Chapter 403: The Kozuki Bloodline Severed
Roy's words, "The Marines will not interfere in the internal affairs of your country..." had barely faded when a manic joy erupted across Kurozumi Orochi's face.
It was as if, in that very moment, he could already see the future where he sat firmly upon the Shogun's throne once more, continuing to arbitrarily torment the citizens of Wano.
"Thank you, Lord Marine! Thank you, Lord Marine! This humble servant will definitely—"
However, his sycophantic, ear-piercing shrieks were abruptly cut off by an aged yet authoritative roar.
"Silence! You usurping traitor!!"
The plaza instantly fell deathly silent. Everyone instinctively turned toward the voice.
From deep within the crowd, a hunched yet haughty figure slowly walked out.
He wore a faded kimono that still bore faint traces of past luxury. His face was deeply lined by the ravages of time, and his footsteps were heavy, yet they exuded a stubborn and arrogant aura.
—It was none other than the former Shogun of Wano Country, Kozuki Sukiyaki!
This old man, long rumored to have "died in confinement," had somehow managed to survive until today, lurking in the shadows and observing the situation.
"Grand... Grandfather?!!"
Kozuki Hiyori's pupils shrank as she cried out in shock, her eyes brimming with tears.
Momonosuke peeked out from behind Kin'emon. Seeing his "resurrected" grandfather, he froze for a moment before acting as if he had found an even greater pillar of support. Howling and crying, he scrambled over on his hands and knees:
"Grandfather! Grandfather!! Save me!! They're all bullying me!!!"
Sukiyaki looked down at his terrified, pants-soiled, and utterly pathetic grandson. A flash of almost imperceptible disgust and disappointment crossed his brow.
But this emotion lasted only a fleeting second before he forcibly suppressed it.
The legitimate lineage of the Kozuki Clan—that was his true source of confidence!
Ignoring the wails of the grandson at his feet, he walked straight to the center of the plaza. Pushing his chest out and holding his head high, even though he had to look up to Roy, he forced out a condescending, overbearing demeanor. His voice was hoarse but commanding:
"Marines, listen well! I am the legitimate Shogun of Wano Country, Kozuki Sukiyaki!!!"
"You have done well in defeating Kaido and cleansing this land of its foreign shackles. Now—"
"In my capacity as the Shogun of Wano Country, I order you to immediately execute the traitor Kurozumi Orochi and his cronies! Then, assist the Kozuki Clan in restoring our rightful rule! Once this is done, Wano Country will naturally bestow upon you the rewards you deserve!!!"
His tone contained absolutely no gratitude; instead, it sounded like the self-righteous command of a superior, as if everything the Marines had done was merely a tool for his Kozuki Clan to reclaim their power.
These words caused the expressions of everyone behind Roy—Ace, Zoro, Kuina, Yamato, and even Otama—to turn extremely ugly.
"Master... you..."
Yamato's breath caught, an ominous premonition surfacing in her heart: Could this be... the 'true nature of Wano' that Mr. Roy spoke of?
Roy didn't even bat an eyelid. He merely repeated in a flat tone, "I've said it before—the Marines do not interfere in internal affairs."
Kozuki Sukiyaki froze, seemingly not expecting to be met with a direct refusal.
His aged face flushed red with anger. Pointing a trembling finger at Roy, he sharply rebuked:
"What did you say?! The Marines call themselves 'Justice'! Are you just going to sit back and watch legitimacy be trampled?!!"
"Eradicating evil and punishing the wicked is your duty to begin with! I am ordering you right now—"
"Ordering me?"
Roy finally, slowly raised his eyes, his gaze casually sweeping over the old man.
—Just a single glance.
That look was freezing, indifferent, devoid of a single trace of emotion.
It was as if he wasn't looking at the Shogun of a nation, but rather a worthless, common rock by the roadside.
Sukiyaki's chest seized up. The rest of his words instantly caught in his throat, as if a blade of ice had been pressed against his windpipe.
A bone-deep chill shot straight from his spine to the crown of his head, nearly suffocating him.
