Bang! Ashura Doji's angry palm slammed heavily onto the tabletop, the wooden surface groaning under the strain. "Damn it! Those bastards! They're planning to betray Lord Oden already, and it hasn't been that long!"
The atmosphere in the room was so heavy it was almost suffocating. Ashura Doji's chest heaved violently. The continuous stream of bad news over the past few days had pushed this Red Scabbard's patience to its limit. What pained him most was that even samurai who had once sworn loyalty to Lord Oden were now beginning to defect.
"The situation is worse than we imagined," Denjiro said gravely, his fingers unconsciously stroking his sword hilt. "Now the whole of Kuri is singing praises of Kaido's 'accomplishments.' That bastard is clearly manipulating public opinion from behind the scenes."
Raizo anxiously rubbed his hands together. "If this continues, even if Lord Oden returns, it will be difficult to reclaim Kuri."
Ashura Doji turned to Kin'emon. "Did you get a reply to the sailing application you submitted to Kaido yesterday?"
Kin'emon's expression was grim. "That bastard rejected our application outright, citing Wano Country's ban on sea travel."
"Damn it!" Ashura Doji punched the wall. "In that case, we'll force our way out to sea under cover of darkness tonight!"
At that moment, Kurozumi Kanjuro, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up. "Are all of us going to leave?"
Kiku immediately looked at Kanjuro warily upon hearing this. "What do you mean by that? Do you intend to betray Lord Oden?"
"Kiku!" Kanjuro glared at her angrily. "Are you questioning my loyalty?!"
"Enough!" Ashura Doji barked sharply. "Kanjuro, if you have an idea, speak plainly."
Kanjuro took a deep breath and looked around at everyone. "What I mean is, the situation in Kuri is already this dire. If we all leave, the situation here will spiral completely out of control. Some must stay behind so that when Lord Oden returns, we can still grasp Kuri's movements."
A brief silence fell in the room. Everyone nodded in agreement. Seeing this, Kanjuro continued, outlining the plan he had secretly devised with Kaido the previous night. "I suggest that I, Kawamatsu, Inuarashi, and Nekomamushi stay behind. Kawamatsu is of the same race as Sebastian, who serves under Kaido, making it easier to gather information. I, Inuarashi, and Nekomamushi will be responsible for supporting Kawamatsu."
Ashura Doji pondered for a moment before finally making the decision. "Kanjuro, you should still come to sea with us. We'll need your abilities on the open ocean. Denjiro, you are usually cautious in your work. You, Kawamatsu, Inuarashi, and Nekomamushi will stay. The rest will set sail with me tonight."
Denjiro nodded upon hearing this. Kanjuro, having been refused, said nothing further and simply agreed.
...
The waters off Wano Country late at night were enveloped in silence, with only faint moonlight shining on the rippling sea surface. Ashura Doji stood on the deck of the newly built ship. Behind him were Red Scabbards like Kin'emon, Kiku, Raizo, Kanjuro, and several dozen loyal samurai. They had just completed the ship's construction and were preparing to leave Wano Country under cover of darkness to search for the strength to oppose Kaido.
The sails billowed gently in the night breeze, making faint sounds. The ship slowly sailed away from the coast of Wano Country, growing more distant. The samurai gazed at the gradually blurring land, their hearts filled with both reluctance for their homeland and anticipation for the new journey. Ashura Doji stood with his arms crossed, his gaze fixed firmly on the distant horizon. He understood the importance of this mission and the risks involved, but they had no other choice.
However, they were unaware that their every move had long been under close surveillance by Kaido's forces. From a high vantage point in Kuri, Kaido held a telescope, sneering as he watched the departing ship. He lowered the telescope and turned to King behind him. "Let them enjoy their little victory a while longer. King, once the ship sails out of Wano's territorial waters, contact Bullet immediately. I want them eliminated at sea."
"As you command," King responded in a low voice, his black wings glinting coldly in the moonlight. He quickly turned and left, vanishing into the night to carry out this meticulously planned ambush. Kaido watched the receding ship, a cruel smile playing on his lips. He had long anticipated these samurai would take action and had specifically arranged this ambush.
The sea wind gradually strengthened. Ashura Doji's ship gradually became a small black dot on the sea. The samurai stood on the deck, feeling the sea breeze, their hearts filled with both hope for the future and trepidation about the unknown. Kin'emon walked up to Ashura Doji's side and said quietly, "I hope we can find Lord Oden safely this time."
Ashura Doji nodded. "As long as we can safely leave Wano's territorial waters, there is hope."
Not long after, the ship finally sailed out of Wano Country's territorial waters.
It was at that moment that Kin'emon suddenly spotted a pirate ship approaching from a distance. He narrowed his eyes to look more closely, and then an excited expression appeared on his face.
"What is it, Kin'emon?" Ashura Doji, noticing his odd behavior, asked.
"No mistake about it," Kin'emon said excitedly. "This is the very ship Lord Oden left Wano on!"
"What? Could it be Lord Oden has come to his senses out there and is returning?" Kiku also grew excited upon hearing this, a hopeful light shining in her eyes.
"Yes, it must be! Hey! Lord Oden, we're over here!" Raizo immediately ran to the bow of the ship, shouting and waving his arms vigorously at the approaching pirate ship. The other samurai also began to show delighted expressions.
However, on the deck of the opposing pirate ship, Bullet stood at the bow, coldly watching the cheering, jubilant samurai on the distant vessel. The corner of his mouth lifted in a bloodthirsty smile, and he issued a ruthless command. "Prepare to fire the cannons immediately. Also, have the Fish-Man unit ready to enter the sea. Monitor everything from below. The Captain's orders are to leave no survivors."
"Yes, sir!" the pirates on the ship responded in unison, springing into action. Pirates began moving ammunition, loading cannonballs into the barrels. At the same time, Fish-Men began leaping into the sea, preparing to act underwater. Bullet watched his busy subordinates with satisfaction. He had been preparing for this ambush for a long time.
"Captain Bullet, all cannons are loaded and ready. Awaiting your order," a pirate reported to Bullet.
"Good. Fire!" Bullet ordered without hesitation.
"Yes, sir!"
As the command was given, over a dozen cannons roared with deafening thunder simultaneously. Cannonballs tore through the night sky, carrying the shriek of death straight toward the ship carrying Ashura Doji and the others. The sea surface was instantly shrouded in flames and smoke, the peaceful night utterly shattered.
BOOM—!
Cannonballs exploded in the sea near the ship, and several even landed directly on the vessel itself, instantly killing a number of samurai. The sudden attack caught the samurai completely off guard, and chaos immediately erupted on the deck.
"Not good! That's not Lord Oden! It's the enemy!" Ashura Doji reacted instantly. "Return fire at once!"
"Lord Ashura Doji, our ship isn't loaded with any cannonballs," a samurai immediately said.
"What? Then change course at once!" Ashura Doji ordered upon hearing this.
In the instant Ashura Doji spoke, several more cannonballs landed on the ship, exploding upon impact. Wood splinters flew everywhere, flames shot skyward, and the hull began to list. The samurai desperately tried to extinguish the flames while also dodging the relentless barrage of incoming cannonballs.
***
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