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The Flower Capital was the pride of Wano as it stood as a glittering jewel amidst a country otherwise weighed down by hardship. Nestled at the heart of Wano's main island, it is the seat of the shogun's power and the cultural and economic hub of the nation.
The city sprawled across a lush, elevated basin, encircled by verdant hills and mountains that acted as both natural barriers and scenic backdrops. These hills were dotted with cherry blossom trees whose petals drifted lazily through the air during the right season, adding a dreamlike touch to the skyline.
The city was built along a central axis that runs from the grand Shogun's Castle at the northernmost peak down through a series of descending terraces and broad, open streets.
This created a sense that everything, from the common marketplaces to the smallest alleyway, led toward the seat of power.
The castle itself was a towering, multi-tiered fortress adorned with sweeping tiled roofs that curve upward like the wings of a crane. Around its base, administrative buildings and residences for high-ranking officials form the Inner District, accessible only to the elite and guarded by the shogun's samurai.
Beyond this lay the Merchant District, the most vibrant part of the city.Ā
One of the Flower Capital's defining features was its intricate canal system. Narrow waterways weaved through the city like silver threads, spanned by arched wooden bridges painted crimson.
These canals not only served as practical transport but also added to the serene aesthetic, reflecting lantern light in rippling patterns at night.
By day, the Flower Capital is alive with motion and music. Merchants cried out their prices over the clatter of geta sandals on stone-paved streets.
The air was a heady mix of scents, a mixture of grilled skewers sizzling over charcoal, incense burning at small shrines, fresh flowers sold in woven baskets, and the faint sweetness of sakƩ drifting from open tavern doors.
Entertainers moved through the crowds: shamisen players strumming lively tunes, kabuki performers painted in bold colors, and geisha gliding gracefully in elaborate kimonos, offering coy smiles to passersby.Ā
At the same time, there is a layer of opulence masking control.
Guards patroled regularly, their lacquered armor shining, eyes sharp for dissent. The populace was expected to uphold the image of a perfect, thriving cityfilled with laughter, prosperity, and loyalty on display at all times.Ā
The Flower Capital was both breathtaking and deceptive.
It was a place of art, tradition, and splendor, where beauty was meticulously maintained, where every festival felt like a masterpiece, and where life seemed joyous to an outsider.
------
Inside the Grand Audience Hall of the Shogun's Castleā¦
The massive chamber was draped in gold and scarlet, lit by the flickering glow of braziers. The scent of burning incense could not mask the faint, sickly stench of stale sake and perfume that clung to the room.
Up on the raised dais, Kurozumi Orochi sat sprawled on his ornate stage-like throne, his broad frame wrapped in a dazzling gold kimono patterned with fans. A blue robe with painted flowers spilled across the platform, and a gaudy crown perched atop his balding head, his long topknot trailing behind like a mockery of a warrior's pride. His thin mustache twitched with irritation, his blunt upper canines visible as his lips curled.
Klang! Klang!
The sound of hurried footsteps approached before a guard dropped to one knee, bowing deeply with his head to the floor.
"Your Excellencyā¦ bad news!" The man's voice trembled. "Last nightā¦ the Paradise Farm was attacked. The storage granaries wereā¦ emptied."
A heavy, thunderous slam echoed through the chamber as Orochi's palm struck the armrest.
BANG!
His eyes bulged, face flushing crimson.
"WHAT?! Paradise Farmā¦ attacked?! And you bring me this filth of a report instead of the heads of those responsible?! HAH?! You useless worm! What have you been doing all night?! Playing dice while rats gnaw at my kingdom?!"
The guard flinched so hard his helmet rattled.
"F-forgive me, Orochi-sama! W-we are still searching the countrysideā¦ butā"
Crack!
The Shogun's sake cup shattered in his grip, rice wine dripping through his fingers. His voice rose to a shrill, almost unhinged pitch.
"But WHAT?!"
The guard swallowed hard, words spilling out.
"All guards stationed at Paradise Farm areā¦ dead. They all have been killed without a single survivor. The workers had already fled in terror before we arrived. Th-there are no witnessesā¦ no leadsā¦"
Orochi's breath came fast, his jaw clenching. Inside, his mind churned with paranoia.
'Deadā¦ all of them? And the workers gone? Is this rebellionā¦? A plot against ME?'
He lurched forward, spittle flying.
"USELESS! All of you are useless! Find them! FIND THEM NOW!... You expect me to eat air and drink rain until you find a 'lead'? Make haste, you sniveling insect, before I feed you to Kaido's beasts!"
The guard's face paled even further, and with a trembling bow, he scrambled backwards, practically tripping over himself as he retreated. The echo of his hurried footsteps faded into the distance.
From the shadows at the side of the hall, a tall, broad-shouldered man stepped forward, his presence heavy as stone. His deep-blue hair framed his slanted eyes and stern expression, his massive sideburns bristling like the mane of some battle-hardened beast. A towering faux-pompadour crowned his head, and his dark-blue kimono bore circles and target patterns, a matching high-collared cape flowing behind him.
This was Kenshiro, one of Orochi's most formidable men. He chuckled, the sound low and rough, almost like a predator's growl.
"Ohoho! Orochi-samaā¦ if you wish, I can send my men. They have ways ofā¦ persuading people to talk. The problem will be handled before Kaido-sama even steps foot in this castle again."
Orochi waved a hand lazily, his expression shifting from rage to smug amusement. "No, noā¦ there's no need for you to dirty your hands. This reeks of Shutenmaru and his Mt. Atama Thieves. Pests, nothing more! Once Kaido returns, I will unleash him on them. Yesā¦ let the Beast deal with these fools!"
He leaned back, releasing a booming, over-the-top laugh. "Wahahahaha! Let them think they've won for nowā¦ they'll regret the day they stole from Kurozumi Orochi!"
His manic laughter bounced off the gilded walls, grating and shrill, as Kenshiro stood there, silent but smirking faintly, already suspecting that this was more than just some bandit raid.
He bowed slightly, voice honeyed with flattery. "As expected of Orochi-samaā¦ such patience, such wisdom. Truly, you see the battlefield as no other could. To delay now, only to crush them later in Kaido-sama's palmā¦ magnificent strategy."
Inside his head,Ā he was thinking.
Magnificent strategy, my assā¦ you're just too scared to make a move without Kaido holding 'your hand, old fool. Keep wallowing in your fake grandeur... it'll be all the easier for the real predators to take a bite when the time comes.'
--- ā¦ ā¦ ā¦ ---
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