The surrounding air froze to the absolute limit. The citizens held their breath, not daring to make a sound. Kurozumi Orochi trembled violently on his knees, while Momonosuke cowered behind the Akazaya Nine, weeping endlessly.
Right at this moment, a sudden, drastic change occurred!
The long-ignored Kurozumi Orochi, whose eyes had been numb, suddenly flared with a manic, vicious light!
He had already realized it—the appearance of Kozuki Sukiyaki, the legitimate ruler of the nation, had completely severed his only way out.
The Marines were cold and merciless, the citizens were numb and silent, and the Kozuki Clan was pressing down on him like a mountain...
He was left with only one final path—to take everyone down with him in a desperate, suicidal struggle!
"Yamata no Orochi Transformation—!!!"
Accompanied by a lung-tearing shriek, Orochi's body frantically expanded, instantly transforming into a massive, eight-headed demonic serpent.
Every single grotesque serpent head featured bulging, bloodshot eyes and fangs dripping with venom. Its aura was laced with absolute despair and destruction.
In the next second, one of the serpent heads lunged downward violently, opening its blood-soaked maw!
The target—was not the Marines, nor the Akazaya Nine, but the completely bewildered Kozuki Momonosuke sitting just inches away!
"Young Lord—!!!"
Kin'emon and the others were paralyzed with horror. They drew their blades to save him, but they were half a step too late.
"SQUELCH—!!!"
The sound of razor-sharp teeth tearing through flesh and blood was cruel and distinct.
Momonosuke didn't even have time to react. The terror and lecherousness on his face froze in that single instant.
Half of his body was clamped in the serpent's jaws. Blood and internal organs rained down as he was violently ripped in half before he could even let out a scream.
"AAAAAAHHHH—!!! BROTHER—!!!"
Kozuki Hiyori's heart-rending shriek echoed across the plaza. Her knees gave out, and she collapsed to the ground, tears pouring down her face.
However, the nightmare wasn't over yet.
Almost at the exact same moment, another serpent head swept horizontally, lunging straight for Kozuki Sukiyaki right beside him!
"You—!"
Sukiyaki only had time to spit out a single word before the serpent head brutally smashed into his chest.
The sound of shattering bones was clear and ear-piercing. He was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily against a stone wall. Blood and ruptured organs spewed from his mouth.
He slumped to the ground, his breath failing. The last image reflected in his blurring vision...
...was the corpse of his worthless grandson, bitten clean in two...
...and the manic, unhinged laughter echoing from Kurozumi Orochi's eight grotesque heads.
"Hehehehe—!! Kozuki! Your entire family will drag down to hell with me!!!"
Sukiyaki's pupils gradually dilated. What lingered on his face was not guilt or grief, but utter bewilderment and profound unwillingness:
"My... Kozuki... legitimate line... how could it... end like this..."
Before the words fully faded, his head lolled to the side, and he breathed his last.
In just a few short seconds, the final direct bloodline of the Kozuki Clan had been completely and utterly erased in the most grotesque, abrupt manner possible, right before everyone's eyes!
The entire plaza fell into a deathly silence.
The citizens' eyes were wide with shock. Their lips trembled, but they couldn't even force out a scream.
Kin'emon and the others looked as if their eyes were going to burst from their sockets. They stood frozen in place, feeling as if the very foundation of their faith had been violently ripped away.
Kurozumi Orochi's eight serpent heads writhed and danced madly, letting out a manic, soul-tearing laughter.
However, the laughter only lasted for a fleeting moment.
"VROOM—"
The void abruptly split open. A black-red spatial rift silently slashed across the air.
"SLASH—!!!"
All eight serpent heads slid off cleanly and simultaneously. The massive body crashed to the ground with a resounding boom, blood gushing out to form a flowing river.
Roy stood in place, his finger not yet fully retracted.
There was no anger in his eyes, no pity, not even the slightest ripple of emotion.
This strike was not salvation.
It was merely cleaning up the noise.
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