"The day of Lady Toki's prophecy is fast approaching. We must also prepare to welcome Ace and the others. You stay here and keep safe, Tsuru."
"I am going to meet Shutenmaru. As long as we have the letter from Ace and the others, I believe he will definitely regain his fighting spirit and fight alongside us to the bitter end!" Kikunojo said with a firm look in his eyes.
Shutenmaru, nicknamed "Ashura Doji," was once one of the Nine Red Scabbards and was known as the strongest monster in Kuri.
During the great incident back then, he was not sent into the future with them. Instead, after Oden's death, he hid his identity and returned to Kuri.
Over these twenty years, Shutenmaru went from patiently enduring and waiting for revenge to gradually losing hope in everything, living his days in a daze.
Now, with the assistance of the Whitebeard Pirates, Kikunojo believed he could successfully persuade Shutenmaru to join their frontlines once again.
"There is also Princess Hiyori and Denjiro far away in the Flower Capital, as well as Lord Shimotsuki Yasuie, Boss Hyogoro, and Sister O-Cho..."
A glimmer of hope flashed in Kikunojo's eyes. "Before Ace and the others arrive, I must first unite the forces of Wano Country. We will coordinate from the inside and outside to crush the Animal Kingdom Pirates!"
"Sister Tsuru! Something terrible has happened!"
Suddenly, a panicked shout came from outside the door.
*Bang!* The door was violently pushed open, and a man wearing plain, heavily patched clothes rushed in frantically.
"The mountain bandits are fighting a group of unknown people! They've already fought their way to the outskirts of the village!"
"Shutenmaru!"
Hearing this, Tsuru's expression turned to panic as she hurriedly asked, "Are Kaido's men here again?"
"I don't know! I've never seen them before, but those guys are all wearing clothes from overseas. They're very likely Kaido's subordinates!" the man replied rapidly.
"Are they here to recruit Shutenmaru again? Those bastards from the Animal Kingdom Pirates!"
Upon hearing this, a dark look flashed across Kikunojo's face, and he immediately bolted out the door.
"O-Kiku!"
Tsuru shouted, trying to stop him, but it was already too late. She could only watch his retreating back with worry.
Outside Okobore Town, a massive battle involving hundreds of people was unfolding.
However, the gap in strength between the two sides seemed a bit too large. Calling it a battle was a stretch; the situation was completely one-sided.
A tall, obese man with slightly reddish skin wielded a sword in both hands, leading hundreds of subordinates dressed as ragged, wandering samurai in a desperate resistance.
On the opposite side, Gin led about a hundred ferocious subordinates. Like evil spirits from hell, they charged into the crowd and slaughtered madly.
"Just where did these guys come from?!"
Shutenmaru gritted his teeth, burning with anxiety as he watched the scene before him.
Even though the samurai outnumbered them several times over, they were completely routed and torn through by the enemy. It was simply unheard of!
It was as if everyone on the opposing side possessed strength comparable to the Gifters under Kaido. But in the entire sea, other than Kaido, was there another faction this powerful?!
"Pfft—!!"
Shutenmaru raised his wine gourd, tilted his head back, and took a massive gulp. He then sprayed the liquor onto the blade in his hands and swung his sword against the ground, striking sparks.
*Fwoosh!!*
Raging flames ignited upon the blade. Shutenmaru's eyes darkened as his massive body leapt high into the air, raising his sword with both hands before slashing downward!
"Master Drinker: Flame Slash!!"
*Clang!!*
A massive flying slash wreathed in roaring flames struck the earth, forcing back several pirates and saving the samurai under his command. Shutenmaru then swung his sword in a horizontal sweep!
*Swish!*
Another flaming slash flew out. This time, a brown pterosaur with a long neck swiftly dashed out from among the pirates. With a fierce flap of its wings, it unleashed several wind blades that swept outward!
"Kamikaze!!"
*Boom!!*
The wind blades and the flaming slash collided and violently detonated. Clusters of sparks were blown outward by the gale, dissipating into the air.
Shutenmaru's eyes grew solemn. 'Bodies with animal traits, exactly like the Gifters. Are they Zoan ability users?'
