Country, exuded an unseen pressure even from afar. The most important thing in war is the morale of the army. If Shuten continued to move freely among the chaotic troops, causing their morale to plummet, then they would likely be the ones to suffer defeat in this war.

In Kozuki Oden's eyes, this war was not simply a matter of victory or defeat, but something much more significant. However, as the commander-in-chief, his every move would inevitably affect the morale of the entire army, making it difficult for him to personally suppress the conflict. Therefore, he urgently needed someone capable of defeating Shuten and stabilizing the morale of his troops. As for that person...

Kozuki Oden's gaze naturally fell on Buggy beside him, who was staring intently at Shuten on the battlefield. Buggy pointed and gave the order to Weevil standing behind him, "Go beat that guy to death."

"Kindness..."

Kozuki Oden couldn't help but look at Weevil. He had always felt that the other man looked somewhat familiar, but he just couldn't remember who he was. Now, seeing the other man's posture with a naginata in hand, he remembered a certain great pirate from his memory, and he couldn't help but feel a little shocked.

"What... is this person related to Whitebeard, and how come he's with Buggy?"

While he was pondering this, Weevil had already rushed to the battlefield with a face full of excitement, roaring and clearing away all the enemies in front of him. In just a moment, he approached the imposing Shuten.

"Those who block my way shall die."

Shuten didn't care who was coming from in front of him. He held his two katanas horizontally in front of him and suddenly slashed out, colliding with the oncoming naginata!

Clang!

The sound of weapons clashing suddenly rang out!

Shuten was knocked back three steps by the immense force. He then looked up at the burly Weevil, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. Before he could ask about the other's origins, Weevil unleashed a fierce strike. The speed of the blade far exceeded Shuten's expectations. Before he could regain his footing, he had no choice but to gather his strength and swing his sword again to block.

Another fierce contest of strength!

Shuten felt a strange force surge from the opponent's naginata, rushing straight up the blade and causing a slight numbness in his arm. He was even more astonished. As he continued to block Weevil's relentless attacks, he asked, "Are you a foreigner?"

"What an amazing guy!"

Weevil didn't answer at all, but just excitedly muttered to himself. The naginata in his hand rippled in the air, and a high-amplitude force was concentrated on the blade as it charged towards Shuten.

"Snort!"

Shuten -dōji grunted, sensing the increasingly powerful force emanating from Onimaru Kunitsuna. Knowing he needed to finish the fight quickly, he gripped his twin swords horizontally, folded them diagonally, and suddenly flashed away!

"The Heavenly Wine's Majesty!"

The movement was so fast that even the gourd couldn't smoothly spill the white wine, which formed a white mist that solidified into fine needles in the next instant, like a channel leading straight to the opponent's heart, scattering around Shuten's shadowy figure.

In an instant, the two were less than ten centimeters apart. Weevil stared at the missed naginata and Shuten's swift afterimage, seemingly taken aback. But at that moment, he roared, and the naginata quickly retracted, colliding with Shuten's two katanas in a flash, forcibly changing the direction of the blades and pressing them to the ground with great force!