Under Rhett's deliberate orchestration,
They arrived at a small shack, where Rhett looked at Orochi, bound in golden chains like a zongzi.
"The Pirate King sure is something—going days without food or water like it's nothing,"
Rhett's lips curled into a cold smirk. He turned to Oden and said, "Oden, it's time for you to stand tall again."
Oden's eyes had already regained their former sharpness.
Taking a deep breath, he asked, "Rhett, what do you want him to do?"
He trusted that Rhett wouldn't harm him.
Instead of answering directly, Rhett turned to Tesoro: "Boss Tesoro, bring out our 'Great Shogun.'"
With a wave of Tesoro's hand, the golden chains tightened violently, dragging Orochi before the crowd.
Orochi's eight serpent heads hung limply, his eyes filled with fear—this form gave him some semblance of security.
Rhett crouched down and patted Orochi's face: "Great Shogun, here's your chance to live—cooperate and put on a little show for us."
Orochi's voice trembled: "Wh-what kind of show?"
Rhett grinned. "Simple. You just need to confess your crimes in front of all of Wano's citizens and announce that you're returning the power you stole to Kozuki Oden."
Orochi's pupils shrank: "Impossible! I—"
"BAM!"
Rhett punched Orochi in the gut, making him curl up in pain. Rhett said coldly, "You don't get to bargain. Either cooperate, or I'll make you wish you were dead."
Orochi nodded frantically: "I-I'll do it!"
Rhett's mist had just begun to seep out, ready to "entertain" the stubborn serpent.
The high platform where Oden once danced naked was now redecorated.
Rhett's blood mist enveloped the surroundings, forming a barrier to ensure no one could disrupt this "performance."
The citizens were gathered in the square, murmuring among themselves. They saw Oden standing on the platform, flanked by Whitebeard and Rhett, while Orochi was held captive nearby, utterly humiliated.
Rhett stepped forward, his voice amplified by the mist: "People of Wano, today you will witness the truth!"
He yanked Orochi up and said coldly, "Speak. Confess everything."
Orochi stammered: "I, Kurozumi Orochi, conspired with Kaido to deceive Lord Oden... Those promises were all lies! I never intended to leave Wano, and the hostages... I never planned to release them..."
The crowd erupted in outrage, curses filling the air.
Rhett pressed on: "What was the truth behind Oden's dance?"
Orochi lowered his head: "It was to humiliate him... to undermine his authority, so the people would lose faith in him..."
Oden stepped forward, his gaze resolute: "People of Wano, I, Kozuki Oden, apologize to you today! My foolishness made you suffer!"
He drew his sword and pointed it skyward: "But I swear, from this day forth, I will fight for Wano as a samurai! Kaido's tyranny will end!"
The crowd's emotions ignited, cheers rising like a tide: "Lord Oden! Lord Oden!"
Rhett stood on the platform, watching the furious cries below, his smirk chilling.
He turned to Oden and whispered, "Oden, pay close attention to what comes next."
Oden frowned. "Rhett, what are you—"
Without answering, Rhett raised his hand. The blood mist surged violently, coalescing into a dark cross in the center of the square. Tesoro understood immediately—his golden chains lashed out, binding Orochi tightly to the cross.
"Mist Realm: Silent Cage."
Orochi's eight heads writhed wildly, his eyes filled with terror: "Wh-what are you doing?! You promised to spare me!"
Rhett tilted his head, grinning darkly: "Spare you? I'm a pirate! You of all people should know how this works."
Only then did Orochi realize—because he was exactly that kind of man.
His face turned deathly pale. Just as he was about to scream curses, he found his throat utterly silent.
Rhett pressed a finger to his lips in a mocking "shush." "No rush. The show's just begun."
Before the words faded, the mist split—ten illusions of Rhett emerged from the mist, each wielding a pitch-black mist gun.
They expressionlessly raised their weapons and aimed at Orochi.
"This is what you owe Yasuie," Rhett said coldly, staring at Kurozumi Orochi. "And what you owe Wano."
"BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG—!!!"
All ten Rhetts pulled the triggers at once. A storm of black bullets tore through Orochi's body, riddling it with holes!
Rhett had infused them not just with Armament Haki but also with his own mist.
Blood sprayed. Orochi's eight heads screamed silently—not a single sound escaped.
The citizens watched wide-eyed. Some covered their mouths, others clenched their fists, but no one looked away.
Rhett had already painted Kurozumi Orochi as an irredeemable villain.
Wano was a nation of samurai. They held the bonds between lord and vassal in the highest regard.
They watched as the tyrant who had oppressed them for years suffered the cruelest punishment in utter despair.
The bullets tore through flesh for a full hour, until Orochi's body was little more than a sieve. Only then did the ten Rhetts lower their guns.
Silence.
Deafening silence.
In the deathly quiet square, only Orochi's mutilated corpse remained nailed to the cross.
The citizens held their breath, their gazes shifting from the body to the platform—where Kozuki Oden slowly stepped forward.
His steps were steady, his back straight despite the bandages still wrapped around him. He reached the edge and looked down at the people of the Flower Capital. After a moment of silence, he suddenly—
"THUD!"
Oden dropped to his knees, smashing his forehead against the platform!
"Lord Oden!" the Scabbards gasped. The crowd stirred.
"My people!" Oden's voice was hoarse but strong. "I, Kozuki Oden, have failed Wano!"
He raised his head, tears in his eyes: "I naively believed that endurance would bring peace, only to let Kurozumi Orochi and Kaido trample our homeland! I foolishly trusted lies, forcing our people to live in poisoned water and oppression! All of this—is my fault!"
His fist struck the platform, blood seeping between his fingers: "But today, I swear to you!"
Oden stood abruptly, tearing off his bloodstained bandages to reveal unhealed wounds: "These scars are proof of my folly! But from this moment, they will also be my oath—"
He drew his sword Enma, its blade blazing with flames as he pointed it skyward: "By the name of Kozuki, I vow to rebuild Wano! If I break this oath—"
The blade flashed as Oden plunged it into his own abdomen!
"Lord Oden!" the citizens cried out.
"This wound is my lesson," Oden said through gritted teeth. "If I ever bring shame upon Wano again, I will atone with my life!"
The crowd below was utterly shaken. Some began to sob, others shouted Oden's name, and gradually their voices swelled into a tide—
"Lord Oden! Lord Oden!"
Rhett stood in the shadows, watching this scene, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly: "Now that's more like it."
Whitebeard walked over to him and laughed: "Gurarara! Kid, you really know how to scheme!"
Rhett shrugged. "Someone has to be the bad guy."
Make them afraid—that would make Oden look reliable by comparison.