...
"Flower Capital"
The city center, the shogun's residence.
Kurozumi Orochi was dead drunk, holding a few courtesans in his arms, drinking and making merry, when a commotion suddenly sounded outside.
"What's going on?!"
He impatiently shoved the woman in his arms away and bellowed in anger.
"L–Lord Shogun!"
A guard rushed in in a panic. "This is bad! A man wearing sunglasses broke in, he's already injured a lot of our people!"
"What?!"
Kurozumi Orochi shot to his feet, face darkening. "Who's that bold?! Does he not know what this place is?!"
"And you lot are all useless as well. You actually let him disturb me—don't you know enough to stop that guy?"
Unbelievable!
He had just sent Kyoshiro out to invite Komurasaki over, and these remaining sacks of wine and rice had already been broken through?
"We can't do it, Lord Shogun, that guy is really strong… ah, not good! H–he's here!"
Crack!
The window was suddenly frozen over by a wave of cold air, then exploded with a boom.
Amidst the swirling ice crystals, a tall, lanky man with both hands in his pockets descended from the sky, stepping down on Moonwalk, landing on the outer windowsill.
"Ah la la… the guards here really are a bit troublesome, layers upon layers. In this country, even if the people wanted to rebel, the forces they gathered could never even step through the outermost gate, could they?"
He yawned, his gaze sweeping past the trembling courtesans inside and the terror-stricken Kurozumi Orochi.
"But compared to the guys at the main gate, the defenses on your side are unexpectedly lax."
"Y–you are?!"
Kurozumi Orochi's face went deathly pale; he shoved the courtesan in his arms away in shock and leapt up from the tatami. In an instant, he recognized the man before him!
"Navy Grand Admiral Aokiji! W–why are you here?!"
"Wano Country may be shut off from the world, but logically speaking, at most it should only be the commoners below who don't know how much the outside world has changed, right?"
Aokiji bent forward slightly, looking down from above at Kurozumi Orochi, who had collapsed to the floor:
"You, as the current shogun and Kaido's ally, actually don't know either. Seems you really have spent every day lost in debauchery and luxury."
"As for the name Aokiji, I'd rather you not bring it up anymore. I am Kuzan, top executive of Endgame, here on Lord Shano's orders to bring your rule to an end."
Ice-blue cold air began gathering between his brows.
"W–wait! We can talk!"
Kurozumi Orochi hurriedly waved his hands. He could read the situation; he didn't think he could beat a Navy Grand Admiral, so he had to find a way to smooth things over first!
"I have money! A lot of money! And so many women! So many industries—so long as you let me—"
Crack.
Before he could finish, the bone-piercing ice had completely frozen him over, that terrified, pleading expression forever sealed in the ice sculpture.
Aokiji straightened up and looked out into the night, where cherry blossoms fluttered down.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed in the courtyard below the pavilion a samurai with narrow, slitted eyes and a beautiful courtesan who seemed to have just been summoned there, both staring up blankly at this place.
The latter covered her mouth, her eyes reddening, tears on the verge of falling.
A faithful, devoted lover, grieving for Kurozumi's sake?
"Sorry about that."
Aokiji shrugged, ignored them, turned his head back, glanced at the immobilized Kurozumi Orochi, and said calmly:
"I've never had much patience for tyrants and scum who don't have the slightest trace of empathy."