As the meteor slammed into the castle, Gecko Moria's base quickly turned into a raging inferno.
The intense flames drove away the eerie atmosphere that once blanketed the island. The dense fog that had wrapped everything in gloom began to evaporate rapidly in the heat.
After unleashing the slash that shattered the meteor, Yoriichi Tsugikuni didn't press forward. Instead, he swiftly retreated and landed atop the castle's outer wall. From there, he silently observed the pirates who were now fleeing from the burning ruins.
Issho's sudden meteor strike had been so abrupt that not even the most hardened pirates had a chance to react. Many perished instantly in that magnificent yet deadly rain of fire.
Still, Moria's pirate crew was vast. Within moments, hundreds of survivors had emerged from the shattered interior and spilled onto the castle's front plaza.
"What the hell just happened?!"
"A meteor shower?! That's some rotten luck!"
"Put out the fires! Find Captain Moria! Someone get the Captain now!!"
The pirates, now congregated on the open ground, were too distracted to notice Yoriichi standing above them.
He silently watched the panicked crowd scrambling to contain the fires… then slowly turned his head to one burning doorway.
BOOM!!
As his gaze locked onto it, the massive wooden doors exploded inward, and a tall figure emerged from within.
A pale-skinned young man, gaunt and ominous, stepped forward. His clothes were lavish, a blood-red overcoat embroidered with golden floral patterns. He wore black leather boots, and his long neck bore a strange stitched X-shaped mark across the front of his forehead, as if sewn shut with black thread.
The figure strode up the steps and glared toward the wall where Yoriichi and the others stood. His expression was grim, his eyes seething with fury, yet wary.
"That him?" Mihawk asked as he stepped up beside Yoriichi, joined by Issho.
"Yeah," Yoriichi replied. "Gecko Moria. Bounty: 240 million Berries. West Blue native. He entered the New World years ago, but his bounty hasn't changed since then."
"Seems he's been lying low… gathering power."
The size of the pirate crew was no joke. A rough glance told Yoriichi that nearly a thousand pirates had survived.
In the New World, large pirate crews were not unusual, but a thousand-man crew under a captain worth less than 300 million? That was rare.
Yoriichi gave Moria a bit more credit after realizing that. He likely hadn't yet fought Kaido and lost everything. Though Moria had stolen Ryuma's corpse and the legendary sword Shusui, it seemed that, for reasons unknown, he hadn't clashed with the Beast Pirates.
Unbeknownst to Yoriichi, Wano was still free. It had never fallen to Kaido's forces. After the Roger and Whitebeard Pirates withdrew from Lodestar Island, it was the Whitebeard Pirates who escorted Kozuki Oden back to Wano.
And unlike the original timeline, Whitebeard and his crew lingered in Wano as honored guests. Their presence disrupted Orochi and Kaido's plans before they could begin.
In that battle, the youthful Beast Pirates were crushed by Whitebeard's peak-era crew and forced into a hasty retreat.
Moria took advantage of the chaos, sneaking in to steal Ryuma's corpse and Shusui.
As Yoriichi reflected on this, Moria raised his hand and pointed at them, shouting:
"Ya lu do mo~!!"
"Capture those three Marines alive and bring them to me!"
His voice echoed across the plaza. The surviving pirates turned their eyes toward the wall, finally spotting the trio.
"Marines?!"
"What are Marines doing here?!"
"Who cares?! They're dead meat anyway!"
Some bloodthirsty pirates grinned at the sight. But others hesitated. A meteor shower, and then three white-clad Marines in their midst? Something didn't add up.
Even in the pirate world, not everyone was an idiot.
"Mihawk. Issho. The fodder's yours," Yoriichi said casually.
As the enemy locked on to them, he twirled his blade and leaned forward.
BOOM!
He landed at the base of the wall, and a burst of dust exploded outward, concealing him for a moment.
SWOOSH!!
In the next instant, a white blur pierced through the crowd, straight to Moria's face.
