The snowstorm had calmed, leaving only a quiet blanket of white spread over the land of Ringo. Mamoru, Gyomei, and Onimaru stood at the edge of the northern cemetery, eyes scanning the devastation. The frozen ground bore scars of violence craters from impacts, scorched patches of earth, broken weapons and armor buried in frost.
There was no doubt. A battle had taken place here.
Mamoru crouched low, running his fingers over the missing patched of snow , clearly dug out by the attacks from both sides . His jaw tightened. "This isn't the work of simple bandits."
Before Gyomei could respond, the crunch of snow approached. A lone samurai stood among the countless swords piercing the ground, his head bowed as he paid respects. His kimono was worn, patched at the edges, but the blade at his hip gleamed with care.
Noticing the three figures, the samurai straightened and gave a solemn nod. "You've come to see the graves, too?"
Mamoru stood. "We came to confirm what happened here. The land is scarred, signs of a battle… who attacked?"
The samurai's expression darkened. He let out a heavy sigh, as if the memory weighed upon him. "Kaido. The Beast himself. He came to Ringo with his men. There was no one here to protect this land Lord Ushimaru was not present he was in Hakumai. For the first time, the Eternal Graveyard stood truly vulnerable."
Mamoru's hands balled into fists. Gyomei stiffened beside him, beads pressed between his fingers.
"But then," the samurai continued, voice softening with reverence, "a pirate appeared. Alone. He stood before Kaido and his horde, declaring, 'Wano is my home. I will not let you defile it.' He fought with all his strength, though the odds were hopeless."
Mamoru blinked in disbelief. "A pirate… defended Ringo?"
The samurai nodded. "His name was Gecko Moria. At least, that's what he called himself in the outside seas. But before he fell, he revealed the truth , he was Kouzoki Moria, a child of Wano. He had been raised in the faraway sea of West Blue, but his blood was of this land."
Gyomei's lips parted slightly in shock. Mamoru and Onimaru both exclaimed at once, voices overlapping.
"A pirate… of justice?" Mamoru muttered, his mind struggling to reconcile the word.
Onimaru barked sharply, eyes wide with the same disbelief.
The samurai's gaze drifted toward the graves. "He fought like a demon, but Kaido's power was overwhelming. Moria lost his crew, his life, and everything he had… but in his final stand, he kept Kaido from advancing further. In honor of his sacrifice, we buried him here among the samurai. His grave lies just beyond."
The three followed the samurai deeper into the cemetery. Snow crunched beneath their boots, and countless sword hilts jutted out of the frozen ground like a forest of steel. Mamoru's chest swelled with something complicated a mixture of awe and grief.
But then, the samurai's tone grew darker. "There is something else you must see."
They reached a section of the graveyard where the snow seemed heavier, less footsteps. The samurai stopped before an empty grave. The earth had been torn open, and the hole stretched deep into the frozen soil. The ground looked freshly disturbed.
Mamoru's breath caught in his throat. "This grave…"
The samurai's hand trembled as he pointed at the marker's absence. "It is the grave of the Sword God himself. The resting place of Ryuma."
The words slammed into Mamoru like a hammer. His body shook, Onimaru growled furiously, and Gyomei tightened his grip on his beads.
The samurai bowed his head in shame. "The grave was defiled. The body of Ryuma… and the black blade Shusui… stolen."
Mamoru staggered back, his fists trembling violently at his sides. His voice cracked, laced with anger. "Ryuma the greatest swordsman wano has ever produced … desecrated?"
Onimaru's growl turned into a snarl, his fur bristling as if he could smell the blasphemy still lingering in the air.
Gyomei felt the fury radiating from both boy and fox. His own chest burned. "To steal from the honored dead… this is beyond cruelty."
Mamoru clenched his jaw so tightly his teeth hurt. His breath turned to white mist in the frigid air, each exhale ragged. "First Kaido, now this… how much longer will Wano suffer?"
The samurai placed a hand over the hilt of his sword, voice low and heavy. "The dead cannot speak, but their silence cries louder than words. Whoever did this will not go unpunished."
Mamoru's eyes burned with conviction, his anger now sharp as steel. "No matter who it was… I'll make them answer for this crime . For Ringo , for Wano."
Snow began to fall again, quietly blanketing the graveyard as though trying to hide its scars. But the emptiness of Ryuma's grave ,the absence of the black blade Shusui ,hung heavy in the frozen air, a wound that would not heal for quiet some time.