Ryuma stared blankly at his hand, but fortunately, he had survived.
He smiled and said, "I… I actually defeated Kaido. This is unbelievable, isn't it?"
His heart was filled with overwhelming excitement.
But deep down, Ryuma knew things weren't going to be that simple.
Eliminating Kaido meant shaking the entire world's balance of power. One of the Four Emperors down—this was an earth-shattering event!
Outside, Jack and the other two exchanged glances, their eyes full of shock and excitement.
"No way… how could this really happen?" Quinn said, equally stunned.
Although they all secretly hoped Kaido would meet his end soon, seeing it actually happen right before their eyes left them barely able to believe it.
Not because Kaido wasn't powerful—far from it.
Kaido had never lost before. They had followed him for years and had never seen him so defeated, so broken.
And now…
He had been killed by someone stronger than himself—Ryuma.
At that moment, Ryuma stepped out of the general's mansion.
His left hand was almost useless, crippled.
He took a deep breath, his expression grim, then slowly said, "Don't worry… I'm alright. You three—hang Kaido's head in the Flower Capital for three days, make it public. I want the world to see the fate of anyone who dares to defy Wano."
The three exchanged uneasy looks, silent for a long moment.
"What? You mean… you want to go against orders?" Ryuma asked, his voice shaky but firm.
But they dared not challenge him.
Not because they feared him physically—any one of them could easily kill Ryuma now if they wanted.
But because they saw hope in him, a bright future.
They quickly nodded, taking up their assigned tasks.
Ryuma watched them busy themselves and sighed in relief. Finally, he thought, I haven't wasted my efforts.
He knew that beating Kaido today had been a stroke of luck; next time, he might not be so fortunate.
In his mind, Ryuma thought: Since I am the Dragon-Slaying Samurai of Wano, for now, I must take Wano into my control.
The Oden family was shattered and powerless. If anything happened, they wouldn't be able to protect Wano.
Ryuma had merged with the ancient Dragon-Slaying Samurai's spirit, meaning he now held all of Wano's memories.
He swore to protect Wano with all his might.
His black sword, Shūsui, was more than just a blade—it was his only old friend. And Wano, though its old friends were gone, was still his homeland.
How could he not guard what was his home?
Meanwhile, far away, in Marineford.
A man wearing glasses leisurely sipped coffee while reading a newspaper, sighing deeply.
"That Roger… is about to be executed. This can't be delayed."
That man was none other than the Fleet Admiral of the Marines—
Sengoku.
Known as "Buddha Sengoku," the Marine Headquarters' Fleet Admiral, born in the South Blue, long-time rival of Whitebeard and the Golden Lion Pirates. Now commanding the Marines, he embodied the "Justice that Rules the World," the highest authority in the Navy.
Next to Sengoku sat an elderly man happily munching on a rice cracker.
His hair was black streaked with white, and his heroic bearing marked him as a man of strong character.
He laughed heartily, "Roger being captured is actually a good thing. At least with the strongest pirate executed, there'll be fewer pirates around, right?"
After speaking, the old man popped another cracker into his mouth.
Sengoku turned to him, expressionless, and said carefully, "Kizaru, I doubt you truly think that way."
At these words, Kizaru's eyes widened, and the rice cracker slipped from his fingers.
That old man was none other than Monkey D. Garp—
Marine Vice Admiral and Recruit Trainer, a legend in the Navy known as "Iron Fist" Garp.
He was famed for single-handedly holding off the unstoppable Rocks Pirates at God Valley and joining forces with Roger to annihilate them, earning him the title "Marine Hero."
Though his rank was lower than an Admiral, even the Admirals deeply respected Garp.
By seniority, Garp and Sengoku were equals, but Garp had repeatedly refused promotion.
He just wanted to stay a Vice Admiral—nothing more.
Of course, his strength had long surpassed that rank, and his mastery of Armament Haki was said to be the best in all of Marineford.
Rumor had it, no one could rival his Haki.
Garp sneered, his expression turning strange.
"No matter what, he's been an old rival," Garp muttered, crushing the rice cracker in his hand to powder.
