"Shimotsuki Tomoya, from the moment you rebelled, you ceased to be a Daimyo of Wano Country." Hyougoro looked at the panting Shimotsuki Tomoya before him and pressed forward with his attack. His movements were steady and powerful, each strike carrying the conviction of certain victory.
As a yakuza boss, he understood well the principle that the victor becomes king.
Beads of sweat glistened on Shimotsuki Tomoya's forehead, reflecting cold moonlight. He gripped his warrior's blade so tightly his knuckles turned white.
The battlefield was filled with the nauseating smell of blood, the air ringing with the harsh clang of metal and the agonized screams of the dying. Just as Hyougoro's blade was about to deliver the final blow, a figure shot forward like lightning.
"My lord!" Sato Yoshinobu, the old retainer of the Shimotsuki family, threw himself in front of Tomoya, his katana clashing violently with Hyougoro's weapon and sending sparks flying. This loyal servant who had served the Shimotsuki family for over thirty years ultimately bought his lord precious breathing room with his own life.
Hyougoro's blade mercilessly pierced through his chest, blood gushing out like a fountain.
"Sato!" Tomoya cried out in shock, but was quickly grabbed by two retainers who rushed to his side. They looked around anxiously, realizing the battle had taken a drastic turn and their situation was now critical.
"My lord, the battle is lost! We must retreat immediately!" the retainer Yamamoto urged desperately, his armor covered in sword marks, his left arm still bleeding profusely from a wound.
Shimotsuki Tomoya forced himself to calm down and quickly assessed the battlefield situation. Although they held numerical advantage, they were clearly outmatched in both elite fighters and ordinary warriors.
Amatsuki Hidehiro, distracted by his eldest son's death, could only barely defend himself after being ambushed by Fukurokuju; Amatsuki Hideaki and Denjiro remained locked in stalemate; and while the ordinary samurai fought bravely, they were being steadily pushed back by the elite Oniwabanshu.
"Just ten minutes... only ten minutes..." Tomoya muttered to himself, his voice filled with disbelief. Looking at the corpses littering the ground, he realized he had made a fatal mistake - severely underestimating the enemy's strength.
Blood soaked the entire land, glowing with an eerie dark red under the pale moonlight.
"Hidehiro! Retreat now!" Tomoya shouted toward the still struggling Amatsuki Hidehiro, his voice carrying unprecedented urgency.
At that moment, arrogant laughter erupted from behind the battlefield: "Muhahaha! Retreat? Where do you think you're retreating to?"
Shimotsuki Tomoya whirled around, his pupils contracting sharply.
Queen appeared at their rear with a large force of elite Beasts Pirates officers, including the already departed Nul Morris, Cedric, and Nickson. The pirates' eyes gleamed with bloodlust, like a pack of starving wolves spotting prey, ready to pounce on the exhausted samurai.
"So... this was all an elaborately designed trap..." Chiaki's face instantly turned deathly pale as he finally realized he had fallen into the enemy's carefully laid snare.
Queen puffed on his cigar and triumphantly waved his hand to give the order: "Charge! Wipe out all these destabilizing elements!"
The pirates roared with deafening battle cries, surging like a tidal wave toward the exhausted samurai. The battle immediately became one-sided, the samurai's defensive line collapsing instantly. Some dropped their weapons and knelt to beg for mercy, only to be mercilessly cut down.
"Ah!" After prolonged fighting, Hidehiro Kazahide finally succumbed to his severe wounds and was slain by Fukurokuju's blade.
Simultaneously, Amatsuki Hideaki was pierced through the heart by Denjiro's sword, dying on the spot.
Queen blew out a smoke ring, recalling the intelligence King had shared with him yesterday. It turned out Denjiro had long been secretly controlled by King, consistently luring out the rebels. The plan was so meticulous that even a high-ranking executive like himself had been kept in the dark. Remembering how that bastard King had previously intimidated him with a Seastone weapon made Queen grit his teeth in frustration.
The battle concluded swiftly, leaving only scattered corpses strewn across the battlefield. Queen nodded in satisfaction and commanded Hyougoro: "Dispose of these bodies."
"As you command." Hyougoro bowed his head in response, a complex glint flashing in his eyes.
Queen continued deploying the operation plan: "Morris, accompany me to the Amatsuki family; Cedric, Nickson, you're responsible for the Shimotsuki family. Remember, leave no one from any clan involved in the rebellion alive!"
"As you command!" The three executives responded in unison before leading their subordinates to separate destinations.
Hyougoro remained standing in place, watching Queen's retreating figure, his fists unconsciously clenching. He wanted to speak up and stop this massacre, but ultimately just silently lowered his head. He knew this bloody purge was only beginning, and Wano Country's resistance forces were likely facing their darkest night. The night wind swept across the battlefield, carrying waves of bloodscent - this meticulously planned slaughter would become another indelible dark chapter in Wano Country's history.
In the subsequent operations, the Beasts Pirates executives strictly carried out Queen's orders. Morris led a team of elites straight to the Amatsuki family's residence, while Cedric and Nickson headed toward the Shimotsuki family with their forces. Holding torches, they formed fiery serpents in the night, slaughtering every rebellious clan in their path.
Meanwhile, Hyougoro remained behind to supervise the corpse disposal. Staring at the mountain of bodies, his heart filled with conflict and anguish. As a native samurai of Wano Country, he had to execute these brutal commands, yet deep inside he felt profound sympathy for his countrymen.
"All bodies have been accounted for," a subordinate reported.
Hyougoro nodded heavily: "Dispose of them according to protocol." He turned to gaze into the distance, where faint cries and the glow of burning houses could be discerned. He knew Wano Country was destined to endure a baptism of blood and fire tonight.
When Morris's team reached the Amatsuki family, the entire estate had descended into chaos. Women huddled together trembling, children hid fearfully in corners. Morris coldly ordered: "Execute them all, leave no one alive!" The pirates raised their bloody blades with cruel laughter as screams echoed through the night sky.
The other team led by Cedric and Nickson also arrived at the Shimotsuki residence. They broke through the doors, killing everyone they encountered. Although the Samurai of the Shimotsuki family fought back fiercely, they were at an absolute disadvantage in both numbers and strength. Cedric swung his massive battle-axe, each strike sending sprays of blood through the air. Nickson, wielding his signature twin blades, darted swiftly through the crowd, leaving only fallen corpses in his wake.
The massacre lasted throughout the entire night. When the first rays of dawn fell upon the land of Wano Country, the once prominent Fengyue and Shimotsuki families had ceased to exist. Bodies lay scattered haphazardly across the streets, while the air was thick with the heavy scent of blood and the acrid smell of smoke.