Chapter 41 The Rise of Empress
Inside the ruined halls of Shogun Castle, Hiyori and Fukurokuju stood facing each other silently. Broken pillars surrounded them while defeated samurai and ninjas lay scattered throughout the battlefield.
Hiyori's breathing slowly stabilized as Enma rested firmly in her grasp. Unlike before, the blade no longer rampaged wildly for her haki. The sword had finally acknowledged her strength.
Fukurokuju narrowed his eyes. "So… you finally tamed Enma."
Hiyori slowly raised the blade. Black lightning crackled around it as conqueror's haki flowed naturally through the sword. "No," she replied calmly. "It finally accepted me."
The old ninja's expression darkened. The frightened princess from years ago was gone. The woman before him now carried the aura of a true ruler of Wano.
"Then show me," Fukurokuju muttered as his body blurred forward. "Show me whether you truly deserve that blade!"
His elongated earlobes shot outward like haki-coated whips, tearing through the air from multiple directions. The attacks smashed pillars apart as they closed toward Hiyori.
Hiyori's observation haki expanded instantly. The world around her slowed. She stepped sideways gracefully while Enma moved with perfect precision. Purple-black haki exploded outward as she sliced apart every incoming strike.
Fukurokuju's eyes widened. "Fast—!"
Hiyori vanished.
She appeared directly before him.
"Amatsuki Style…"
Enma hummed violently.
"Moon Severing."
A single slash crossed the hall. For a second everything became silent. Then the walls behind Fukurokuju split apart cleanly. Blood sprayed across his chest as his eyes trembled in disbelief.
"I… lost…?"
He collapsed heavily onto the shattered floor.
The remaining Orochi ninjas froze in horror.
"F-Fukurokuju-sama lost?!"
"No… impossible!"
Kawamatsu burst into laughter. "Kappa-pa-pa-pa! Lady Hiyori truly carries Lord Oden's blood!"
Ashura grinned savagely while crushing an enemy samurai beneath his blade. "That's our princess!"
Denjiro adjusted his glasses with a proud smile. "No… our Shogun."
The samurai erupted into cheers.
"For Lady Hiyori!"
"For Wano!"
Their morale exploded instantly while Orochi's remaining forces collapsed under the pressure.
---
High above Onigashima, the sky roared endlessly.
Yamato and Toki clashed repeatedly in the heavens while black lightning exploded around them. Their conqueror's haki split the clouds every time their weapons neared each other.
Yamato laughed excitedly as her Okuchi no Makami transformation expanded. White fur covered parts of her body while freezing winds spiraled around her kanabo.
"You're really strong!" Yamato shouted happily. "No wonder Kai brought you with him!"
Toki's body dissolved into crimson bats before reforming above Yamato. Dark wings spread behind her while her crimson eyes glowed under the moonlight.
"You should focus more on fighting," Toki replied calmly.
She swung Ame-no-Habakiri downward.
"Bat Eclipse."
Thousands of flaming bats surged forward like a crimson tide. Yamato grinned wildly.
"Namuji Glacier Fang!"
A massive blast of freezing energy exploded outward, freezing countless bats instantly before detonating across the sky. The collision created a violent storm around Onigashima.
King watched from below with narrowed eyes. "Monsters…"
Neither woman slowed down. Instead, their excitement only grew.
Yamato charged forward again, her kanabo wrapped in advanced conqueror's haki. Toki met the attack head-on.
BOOOOMMMM!!!
The impact shattered the sky itself.
Winds exploded outward violently while chunks of Onigashima cracked apart beneath them.
Toki suddenly dissolved into bats again. Yamato's eyes widened as observation haki screamed in warning.
Behind her—
A slash coated in conqueror's haki descended instantly.
Yamato twisted her body midair and blocked with her kanabo, but the force still sent her crashing through one of Onigashima's giant horns.
"HAHAHAHA!" Yamato burst out laughing while standing back up. "Again!"
Toki's mouth twitched. "Battle maniac…"
King suddenly appeared beside them, flames erupting around his blade.
"Imperial Flaming Wings!"
Massive fire dragons surged toward both women.
Yamato swung her kanabo while Toki slashed downward simultaneously. Ice and crimson energy exploded together, destroying the dragons instantly.
---
Far above them all, the true monsters continued their duel.
Kaido and Kai vanished repeatedly across the heavens as their battle intensified further. Black lightning flooded the skies while thunder roared endlessly around them.
Their advanced conqueror's haki never allowed their weapons to touch directly. The force between them alone tore apart the clouds for kilometers.
Kaido swung Hassaikai violently.
"Thunder Bagua!"
The attack exploded forward with terrifying speed. Kai's observation haki screamed instantly as he twisted sideways midair. The kanabo barely missed him, but the shockwave alone split the clouds behind him apart.
Kai grinned behind the Oni mask. "Still too slow."
Kaido snorted. "Brat, don't get cocky!"