Standing on the steps, Moria barely had time to blink before a red-haired youth in a white uniform appeared before him. The youth's black blade had already swung toward his neck.
"!!!"
Moria couldn't even draw his sword. Time seemed to freeze around him. His vision was filled only with Yoriichi's calm, indifferent face.
Every hair on Moria's body stood on end. His heart… skipped a beat.
But at the last second, a shadow darted from the ground, shooting toward Yoriichi's chest.
"So many weird tricks…"
Yoriichi had seen it coming.
Even if Transparent World couldn't fully predict Devil Fruit abilities, his heightened senses picked up every movement. Against someone like Moria, even a late reaction was enough.
He drew his scabbard with his left hand and coated it in Armament Haki, ready to block. Meanwhile, his right-hand slash never stopped.
SHHK!
His blade cleaved through Moria's neck. At the same moment, he casually deflected the shadow's attack.
Blood sprayed. Moria's head, still wide-eyed, flew into the fire.
Yoriichi landed gently.
Moments later, Moria's headless body collapsed behind him.
THUD.
Blood poured from the stump and pooled on the stone steps.
"So this was the man who once fought Kaido… disappointing."
Yoriichi stared at the corpse, slowly sheathing his blade. For some reason… he felt a pang of emptiness.
He'd barely lifted his sword, yet the battle was already over. The thrill was gone.
The pirates below finally realized what had happened.
Their eyes darted to Moria's fallen body. A thousand-yard stare of horror gripped them.
One strike?
He decapitated their captain… in one strike?!
Panic erupted. Legs gave out. Sanity fled.
Pirates bolted.
None dared to fight.
But before they could flee far, Issho dropped from the wall, landing directly in front of the main gate.
"Outta the way, Marine!"
"Move or we'll kill you!"
Their words were all bark, no bite.
They knew. Anyone standing next to that red-haired monster had to be just as terrifying.
They were right.
"Now then, sinners…" Issho murmured softly.
"Let me send you where you belong."
He drew his blade.
With a single motion, he invoked his gravity powers.
BOOM!
The plaza collapsed beneath a crushing weight. Issho raised his sword slightly, and all the pirates dropped like stones.
The weakest ones couldn't even breathe under the pressure. Organs ruptured. Blood sprayed. They passed out on the spot.
Others groaned, faces pressed into the ground, unable to rise.
Issho's terrifying power was now fully on display.
Even Yoriichi, still standing on the steps, felt the pressure. His bones creaked under the force, but it didn't slow him at all.
He scanned the battlefield.
Something caught his attention.
In a blink, he vanished.
When he returned moments later, he carried a sheathed black-and-red sword.
Ryuma's sword.
Shusui.
"That's Shusui," Mihawk said, recognizing it at once.
"May I?"
Yoriichi didn't mind. He tossed the sword to Mihawk.
The Hawk-Eye unsheathed it and studied the immaculate blade.
"No Haki. No chips. Still flawless."
"An exceptional sword."
After admiring it for a moment, he sheathed it and tossed it back.
Mihawk wasn't greedy for weapons. He had Yoru, one of the twelve Supreme Grade swords. He didn't need another.
Yoriichi turned and approached Issho. Without a word, he held out Shusui.
Issho instinctively took it, confused by the gesture.
"Spoils of war," Yoriichi said with a grin.
"I can't give you Enma or Ame-no-Habakiri, those were gifts from Vice Admiral Garp."
"But Shusui? That's yours now."
"You don't need to refuse. A sword is meant to be used. And you've earned it."
"Oh, and don't kill all of them. Some of these pirates are worth more alive."
"Round them up. Have Kyros come help search for Moria's treasure stash."
"We Marines don't get paid enough."
Issho opened his mouth to protest, but closed it again. Instead, he smiled faintly and said:
"In that case… I accept. I'll wield Shusui in service of my justice."
He gripped the blade tightly.
"Don't be so serious," Yoriichi chuckled. "You're one of us."
Issho could be even more rigid than Kyros at times.
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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter
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