As the first rays of morning sunlight bathed Totto Land, the battle between the Straw Hat Grand Fleet and the Big Mom Pirates finally concluded. Once their captain, Big Mom, fell in defeat, the Big Mom Pirates were no match for the Straw Hat Grand Fleet. Even Katakuri, their formidable First Mate, could not stand against Luffy in his White Form.
However, a greater surprise than their victory gripped the Straw Hat Pirates.
"Zoro, are you alright?" Luffy, having returned to his normal form, stared at the heavily bandaged swordsman with teary eyes.
Zoro seemed confused and solemn for a moment, but he soon smirked and said, "Ah, when Big Mom hit me, I think I saw the God of Death in hell. But I remembered that I still had a promise to keep, so I crawled my way back."
Luffy and the others did not care about the God of Death; they simply hugged Zoro in relief. Only Jinbe and Law stood by, their eyes filled with utter shock. They had clearly sensed Zoro's life force vanish entirely. It had been exactly the same sensation as when Luffy had briefly fallen. Yet, both men had somehow returned from the brink of death.
Luffy suddenly remembered something and his expression darkened. "But, Usopp... he..."
Seeing Luffy's sorrow, Robin, who had been absent, stepped forward. "Luffy-kun, you don't need to worry. Usopp was taken away by his father!"
Luffy whipped his head around, his eyes wide as he realized what she meant. "Shanks? Did Shanks come here?"
Robin nodded with a smile. "Mr. Shanks and Mr. Yasopp took Usopp. They said they have a way to treat his injuries and told you not to worry."
Luffy's eyes filled with joyful tears. "That is great... Wuwuwuwu!"
Nothing could have made him happier. They had defeated one of the Four Emperors, and both Zoro and Usopp were safe. At that moment, a group of samurai gathered around Luffy, their eyes shining with deep respect. They turned to Jinbe, who had acted as the commander of the rescue mission, and said, "Mr. Jinbe, all the Big Mom Pirates have been locked up."
Jinbe nodded, looking at the samurai from Wano Country with immense gratitude. "Thank you all. You have performed a great service in rescuing Luffy and defeating Big Mom."
It was not merely a polite gesture; the truth was that without these warriors from Wano, the combined strength of the Sun Pirates and the Straw Hat Pirates would not have been enough to topple a Four Emperor. The Wano samurai had served as the primary force in this conflict. Even Luffy and Zoro had only managed to secure victory with their help.
Under everyone's gaze, the samurai looked at one another and suddenly knelt before Luffy. The display startled the Straw Hat crew, but their confusion quickly faded. Kin'emon, their leader, looked up with teary eyes and pleaded, "Luffy-kun, and everyone of the Straw Hat Pirates, I know this request is asking a lot, but we have no other choice. Against a monster like Kaido, only you have the hope of defeating him. Please, help us defeat Kaido and liberate Wano Country."
Kin'emon recounted the tragedy of how Kaido had murdered their beloved Lord, Kozuki Oden, seized control of Wano, and subjected its people to brutal oppression. The Straw Hat Pirates exchanged glances, momentarily speechless. Morally, they knew this was the right thing to do. After all, if not for these samurai, they might not have survived this battle against Big Mom. However, they had just fought a grueling war against one of the Four Emperors, and now they were being asked to face another.
Even Jinbe spoke with caution. "Luffy-kun, this needs careful thought. Although Kaido is one of the Four Emperors like Big Mom, he is different. Even Red Hair Shanks has suffered losses against him."
Luffy looked at the weeping samurai, a sense of grim determination settling in his gaze. He stood up slowly, raised his fist, and declared, "I understand. Don't worry, I will definitely help you defeat Kaido!"
The samurai were overjoyed, believing that Wano was finally saved. The rest of the Straw Hat Pirates wanted to argue, but this was their captain's decision, and they would not challenge it. They began to prepare for the coming war against the Beasts Pirates.
Robin, hoping to reassure the crew, said softly, "Perhaps this is an opportunity?"
Everyone looked at her, stunned. She continued, lost in thought. "The Beasts Pirates have already started a direct war with the Marines and the World Government. No matter the outcome, this is our best chance to challenge Kaido."
The crew realized she was right. If the World Government won, they would not have to worry about Kaido at all. If Kaido won, his forces would likely be significantly weakened. They just did not know the current state of that conflict. Everyone turned their gaze toward the direction of the Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
Robin pulled herself back to the present and added, "Let's focus on the immediate future. We should avoid direct conflict with the Beasts Pirates for now. The most pressing issue is to find the spy among us."
"A spy?"
Jinbe and the others were shocked. Robin and the crew recounted how someone had leaked the details of Jinbe's plan to the Beasts Pirates. This caused everyone to look at their allies with suspicion, though most quickly shook their heads in denial.
"Impossible. There are no traitors among us," Kin'emon insisted. Jinbe trusted his Fishman crew, and the Straw Hat Pirates stood by their own.
Robin looked at the Wano samurai, frowning as she noticed a void in their ranks. "Kanjuro does not seem to be here?"
Kin'emon did not think twice. "Ah, Kanjuro stayed behind to guard the Big Mom Pirates."
Robin's frown deepened; something felt wrong. Shimotsuki Yasuie, a perceptive man, sensed the tension and asked, "Miss Robin, are you suspecting Kanjuro? You are overthinking it. That man is loyal to Oden; he would never betray him."
"Hmm, Mr. Yasu, perhaps I am overthinking it," Robin replied, though she remained unsettled. After all, according to Kin'emon, this samurai had stood by them through everything.
Just then, a chilling, strange voice cut through the air.
"No... beautiful lady, you guessed right!"