Chaotic thoughts raced through Daikoku's mind.
His speed, already pushed to the limit, surged again in desperation.
But just as he crossed fifty or sixty meters, a sharp, slicing sound tore through the air.
He turned his head in panic—only to see Luo Yu flick his finger.
BOOM!
A searing pain exploded in his back.
Blood burst forth in a crimson spray.
The sheer force of the impact felt like being struck by a cannonball. Daikoku was hurled backward.
He slammed into a rocky cliff dozens of meters away.
CRASH!
The impact shattered the cliffside.
Dust and debris filled the air, and blood splattered across the ground.
When the chaos finally settled—
Tenguyama Hitetsu and Kozuki Hiyori were pale as ghosts.
Embedded in the shattered cliff, Daikoku's chest was blown open—a gaping hole where his heart once was. He was unmistakably dead.
All around, the Oniwabanshu lay in pieces, their limbs and bodies strewn across the blood-soaked grass.
It looked like a scene from hell.
Hiyori's legs gave out. She collapsed to the ground, staring at Luo Yu in shock.
They had seen death before.
But never like this—without even moving, he had slaughtered everyone.
If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn't have believed it.
As the images replayed in her mind, a ridiculous thought flashed through Hiyori's head:
"Who… are you?"
"Who am I?"
Luo Yu let the swirling aura of his Iron-Cleaving Wind Palm dissipate. He took another sip of his earthy liquor and smiled.
"Just a guy asking for directions."
"But before we talk, how about the ones hiding in the shadows come out first?"
"In the shadows?"
Hiyori's face changed.
Her earlier warning had already exposed her.
If she still wanted to protect Hitetsu and Otama…
And if the newcomers were Oniwabanshu—or worse, Orochi's men—
Then everything could fall apart.
She scanned the surroundings anxiously.
When she saw who emerged, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Komurasaki, get up. Stand behind me. This man is dangerous."
Kyoshiro stepped out from the shadows, hand already resting on his katana.
He had been ready to act the moment Otama and Hitetsu were in danger.
But he hadn't expected an intruder.
And certainly not one who would solo the entire battlefield.
Seeing Kyoshiro step in front of her, Hiyori tensed and quickly stood.
"Boss Kyoshiro, wait—don't act rashly. I have a bold idea."
She turned to Luo Yu.
"Sir, I must ask—are you one of Kaido's men?"
"A bold idea?"
Kyoshiro blinked, his expression shifting as he caught on.
Luo Yu raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"Me? One of Kaido's men? Quite the opposite."
"If anything, I'm the one he wants to kill the most right now."
"We're on opposite sides."
The one Kaido most wants to kill?
Opposing factions?
Everyone was stunned.
Hiyori stared at Luo Yu, then suddenly grabbed Kyoshiro's arm.
"Boss Kyoshiro—I just remembered. He looks like that new Marine Admiral!"
"Quick, get the newspaper!"
In Wano, newspapers from the News Coo were a luxury.
But people like Hiyori and Kyoshiro had access.
With the recent chaos surrounding the Beasts Pirates, they had been following every development closely.
Any potential shift in power was worth noting.
Kyoshiro quickly pulled out the hidden paper.
The moment they saw the front page, their pupils shrank.
"It really is him. Not just a resemblance—that's the real deal."
"Marine Admiral Luo Yu, the Glutton. Isn't the Navy preparing for war with the Four Emperors? What's he doing here?"
Kyoshiro was stunned.
He had survived in Wano for years.
He had never heard of anyone sneaking into Kaido's territory.
To the outside world, Wano was a death trap.
Only the insane would dare enter.
And yet, not only had someone made it in—
It was a walking bombshell.
"He's really a Marine Admiral? Why does Kaido want him dead?"
Hitetsu couldn't help but ask.
Hiyori, still reeling, muttered:
"Orochi once said… the reason the Navy was forced to declare war on two Emperors at once—was because of the new Admiral."
"He defeated Jack the Drought, one of Kaido's top three, and sent him to Impel Down. That was the spark that lit the fuse."
"So… he's the one who started this war?"
Hitetsu was dumbfounded.
He never imagined the young man before them was the one who had forced Kaido to mobilize his entire crew.
Thinking of Wano's current state, Hitetsu felt a surge of resolve.
But before he could speak, Hiyori suddenly dropped to her knees.
"Admiral Luo Yu of the Navy," she said, voice trembling but firm,
"I am Kozuki Hiyori, granddaughter of the former Shogun Kozuki Sukiyaki."
"After Kaido and Orochi conspired to seize Wano, my father, Kozuki Oden, was murdered by treachery."
"My mother and brother perished in a fire."
"Countless citizens of Wano now live in misery."
"To one day open Wano's borders and free our people, I became the courtesan Komurasaki and endured ten years of hiding—waiting for a chance."
She looked up, eyes filled with determination.
"My father may have been a pirate on the seas—but in Wano, he was a patriot and a hero."
"I beg you, Admiral Luo Yu—do not judge him for his past."
"If you are willing to help us open Wano's borders, I will do anything."
"All I want is to fulfill my father's dying wish."
"Surely, as a Marine, you've heard of Kozuki Oden?"
Luo Yu took another sip of his earthy liquor and smiled faintly.
"Your father?"
"Of course I've heard of him."
"That big dumbass? Yeah, I know him."