Before him stood the boy, about seven or eight years old, dressed in an elegant kimono.
With her hair styled in a bun, she was clearly a child of noble birth.
Kozuki Momonosuke.
He trembled all over, his face was deathly pale, and his eyes were filled with terror.
Because standing before him was a gigantic figure.
The Beasts Pirates clutched his chest, his massive body wrapped in bandages.
The wound on his chest was still bleeding faintly, but his aura was still as imposing as a mountain, making it hard to breathe.
He looked down at Momonosuke, his eyes filled with a complex light.
"You are Kozuki Oden's son?"
Kaido's voice, like muffled thunder, resounded throughout the entire plaza.
Momonosuke trembled, his legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.
But he gritted his teeth and stubbornly refused to kneel down.
"I... I am..."
His voice trembled so badly that he couldn't utter a complete sentence.
Kaido stared at him, remaining silent for a full three seconds.
Then, he reached out his large hand, grabbed Momonosuke the neck, and lifted him up!
"Ah--!!!"
Momonosuke let out a terrified scream, his legs kicking wildly in the air, his little face instantly turning red.
"Stop!!!"
The captured samurai roared and struggled to charge forward, but were held down firmly by the pirates.
Kaido glance at them, his eyes fixed on Momonosuke in his hand.
"Your father, Kozuki Oden."
Kaido's voice was deep.
"They died in battle."
Upon hearing this, the entire square fell into a deathly silence.
The samurai stared wide-eyed at Kaido in disbelief.
Oden... died in battle?
The man who stayed behind alone to cover their retreat...
Dead in battle?
"No... it's impossible..."
A samurai murmured, his eyes filled with despair.
" Oden... how could Oden be dead..."
Some people knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
Momonosuke completely broke down the moment he heard the news.
"Father... Father... Waaaaaahh...
He burst into tears, his face covered in tears and snot, his body trembling violently as he struggled desperately to break free from Kaido's grasp.
He looked nothing like the heir to the Kozuki Family.
Kaido looked at him, the light in his eyes growing colder and colder.
He had assumed that Kozuki Oden's son should have some backbone.
Even if they aren't strong, they should at least be like Oden, preferring death to surrender.
But this child in front of me...
All they do is cry.
All they know is fear.
They'll just be like useless trash, trembling in the hands of the enemy.
"This is Kozuki Oden's son?"
Kaido scoffed, his voice full of mockery.
"That man who dared to confront me head-on, and who could even wound me before he died, actually fathered such a useless son?"
"Cowardly, timid, and spineless."
"You are not worthy to be Kozuki Oden's son."
As soon as he finished speaking, Kaido tossed his hand away.
Momonosuke's body flew out like a tattered sack, crashing heavily to the ground and rolling several times before coming to a stop.
He lay on the ground, still crying, his whole body trembling, not even having the courage to stand up.
The captured warriors looked at him with complex emotions in their eyes.
There was disappointment, reluctance, heartache, and helplessness.
That's Oden's son...
That's the heir of the Kozuki Family...
But now, lying on the ground crying, he hardly resembled an heir at all.
Kaido didn't even bother to look at Momonosuke again. He turned around, grabbed the sake gourd at his waist, and took a big gulp.
"Hehehehe..."
He chuckled softly, his laughter carrying an indescribable emotion.
Just then, two figures descended from the sky and landed beside Kaido.
Kaido turned to look at them, grinning.
" Roy, you've come at the perfect time."
Roy glanced at Momonosuke, who was lying on the ground crying, then looked at the captured samurai, and finally fixed his gaze on Kaido.
Kaido.
A faint smile curved at the corners of his lips.
"When did you become so soft-hearted?"
"That brat is Kozuki Oden's son. Aren't we afraid of his future revenge if we keep him around?"
Kaido took a swig of sake and chuckled.
"Revenge?"
"That good-for-nothing who can only cry?"
"Why would I be afraid of a mere brat who hasn't even grown up yet!"
He paused, a complex light flashing in his eyes.
"Keeping him alive is so he can see it for himself—"
"Watch Wano Country falls completely under my control."
"Watch as the glory of the Kozuki Family is trampled under my feet!"
"It's more meaningful to let him live than to kill him."
Roy looked at him, remained silent for two seconds, and then smiled.
"That's true."
Roy withdrew his gaze and looked back at the burning sea of fire.
Below, the pirates continued their capture, with screams and cries echoing throughout.
The captured warriors were lined up and made to kneel at the edge of the square.
Ordinary people huddled trembling in the street corner, their eyes filled with fear and despair.
The entire Kuri wailed amidst the flames.
This is war.
The victor is king, the loser is a bandit.
There is no right or wrong, only perspectives.
Roy watched all of this quietly, his eyes showing no emotion.
Let's go.
He said calmly,
"Let's go up and take a look."
The three of them leaped at the same time, landing on the highest pavilion in Oden Castle.
From here, you can see the entire Kuri laid out before you.
Burning streets, kneeling civilians, pirates escorting prisoners, and desperate samurai...
Everything was clearly visible in the moonlight and firelight.
"It's over."
Tesoro said softly,
" Wano Country has completely fallen into the hands of the Beasts Pirates."
Kaido took a swig of sake, grinned,
"Hehehe! That's right!"
"From this day forward, Wano Country is my territory!"
" The Seastone mine, the warrior's legacy, and this land—it all belongs to me!"
Roy didn't speak, he just quietly looked down.
His gaze swept across the sea of fire, as if searching for something.
Suddenly, his eyes flickered slightly.
In the distance, several figures were rapidly moving through the firelight, speeding towards a certain direction.
Although the figures moved somewhat unsteadily, they were extremely fast, clearly fighting desperately.
Moreover, they deliberately avoided the pirates' patrol routes and instead took secluded alleys.
Roy subtly activated his Observation Haki, instantly locking onto those auras.
Kin'emon, Kanjuro, Raizo, Kikunojo, Inuarashi Izo, Cat Viper, Kawamatsu, Denjiro...
The Nine Red Scabbards.
They're still alive, and they're escaping.
A faint smile curved at the corners of Roy's lips.
interesting.
He withdrew his gaze, remained silent, and continued to watch the sea of fire below.
As night deepened, the firelight grew ever brighter.
Kuri is burning, Wano Country.