Kin'emon was well aware of the massive gap between his strength and Kaido's.
But after that brief exchange, what truly unsettled him was his inability to comprehend how Kaido had neutralized his blade aura so effortlessly. This only deepened the unease in his heart.
This Kaido was far beyond what they—despite all the forces they'd gathered—were capable of confronting.
Let alone the fact that nearby stood Charlotte Linlin, eyeing everything like a tiger stalking prey, her relationship with Kaido as close as ever.
Yet despite all this, their young lord Momonosuke had insisted on attending this banquet.
As retainers of the Kozuki clan, the Nine Red Scabbards had no choice but to obey.
"Are we really placing all our hopes on the possibility that Roya will fight Kaido for the sake of Princess Hiyori…?"
"If so, isn't this so-called restoration far too humiliating?"
Defeated in a single move, Kin'emon withdrew with mixed feelings.
When he looked again at Momonosuke, he found it even harder to accept.
Kaido had already made his move through Orochi, and they'd been completely outplayed—already at a disadvantage.
And in such a critical moment, Momonosuke was still struggling with a giant piece of cake, clearly indifferent to the Kozuki family's honor or the country's fate.
"Is this truly a master worth following?"
Then—
"Kin'emon! As the leader of the Kozuki clan's samurai… your swordsmanship is downright disgraceful!"
Scratchmen Apoo's piano-like teeth clacked as he spoke, and his voice was projected musically for all to hear.
"If the Kozuki family's standard is really that low, how could Lord Kaido ever feel safe handing the country's future back to you?"
With that, Apoo not only insulted the Kozuki clan's strength but also delegitimized their rightful claim to rule Wano, suggesting that Kaido's approval was needed.
This instantly ignited the wrath of the Red Scabbards.
Inuarashi bellowed, "Nonsense! The Kozuki family's rule over Wano is right and just! What need is there for Kaido's permission?!"
Apoo sneered, "If it weren't for Lord Kaido, you wouldn't even be able to defeat that traitor Orochi! With your strength, what right do you have to talk about ruling Wano?"
Then he turned. "Drake—show these frogs in the well what real swordsmanship looks like!"
Drake was stunned. He couldn't understand why Apoo would suddenly call on him at a time like this.
Even based on swordsmanship alone, he wasn't on the same level as King the Wildfire.
But there was no time to think.
Kaido had already flung Orochi's mutilated body—now left with only one head—out across the platform.
If Orochi escaped, the consequences would be severe.
Left with no choice, Drake drew his short Western sword and, pretending to follow the cue, leapt up toward the airborne Orochi.
But Orochi realized this might be his final chance to escape.
In that instant, he pushed his Devil Fruit powers to the limit.
His seven severed necks writhed wildly—then each regenerated a brand-new head.
Now with eight heads once more, Orochi roared and opened all eight mouths.
From them spewed a torrent of purple venom, spraying in all directions like he had nothing left to lose.
And then, the central head cried out:
"Lord Roya! For all the years I protected the princess from those aristocratic scum, please—save me!"
Hearing this plea, Drake's heart sank. It struck him all at once:
"My dual-agent identity… Kaido must have known all along!"
Not only had Kaido predicted how Orochi would react under pressure—he had calculated everything down to the last detail!
"Kaido… is forcing my master to take action?!"
All the clues clicked in Drake's mind—forming a conclusion that seemed implausible, but felt undeniably true.
"I can't let my mistake force Lord Roya into a passive position!"
He made his decision in an instant.
The sword he'd been swinging around for show—Drake suddenly withdrew it.
Then, unleashing his Devil Fruit power, he transformed almost instantly into an Allosaurus hybrid form.
With one hand, he grabbed the tip of the now-retracted short sword—
Snap!
A burst of explosive sword aura erupted as the blade vibrated like a tuning fork, hurling powerful shockwaves in all directions.
Each wave of sword energy collided with the clouds of venom Orochi had unleashed, vaporizing them completely like water thrown into fire.
Then Drake, already gripping the massive greataxe at his waist, brought it down on Orochi—
The blade gleamed with Armament Haki, surging along its uniquely cross-shaped edge. The combination of cleaving and blunt force struck as one.
In a single, brutal swing—
He sliced through every one of Orochi's necks, leaving him a bald, headless serpent stump.
Then, with a final rising kick, Drake sent Orochi's mangled body flying back to Kaido's feet.
He flipped midair and landed cleanly back at his original spot—cool and composed.
Orochi, having lost all eight heads, could no longer rely on even his most powerful regenerative abilities.
When he hit the ground—he was nothing more than a cold, lifeless corpse.
Kaido stepped forward and planted his foot on the body, then turned to Roya with a grin.
"Roya... the Shogun was even willing to invoke the Princess's name to beg for your mercy."
"Even if you didn't want to save him, should you really let your own subordinate cut him down like that?"
Drake's body stiffened. His hands instinctively gripped the handles of both the greataxe and short sword.
The scales of his Allosaurus form shimmered and became denser—readying for combat.
But Roya said nothing. He merely gave a curious smile and turned to look at Momonosuke.
Because—at that very moment—the strange aura and mysterious power Roya had once sensed on Punk Hazard was rapidly reawakening inside Momonosuke.
Kaido and Big Mom both sensed it immediately.
Their attention shifted from Roya—and onto Momonosuke.
There he stood, rubbing his now round, full belly with a satisfied grin.
He walked forward slowly—until he stood in a perfect triangle formation between Roya and Kaido.
Hands on hips, belly protruding, he declared:
"All this nonsense—and in the end, it's just going to come down to who has the better blade, right?"
"So why don't we each send out a few warriors—duels, team fights, I don't care. Whichever side wins more matches… gets Wano. How's that?"
Kaido burst into laughter.
"The son of Kozuki Oden… just as naive as his father!"
"If you lose, will you also dance naked for five years in the capital's busiest street—just like your old man?!"
Having his father's most humiliating memory dragged into the open, Momonosuke didn't even flinch.
Instead, a twisted grin appeared on his face.
"Do you smell blood?"
"Smells like my Red Scabbards are already out there, slaughtering your lowly hybrid beasts."
Kaido's pupils contracted.
Unconsciously, he turned toward the mainland of Wano.
There—bursts of fire were lighting up across the island.
Though far away, they were still visible in the darkness—bright as flares.
The battles at every factory… had begun.
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