*Boom!! Boom!!*
Inside the Shogun's Palace at the center of the Flower Capital, two sudden, massive explosions caused the entire estate to shake violently.
"Get out of the way!!"
"Enemies have invaded! Guards, get them!"
"Protect Lord Orochi!!"
The palace was in utter chaos as people screamed and fled in panic.
Outside, over a hundred fierce pirates surged madly through two blown-out gaps in the perimeter wall, crushing everything in their path with unstoppable momentum!
At the very top of the magnificent building, a panicked Orochi ran out of his room and leaned over the balcony railing to look at the scene below.
"How are they so fast?! To think they let the enemy fight their way right into the Shogun's Palace! Are the guards completely useless?! Where is Kyoshiro? Why isn't he here yet?!"
"Please calm down, Shogun. The palace is currently under the strictest security in its history. It is impossible for the enemy to easily break through to the upper levels."
Fukurokuju, the leader of the Oniwabanshu, reassured him with a calm tone.
"I will assemble the Oniwabanshu at once. Since the enemy has delivered themselves to our doorstep, we shall let them witness the power of Wano's ninjas!"
Kurozumi Orochi slammed his large hand against the floor and roared at him angrily, "Then hurry up and go! How dare they make me lose face like this! Kill every last one of those bastards!"
"Yes, sir!"
*Swish!*
Fukurokuju replied with a half-kneeling bow, his figure flashing as he suddenly vanished from the spot.
"Kamikaze: Crow Thrust!"
*Clang!! Clang!! Clang!!*
In the front courtyard garden, a Quetzalcoatlus spread its wings and charged forward at high speed, sweeping past over a dozen samurai. The turbulent air currents it generated formed wind blades that sliced through the enemies, sending countless sprays of blood flying in its wake.
"Tiger Kill: Impact!!"
*Boom!!*
Buchi, transformed into his tiger-man form, rampaged through the area, advancing highly efficiently in the most brutal and savage manner possible.
"Phantom Claw Strike!!"
*Slash! Slash!*
Sham moved through the crowd like a swimming dragon, his high-speed movements leaving behind countless afterimages. Wherever he passed, only blood could be seen, but not his figure.
In the courtyard, Sanji and Gin commanded from the rear. Over a dozen Demon-level squad leaders unleashed their respective abilities, leading the pirates as they charged into the interior of the Shogun's Palace at breakneck speed.
Ordinary samurai couldn't even last a single round against them, collapsing like a landslide. It wasn't until the courtyard was completely breached that the true experts of the Shogun's Palace finally appeared.
*Boom!!*
Not long after the pirates fought their way into the estate, a powerful explosion suddenly erupted from within!
Flames mixed with black smoke billowed out. Several pirates were instantly blown backward, their bodies crashing through the walls and slamming hard onto the courtyard lawn.
Inside the estate, several figures slowly appeared in the corridor. It was none other than the ninja unit directly under Kurozumi Orochi, led by Fukurokuju!
"It's the Orochi Oniwabanshu!"
"Great! They're finally making their move!"
"They are elite ninjas, all of whom possess high-level ninjutsu! Let these foreigners witness their power!"
The samurai and guards grew excited; the appearance of the Oniwabanshu clearly gave them a massive boost in confidence.
"High-level ninjutsu? Is that a combat technique unique to Wano Country?"
Gin eyed them with interest. Although he had never seen it before, it sounded quite formidable, which couldn't help but ignite his fighting spirit.
"Let me test what you're made of."
Gin curled his lips into a grin and drew an iron tonfa from his waist with his right hand.
Among the Oniwabanshu members, a kimono-clad woman holding a biwa suddenly made her move. She leaped high into the air and aimed the head of her biwa at Gin.
"Ninja Art: Hell Biwa!!"
*Swish! Swish! Swish!*
A hidden compartment opened at the head of the biwa, firing over a dozen shuriken like a machine gun. The rapidly spinning shuriken traced arcs through the air, shooting toward Gin from all directions.
"Tch, cheap tricks."
*Clink! Clink! Clink!*
Gin chuckled dismissively and rapidly twirled his iron tonfa. Sparks flashed continuously as the shuriken were knocked out of the air one by one.
At that moment, two tall and burly Oniwabanshu members—one wearing a purple samurai outfit and the other a yellow ninja suit—charged at him from the left and right.
"Die!!"
With ferocious glares, the two wielded large odachi, slashing at him—one horizontally and the other vertically!
