The political customs and history of Wano were fascinating.
King Cobra had quite the novel experience learning about them, as while every kingdom had its own quirks, they were largely homogeneous thanks to the overarching structure of the World Government.
For example, Wano might superficially appear to have the same sort of hierarchy as the kingdoms he was familiar with, but in reality their Shoguns did not possess supreme power over the Daimyos. At least, they were not meant to; Orochi was an outlier in that regard, which was only further proof of his illegitimacy.
Speaking of Orochi…
"Cobra-dono," Shimotsuki Yasuie, a man who Cobra had come to respect as a fellow leader, opened the sliding door to his makeshift office. "The execution will begin soon, if you still wish to observe."
Truthfully, Cobra didn't really want to observe, but the allure of seeing the conclusion of this period of Wano's history was too great for him to ignore. "Of course."
He stood and followed Yasuie out to the plaza in front of the castle, where a stage and tools of execution had been set up. None of the Straw Hats were present, he noted, but that wasn't all that surprising. This was a grim occasion, not something that the delightful pirates would be interested in.
He was surprised to see Momonosuke here, though.
"I see that you've decided to attend in spite of my advice, Momonosuke," Cobra greeted him casually.
"I need to see that this is finished with my own eyes, and my people need to see me here to bear witness," Momonosuke said, trying to sound more dignified than a boy his age should have to. "I cannot hide myself away from the burdens of my rule."
Cobra huffed and ruffled the boy's freshly grown hair, much to his annoyance. He had gotten Cherry to grow it long enough to fashion into his late father's disk-like style, and spent a great deal of time styling it each morning. Cobra made a point to mess it up at least once a day, his own way of telling the boy to be his own man and to not simply follow in his father's footsteps. "Your people can see that you are a child, plain as day. There is no reason to pretend that you are not."
Momonosuke swatted his hand away and pouted. "I must see this to the end."
Cobra didn't argue with the boy any further. He understood that Momonosuke had seen more than his fair share of violence and death in his short life, so the damage was done and there was no need to force the issue.
Cobra sat a respectable distance from Momonosuke, but close enough to show his place as a trusted advisor in the Shogun's court.
The crowd gathered quickly. There was, perhaps, half the population of the Flower Capital in attendance, and many more watching on the den den mushi broadcasts across the country.
The time arrived. Orochi and Kanjuro were dragged onto the stage, the former kicking and screaming and the latter limp like a marionette whose strings were cut.
When they were dropped, Kanjuro laid still on the ground before getting up with a sigh. Orochi tried to make a run for it before he was easily re-apprehended and put back into his proper place.
"We can still make this worse for you, Orochi. Accept your end with the grace you never possessed in life," Kin'emon hissed at him, making the former Shogun still like a rat under the gaze of a viper.
"Today is the day that Wano's nightmare ends!" Kin'emon announced. "The tyrant, Kurozumi Orochi, has plagued our land for far too long, and it is here that he will be rewarded for his deeds!"
"His accomplice and a traitor to Oden-sama, Kurozumi Kanjuro, will share the fate of his chosen master," Kin'emon spoke with far less zeal.
He gave a hand motion and a large curtain was dropped, revealing a massive pot of boiling oil. Orochi was already sweating buckets, but Kanjuro's makeup wasn't even running.
"It is only fair that he should die in the same fashion as he murdered Oden-sama. Had he been less cruel, shown more mercy, then he would not have to suffer so. Let no one be blamed for this but himself," Kin'emon said.
"Please! J-just let me die with a sword in my hand!" Orochi cried. "Momonosuke-sama! You're better than this! You're better than me! Mercy!"
The crowd erupted in fury. So angry they were that Cobra thought they might even jump the short fences surrounding the stage and pot just to rip Orochi apart with their bare hands.
Momonosuke raised a single hand, palm out. The crowd quieted down remarkably quickly, showing that they perhaps respected the young Shogun far more than Cobra gave them credit for.
Orochi looked hopeful, tears pooling at the edge of his eyes. Kin'emon glanced at Momonosuke with carefully hidden worry. Cobra supposed that this wasn't part of the plan.
The last of the jeers petered out and the entire plaza was left in eerie silence.
"I will be merciful, because I am not like you," Momonosuke spoke, and Cobra could see many faces in the crowd grimacing in displeasure, but still no one made so much as a peep.
"T-thank you! Thank you!" Orochi groveled without a hint of pride.
"And so, I will grant you the very same mercy that you granted my father," Momonosuke said. "Withstand the oil for one hour, and I will reduce your punishment to banishment. I will even uphold my end should you succeed, unlike the final betrayal you perpetrated against my father."
Orochi paled. All the local animals and even the wind seemed to stop, leaving a silence so perfect you could hear a pin drop on a shag carpet.
"KAAAKAkakakakaka! KAAAKAkakakakaka!" Until that silence was broken by Kanjuro's full bellied laughter. That served as a trigger for the audience to do much the same, laughing and cheering and otherwise celebrating their new Shogun's decision.
Cobra couldn't help but admit how shrewd it was. It clearly left no way out for those two, but the public would see the magnanimity in it.
The execution of your political opponents, no matter how well deserved, would always be a black mark against you and your rule. Yet in one move that changed nothing of substance, Momonosuke had blunted that blow to his reputation. Orochi genuinely being the absolute worst didn't hurt either, of course.
"Why are you laughing, Kanjuro?!" Orochi growled at the madman.
"It's just perfect, isn't it?" Kanjuro shot back. "I betrayed the lord that withstood the oil for an hour to save me, and now I am to see how you will act in the same scenario. What's it going to be, Orochi-sama?"
"T-that right!" Orochi became excited. "Hold me above the oil, Kanjuro! You only have to last an hour and I'll get away scot free! It'll be easy!"
Kanjuro started to roar with laughter again. He shed genuine tears for the first time since his parents' deaths, but no one, not even himself, could tell if they were out of sadness or mirth.
Kanjuro lasted no more than a few minutes and dropped Orochi into the oil. Orochi lasted less than half a minute and squealed like a stuck pig for the entire duration.
No one was pardoned on this day.