Meanwhile, in Udon Prison, Wano Country—
Dozens of prisoners swung their iron pickaxes, relentlessly smashing the thick blocks of seastone before them.
Among them was the short and elderly Hyogoro, who was no exception.
At that moment, however, he had his ears perked, listening closely to the nearby guards' conversation.
The sudden call to arms issued yesterday for the opening of Wano's borders had caught him completely off guard.
"Has Ashura lost his mind?" Hyogoro muttered grimly.
"Sure, the Beasts Pirates have left Wano, but to try and open the country now? Even if Kaido doesn't retaliate, Orochi's forces alone are more than enough to crush them. How is this any different from the pointless sacrifice ten years ago?"
Though he was deliberately targeted in Udon, it didn't stop him from gathering information.
Ashura Doji's unexpected declaration had become the guards' favorite topic of gossip, turning the prison into a buzz of rumors. The news had spread so widely that even the lowest prisoners knew of it.
"Old Hyogoro, eavesdropping again?"
A nearby guard with the head of a llama scowled and cracked his whip.
"Kaido-sama pulled out all the top fighters from the Beasts Pirates. If not for you old relics dragging us down, we'd be out there fighting!"
"Don't get your hopes up about joining any 'opening the country' war. Sure, we're short on men here, but you trash aren't worth the trouble."
"No matter what stunts you try to pull, unless Wano has someone who can rival Kaido-sama, it's all nonsense. You'll just end up dead."
"All we have to do is sit back and enjoy the show."
"Now get down and take your whipping!"
"Uncle Hyogoro, watch out!"
A prisoner shouted from afar, his face pale.
Hyogoro had long been a target due to his identity, leaving him frail and often beaten.
If he took another whipping now, it might be the end of him.
But with the explosive collars around their necks and guards watching closely, no one could help.
Hyogoro's face paled. After decades of this life, he had grown used to it. All he could do was close his eyes and brace himself.
CRACK!
The whip lashed through the air.
But the expected pain never came.
Hyogoro blinked in confusion and opened his eyes.
Standing before him was a slender figure holding a wine gourd—someone had stepped in front of him.
"Kid, are you a prisoner? No—who are you? How did you get in here? This has nothing to do with you. Leave now, or you'll get yourself killed!"
Hyogoro panicked.
He had no idea how Luo Yu had entered the supposedly impenetrable Udon Prison.
But if this young man had come because of him, and ended up hurt because of it—that was something Hyogoro couldn't accept.
"Relax. A place like this can't hold me," Luo Yu said, taking a swig from his gourd.
He glanced back at Hyogoro and the other samurai-turned-prisoners.
"I'm here to rescue you."
"Rescue us?"
Hyogoro blinked, unable to hold back.
"Kid, are you joking? You're just one man. You can't possibly save us all!"
"And why would you even want to?"
The prisoners and nearby guards all stared at Luo Yu in disbelief.
"Why save you?"
Luo Yu chuckled, shaking his wine gourd.
"No real reason. You're not exactly elite fighters…"
"But you do look like you're worth something. Maybe I can sell you to old man Sengoku for 10,000 berries each."
"So yeah—I'll take the deal."
"Ten thousand each?!"
Everyone was stunned.
Even Hyogoro was speechless.
He hadn't expected to be "sold" by this stranger—at such a high price, no less.
And even if they escaped Udon, Wano was only so big. Where could they possibly hide?
Before anyone could respond, the llama-headed guard roared in fury:
"You little brat! You dare sneak into Udon and cause trouble? I'll kill you myself! Everyone—attack!"
BOOM!
Two massive figures dropped from the sky.
A gust of wind and dust swept outward.
Everyone froze at the sight of these new intruders.
Only Hyogoro, once the top yakuza boss in Wano, recognized them immediately.
"Nekomamushi and Inuarashi of the Nine Red Scabbards? You're here? Then Ashura's call to arms… it's real?"
"Heh, Lord Hyogoro the Flower," Inuarashi said with a dry chuckle.
"Luo Yu was right—you really were here."
"And lucky for us, you look like money. Otherwise, we'd never have found this place. That's something to celebrate."
Sold and still happy?
The prisoners were dumbfounded.
But then, realization struck.
They turned to Hyogoro, eyes wide.
"Uncle Hyogoro… you're really the legendary Hyogoro the Flower?"
"I thought he died years ago! How is he here?!"
"Those damn pirates and Orochi—humiliating him right under our noses for decades? They're dead men!"
"Quick! Spread the word to the other cells—Hyogoro is alive!"
"We'll make them pay for this!"
The prison erupted.
Hyogoro, once the most respected yakuza boss in Wano—a godfather-like figure—had hidden his identity for years.
He had endured humiliation to prevent the guards from using his name to threaten others.
He had stayed silent to keep his fellow samurai from acting rashly.
Now, seeing the younger generation still hold him in such esteem, a faint smile appeared on his face.
But the next moment, his expression changed.
He saw what the llama-headed guard was holding.
His face turned pale.
"Get away from me—now! Or you'll die!" he shouted.