"Flower Capital!!! That bastard Orin still hasn't left Wano Country!?"
"Y-Yes, sir!" the subordinate stammered in fear.
He had originally thought that Orin, having kidnapped Yamato, had likely already escaped to the first half of the Grand Line. He was even preparing to track him down and confront him in a massive fight.
And now you're telling him—
Orin never left? He's been swaggering around the Flower Capital with Kaido's daughter like it's nothing???
Unforgivable!!!
Kaido felt this was even more infuriating than if Orin had simply vanished. It was blatant disrespect—as if Kaido didn't matter at all. His face twisted with fury.
Orin!!!
Kaido could already imagine the scene of Yamato being dragged around, teary-eyed and helpless.
He used to think this guy might be a gallant rogue like Roger and his crew, but now it turned out Orin was no better than Kaido himself—someone willing to do anything to get his way.
Just wait, my foolish daughter!
I'm going to kill Orin and bring you back!
"Roaaaar…"
With a roar, Kaido's massive body rapidly expanded. A towering azure dragon burst out from within the cave, rising into the sky as the awestruck soldiers looked on.
...
Unlike the tension spreading across Wano Country, a tall figure strolled casually through the land, as if watching a stage play—completely detached from the entire usurpation drama.
"Father, what are they doing? Why are they chasing those people?"
Yamato, a bandage on her forehead, sat on Orin's shoulder and curiously watched the hunt unfold in the jungle below.
She could even see two people that looked like a cat and a dog—probably those so-called Mink Tribe her father had mentioned!
As for how they could see everything from above—
Well, this was the all-powerful Orin-sama.
Flying wasn't anything special.
Or so Yamato believed.
"That? Well… it's because Kaido wants to wipe them out and seize control of Wano Country for himself."
Orin replied indifferently as he walked through the sky.
Kaido, furious but unable to locate Orin's exact whereabouts, had no choice but to focus first on eliminating the remnants of the Oden faction.
Before he arrived...
At the burning manor...
Flames raged, and only a few samurai still held their ground, defending the last stronghold of the Kozuki clan with their lives.
"The once-glorious family of Wano's shogun… and now only a few scattered cats and kittens remain?"
Crisp footsteps echoed on the scorched floors of the manor. Flames seemed to shy away from the figure, and blades shattered upon contact. A tall silhouette stepped into view.
Upon hearing the footsteps—and the silence where guards once stood—Kozuki Toki stretched out her slender arms to shield her children, nervously watching the screen door.
"Lady Toki."
At this perilous moment, a voice rang out unexpectedly. The three in the room turned toward the door in shock.
"Orin-tarō?" Toki gasped in surprise.
"…"
Hearing that name, Orin twitched at the corner of his mouth. The confident, mysterious aura he had entered with vanished instantly.
What the hell kind of name is that!?
He'd wanted to complain about this back on the ship.
Orin-tarō, Rouge-jiro, Buggy-saburō…
Oden's naming sense for their Wano aliases had annoyed him for ages!
"Why are you here?!"
Lady Toki was clearly overjoyed to see Orin again, while her two grief-stricken children remained stunned by everything.
Momonosuke and Hiyori clung together.
Hiyori looked utterly terrified.
Momonosuke, upon seeing Orin, lit up and ran toward him. He didn't even stop to ask who the little girl sitting on Orin's shoulder was.
"Orin-tarō, where are the others?"
In his childhood memories, his father Oden had traveled with Roger and a crew of powerful comrades. Momonosuke had even spent time aboard the Oro Jackson.
If only those strong allies were here...
"No. I came alone. The Roger Pirates... have disbanded."
"N-Nani?!"
Momonosuke collapsed to the ground, the hope that had just begun to rise instantly crushed.
Just Orin-tarō alone—how could he possibly defeat such powerful enemies!?
Because of Wano's closed borders, their understanding of Orin was still stuck on the image of a young intern once protected by the Roger Pirates.
"But they were your comrades! Why didn't they come save Father!? Those bastards!!!"
Such naïveté.
This sheltered child had grown up in a greenhouse, always depending on others and never once thinking to grow stronger himself—
A typical spoiled brat's tantrum.
"How dare you speak like that! This is Orin-sama you're talking to!!!"
Yamato snapped at Momonosuke, visibly annoyed.
"Momo!!!"
Lady Toki shouted sternly, her voice rebuking her son.
"It's alright, Lady Toki."
Orin's face showed no change in expression. After all, Momonosuke wouldn't survive the night anyway—there was no need to be angry.
If he remembered correctly, the main event was just about to begin.
In the thick black clouds above, a massive blue dragon emerged. As King and the others respectfully made way, Kaido slowly transformed into his human form and stepped toward the burning manor.
BANG—
With a violent kick, the door was blown open. A massive figure stepped into the room.
At the sight of this figure, Lady Toki's face turned pale. She hurriedly drew her long sword.
The one who had come—
Was Kaido, determined to wipe out the last remnants.
"Yo, if it isn't~"
Orin slowly turned around with a smile.
Kaido hadn't expected it. After searching so many places in vain, Orin turned out to be here?
And on top of that—Yamato was on his shoulder!
"ORIN!!! You bastard! Let go of Yamato!!!"
Kaido didn't care about the Kozuki remnants. He could kill them anytime. But Orin?
He couldn't wait another second.
He raised his kanabo club, which began to swell with terrifying power.
"AAAHHHHH!!!"
Orin didn't react, but behind him, the indignant Momonosuke had already darted behind his mother in fear.
Tch…
Lady Toki stood protectively in front of her children, eyes darting nervously between Kaido and Orin.
If anyone could save them now, it would have to be—
"STOP!!! KAIDO!!!"
To everyone's surprise, a girl's voice rang out clearly in the burning room.
Kaido's kanabo, wreathed in Conqueror's Haki Infusion, froze just inches before impact.
His eyes widened in shock.
The whole scene fell silent.
"What are you doing!!! Yamato, get over here! Orin is not a good person!!!"
"No!!!"
The little girl clutched her own kanabo, staring at Kaido with fierce resolve.
"You say that because... you don't understand him. You don't know him."