Night, deep into the night.
It was a night without even the light of the moon as if a massive shadow had obscured all light.
However, in the capital city of Law, one place remained brightly lit. This place had never known darkness, always bathed in light, because it was the most important location in Wano, the lifeblood of the nation.
The people of Wano enjoyed a superior quality of life, advanced technology, and the most modern military, all thanks to this place.
This was the Battle Laboratory.
Here, work went on around the clock, 24 hours a day. The lights never dimmed, so there was no darkness, and thus, no shadows.
In such an environment, even malevolent spirits and shadowy figures had no way to infiltrate.
Yet, on the outskirts of the Battle Laboratory, in some hidden corners, many dark figures began to emerge from the shadows.
These were the Shadow Army!
Once, during Kozuki Oden's reign of terror over the nation, the Shadow Army had been his most loyal enforcers—his elite soldiers. They had caused the rebellion significant trouble, but during the final battle, they were supposedly burned to ashes along with Oden in a great fire.
What the people of Wano didn't know was that the Shadow Army was made of shadows. Even if they were killed, they would simply return to the Shadow Realm, awaiting their resurrection.
Now, they had returned.
With a new purpose, they had come back.
They could appear anywhere shadows existed, making them the ultimate assassins.
However, within the Battle Laboratory, there wasn't even a hint of shadow. This was why they couldn't just infiltrate directly; otherwise, they wouldn't have needed to show up outside.
The Battle Laboratory was the most important place in Wano, and as such, it was heavily defended. It wasn't just protected by Wang's elite forces but also guarded by powerful members of the Beasts Pirates. A kilometer away was also a Marine Base.
Yes, as a member of the World Government, Wano had a Marine Base within its borders.
Such defenses made it nearly impossible to breach. Even the strongest pirates from the seas had fallen before reaching the Battle Laboratory.
Over the years, countless individuals have coveted Wano's technology, but no one has ever succeeded in acquiring it.
Even if they managed to fight their way through Wang's forces and the Marines, eventually, Kaido himself would show up and crush them with his Thunder Bagua.
The nation's military alone was a formidable force to contend with.
From where the Shadow Army stood, they could see the well-illuminated gates of the Battle Laboratory, guarded by soldiers and surrounded by walls, towers, and bunkers.
Those towers emitted beams of light, weapons that were especially dangerous to shadows. During the war in Wano, the Shadow Army had suffered heavily from these light prism weapons.
In addition, two massive cannons flanked the Battle Laboratory. These were Wano's ultimate weapons—capable of vast range and immense destruction. Many of these cannons were stationed on bridges leading into Wano, serving as a deterrent to external threats.
Such strong defenses meant that even without Marine or Kaido's reinforcements, few could hope to break through.
However, this time, the defenders faced their most cunning adversary yet—a legion of undead shadows!
The Shadow Army had flawless coordination, and they knew every defensive measure of the Battle Laboratory inside and out. What others had failed to accomplish on the open seas, they believed they could achieve.
Not only that, but this Shadow Army also included several masters—elite warriors who had once served Kozuki Oden during the war in Wano.
Though they had been slain by Himura Kenshin, their souls hadn't found peace. Instead, Oden had transformed them into even more loyal shadow warriors. Over time, their strength had only grown, fueled by a mysterious connection to Oden.
As Oden grew stronger, so too did they. These shadow generals were Oden's commanders, entrusted with leading the entire Shadow Army.
Their strength now rivaled some of the greatest fighters in the world, and with their inherent advantages as shadows, no ordinary defense could stop them.
As Kin'emon took action, the shadows under his command began their stealthy advance. In the darkness of night, they blended in seamlessly with their surroundings.
However, they were aware that the Battle Laboratory's core defense systems had several layers of surveillance. Even with all the intelligence they had gathered from the shadows, they had to remain cautious.
While most of these defenses were designed to detect human threats—since no one would expect shadows to pose a danger—there were still some devices capable of detecting anomalies.
With this knowledge, they managed to get close to the Battle Laboratory. But at this distance, stealth was no longer an option. They had to make a move.
The only path forward was a direct assault through the front gate.
They knew their mission: retrieve the Omnitrix and bring it back to the shadows as quickly as possible. As the most intelligent of the eight shadow generals, Kin'emon's eyes gleamed with determination from behind his mask.
With one swift leap, he was over the wall and slashing his sword through the air.
A single strike sent a massive wave of sword energy crashing into a nearby lighthouse, destroying it and plunging part of the area into darkness. Though this wasn't the only source of light in the area, it was a significant blow.
Just as Kin'emon prepared to take out more light sources, the defense systems of the Battle Laboratory were triggered. The bunkers, prism towers, and even the two massive cannons locked onto him.
Yet, the Shadow Army knew no fear. Even under heavy fire, they would press on!
Kin'emon's body was blown to pieces by a barrage of artillery, but the fragments were just shadows. He quickly reformed, while the Shadow Army surged forward, making their way toward the Battle Laboratory.
"Enemy attack!" a guard shouted as more soldiers streamed out of the laboratory, fully armed and prepared to fight back against the shadow warriors.
Explosions and bullets filled the air, wreaking havoc even on the elite Shadow Army.
However…
The shadows leading the assault weren't the real attack force!