"Your swordsmanship isn't bad. I've long heard that the samurai of Wano Country are incredibly strong, and today I finally get to see it for myself."
The brown pterosaur gradually transformed into a half-human form. With long, curly brown hair cascading over his shoulders, the man's arms had turned into wings, and sharp claws grew from his feet. His handsome face featured bright, pitch-black eyes.
"They all call me Kamikaze Morle. Although I'm not considered a top fighter on the ship, I'm more than enough to deal with a guy like you."
Morle Gies curled the corners of his mouth, looking at Shutenmaru with an expression of great interest as he said,
"Just a little reminder, I have a massive bounty of 430 million Berries."
"Whoa!"
"Go get 'em, Captain Morle!"
A group of pirates in the back excitedly cheered for their squad captain, while several other squad captains nearby also looked over to watch the battle with interest.
"That idiot is at it again."
"Seriously, does he have to show off like this in every battle?"
"No wonder his bounty is rising so fast. He's about to surpass us seniors."
"Don't say that. If he didn't have enough potential, Captain Gin wouldn't have rewarded him with an Ancient Zoan fruit."
Amidst the cheers and teasing of the crowd, Morle grinned, clearly thoroughly enjoying the feeling of being the center of attention.
However, someone was not going to indulge him.
"You idiot who hasn't even mastered Haki properly, you sure have a knack for showing off. Get out of the way, you brat."
A deep reprimand came from behind. A chill ran down Morle's spine, and upon hearing this familiar voice, he immediately straightened his posture in fright.
"Yes! Captain!"
Morle replied loudly and respectfully, hurriedly making way for the newcomer.
Shutenmaru's expression turned grave. In the next second, he saw Gin slowly walking out from the crowd.
The moment he appeared, everyone around restrained their expressions, their eyes revealing a look of absolute seriousness.
Just from that aura, which was completely different from everyone else around him, Shutenmaru instantly made a judgment in his heart.
'This guy is absolutely absurdly strong!!'
Meanwhile, at the foot of a mountain in the Ringo region, lay the Northern Cemetery, where white snow danced in the sky.
A massive number of graves were built here. Most of them only had simple wooden tombstones erected, while some didn't even have tombstones at all, merely having the sword the deceased wielded in life stabbed into the ground.
Among them, a small number had specially constructed tombs. Although not very luxurious, they were enough to highlight the former status of the tomb's owner.
At this moment, Allen and his crew were gathered around one of these tombs, their faces all showing expressions of disbelief.
Perona knelt before the tomb with a stunned and bewildered expression. Looking at the wooden plaque above engraved with "Tomb of Kozuki Moria," two streams of tears uncontrollably flowed from the corners of her eyes.
"Lord Moria... how could this be..."
Perona clenched her fists tightly, pressing her trembling lips firmly together.
Behind her, everyone turned their faces away to avoid her gaze, not knowing how to comfort her. Even Kid obediently kept his mouth shut and remained silent.
No one had expected that what Gyukimaru brought them to see would actually be a scene like this.
Only Allen and Robin remained expressionless, quietly looking at the tombstone before them, deep in thought.
"Sorry to interrupt, but looking at the marks on the tombstone, this place should have been built a long time ago, right?"
Robin couldn't help but speak up.
As an archaeologist, she could tell at a glance that the tomb before her was built over a decade ago. It was truly difficult to associate it with the Moria who had only been defeated by Kid two years ago.
"That's right. This was built by the people of Wano Country to commemorate this hero after the great battle between Moria and Kaido."
Gyukimaru nodded in response. He looked up at the snow filling the sky, a hint of emotion in his eyes as he said,
"It has been 23 years now."
"Waaah~ Lord Moria~ I didn't expect you to have done such a... eh?"
Perona cried out in bitter sorrow. Just as she wiped her tears, her crying abruptly stopped. She slowly turned her head to look at Gyukimaru, stunned.
"What the hell do you mean he died 23 years ago?!"
Perona rolled her eyes, pointed at Moria's tomb, and stood up. She grabbed Gyukimaru by the collar and roared angrily with bared teeth,
"Hey, you bastard! You better explain exactly what is going on here! Otherwise, I'll bury you inside it today!"