Yamato wore a confident grin.
"Hehe. I heard Kurozumi Orochi really loves watching famous courtesans dance. I can disguise myself as an oiran, sneak in, and kill him when he least expects it."
Kurosaki Rei stared at her in shock.
He wasn't shocked because the plan was ridiculous—
he was shocked because Yamato had actually come up with something this clever.
Because on first hearing it… it honestly sounded feasible.
"Not a bad plan," Kurosaki Rei said after a pause, "but it's still not very workable."
He pointed at Yamato's head.
"Your white hair and those horns are way too distinctive. And Orochi has seen you before, hasn't he?"
"Relax, I know how to disguise myself," Yamato said confidently.
She undid her white hair, tied it up in a different style, then pulled an exaggerated, ridiculous facial expression.
"Look! Totally different from before, right?"
Kurosaki Rei opened his mouth.
He really wanted to say, Only an idiot wouldn't recognize you…
But after thinking about it carefully, he couldn't actually be sure.
Because this was the One Piece world—a place where disguises that should be obvious somehow worked flawlessly.
At that moment, Kurosaki Rei finally understood why having normal intelligence here basically qualified one as a "military strategist."
Because most people in this world…
didn't have normal intelligence at all.
"Still, let's not take the risk," Kurosaki Rei said.
"If we alert them and fail, it'll be much harder to find another opportunity."
Even though Yamato's plan had a real chance of succeeding, Kurosaki Rei rejected it anyway. He didn't want to gamble—especially since Kurozumi Orochi was one of the few characters in this world who actually had some brains.
"So what do you suggest, Kurosaki Rei?"
Yamato looked disappointed. She had thought her plan was pretty good.
"We pay him a visit," Kurosaki Rei said after a moment.
"A formal visit."
"Huh!?"
Yamato stared at him in disbelief. "Are you okay? I thought you were smart! If we visit him openly, we won't be able to ambush him!"
Kurosaki Rei looked at her, speechless.
"Yamato, who says you can't ambush someone during a formal visit? That's exactly why he won't be on high alert."
"You mean… attack him suddenly during the meeting?"
Yamato was starting to understand.
"Something like that," Kurosaki Rei nodded.
"And even if we don't strike, it's still useful for recon. We know nothing about the Flower Capital's layout or how Orochi's defenses operate."
He continued calmly,
"You're the Oni Princess now. The daughter of the Bright King visiting him—he'll definitely welcome you. We'll be able to meet Orochi directly and bypass layers of Oniwabanshu ninja defenses."
Yamato clapped her hands.
"That's amazing! I almost forgot I actually have status now!"
"Exactly," Kurosaki Rei said.
"So we go straight into the Flower Capital and have his men arrange everything."
This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment idea. Kurosaki Rei had thought it through carefully.
Orochi himself was weak—but he was terrified of death. His defenses were extremely tight.
The first line of defense was the Oniwabanshu ninja, hidden throughout the Flower Capital. Many of them were strong fighters. Kurosaki Rei suspected there were several he couldn't handle head-on, so brute force was out of the question. Even suspicious behavior could get them exposed.
If Yamato tried disguising herself as an oiran and got noticed, the ninjas would immediately alert Orochi. A woman pretending to be a courtesan but secretly being Kaido's daughter? Orochi would instantly sense danger.
But a formal visit was different.
Orochi had been propped up by Kaido himself. For years, things had remained peaceful. He trusted Kaido's side—at least on the surface.
Of course, this only helped them bypass the ninja network. Orochi still had his final line of defense—
Kurozumi Semimaru, the Barrier-Barrier Fruit user.
Kurosaki Rei had already asked Yamato: Semimaru was still alive and serving as Orochi's personal guard.
And Semimaru's barrier was nearly unbeatable.
Kurosaki Rei didn't like Kozuki Oden, but he respected his strength. Oden was at least above commander level, bordering on Yonko-tier.
Yet even Oden, using his full power and Haoshoku Haki, couldn't scratch Semimaru's barrier.
So unless someone was on Kaido's level, or possessed extreme offensive Haoshoku like Shanks—or had Whitebeard's Gura Gura no Mi—it was nearly impossible to break through that barrier head-on.
Back when Kurosaki Rei read the manga, he'd cursed Oden's stupidity.
The Barrier-Barrier Fruit wasn't invincible—it required hand signs and reaction time.
If Oden had focused solely on killing Orochi, there was no way that old man could keep up 24/7. Even if he blocked every attack, exhaustion alone would have killed him eventually.
And there was an even simpler solution:
Just surround Orochi and Semimaru and wait.
