The sky was burning, and the earth was wailing.
Kuri, once filled with orderly houses, was now a scorched earth, with a raging sea of fire sweeping through the streets, and charred bodies carbonized, kneeling on the ground, stuck together, their faces filled with horror.
Houses collapsed in the flames, and people fled in panic, only to be stopped by the towering flames in the distance.
Wails and cries were endless.
"Damn it... these pirates aren't even sparing the common folk? The outside world is truly dangerous!"
Kin'emon sliced through a flaming beam, saving a mother and child, the scorching flames making the air difficult to breathe.
Kiku was stunned, her breath hot, her small face pale with fright. She followed closely behind Kin'emon, rescuing many trapped people.
However, the carbonized bodies on the street tightened her throat, and anger spread in her heart.
"Where is Oden-sama?!"
Denjiro scanned his surroundings; the raging fire had engulfed most of Kuri, spreading and destroying the town, reaching out its demonic claws towards the surrounding mountains and forests.
Inuarashi's head was spinning from the heat: "I don't know, Shutenmaru seemed to have chased after Oden-sama."
Izo's forehead was bleeding, injured by a stray explosion fragment a short while ago, blood trickling down his cheek to his chin.
Nekomamushi also came over, his legs cramping; he had accidentally strained his Achilles tendon while running to save people, and his muscles were sore and spasming.
Kanjuro looked at the boundless sea of fire before him, lost in thought.
Kin'emon stood rooted to the spot, his eyelids twitching, watching tens of thousands of people scream and die. Now, unable to find the pillar of strength, Kozuki Oden, he was momentarily lost.
Denjiro, composed, said, "The situation is urgent. We must first lead the surviving people to the Kuri River. Kin'emon-san has been watching the weakest point of the fire to the east since just now, so he must have already anticipated this!"
"Huh?! Me, me?!"
Kin'emon looked bewildered, blinking guiltily.
"You were able to guess this step, Kin-san!" Kiku looked at him with admiration.
Inuarashi and Nekomamushi exchanged glances: "He was completely spacing out, and just happened to be looking in that direction, right?"
But Kin'emon's thoughts at this moment were not important. The black flying warships seemed to be bombing their way along Kuri, all the way to Kibi, with no intention of turning back.
"Kin-san, Izo and I will clear the path. Kiku, Inuarashi, Nekomamushi, Kanjuro, and Kawamatsu will protect the civilians and break through together."
Denjiro laid out the escape plan: "Our goal is to flee to the nearest river and await support from the other daimyo of the region."
Inuarashi nodded: "The news of Kuri being attacked by pirates has already been sent to the various daimyo of the major regions... I hope the daimyo can arrive soon."
Most of Kuri was engulfed in flames, and the fire was still spreading. Out of tens of thousands of people, it was feared that nearly a hundred thousand had been injured or killed.
"Act now, we don't have much time!"
Denjiro sliced through a burning building in front of them, stating gravely, "No one knows how many pirates came this time. Oden-sama is still waiting for our support!"
...In front of the Kuri River beach forest.
Kaido and Redfield walked side by side at the very front. Kaido was in high spirits, uncharacteristically carrying his spiked club, a chilling smile playing on his lips.
Redfield wore a sinister smile, his crimson eyes exceptionally eerie.
Bullet and Abel lagged half a step behind.
Bullet wore a black military uniform, white gloves on his hands, and his golden hair fell to his shoulders.
Abel carried a black long sword, not deliberately concealing his appearance as he did in his previous life. His black wings suddenly spread, flowing flames igniting his wings, and a ball of fire blazed behind his head.
Hanafuda was wearing a black trench coat today, with his chain hammer and scythe tucked at his waist.
Roya held a huge black scythe, and Hiber was dressed in casual brown clothes.
Behind them were the Beetle Brothers, Squard, MacGuy, Gairam, Queen, Judge, and nearly ten thousand pirates who had integrated Lineage Factor into their exoskeletons.
Redfield stopped, his eyes suddenly narrowing: "They've arrived, Kaido!"
Kaido grinned, his gaze sharpening as he looked into the distance: "Indeed, the aura is as ferocious as ever. He's a humanoid beast!"
"You know him?" Redfield asked.
"He's someone I'd recognize even if he turned to ash."
Kaido and his group stopped. In the distance, the deep mountains were lush with trees, and a fierce aura surged towards them. Leaves rustled, trees swayed, and rocks exploded.
Bang!!
Tree after tree was cut in half by a flash of sword light, thrown high into the air, and then a black crescent slash came from the distance.
In that instant, the surrounding light seemed to dim instantly!
The black sword energy tore through the air, and the ground was forcefully carved with a dark, deep gully.
Before Kaido could move, a hint of admiration flashed in Redfield's eyes. He also drew his cane sword and shattered the black sword energy with a single strike, turning it into a sky full of silver mist.
"Hey, pirates! If you intend to invade this country, I will defeat you here!"
Kozuki Oden leaped onto a giant rock, glaring angrily at Kaido and his group with sharp eyes.
He could clearly feel the formidable aura of the opponents. Redfield, in his wine-red robe, gave him immense pressure, as if what stood before him was not a human at all, but a prehistoric beast!
But when he looked at the young, strong Kaido, around whom everyone seemed to subtly revolve, the surging brutality and sinister, ferocious aura made Kozuki Oden feel as if he was facing a formidable enemy!
"Long time no see, Oden..."
Kaido looked at this all-too-familiar face, a trace of recollection flashing in his eyes, but the scene ultimately settled on Oden's unyielding expression just before his death.
"Who are you? How do you know my name?!"
Kozuki Oden was startled, staring blankly at Kaido.
"How could I not know Wano Country's strongest samurai... Oden, I have been preparing for this war for six years!"
Kaido grinned, exuding a terrifying killing intent. The black and crimson aura spread like a bursting dam, making the surrounding trees rustle and even causing violent explosions in circles from the inside out on the ground!
Redfield was shocked by the killing intent Kaido released. It was somewhat similar to Conqueror's Haki, but only a demon who had crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood could release such terrifying and chilling killing intent.
Those with weak wills would face immense pressure just standing in front of Kaido.
Under such powerful killing intent, in the interplay of light and shadow, Kaido's black hair even appeared completely white!
"Such a demonic posture..."
Redfield's eyes narrowed, then he laughed: "You truly keep giving me more and more surprises, Kaido... Perhaps, following you can truly change this filthy world!"
Kozuki Oden was shocked by the killing intent Kaido was currently unleashing. That aura, like a sharp metal sword energy, materialized, giving him the illusion of daggers at his back, and even his skin was faintly aching!
What a joke? Such a monster has set his sights on Wano Country!?