"Get back—now! Or you'll die!"
Hyogoro's face changed drastically as he shouted in alarm.
The sudden escalation left everyone stunned.
The llama-headed guard sneered viciously.
"Heh, too late to panic now."
"Did you forget what's around your neck? That collar's a bomb. You can all die together!"
With that, he slammed his hand down on the red detonator.
In Udon, certain high-risk prisoners were fitted with explosive collars—instant death devices meant to ensure obedience.
Though Hyogoro looked frail, his identity was no secret.
Before leaving Udon, Queen had personally ordered the collar placed on him for safety.
As the collar's indicator light began to flash rapidly, Hyogoro instinctively tried to leap away.
But before he could take a full step, a hand shot out like lightning and grabbed the collar at his neck.
CRACK!
The collar snapped off in one motion—and in the next instant, Luo Yu casually flung it toward the llama-headed guard.
The guard froze.
No—everyone froze.
No one had expected the deadly collar to be removed so easily.
As the device grew larger in the guard's widening pupils, realization finally struck.
But it was too late to dodge.
BOOM!
A searing shockwave erupted, flames engulfing the guard in an instant.
His screams echoed across the quarry, drawing the attention of dozens of guards nearby.
They stared in shock—then erupted in fury.
"Alert the warden! We've got an intruder!"
One guard scrambled to activate a transponder snail.
Hyogoro, still stunned, patted himself down to confirm he was alive.
He looked at Luo Yu, eyes filled with disbelief.
In all his years in Udon, he had seen countless men die from those collars.
To him, they were a death sentence—inescapable.
Yet Luo Yu had removed his like it was nothing.
But as more guards began to converge, Hyogoro grew anxious.
"Young man, thank you for saving me. I don't know how you know who I am, but now's not the time to talk."
"Queen may be gone, but there are still four or five hundred guards here—some of them are Gifters from the Beasts Pirates."
"If they regroup, we'll be overwhelmed."
He turned to Nekomamushi.
"Nekomamushi, team up with this young man and hold them off. I'll try to rally the others. Even with shackles, we can still fight!"
He turned to leave—but Nekomamushi grabbed his arm.
"Inuarashi! Did you get him out?"
CRASH!
A distant, long-abandoned cell—rumored to be haunted—was suddenly torn open.
Inuarashi emerged, dragging out a hidden figure, his face lit with joy.
More than twenty years had passed since the failed raid on Kaido, when the Nine Red Scabbards were scattered.
To see an old comrade again after so long—it was a miracle.
Even the kappa inside the cell was stunned.
"Nekomamushi? Inuarashi? You're back?"
But as he saw the guards swarming in, he tensed.
"Inuarashi! Get me a sword—I can take ten of them!"
"No—maybe more! I'm a little rusty, but I can handle dozens!"
Hyogoro, momentarily halted, was surprised by the kappa's sudden appearance.
"Nekomamushi… I didn't expect three of the Nine Red Scabbards to reunite here."
"You were already formidable warriors decades ago. You must be even stronger now. With the three of you here, we have hope."
"Still, we should be cautious. Let me gather the others—we'll need numbers to stand a chance."
"There are hundreds of guards here. We'll need every hand we can get."
He glanced at the growing crowd of guards and made his case again.
But before he could move, Nekomamushi grabbed his arm again.
Inuarashi did the same to the kappa.
The strange gesture made both men pause.
They looked at the two with confusion—until they followed their gaze.
CRACK!
A massive elephant trunk slammed down, shattering a nearby boulder.
Barbaruk, the warden of Udon, had arrived.
His towering frame pushed through the crowd of guards, face twisted with rage.
With Kaido and the Beasts Pirates away, any incident now would mean death for him.
He looked down at the charred remains of the llama-headed guard, his expression darkening.
Then he roared:
"Good. Very good."
"You dare cause trouble while Lord Queen is away? I, Barbaruk, will see who's ready to die today!"
"Everyone—attack! Let's see what a few ants can really do. Kill them all!"
"Yes, Warden Barbaruk!"
Hundreds of guards responded with savage laughter.
To them, these intruders were nobodies.
This was Udon—renowned as an impenetrable fortress.
Even with prisoners gathering nearby, they were confident. Four or five hundred guards could crush anything.
Their laughter echoed across the quarry as they charged.
"Boss Hyogoro! We're with you!"
Dozens of prisoners surged in from all directions.
Learning Hyogoro's true identity had shocked them—but it also reignited their loyalty.
For the sake of old bonds, they were ready to risk everything.
Hyogoro was moved, about to speak—
But then Luo Yu's voice rang in his ear:
"Old man, when I say one, two, three—run as fast as you can. Or you'll die."