Flower Capital, the shogun's palace.
The hall where Kurozumi Orochi had once indulged in extravagant excess had now been thoroughly cleaned.
The damaged sliding partitions had been replaced with brand-new paper doors painted with flowers of the four seasons.
Crescent flags symbolizing the Kozuki Family and colorful ribbons celebrating victory hung from the beams and pillars.
The air was filled with the smoky aroma of roast meat, the rich fragrance of rice wine, and the raucous celebrations of those who had survived the catastrophe.
"Drink up!"
"To the dawn of Wano Country!"
"To Lord Oden!! To Sir Luffy!!"
The Red Scabbard Samurai, the Straw Hat Pirates, Marco, surviving samurai, and representatives of the common people...
All kinds of people mingled in the hall, gathered around enormous long tables, sitting cross-legged or kneeling as they devoured the feast without a shred of decorum.
Cups and plates clattered amid thunderous laughter that nearly lifted the ornate ceiling painted with auspicious clouds.
At the head of the gathering sat the newly appointed shogun, Kozuki Hiyori.
She had shed the lavish clothes and heavy makeup she had worn as the courtesan "Komurasaki," changing into a simple yet dignified pale-purple kimono.
Over it, she wore a haori bearing the Kozuki Family crest. Her long hair was pinned up with a tasteful hairpin, revealing the exquisite face that had earned her the title of "Wano Country's most beautiful woman."
Now, that face held less of the delicate vulnerability that stirred protective instincts, and more of the resolve forged through hardship and the composure of a leader.
Her eyes were clear as she surveyed the celebrating crowd. Her gaze lingered a moment longer on a certain green-haired swordsman before she looked away, a trace of shyness and worry in her expression.
After passing through the hands of