The bandits of Head Mountain had plagued Kuri for a long time. At that time, Ashura Doji, known as the monster of Kuri, led the Head Mountain bandits, and ordinary people had no way to deal with them.
Later, Kozuki Oden subdued Ashura Doji, and the bandit problem in Kuri was naturally resolved. During the days when Oden was absent, although these bandits were occasionally restless, they were suppressed by the returning Ashura Doji.
However, now that they have all died, the Head Mountain bandits lost control. Initially, due to fear, they behaved for a while, but as time passed, they eventually returned to looting.
Without a leader, these bandits could not cause a significant commotion. The strength of Denjiro and others was more than sufficient to deal with these bandits, and the Shinsengumi following them were far superior in both numbers and equipment compared to the bandits.
Sending a supervising army was merely because of distrust towards them.
As for the order signed by Kozuki Hiyori, it was not actually King who handled it this time. He just truthfully reported the actions of those bandits within the country.
Kozuki Hiyori, without understanding much about Head Mountain, cooperatively signed the order.
Outside the Head Mountain's fortress, the rain kept hitting Denjiro's face, the water splashing dirtied his glasses, temporarily blurring his vision. After some training, the people of the Shinsengumi could withstand this rain.
As for Greninja, such weather was the most comfortable environment for him.
Buzz~
A sound in the air broke the unique silence under the rain. A massive Water Shuriken appeared in Greninja's hand.
As the scale of the water-formed shuriken grew large enough, Greninja hurled it towards the fortress gate.
Boom!
The gate was not a Charizard storing flame; the flying Water Shuriken exploded with a roar upon contact with the fortress gate, shattering the wooden gate instantly.
"Do I still need to teach you what to do next? I'll report all your actions truthfully."
"..."
Denjiro and the others did not speak but silently drew their swords. Kozuki Hiyori was currently in the hands of the other side, leaving them almost helpless in this situation.
This was also the way the Hundred Beasts utilized these three people. Their survival carried symbolic significance, but since they were unwilling to join the Beasts Pirates, they were forced to work in this manner.
This was an experiment; although they were not top combatants, they were not weak on The Sea. Such dangerous and siege-like tasks were entirely assignable to them.
Inside the Head Mountain's fortress, the bandits, looking at the shattered gate, were yet to understand what happened when cries of kill from outside already reached them. The reward system of the Shinsengumi was simple, they paid money.
Under the lure of interest, they attacked the bandits mercilessly.
But this wasn't the main point. These bandits were Ashura Doji's subordinates. Seeing Denjiro leading the group, their eyes were filled with confusion.
"Lord Denjiro?!"
"Surrender... The times have changed...."
Faced with the bandits, Denjiro had no better options. For them, Kozuki Hiyori was far more important than these people.
In the end, some chose to surrender, but those aware of their sins, knowing they couldn't evade Wano Kuni's laws, and those loyal to Ashura Doji did not. They picked up weapons and launched a counterattack.
This was a battle with no suspense; the bandits only had some old-fashioned muskets, which might or might not fire in such rainy weather, while the Shinsengumi wielded Wano Kuni's newly forged equipment.
Coupled with the three former Oden's retainers who had to exert themselves, the bandits were quickly annihilated.
The bandits who were criminals were easier to dispose of, but those originally loyal to Ashura Doji gave Denjiro a different look, making Denjiro's vision even blurrier.
...
The wheels of fate continued to turn, unimpeded by the existence or demise of individuals.
The time reached the latter half of 1505.
The World Government's investigation into Purilite never ceased, but the trail abruptly ended after tracing to a Black Market in the New World, where it was Purilite's last known location.
In today's New World, besides the three main territories occupied by Whitebeard, Kaidou, and Charlotte Linlin, there were many buffer zones and scattered small territories.
Purilite's disappearance location was perilous; the closest island was a Hive Island, formerly Rocks' territory - Hive Island.
Normally, this island should have been occupied by Ochoku, a survivor of Rocks' remnant after the Summit War, who was eventually defeated by Blackbeard, with some weird contribution from a Navy Colonel named Coby.
It's unclear how this colonel got involved in such a large-scale battle.
But now that Ochoku is dead, the island has become even more chaotic, greatly increasing the difficulty of the World Government's investigation.
Meanwhile, on Ghost Island, Elizabeth laid an egg, which was subsequently sent to the Hundred Beasts Pokemon Center, cared for by Chansey. Biologists from Ohara on Sky Island repeatedly requested and received the qualification to monitor the situation through cameras.
A few scholars took turns around the clock to observe the egg, witnessing this rare miracle, though they underestimated the hatching duration of the egg.
Mandfeish gladly accepted a transfer and began appearing on Fishman Island more frequently, and his underlings, like the scholars, watched their boss, eager to see when Mandfeish would evolve.
The Hancock sisters gradually integrated into life on Ghost Island, and Olga felt she had gained a rather peculiar little sister, such as during their baths together when she sometimes acted a bit inappropriately.
Aside from numerous new red crosses on the map, many things proceeded smoothly, like the plan that Tesoro proposed initially.
The Hundred Beasts Fruit underwent a large-scale restructuring. Although the company's name remained unchanged, it gained many subsidiary departments, transforming from its initial form into a holding company.
Paving the way with money, Tesoro also connected with some World Government officials. In this environment, expanding the business couldn't be avoided, much like welcoming the Heavenly Celestial Dragon with a smile, while cursing them internally.
Without breaking ties, only a Heavenly Celestial Dragon could counter another, as he had recently gained favor from a jewelry-loving Heavenly Celestial Dragon with a "natural" blood diamond, using him to handle another who had intentions towards Stella.
However, this also deepened his loathing for the Heavenly Celestial Dragon as a group.