The barrier could keep people out—but it also trapped those inside.
No food. No water.
Even the strongest defense meant nothing in a siege.
But Kurosaki Rei didn't need anything that complicated.
As long as he and Yamato could meet Orochi directly without triggering the ninja defenses, the barrier wouldn't stop him.
"Kurosaki Rei, this candied apple is so good! You should try one!"
Yamato said cheerfully, already distracted by the bustling streets of the Flower Capital.
"Yamato, don't forget Kaido's instructions," Kurosaki Rei said seriously.
"We're here to meet the Shogun and discuss important matters."
Then he added loudly,
"The Bright King has noticed that many people in Wano aren't getting enough to eat. He plans to send additional grain to the Shogun. We need to clarify the situation so we know how much to increase the supply."
Of course, it was complete nonsense.
But Kurosaki Rei said it because he felt eyes on them.
His perception had always been sharp, and after learning Observation Haki, it became even keener. Though he saw no one, he knew the ninjas had already found them.
Which meant these words would definitely reach Orochi.
Before they even arrived at the Shogun's residence, Orochi would be eagerly preparing to welcome them.
"Ah? Father said—"
Yamato started, genuinely confused.
But after just a few words, she noticed Kurosaki Rei staring at her like she was an idiot. She instantly realized this was for others to hear.
She quickly stuffed a candied apple into her mouth, cheeks bulging like a hamster.
"Mmm! Sho gooood!"
Kurosaki Rei sighed in relief and took one himself.
Crunch.
…Not bad, actually.
Yamato didn't have any money—Kurosaki Rei had paid with gold beans from his storage space. She didn't question where the money came from; she never did.
As Kurosaki Rei looked at the glittering Flower Capital, the crowds, the festival atmosphere, he couldn't help but sigh.
They'd just passed a flower procession led by an oiran's carriage.
Behind this splendor, who knew how many had frozen or starved to death in the shadows?
Only the wealthy lived here—people connected to Orochi or his subordinates.
Even the street vendors needed backing to survive in this place.
Drunken men staggered through the streets, dropping food without a glance as others stepped on it, grinding it into mush.
Some starved to death.
Others drowned in excess.
"Excuse me… are you Yamato-sama?"
A ninja suddenly appeared beside them.
Before Yamato could answer, Kurosaki Rei stepped forward, face stern.
"Watch your words. This is the daughter of Yonko Kaido, the Bright King of this land—the Oni Princess of the Beasts Pirates. Addressing her as male is an insult."
His tone and posture were flawless—like a textbook sycophant. Even Yamato was stunned.
She almost said, Everyone used to call me that and I didn't mind…
But she trusted Kurosaki Rei and lifted her chin slightly.
"Yes. My father sent me to discuss important matters with the Shogun. Yet after entering the city, I was left unattended for quite some time. Is this how you treat the Beasts Pirates?"
Cold sweat poured down the ninja's forehead.
He was Orochi's messenger. Orochi had been ecstatic upon hearing about extra grain and had sent him to fetch Yamato.
But in his drunken state, Orochi had forgotten one crucial thing—
You don't summon someone of this status with a ninja.
It was informal. Disrespectful.
And it exposed the fact that they were being monitored.
"Princess Yamato," Kurosaki Rei interjected smoothly, playing peacemaker,
"Business is important. Let him guide us for now."
The ninja nearly collapsed in relief.
Kurosaki Rei's little performance served two purposes:
First, it reinforced the Beasts Pirates' arrogance, making the grain story more believable.
Second, it showed their displeasure at being monitored—prompting Orochi to likely withdraw many of the ninjas tailing them.
Less surveillance meant more room to act.
Soon, the ninja led them to the Shogun's residence—a rare multi-story tower in Wano.
Before they even entered, Kurosaki Rei heard the decadent sounds within.
The air was thick with alcohol, lust, and the cloying scent of flowers.
Orochi truly was living it up.
The ninja withdrew, replaced by an elderly steward.
"The Shogun is currently sobering up to avoid any impropriety," the old man said politely.
"Please don't take offense, Oni Princess."
Kurosaki Rei could hear everything upstairs. Orochi was very much not sobering up.
As they were led inside, Kurosaki Rei observed everything—guard placements, hidden presences, the flow of power.
No exceptional powerhouse was openly present, but Kurosaki Rei was certain Orochi hadn't withdrawn all his ninjas. The Oniwabanshu leader, Fukurokuju, was likely lurking nearby.
At the top floor, they arrived at the aftermath of an extravagant orgy.
Orochi sat sloppily on the main seat. Courtesans fled through side doors, robes half-fastened—some even tripping in their haste.
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