Hiyori had indeed fallen asleep.
Because she was pregnant and had experienced continuous ups and downs from yesterday to today.
This delicate woman, although Caesar had restored her body with his essence blood, had been mentally tense all along.
"My lord? Where should we go next?" Black Maria asked softly.
"Let's return to Bakura Town first. I see you're all tired and need some rest. The situation over there... is somewhat terrible. Forget it, all of you come onto my back. I'll fly you over."
Caesar handed Hiyori to Black Maria, then leaped up directly, transforming into a hundred-meter-long golden bird.
"All of you, come up!"
The giant golden bird called out, its voice quite shrill.
"Yes."
Immediately, Ulti and the others leaped onto the spacious back of the roc.
Swish.
Law's figure, holding his long sword, appeared very abruptly behind the group, startling Ulti.
Ulti looked at Law with full alertness, while Black Maria was even more nervous.
She had witnessed with her own eyes how Law had used his ability yesterday to gather those samurai together, allowing Kid to crush them into bloody pulp with a single palm.
"Don't be nervous. I've erased his memories. Now he's just a puppet who follows orders."
The golden bird flapped its wings and soared high.
Its exceptionally wide back had fluffy, soft feathers.
Everyone sitting on it felt more comfortable than sleeping on a large bed.
Hearing Caesar's words, Ulti immediately relaxed, moaning softly as she lazily lay down in the golden feathers beneath her, feeling incredibly relaxed and comfortable, which instantly made her yawn repeatedly.
"So soft~ Caesar, I'm going to sleep on your big bird tonight. You're not allowed to shrink!"
Black Maria glanced warily at Ulti, her tall body involuntarily lying down as she nestled into Caesar's soft feathers.
Caesar moved swiftly, returning to Bakura Town in just over ten minutes.
As he descended from the sky and landed on the streets of Bakura Town, he happened to see Kiku leading a large group of people carrying buckets, wooden basins, and other tools, using brooms and hoes to wash away the bloodstains on the streets.
"My lord! You've returned?"
Since Caesar's return to Wano Country this time, Kiku had wholeheartedly pledged her loyalty to him.
She had come to fully understand that for a nation to maintain lasting peace, it must possess a powerful guardian deity.
Though she was reluctant to admit it, Kaido, who had been proclaimed the Guardian Deity of Wano by Kurozumi Orochi for over twenty years, had indeed protected Wano Country from external interference during that time.
And now, the guardian deity of Wano Country was this towering man before her.
Caesar landed and returned to his original form.
Indeed, his height had increased once again, now reaching 9.3 meters.
Even when he deliberately restrained his aura, the overwhelming pressure he exuded made everyone feel deep reverence.
People like Page One, Black Maria, and Kiku dared not meet Caesar's gaze.
Only a carefree woman like Ulti would still boldly shout and make a fuss around Caesar.
Kiku approached, having changed into a black outfit.
Her slender waist was cinched tight with a sash, and her sleeves were rolled up high, revealing her overly pale arms.
When she saw Hiyori cradled in Black Maria's arms, her face turned pale with shock, and she hurried forward, asking anxiously.
"What happened to Her Majesty?"
"Hiyori is fine, she's just asleep."
Black Maria's words made Kiku breathe a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, the busy residents on the street noticed Caesar and the others, even catching sight of Hiyori.
"It's Lord Caesar and Her Majesty the Queen!"
"Wonderful! Her Majesty is safe after all, that's great!"
"Long live Her Majesty! Long live Lord Caesar!"
The excited residents crowded around, and the scene quickly grew noisy.
Caesar frowned slightly in annoyance.
Kiku, observing his expression, was about to reprimand the crowd when a soft yet authoritative female voice rang out:
"Thank you all for your concern. I am fine and unharmed."
Kiku turned to see Hiyori stepping down from Maria's embrace and walking toward the crowd in Bakura Town.
Graceful and elegant, though her frame was delicate, she carried the dignity and nobility of a queen, appearing sacred and untouchable.
Hiyori looked puzzled at the buckets, wooden basins, brooms, and shovels still stained with blood in the people's hands.
Her body trembled slightly, and she walked straight into the crowd, heading toward the site of the tragedy on the street.
"Hiyori, it's best if you don't go over there," Caesar said calmly.
Hiyori paused for a moment but then continued walking resolutely.
Some of the residents grew anxious, exchanging uneasy glances.
Hiyori was a woman—how could she be exposed to such a gruesome scene of carnage?
Immediately, a resident stepped in front of Hiyori, blocking her path, and pleaded.
"Your Majesty! We... we're just cleaning up. It's very dirty over there. Please don't go any further for now. Lady Kiku! Please take Her Majesty back to the palace. We'll speed up the cleaning."
"Right! Exactly, we're cleaning the streets. Hehe, it's been a long time since we had a major cleanup. Hakumai Town should become cleaner and more orderly."
The residents tried to persuade her one after another.
But the more they did so, the heavier the unease grew in Hiyori's heart.
Suddenly, Hiyori frowned and scolded them, "All of you, step back!"
In that instant, Hiyori's demeanor was extremely authoritative.
The Wano Country citizens who had been trying to block her path immediately turned pale with fear.
One by one, they knelt and kowtowed in terror, no longer daring to obstruct Hiyori.
A path opened through the crowd, allowing Hiyori to pass.
"What's going on? Is there something they don't want us to see?"
Ulti looked utterly confused and quickly jogged to catch up with Hiyori ahead.
Caesar strode along behind the group.
Immediately, Page One, Kiku, and the others all followed suit.
When everyone arrived on the street not far from the queen's palace, they were met with a horrific scene of hell.
Dark red soil covered the ground, shoveled up and piled in the middle of the road;
Massive spheres of flesh and blood were stacked high on over a dozen large carts, already attracting swarms of flies;
Several dump trucks were filled with mutilated, torn-apart corpses, too gruesome to look at directly.
"Urgh...!"
Ulti opened her mouth, then immediately ran to the roadside and began vomiting violently.
Hiyori's pupils dilated, her lips trembled, and her eyes were fixed on those enormous spheres of flesh.
On some of the taller piles of flesh, horrifyingly, twisted faces frozen in expressions of despair, agony, and resentment were embedded, creating a bloody and eerie sight.
Hiyori opened her mouth but couldn't utter a word, as if something were stuck in her throat.
Her slender body trembled, then suddenly her eyes rolled back and she swayed, collapsing.
"I told you not to go over there."
Caesar shook his head and extended a large hand, catching Hiyori just before she hit the ground.
He cradled her in his palm and carried her into the palace, calling back over his shoulder without turning around.
"Deal with this quickly."
"Yes, sir!"
Kiku responded with a grave expression.
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