Wano Country, Flower Capital.
Unlike the spring island of Kuri's Amigasa Village and the summer island of Udon's quarry, this capital of Wano was breathtakingly beautiful just from the outside.
Because Orochi had been active in the surrounding areas year-round, the roads from the outskirts to the city were nearly as long as the medicine transport routes Sakura had the giants build in the Upperworld.
Although slightly lacking maintenance, at least there were no signs of sword and blade slashes, nor randomly spawning bandits.
And the scene inside the capital was completely different from what one might imagine of a closed-off country.
Exquisitely decorated Japanese-style wooden pavilions, carefully maintained greenery, various shopping malls and luxury goods stores clustered together, clean roads, no disorder or filth, and no beggars.
Compared to the dilapidated backwardness of Kuri and the desolate silence of Udon, it was like two different countries. Perhaps a more apt description would be regions existing in two different eras.
"Tsk tsk, truly beautiful!" The black-haired, freckled boy clicked his tongue meaningfully.
In a place where some people couldn't even get enough to eat, they could still create such a breathtaking paradise. Truly, human power is indeed limitless~
Sakura turned her drooping head toward him and raised an eyebrow. "Like it? You can stay here, long-term~"
"Give me a break. Maybe I could have stayed before I saw Kuri, but now..." Ace shook his head with a bitter smile.
"It will look even better when it burns!" Sato Sakura walked over carrying Leviathan, and the small ship spirit in her hands nodded in agreement.
Watching them chattering away as if on a sightseeing trip, Shiki covered his forehead with his hand and sighed. "Can you guys have a little bit of the tension that a war is about to start?"
The situation in the Flower Capital was clearly abnormal now. Not to mention members of the Beasts and Big Mom crews, even ordinary residents of Wano were rare on the streets.
Was this right? Of course not.
Shiki's intelligence showed that Wano had a population of about two million, nearly half of whom were concentrated in the Flower Capital and the surrounding 'urban circle' on the outskirts.
But for the capital of a country to be so cold and desolate, if the Beasts and Big Mom Pirates hadn't done something here, he'd write his name, Shiki, backwards!
"I know that some of the residents became the Ice Oni Homies I killed on the Udon battlefield, but the numbers still don't add up." Sakura raised her hand, reminding Shiki.
In fact, it wasn't just the Homies she had killed. More importantly, where were the main forces of these two pirate crews?
With their ability to use the Mira Mira no Mi to fight a guerrilla war against her and Shiki, the losses might quickly escalate to a level that both crews could not afford.
Moreover, her World of Tree's erosion and analysis of the Mirror World hadn't been completed yet, so she couldn't completely locate their hiding places.
"Then let's fortify the Flower Capital. This time, the offensive and defensive positions are reversed. We'll fight a defensive battle!" Shiki suddenly became impassioned. He immediately reached out his hand and pressed it to the ground.
Sakura thought of something and showed a hesitant expression. "Hey, wait. You're not going to..."
"Leave it to me. I have an absolutely unbeatable way to defend a city! Shihahahaha!"
The old man, his coat and hair blowing in the strong wind, activated his ability. The ground around the Flower Capital cracked open in large fissures, shaking the earth.
The remaining residents hiding in their houses ran out of their homes. As if accustomed to it, they wanted to flee to open spaces for shelter. But as soon as they stepped out of the city limits, they realized in horror—
The entire Flower Capital, along with the high ground beneath their feet, had broken away from the earth and was being lifted into the sky by some invisible force, breaking free from the bonds of gravity and soaring freely.
"This guy is too crazy."
Ace's Observation Haki detected the situation at the Flower Capital's border, and he couldn't help but widen his eyes.
'Who fights a defensive battle by lifting the entire capital city and flying away with it? It was like at the end of a rebellion, the lord's castle stands up, right?'
While the members of the Higanbana Pirates and the soldiers of the Flying Pirates were astonished, a small black dot appeared in the southern sky, approaching from afar.
Kaido, half-dragonized and carrying his kanabo, was standing on the tip of the roof of Onigashima, which he had lifted.
His dragon-like gaze gazed into the distance, locking onto the capital that should have belonged to him.
It was floating... flying away...
"You've got to be kidding me?" Kaido's dragon-scale-covered face showed a dazed expression.
His spreading Observation Haki passed through the blurred landscape and flowing clouds, locking onto the old comrade he had worked with on a ship forty years ago… Golden Lion Shiki.
"Shihahahaha! Kaido, do you want to fight an air battle with me?"
Shiki flew out from the floating Flower Capital, laughing wildly, dark thunder surging around him. "If you lose, this country belongs to me!"
"Don't even think about it! I am the one who will dominate this country with violence!"
Kaido roared back without backing down. The entire sky followed the dragon's anger, raining down violent thunder.
"Heh!" Shiki smiled without speaking.
He raised his hand, clenching it hard toward his floating battleship. The huge ship instantly disintegrated.
The shattered island stone bricks trembled violently, revealing the massive cannons hidden beneath the keel and deck planks, each emitting an eerie glow.
"Come, let me put fangs on my new seat!" Shiki's five spread fingers abruptly contracted.
The shipborne cannons he had collected through various means began to fall, sinking into every corner of the Flower Capital. Without needing adjustment or calibration, all the cannon barrels autonomously locked onto Onigashima under the effect of his ability.
The next moment, they opened fire.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
The roar that shook the entire heaven and earth echoed. Countless metal-cased shells were hurled into the sky, falling toward Onigashima like a swarm of meteors.
"Damn it! Linlin, do something!!!"
Kaido exerted all his strength to steer Onigashima, but his ability was ultimately not as flexible as the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi. Helpless, he could only shout loudly for his ally to come help.
"Mama mama! If you had done this sooner, it would have been fine. Now you owe me three favors!"
A greedy, evil laugh accompanied by a giant figure. Linlin, riding her cloud, raised her burning greatsword. Purple haze rose from her body.
—Elbaf Spear - Ikoku Sovereignty!
The moment the blade fell, a legendary spear, comparable to a bursting star, created a huge spiral impact, connecting heaven and earth, rushing toward the dense group of shells.
Shiki seemed completely unconcerned, quietly floating above the Flower Capital, watching.
In the eyes of the many pirates on the Flower Capital and Onigashima, the moment before Linlin's wide-range slash was about to arrive, a figure suddenly flashed before the fan-shaped attack.
She lightly raised her right hand. Flowing Armament Haki formed an invisible layer of armor on the surface of her arm. She grabbed the Ikoku Sovereignty and pressed it downward.
Boom!
The attack that should have pierced the rain of shells was thus torn apart, its direction changed, sending it toward the magma pool exposed below because Shiki had moved the Flower Capital's high ground.
The roar of steel roared. Lava and dust splashed everywhere.
The girl looked back. Beads of sweat sparkled under the sky full of lightning. On her beautiful face, a smile bloomed.
"Long time no see, Linlin. I was so sad about your unannounced departure last time~"
"Haruno Sakura!!!"