Sengoku sighed, "Lately, because of Roger, Marine Headquarters is in utter chaos—no order at all. Other matters have been pushed aside. That's not a good sign."
"Yo, yo, yo… the Fleet Admiral sure is sharp when it comes to intelligence,"
Just then, a man in a white coat strode in step by step.
Underneath the coat, he wore a yellow striped shirt.
A short mustache curled above his mouth, and his lips were pursed, giving him a somewhat odd look.
On the back of his coat were two large characters:
"Justice."
There was no doubt—this was Admiral Kizaru.
Kizaru, one of the Navy's three strongest Admirals, was naturally a Devil Fruit user of the Pika Pika no Mi—the Light-Light Fruit.
His personality was unpredictable, embodying a vague, ambiguous sense of justice. He wielded formidable swordsmanship, powerful kicking techniques, and excellent marksmanship.
In his hand, Kizaru held a report, which he slapped down on the table with a sharp clap.
Looking at the report, Garp squinted slightly. He had a feeling… Kizaru's visit today was definitely not without some hidden agenda.
"What's this?" Sengoku asked, slowly picking up the report.
The moment Sengoku took the paper in his hands, his entire body froze as if turned to stone.
Kaido… dead?
How was that possible?
Kaido, one of the Four Emperors—how could he have died so easily?
The report showed a gruesome photo: Kaido's severed head hanging from the gates of the Flower Capital, Wano's capital city!
Sengoku took a deep breath and continued reading.
The person who killed Kaido was a young man named Ryuma.
Ryuma?
Sengoku ran the name over in his mind countless times but had never heard of this man before.
He was puzzled beyond measure.
What kind of existence was Kaido?
Even the combined strength of the three Admirals at their best could only hope to hold Kaido to a fifty-fifty match—though that was an exaggeration since they'd never actually fought him. Nobody really knew how it would turn out.
Garp silently stared at the paper for a moment before saying, "Never thought… it'd be a rookie who'd take Kaido down."
Garp felt uneasy about Kaido's death.
The World Government's balance relied on the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the three Admirals, and all of Marine Headquarters' military might.
If that delicate balance was broken, it could bring about terrifying consequences no one wanted to imagine.
Sengoku took a deep breath and looked at Kizaru. "Kizaru… do you have any information on this Ryuma fellow?"
At that, Kizaru's lips curled into a sly smile. "Yo… never thought there was something even Fleet Admiral Sengoku didn't know. Well, since you're asking so nicely, I guess I'll tell you. Ryuma is from Wano, but he's an ancient man—from hundreds of years ago—a legendary Dragon-Slaying Samurai. It's said Ryuma single-handedly slew a dragon. In his lifetime, he never once lost a fight. After death, he was buried in the Ryuma Tomb."
Sengoku's head practically buzzed with the news.
"But if he's an ancient man, he should be dead now. So how is this possible?"
"Tsk tsk… that I don't know," Kizaru replied. "But according to the report, he doesn't have just one Devil Fruit power. They say he's got multiple—though nobody's sure if that's true."
Upon hearing this, Sengoku felt like he was spiraling into a whirlpool, unable to calm down for a long time.
Devil Fruits were said to be limited—only one per person. Eating more would result in the body exploding. This wasn't some scientific experiment; it was the human limit, the absolute ceiling. Even a thousand years from now, no one could change that fact.
After a pause, Sengoku calmly said, "These reporters really dare to write about anything… Anyone with half a brain could see this is impossible. But then again, if he's an ancient man who somehow came back to life, it must be because of some Devil Fruit."
After a moment's thought, Sengoku quickly added, "Enough. Stop overthinking. Kizaru, you and Akainu are going to Wano."
Kizaru frowned. "Why are we going to Wano?"
"To see if the rumors about him absorbing multiple Devil Fruit powers are true. If so, we need to investigate thoroughly. Although this man isn't our enemy yet, he's extremely dangerous—probably a hundred times more dangerous than Kaido. Also, since Wano hasn't joined the World Government as a member country, you and Akainu will try to get them to join," Sengoku said calmly.
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