BOOM!
The Paradise Cross slammed into Susanoo with the force of a thunderclap.
A violent shockwave burst outward like a hurricane.
The surrounding earth tore apart like paper.
Dozens of meters of ground crumbled inch by inch under the pressure.
The sheer explosive force made a flicker of joy flash in Ashura Doji's eyes.
He had trained this move for decades, always lacking a worthy sparring partner.
Now, seeing the destructive power of this strike gave him a pleasant surprise.
But just as that joy surfaced, he suddenly remembered—his opponent was someone even the Cat and Dog had sold themselves to.
He hurriedly looked up to see how much damage he'd done.
But what he saw stunned him.
The massive figure before him hadn't budged.
Not even a single crack.
Such overwhelming defense drained the color from Ashura's face.
Could this be the true powerhouse Wano had been lacking?
That thought had barely formed when a triple wave of ultimate techniques lit up the sky.
The suffocating aura of death instantly crushed any lingering doubts.
This man—he was indeed the kind of strength Wano had been missing.
"Ashura! We already told you to run! Why are you still standing there like an idiot?!"
Nekomamushi and Inuarashi's faces twisted in panic as they shouted.
Seeing Ashura still frozen in place, they exchanged a look of grim resolve.
They burst forward at full speed, shooting like arrows toward him.
Having witnessed Luo Yu's methods firsthand, they didn't dare gamble.
They couldn't bet on him holding back.
If they lost that bet, Ashura might die before he even got a chance to be "sold."
BOOM!
A massive explosion engulfed all three of them.
Dust and debris filled the sky, blotting out the sun.
It took three or four minutes before the dust finally settled.
What emerged was a massive crater a hundred meters wide.
Three bloodied figures knelt at its center, gasping for breath, barely alive.
Ashura looked at Nekomamushi and Inuarashi, who had turned back to help despite having fled.
He was clearly surprised.
But the searing pain across his body made him grit his teeth and growl:
"Didn't you sell me? Why did that guy still hit so hard? Wasn't he worried I'd die on the spot?"
"Hard?"
Nekomamushi rolled his eyes and collapsed onto the ground, panting.
"Compared to last time, that was merciful."
"You know what they taught us on our first day aboard the ship? Guess what it was."
"What?"
Ashura blinked, clearly confused.
"To fight seriously and never run away?"
"Isn't that what you're supposed to do?"
At that, Nekomamushi and Inuarashi gave him a look like he was an idiot.
"No. Lesson one was: how to run the fastest."
"When this Admiral's in a hurry, he doesn't even spare his own people."
"Next time we tell you to run, make sure you run faster. We're not risking our lives to save you again."
"If he had used the move from last time, we wouldn't have dared to help you at all."
Ashura was dumbfounded.
He'd seen all kinds of fighting styles.
But starting a battle by running away?
That was beyond anything he'd ever imagined.
What shocked him most was that the deathly strike he'd just endured—
Wasn't even Luo Yu's strongest move.
If Nekomamushi and Inuarashi weren't joking…
Just how strong was this young man?
"Alright. If you're not dead, get back to work."
Luo Yu walked up, wine gourd in hand, took a sip, and turned to leave.
"Don't forget—I only gave you two days. If you haven't finished by then, don't blame me for not waiting."
Ashura was stunned by the cryptic remark.
But before he could speak, Nekomamushi and Inuarashi chimed in together:
"Don't ask. Asking means you want samurai to go extinct."
"Let's patch ourselves up and move out."
"Half the time's already gone. We'll have to head straight to Kuri."
"Ashura, have your men spread out along the way…"
Meanwhile, on the main road between the harbor and the Flower Capital—
Orochi marched with his retinue, his face dark with rage as he recalled how Kaido and Queen had humiliated him in public.
"Bastards! I'm the shogun of Wano! How dare they speak to me like that?! They'll pay for this—I swear it!"
He crushed his wine cup in fury.
But those around him tactfully turned away, clearly used to his outbursts.
Only Kyoshiro offered a dry chuckle:
"Lord Orochi, don't take it to heart. If Wano could stand up to a monster like Kaido, that fool Oden wouldn't have died."
"Now that we've got Kaido's banner, we can live easy as local kings. The outside world's no joke, right, Komurasaki?"
Kozuki Hiyori snapped out of her daze.
If anyone else had insulted her father like that, she would've been furious.
But knowing Kyoshiro's true identity, she understood—every time he said such things, it tore at his heart.
Still, to keep up the act in front of Orochi, she had to play along.
Suppressing her bitterness, Hiyori smiled sweetly:
"Hehe, Boss Kyoshiro, you're absolutely right. Thanks to Kaido, Wano is now firmly in Lord Orochi's grasp."
"If anything, it's Lord Orochi's brilliance—using the entire Beasts Pirates as pawns."
"Still, I do worry. Now that the Beasts Pirates have left, what if the remnants of Wano's samurai rise up? I wonder what precautions Kaido left behind."