The moment Kuina said that, she immediately diverted the attention of the single-celled organism known as Zoro. Especially the words "discipline" and "disobedient" stabbed straight into his sore spot.
"Damn it! Let's fight again right now and I'll show you the results of my special training this past week!"
He talked big, but compared to Kuina—who had already stepped into the realm of a true swordsman—the gap between them wasn't just a little. Especially after Kuina ate the Insight Fruit, her ability to find weaknesses was practically on par with Hawk-Eyes himself.
"You idiot, don't you dare cause trouble at such a happy festival!"
Nami, who was a year younger than Zoro and normally didn't train her strength at all, suddenly snapped. She smashed him flat with a single punch, instantly knocking him to the ground and raising a huge lump on his head.
"So this is the legendary one-hit kill… Nami is terrifying!" Kalifa immediately joked, shrinking back with exaggerated fear.
"Hahaha, these kids are really fun."
Baccarat laughed as she watched the group of youngsters who were several years younger than her. She blended in without the slightest sense of awkwardness. With her naturally lucky aura, she was especially popular among both these future pillars and the Oniwabanshu.
After taking a sip of an adults-only drink, Baccarat suddenly remembered something because of the topic.
"By the way, doesn't Princess Hiyori have an older brother?"
Although he wasn't Lord Tenma's biological child, because of Director Toki's status—and Hiyori's genuine identity as a princess—Baccarat treated her with a degree of respect similar to that given to an Oniwabanshu ace.
It was just that the princess had rather unusual tastes. Despite her noble status, she preferred staying by Lord Tenma's side like a geisha, playing music for him.
That was also why Hiyori wasn't present right now—she was probably with Maria Fang at the open-air hall, performing music to liven up the atmosphere for Lord Tenma.
"Yes! Even though time has washed away a lot of the details, as one of Lord Tenma's earliest retainers, I still know the rough outline," Perona said proudly, lifting her chin the moment the topic came up.
"So is it 'clear' or just 'roughly'? Do you actually know or not?" Law shot her a suspicious look.
"Of course I know! How rude!" Perona puffed up her cheeks indignantly. Under the urging of the other gossip-loving girls, she finally cleared her throat dramatically and shared what she knew.
Afterward, worried no one would believe her, she added, "This is what Maria Fang told me—the general situation, at least…"
Compared to Perona's jumpy personality, everyone was clearly more inclined to trust Maria Fang—the gentle, big-sister type who was also a native of Wano.
"Lady Toki's ability really is miraculous," Baccarat sighed. "So if that's the case, then in… wait, in a little over ten years, that boy and the Red Scabbards will reappear?!"
"Compared to that, I think we should be more worried about the trouble their return could cause," Law said coldly.
"I've studied Wano's history. All of Lord Tenma's predecessors as shogun came from the Kozuki clan."
"Add Princess Hiyori's brother to the Red Scabbards, and who's to say they won't start getting ideas about Lord Tenma's position? Those old diehards who've never experienced the new era might do something incredibly stupid."
"If they dare affect Lord Tenma's rule, I'll freeze them all into ice sculptures! Momonosuke—just hearing that name tells you he's bad news!" Ulti slammed the table and jumped to her feet, shouting righteously as she fully immersed herself in the role.
Even though she'd been here for less than a year, life in Shogun City, Lord Tenma's kindness to her and her brother, and his overwhelming presence as the world's strongest had completely won Ulti over. Having grown up under the Beasts Pirates' brutal law of the jungle, Kaido's image had long since been pushed aside by Lord Tenma.
"Talking about this now is pointless. But if they really dare cause trouble for Master, even if it makes Princess Hiyori and Sister Toki sad, I won't hold back. I'll cut them down without mercy."
Kuina spoke coldly, her blade sliding slightly out of its sheath.
Seeing everyone united in hostility, Shirahoshi—who had been quietly listening from inside her coral coating—clenched her small fists and said in a soft yet resolute voice,
"I… I will too!"
"Shirahoshi, don't get involved in this kind of fighting," Nami quickly tried to dissuade her. "It might not even come to our turn. Don't forget, there are still the aces and the others."
But the moment she said that, Law and Ulti shouted in unison,
"By then, I'll definitely be one of the Oniwabanshu aces already!"
"Yes, yes, I know you're amazing," Nami sighed like a little adult.
"Why do we have to talk about such depressing things at a perfectly good banquet… Speaking of which, where's Pudding? Why hasn't she shown up yet?"
"She got called away by Robin earlier," Lami suddenly remembered and added.
"Said Lord Tenma gave her a special assignment."
The Fire Festival continued, and the celebration of the tournament carried on deep into the night.
Perhaps out of boredom, or because he still had other matters to attend to, Tenma drained his glass of fine wine and stood up, heading toward the rest area behind the hall. Natasha and Baby 5, currently acting as a maid, hurried to follow.
Seeing this, Stussy's eyes flickered. She glanced at the other guests—most were focused on the aerial arena, while others were busy currying favor with the Oniwabanshu and the general manager, hoping to secure future benefits in the new nation.
Normally, Stussy wouldn't spare a glance for such a losing deal. But the situation was different now—even cutting flesh from her own body, she had to grit her teeth and go through with it.
For the sake of her future, sacrificing a bit of immediate interest was clearly no longer the priority.
Using the excuse of touching up her makeup, she rose gracefully, her skirt tracing a smooth arc as she quietly left with the maid.
As her footsteps descended, the noise from the banquet hall above gradually faded, until it disappeared entirely.
The surroundings grew quiet. The flawless, professional smile on Stussy's face deepened slightly as she turned her head toward the maid guiding her.
"Regarding the future strategic deployment of Pleasure Street, I have a few urgent matters I'd like to report directly to the General. Would it be possible for this lovely young lady to help pass along the message?"
She deliberately steered the topic toward Pleasure Street, trying to add weight to her bargaining chip.
According to the intelligence, every maid serving in Shogun City regarded Tenma as a god. As long as it involved the General's grand plans, no matter how strict the rules, they would act immediately.
Sure enough, the moment the maid heard it concerned the General's affairs, she led Stussy to the washroom and immediately went off to report.
Facing the mirror, Stussy meticulously adjusted her makeup, ensuring every strand of hair was perfectly in place.
When she pushed the door open again, the person waiting outside had been replaced by the head maid, Lira Blackveil.
"Lady Stussy, the Lord has been waiting for you inside."
The wording sounded slightly awkward, but Stussy didn't dwell on it. She simply nodded politely in response.
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