Gin raised his iron tonfa to block the vertical strike while simultaneously jumping to evade the sweeping blade. His left hand quickly drew a pistol and aimed it at one of them.
"More-More: Thirtyfold Pistol!!"
*Bang!!*
The bullet shot out with a blast, instantly expanding to the size of a fist the moment it left the barrel. It slammed into the chest of the purple-clad ninja with tremendous force!
"Gwaaah—!!"
*Crash! Crash! Crash!*
The strike caved in half of the man's chest, shattering numerous ribs. His eyes rolled back as he lost consciousness on the spot, his body flying backward and crashing through several rooms!
Gin twisted his wrist, using his iron tonfa to hook and redirect the yellow-clad ninja's odachi in a full circle before driving it into the floor, pinning the blade down completely!
Under the man's astonished gaze, Gin planted one hand on the ground, vaulted his body into the air with a 180-degree spin, and delivered a vicious whipping kick right to the ninja's neck!
*Bam!!*
"Urgh—!"
The incredibly heavy kick sent shockwaves rippling through the air. The yellow-clad ninja's mind went blank, nearly losing consciousness.
Gin hooked his toes, yanking the ninja's neck forward, and brought his other knee up to smash brutally into the man's face!
*Crack!!*
The knee strike instantly shattered the man's teeth, sending them flying from his mouth in a spray of blood.
Using the recoil, Gin leaped backward. The moment his feet touched the ground, his Observation Haki detected a rapidly approaching hostility from behind—completely silent, yet radiating absolute killing intent!
When he turned his head to look, he was surprised to find absolutely no one behind him. However, the intense warning from his Observation Haki kept him on high alert, and his body instinctively leaned backward.
A cold flash of steel sliced through the air!
*Screech!*
Sparks flew violently as a blade mark was carved into his chest armor out of thin air!
"Invisibility?"
Gin furrowed his brows, reacting swiftly. He flipped his wrist to switch to a reverse grip on his iron tonfa and smashed it fiercely into the floor in front of him!
"Thirtyfold Multiply: Destructive Blast!!"
*Bang!!*
With his explosive shout, the heavy iron ball slammed into the floor. Under the invisible ninja's terrified gaze, a blinding light suddenly erupted from the pitch-black iron sphere!
*BOOM!!!*
The terrifying explosion of fire instantly swallowed the hundred-meter space in front of him. The shockwave tore through everything with devastating force. The entire Shogun's Palace shook violently, a whole corner of the building blown away on the spot!
Under the thirtyfold explosive amplification of his heavy hammer, "Destroyer," even a warship would be instantly blasted into splinters.
The ninja who took the brunt of the explosion head-on was likely reduced to nothing but ash.
Gin's expression was cold as he turned around to look at the remaining ninjas.
Fukurokuju, the leader of the Oniwabanshu, swallowed hard. Looking at Gin's face, which was heavy with the hostility of a demon, the remaining ninjas revealed terror in their eyes and instinctively took a step back.
Hanzo, Sarutobi, and Kazekage—the three who had attacked simultaneously—had suffered heavy casualties in just a single exchange. They couldn't even withstand a single move from their opponent!
"I thought these so-called 'ninjas' were some kind of experts, but it turns out they're just slightly bigger small fry."
Gin said with a look of disdain, instantly losing interest in the people before him. He casually ordered his subordinates:
"I'll leave the rest of them to you. Take this place down before the Captain arrives."
"Yes, sir!"
The group of Demon-level squad leaders shouted in agreement, sinister grins spreading across their faces as they scrambled forward to claim their opponents.
The fierce battle inside the estate continued. Gin retracted his weapon and was just about to head deeper inside.
Suddenly.
*Boom!!*
A massive commotion erupted outside the estate, causing the ground itself to tremble.
Gin furrowed his brows slightly. His Observation Haki sensed the arrival of a powerful presence, and he instinctively turned to look outside.
In the courtyard filled with cherry blossom trees, a tall, burly figure descended from the sky. His heavy body stomped a massive crater into the lawn, sending billowing clouds of dust and smoke into the air.
"To think you'd dare step foot into the territory of the Animal Kingdom Pirates! You've got a lot of nerve!"
Jack strode out from the dust. He had three yellow braids tied on his head, a pair of curved giant horns attached to the sides of his head, and a steel half-mask covering his jaw. His eyes radiated absolute ferocity.
Wielding two curved shotels, their sharp blades gleaming with a cold light, he glared fiercely into the Shogun's Palace and roared at the top of his lungs:
"Demon Lion Allen! Get your ass out here!!"