"Originally, as members of the samurai class, you could have been forgiven. You have no real power or authority; however, you claim that you can commit rebellion under the guise of restoring your lord. Unless you pledge allegiance anew, like those samurai swearing loyalty to Sage..."
Lily said coldly, "All associates and affiliates, kill them all!"
This was never child's play!
This is a fight to the death!
Once they're all wiped out, this place will no longer suffer oppression!
Sage will not oppress them, and apart from Sage, no one else is fit to oppress them!
"What loyalty! Awarded the shameful title of 'Orochi Warrior'?!"
Lady Tsuru stopped pretending and shouted, "Wano Country belongs to the Kozuki Family! It's passed down generation after generation, not the Kurozumi, and certainly not a mere Outer Sea pirate! Someday, someone will expel the foreigners and honor the Emperor!"
Saying so, she pulled out the Ryofu hidden at her waist and charged at Lily.
Slash!
In a flash of cold light, her movement stalled, a bloodline appeared on her neck, and as she fell, a fountain of blood erupted.
Lily didn't even look back, turning to leave, "Next one."
Before arriving at the Kuri Region, she had already cleared the surroundings from afar.
Ebisu Town in the Hakumai Region was the first to be dealt with.
Return Port in the Ringou Region.
Port Tokage in the Udon Region.
Neko Port in the Himei Region.
Now, it was the largest area, the Kuri Region.
To completely annihilate those remaining samurai and dukes.
Hat Village.
A village in the Kuri Region, known throughout Wano Country for producing straw hats.
Here, there was also a swordsmith, wearing a Tengu mask, standing on stilts - Tenguyama Hitetsu.
At this moment, his place was still surrounded by Pirates.
The doors were wide open; Tenguyama Hitetsu sat on the ground as if waiting for something, silent beneath the mask.
"Kozuki Sukiyaki."
Lily walked in, looking down at the kneeling Tenguyama Hitetsu, "You've been revealed."
"Discovered, have I..."
The man took off the red Tengu mask, revealing an old face.
It was indeed the former Kuri daimyo and former General, Kozuki Sukiyaki.
"Pirates, truly loathsome creatures. You are more vile than Kaido; the innocent ones are all killed by you."
Kozuki Sukiyaki glared at Lily, but also with some misunderstanding, "Why? If it's merely for control, that pirate's grain distribution policy should suffice."
"That's where we're different. I researched your achievements among the people."
Lily said, "You were a decent General, valuing order and law. Under your rule, people did not commit crimes."
"If that's the case, why be so relentless? I'm just a swordsmith now."
Kozuki Sukiyaki said, "During my time as General, I cared for the people under my rule."
"You speak of care; did you pay someone's tax when they couldn't, sparing them from starvation?"
Lily said, "Such care pales in comparison to ours. Your inherent identity destined you as the oppressor. You're the last one; once you die, we will proclaim to Wano Country, telling them that the rulers and those with bloodlines and claims have completely disappeared."
The King's compassionate acts towards commoners amount to just that, can only be so.
They cannot change the rules derived from governance; doing so would undermine their foundations.
And those who cannot fathom or understand the truth, even they make a single act of kindness in everyone's eyes as per their identity.
But...
It was always theirs!
It had always been theirs!
Slash!
With a grip on the sword hilt, Lily instantly drew a brilliant light across Kozuki Sukiyaki's neck, then turned to leave.
"Take the head and broadcast it first, then parade it across Wano Country, tell them the old regime has ended, the new rule... has arrived!"
...
The five great families, and dukes from various regions, all vanished by Lily's own hand, from Wano Country.
No matter the identity, no matter the deeds, no matter the reasons, nor the age.
There was only one Kurozumi left.
The Kurozumi Clan were originally nobles of Wano Country, but Lily's investigation revealed that the family's reputation had long been tarnished.
Even before Kurozumi Orochi became General, the clan attempted to resist the Kozuki family's rule and were delisted, despised by all of Wano Country, even members of the clan hid their surnames just to survive.
For example...
"Kurozumi Tama, and Kurozumi Kanjuro."
In the Black Ship's banquet hall, Sage sat on the throne, gazing at the nervous purple-haired little girl, rubbing her small hands.
The strange beast beside her bared its teeth, trying to protect Tama, but under Sage's gaze, it lowered its body, trembling slightly.
At a slightly further distance, knelt a tall man with straight bangs and blood-red hair, wearing Kabuki makeup.
After a glance at them, Sage turned toward the beast, smiling, "Is this a komainu? Like the lion statues at the gate. Wano Country is truly a good place, full of rare and strange beasts."
Lily, standing by, nodded, "Hawkins found a deer with flame-like mane in Wano Country, he seems to like it very much."
Indeed, there were many strange beasts in Wano Country, majestic bulls with fur as black as flowing light, giant chickens with combs like flames, and even dinosaurs... these are likely not native, brought by Kaido's men from prehistoric islands.
"Well, have Old Haw carve out a zone to ensure a good environment. These animals are quite rare, can't be found elsewhere; let's not waste them."
While Wano Country's buildings could be found similarly on the sea, the animals indigenous to Wano Country are unlike any other, unseen across the sea.
Preserving them is a sort of collection.
"Now, about you two... Kurozumi Clan members, by rights, you should be executed by Lily, but I decided to leave you."
"Yes, thank you very much, Governor!"
Kanjuro's head touched the ground, respectfully saying, "I am willing to serve the Governor! The Kurozumi Clan, for generations, loyal to the Governor!"
The news that Kozuki Sukiyaki was still alive was leaked by him to Sage.
Because Kurozumi Orochi imprisoned him deep inside when seizing the throne, and the man vanished, no corpse was seen.
Without a corpse, it says little; investigation was needed.
Unexpectedly, truly they discovered him, achieving what Kanjuro had always wanted to do.
The five great families were gone, and the derisive environment in Wano Country that had plagued the Kurozumi Clan was about to disappear, and all those nobles were dead. No one would despise them now; they could restore their names and live honorably in this realm.
What?
Only to be commoners?
They previously didn't even qualify as commoners.
Like pests, once identified, they were hunted and killed.
Kurozumi Orochi's parents were, as were his.
"Master... did he die?"
Tama's eyes welled with tears, holding them back from bursting out, "But, my master did nothing wrong, my parents were killed by pirates too, you tell me to surrender, I, I..."
"Your parents were killed by pirates, died in a weapons factory."
Lily said, "But the root cause was their fear of your surname being discovered, so they took the lowest jobs in Wano Country, hiding their names, shunned by everyone, treated as abandoned. Even in the weapons factory, they were used as slaves by those craftsmen, fundamentally it's still because of Wano Country."
"Why Kozuki Sukiyaki took you in, no one knows; you can mourn him, but you must understand, the way you are is still because of this place."
Lily said, "Live on, Sage grants you a new life."
Apart from those who must be killed, not everyone really needed to die.
This young girl should have the chance to live on, to choose a new life.