Kai disappeared instantly.
Kaido's instincts exploded in warning. Akatsuki appeared beside his neck coated in advanced armament and conqueror's haki.
"Flame Crescent."
BOOOOMMMM!!!
Kaido blocked instantly, but the impact still blasted him backward across the rooftop. The ground shattered beneath his feet as he slid dozens of meters. Blood dripped from his mouth.
"Worororo!" Kaido laughed wildly despite the damage. "YES! THIS IS A REAL FIGHT!"
Kai's flaming wings expanded further as golden-red flames spiraled around him.
Kaido suddenly transformed into his dragon form. Scales covered his arms while massive horns expanded further.
"Boro Breath!"
A gigantic beam of destruction rushed toward Kai.
Kai's eyes narrowed. Akatsuki ignited completely with golden flames.
"Divine Severing."
He swung downward.
The flaming slash split Kaido's Boro Breath apart cleanly before continuing toward Kaido himself. Kaido crossed Hassaikai before him and blocked, but the explosion still sent him crashing through multiple buildings across Onigashima.
The Beast Pirates stared upward in horror.
"That's Kaido-sama?!"
"He got blown away?!"
Kaido emerged from the rubble laughing even harder. Blood covered his forehead while excitement burned in his eyes.
"You damn monster brat!"
Kai pointed Akatsuki toward him. "You'll call me captain soon enough."
Kaido's face twitched angrily. "WORORORO! NOT HAPPENING!"
Both monsters charged again.
Their conqueror's haki exploded violently.
The heavens split apart once more.
---
Meanwhile, upon the frozen sea, Hancock and Kuzan's battle neared its conclusion.
The battlefield had become unrecognizable. Massive glaciers stood everywhere while enormous sections of frozen sea had been petrified into stone by Hancock's powers.
Kuzan breathed heavily for the first time in years. Frost covered his body while several stone fragments remained attached to his coat from near misses.
Hancock stood gracefully across from him, barely appearing tired. Her beauty remained untouched even after such an intense battle.
Kuzan sighed. "Arara… troublesome."
Hancock crossed her arms. "You talk too much."
Kuzan suddenly moved.
"Ice Saber!"
A blade of ice formed instantly as he dashed toward her at blinding speed. Hancock met him head-on with a kick coated in advanced armament haki.
BOOOOMMMM!!!
The frozen sea shattered beneath them.
Kuzan attacked continuously now, fists, kicks, and ice weapons flowing endlessly while keeping his eyes closed the entire time. Hancock matched every strike perfectly.
Their haki collided violently again and again, black lightning exploding across the battlefield.
Kuzan created dozens of ice pheasants simultaneously. "Pheasant Beak!"
The giant birds screamed across the battlefield toward Hancock.
Hancock calmly kissed her fingertips.
"Love Arrow."
Thousands of pink arrows rained down like a storm. Every ice pheasant struck by the arrows turned instantly into stone before shattering apart.
The remaining arrows continued toward Kuzan.
"Ice Wall!"
Massive frozen barriers rose instantly.
The arrows struck.
The walls turned into stone.
Then shattered completely.
Kuzan barely dodged at the last second using his logia body. One arrow brushed his shoulder.
His sleeve instantly petrified.
Kuzan stared silently for a second before sighing deeply. "That was dangerous…"
Hancock pointed toward him again. "Love Chaos."
A gigantic pink heart rushed forward. Kuzan's observation haki screamed in danger.
He froze the ocean instantly and retreated backward while turning portions of his body into ice repeatedly to avoid direct contact.
The heart exploded.
Massive sections of the frozen sea turned into stone instantly.
The surrounding marines stared in terror.
"Monster…"
Kuzan scratched the back of his head tiredly. "Yeah… continuing this is a bad idea."
His eyes landed on the remaining few servivers. He gritted his teeth in anger.
The admiral finally made his decision.
"Well, young miss… I guess this is enough for today."
The remaining marines widened their eyes.
"A-Admiral Kuzan?!"
"You're retreating?!"
Kuzan ignored them and looked toward Hancock one final time. "We'll meet again, Snake Princess Boa Hancock."
Hancock sat atop Salome proudly. "Next time, don't interrupt my raid."
Kuzan glared at her before retreating alongside the remaining marine fleet.
The Kuja pirates erupted into cheers instantly.
"Snake Empress won!"
"Our Empress defeated an Admiral!"
Sandersonia and Marigold smiled proudly while Hancock simply looked toward the distant horizon with hope.
'Dose he still remembers me ? ' her cheeks flushed at the thaught of him.
Far away, Morgan nearly fainted from excitement as the reports arrived.
"KAHHAHAHAHA!"
He slammed both hands onto his desk violently.
"The World's Most Beautiful Woman defeats newly promoted Admiral Kuzan in a one-on-one battle!"
News seagulls immediately filled the skies once more.
The world was about to shake again.