A ripple of sound spread across the land. It was filled with cheers, screams, laughter, and sobbing, all carried by the broadcast.
And then Luffy's gaze shifted slowly and deliberately as his dark eyes moved to the woman who had just arrived.
It was Komurasaki, the most beautiful woman, and Orian in Wano.
The moment his eyes locked onto her, she froze. Her breath caught in her throat. Her face, flawless and poised only moments ago, flushed crimson under the sudden weight of his stare.
'Why… why is he looking at me like that…?' She thought, her heart hammering. 'What does he want from me?'
Luffy stepped forward, his boots clicking against the stone. His grin curved into something softer, almost mischievous, but his words carried an undeniable edge.
"Komurasaki…" He drawled her name deliberately, savoring the weight of it in the air. The way he said it made her spine tingle. He extended his hand, offering her a burning torch. "Why don't you do the honors? Light the flame and burn this coward with your own hands."
The entire square gasped; even the women in Luffy's company arched brows at his words.
Hiyori's fingers trembled. Her eyes darted to the torch, then to Orochi, then back to Luffy.
"M–Me?" She stammered, her voice faltering, utterly unlike the confident courtesan façade she always maintained. 'Why would he give me this chance? Why… me?'
Luffy leaned in, close enough that only she could hear, his breath brushing her ear. His tone dropped to a whisper, laced with quiet authority.
"Princess of the Kozuki clan…"
Her entire body jolted. Her eyes widened, blood draining from her face.
"This is your chance. Your revenge. Do it with your own hands. Don't you want to do it?"
The words sank into her chest like blades. She could hardly breathe. Her mind screamed in shock. 'How does he know? Who is this man?'
Luffy's lips curved into a faint, reassuring smile. His eyes softened just enough as he whispered again.
"Go ahead. Light the fire. No one here will touch you, not while I'm standing beside you."
Hiyori's trembling eased. She swallowed hard, her heartbeat still chaotic, but her panic dulled by the strange, suffocating aura of certainty that radiated from him.
For the first time in years, she felt truly safe. Her gaze lingered on Luffy, searching for deception, for cruelty, but all she found was raw conviction.
And then slowly, realization dawned upon her.
'He isn't my enemy… he's here to help Wano... to end this nightmare.'
Her lips parted as she exhaled shakily, her grip tightening on the torch.
The firelight reflected in her wide, tear-brimmed eyes.
Orochi, sensing what was about to happen, shrieked through his gag, thrashing violently.
"MMMPHHH!! MMMMMM!! (No! Not her! Anyone but her!)"
The crowd erupted again, their voices carried by the broadcast.
"Burn him!"
"End it, Komurasaki-sama!"
"Avenge Oden! Avenge the Kozuki clan!"
The wooden stand creaked under Orochi's struggles, oil dripping onto the stone, waiting for the kiss of flame.
The torch flickered in Hiyori's hand, the fire crackling fsshhhhh as if impatient.
Luffy leaned back, folding his arms, his smile faint and unreadable. His gaze, however, never left her face.
"Go on, Hiyori. Show the world the strength of the Kozuki bloodline."
The square held its breath.
All of Wano held its breath.
The torch trembled in Hiyori's delicate hands as she lowered it.
Fsshhhhh!
The fire licked eagerly at the slick wood, spreading in a sudden surge. Within moments, the pole ignited like a beacon, flames racing upward in twisting tongues of gold and crimson.
The inferno swallowed Orochi instantly. His gag, soaked in oil, burned away in seconds, releasing a blood-curdling scream.
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!! IT BURNNNSSS!! SOMEONE... SOMEONE SAVE MEEEEE!!"
His voice cracked, splitting into a high-pitched wail, echoing across the square, and through the colossal Den Den Mushi broadcast, across all of Wano.
The citizens watching in their homes, in marketplaces, in taverns, froze for a single heartbeat, and then the dam broke.
"Orochi is burning!"
"The tyrant is dead!"
"Kozuki's revenge lives!"
The cheers of joy erupted like a flood.
Men slammed their fists against tables, women clutched each other in relief, and children who had grown up in fear cheered wildly.
In the capital itself, people began crying, laughing, even dancing as they saw their Shogun's grotesque body writhing in agony, his shrieks a final symphony of misery.
But here, at the square, the sound was far less triumphant.
It was ugly.
Orochi screamed until his voice shredded into hoarse sobs, until his words became nothing but pitiful whimpers.
"I–I AM SHOGUN! I AM OROCHI! YOU CAN'T... GYAAAHHHH!!"
His final roar dissolved into a gurgling cry, cut short as the fire claimed his throat. His struggles weakened, his movements jerking slower and slower until his body sagged against the pole.
Crraackk!!
The wood snapped beneath the intense heat, collapsing in a shower of sparks, sending his charred husk tumbling. The flames roared higher, consuming what little dignity he had left.
And then, the center was filled with silence.
The tyrant of Wano was gone. The smoke curled upward, drifting into the blue sky like a black flag of finality.
Orochi's reign ended not with power, but with screams and ash.
Luffy stood with his arms crossed, watching the smoke rise. His face was unreadable, only a cold satisfaction in his eyes. He tilted his head slightly, as if to declare to the world.
'This is justice!'
Beside him, Komurasaki's hand trembled violently. Tears spilled down her flawless cheeks, glistening in the firelight. She bit her lip, trying to keep silent, but the weight of years, the torment her family and her country had endured, cracked through. A soft sob escaped her lips.
"Hhhhhh…!"
She covered her mouth, her entire body shuddering as grief and relief warred within her chest. The flames reflected in her tear-soaked eyes, but so too did the young man who had handed her the torch.
Luffy glanced at her, his sharp eyes softening for just a moment. He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a low whisper, meant for her ears alone.
"Princess of the Kozuki clan… I need to speak with you. There's something very important we must discuss."
Hiyori's breath caught. Her heart skipped violently, her sobs halting as his words sank in. She turned her tear-streaked face toward him, confusion swirling in her eyes.
'He... knows who I am. What does he want from me?'
Her mind spun wildly, torn between suspicion and something far more dangerous. Her flushed cheeks deepened in color, her pulse racing as an absurd thought forced its way into her head.
'Does he… want me?... Does he mean to claim me, here, in front of everyone?'
The notion sent heat rushing through her face, her body trembling anew.
After all, hadn't she felt it already?
The indescribable pull toward him, the suffocating charm he radiated?
She wasn't naïve, as her instincts screamed at her that this man could take her heart if he wished, that he could draw her in just by smiling.
Her lips parted, her voice barely a whisper. "W-What… do you mean…?"
But Luffy wasn't looking at her the way men usually did. His eyes weren't clouded with lust or hunger, though his grin was boyish, almost teasing; his gaze carried an iron weight.
He didn't see her as just Komurasaki, the courtesan. He saw Hiyori, the princess and the key to Wano's soul.
Luffy straightened, his tone suddenly sharp with purpose as he glanced toward Kyoshiro, who stood nearby, battered and defeated, but silent as a shadow.
"What I want to talk about…" He murmured, his voice carrying just enough for them to hear over the crackling pyre, "…may decide the future of Wano."
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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