Ninjutsu! All pure ninjutsu!
In the minds of the Shimotsuki family samurai, White Wolf Pirates members had become a group of demons using evil ninjutsu.
Ninjutsu that could make oneself grow and shrink! Ninjutsu that could shatter glaciers and crack the earth! Ninjutsu that could make a child's body grow large and indestructible! Ninjutsu that could make people float in the air!
After joining White Wolf Pirates, Shiki's identity as a Float-Float Fruit user was exposed on the first day. Even Shiki himself didn't think he could hide anything while under Silas's watch.
Fine, let it be exposed. Anyway, Shiki didn't expect to leave White Wolf Pirates anytime soon.
His goal was to follow a senior's example—Rocks! It was said that after joining White Wolf Pirates, the former crew member who left to establish his own crew had Silas's permission. This was hope!
Actually, though Rocks had left White Wolf Pirates, his White Wolf Pirates identity label hadn't been erased. Even if he created his own crew, it would still be a subsidiary force under White Wolf Pirates.
After all, Rocks hadn't fallen out with Silas, nor was it considered desertion. Unless someday he truly defeated Silas, only then could he truly escape the identity brand Silas had given him.
So Shiki no longer planned to hide himself. Since he temporarily couldn't leave White Wolf Pirates, then even within White Wolf Pirates, he would become the strongest crew member!
Until someday he could gain Silas's recognition like Rocks and qualify to establish his own crew!
Ripley blocked Shimotsuki Fuuya. Newgate and Linlin blocked the Shimotsuki family's strongest samurai. The remaining samurai were handled by Shiki, Zephyr, and Tsuru.
Stussy was just along for the ride. Later, joining Toki, following Silas's instructions, she picked the weakest samurai to hone her combat skills.
Both sides were evenly matched, fighting intensely. However, this also showed White Wolf Pirates' strength was still insufficient—at least far from Silas's ideal vision.
They couldn't even take down one regional family's forces in Wano Country, let alone oppose the World Government.
"Still far from enough!"
But Silas knew he couldn't be too hasty. After all, time was short. Ripley and Newgate had joined White Wolf Pirates for less than five years. Linlin was still young.
Yet their strength was actually quite good for these seas. How many pirates worldwide had bounties over 100 million Berry?
Though Ripley's growth had slowed, even if she only reached around the 200 million Berry level, in later times that would be a great pirate worth 1.6 billion Berry—top-tier level even in ordinary Emperor crews.
Moreover, there were Newgate and Linlin, two talent monsters still rapidly growing. They were White Wolf Pirates' future main forces!
After all, unlike Rocks, they lacked ambitions to become king and preferred living with family. Time was on his side!
Though noticing Fuuya taking out a conch-like object during battle, seemingly seeking aid from within Wano Country, Silas didn't stop him.
Why stop him? Fighting inside Wano Country versus at its periphery had different impacts. This was why Silas called this an opportunity.
Chances to lure out all of Wano's samurai and catch them in one net weren't frequent!
Thinking this, Silas wasn't rushing to eliminate the Shimotsuki family samurai. Instead, he turned to Shimotsuki Shinko.
"Wano Country girl, why don't we continue chatting? We can discuss Giant Kingdom, Fish-Man Island."
"Giant Kingdom is inhabited by giants dozens of times our size, while Fish-Man Island has merfolk with human bodies and fish tails, or fishmen with fish characteristics."
"They're all my partners!"
Silas brought Shinko aboard the Millennium Falcon, casually tossing Kouzaburou at the ship's base. Couldn't help it—this big fool kept glaring with bull eyes, looking at him like a mortal enemy while making constant noise.
"Bastard pirate, I completely misjudged you!"
"This Kitetsu must have been obtained through despicable means!"
"Don't approach Shinko, or I absolutely won't forgive you!"
Constantly shouting, giving Silas a headache. So Silas directly blocked his mouth with ice, bringing only Shinko.
Now, Shinko finally calmed down.
"Silas-san, what exactly is your purpose?"
"My purpose? I want Wano Country to open its borders and trade with us—does that count?"
"Trade with our Wano Country?"
Shinko hadn't expected such an answer from Silas.
"How can plundering compare to business?"
Silas shook his head. "Stealing only satisfies temporary needs—I prefer long-term commerce. Moreover, Wano Country indeed has things I want."
Beyond their seastone processing technology, Wano's craftsmen possessed world-class weapon-forging skills. If he were to go to war with the World Government, a stable weapon source would be essential.
Of course, Silas wouldn't use exploitative trading methods. Future Beast Kaido only had Wano as his weapon production base—Wano was his headquarters with no other money-making routes, forcing him to rely on weapon sales.
But Silas was different. He already had the world's safest logistics base, plus Fish-Man Island and Giant Kingdom trade routes for support. As long as he expanded trading routes in the future, he could fully support his current guard corps.
"If you just want to trade with us, then why..."
Shinko bit her lip.
However naive, she could see White Wolf Pirates members actually held an absolute advantage over their Shimotsuki family samurai. Despite the current stalemate, the samurai were already considering retreat.
Because everyone knew the strongest person on the field hadn't acted yet. Once Silas acted, the situation would be devastating.
"Isn't the reason simple?"
Silas raised an eyebrow. "If I wasn't somewhat domineering, would your Wano Country agree to trade? Definitely not."
As a self-sufficient kingdom, what benefit was there in agreeing to trade with Silas? None.
So-called opening eyes to see the world, making Wano citizens develop better—that was outsiders' wishful thinking. Would Wano locals understand? No, they wouldn't. They would just think you were an idiot.
Because in their minds, their Wano Country was world number one.
So what Silas had to do was simple—first slap Wano people down, then offer some comfort. Of course, this slap couldn't be too heavy, lest it traumatize Wano people. Frightened people wouldn't distinguish good intentions from bad.
This was why Silas wanted to lure out all Wano samurai. Because samurai were Wano's ruling class. Once the ruling class was handled, civilian contradictions were easily resolved.
Of course, the premise was beating these samurai into submission!
When Fuuya's distress message reached back, it immediately shook all of the Flower Capital.
"Young Master Oden threw his wet nurse out again!"
"Is this the time to worry about such things? Outsiders have invaded!"
"That Shimotsuki family actually requested aid?"
"Must be an unimaginably great enemy. Why did the Shimotsuki family discover it first?"
The Wano shogun's castle erupted in chaos. Since the dragon-slaying swordsman era centuries ago, Wano hadn't faced foreign invasion for hundreds of years. Even accidental intruders were easily driven off by samurai.
After all, this was Wano Country. Even in its weakest era, it could cultivate one or two top-tier swordmasters.
Like Shimotsuki Fuuya—though not a great swordsman, he was among Wano's top swordmasters.
Actually, twenty years earlier, Wano had several great swordsmen. Though great swordsman only represented sword mastery, not strength, possessing the title meant having stepping stones to becoming a top-tier fighter.
If Haki levels kept up, they would be at least quasi-Admiral level fighters.
This era's Wano, having experienced Kurozumi family turmoil, still had one great swordsman, but he was already aged. Even top-tier fighters couldn't withstand time's ravages.
"Immediately contact the two daimyo from Kibi and Udon regions. Since Suzugo daimyo requested aid, they must have encountered incredible enemies!"
After issuing orders, the young shogun's heart pounded. Wano's previous shogun had died long ago, so Kozuki Sukiyaki was forced to inherit the shogun position at only sixteen.
Fortunately, after Kurozumi family turmoil, all of Wano Country was severely weakened; other families lacked treacherous thoughts. Wano's situation gradually stabilized.
Until today, his wife bore him a son. This would be Wano's future heir. Even for his son, Kozuki Sukiyaki wouldn't allow enemy invasion of Wano Country.
"Also..."
After hesitation, Sukiyaki finally decided, "Contact Hakumai daimyo too."
Hakumai region's daimyo was Wano's currently only great swordsman, also an eighty-year-old elder—equivalent to Wano's anchor. No one knew when this old man might pass away.
Most importantly, during Kurozumi family rebellion, the elder's Toki family suffered the heaviest losses. Now the entire Toki family had only the old man left.
So unless absolutely necessary, Sukiyaki actually didn't want to trouble this elder.
But what if? Sukiyaki's current state was like many who had never fought wars—facing enemy invasion, his first thought was to go all-in.
Don't know the enemy's strength? Then going all-in should be fine, right? If even that failed, might as well give up.
So at Sukiyaki's command, all of Wano Country was like an ancient machine, slowly operating amid creaking sounds. However slowly, this machine wasn't rusted shut—it could still generate immense power.
Probably even Fuuya hadn't expected his emergency distress call during battle would cause such a massive reaction.
The two daimyo from Kibi and Udon regions—also heads of Uzuki and Fugetsu families—immediately led a thousand samurai each for support, with more samurai still assembling.
Facing the shogun's summons, the Toki family's old swordsman didn't refuse. He only instructed, "Yasui, if I don't return, Hakumai is yours."
"Foster father!"
"No need for words."
The old swordsman shook his head. During Kurozumi persecution, neither Fugetsu nor Uzuki families helped—only Shimotsuki family extended aid. This was why, after Toki family bloodline ended, he chose to adopt a Shimotsuki person as heir.
This was repayment to the Shimotsuki family. Now with Shimotsuki family in trouble, he naturally couldn't stand by.
Though Toki family lacked people, their subordinate samurai weren't fewer than other families.
Three daimyo families plus Kozuki family—in just one day, they gathered ten thousand troops. With more time, this number could double again.
But those unruly ronin samurai might not obey orders. So Sukiyaki led this ten-thousand-strong army, marching grandly toward Fuuya's distress location.
They had confirmed beforehand that Fuuya had indeed brought many people to Wano's border, so the distress call was definitely real!
But no news came from ahead, even advance scouts sent for intelligence went missing. This made Sukiyaki uneasy.
But seeing the army behind him, he forcibly suppressed this unease. Though not a powerful samurai himself, both Fugetsu and Uzuki family heads were Wano's top swordmasters, plus the Toki family great swordsman.
Whatever enemies they faced, they had fighting power!
When they reached the battlefield, the situation didn't surprise them. All Shimotsuki family samurai who had sent distress signals were captured; even their scouts lay fallen aside.
And their enemy was only one person!?
The battle between Shimotsuki samurai and White Wolf Pirates crew members finally ended with the crew's victory. Not because Fuuya was too weak, but compared to his subordinates, Newgate and Linlin were too strong.
Linlin was first to finish her opponent, then Newgate. Once they freed up, it became righteous three-on-one.
After all, by battle's end, Ripley had fallen behind. In raw strength, she indeed lagged somewhat behind top swordmasters like Fuuya.
But three-on-one was different. Even pre-system Silas, facing current Ripley, Newgate, and Linlin, would have to retreat temporarily, let alone Fuuya.
So the initial battle lasted several hours, but after other samurai fell and Fuuya faced siege, the battle ended instantly.
So when Wano's great army arrived in force, White Wolf Pirates crew members were well-rested. Even their wounds had mostly healed under Stussy's healing hormones.
However, this battle didn't need crew members.
Silas alone blocked the path Wano's great army must take.
One man blocking one nation!