Sharp arrowheads, imbued with Haki, spread across the roof, walls, and ground. Then, like flowers, they leaped from all directions, stabbing fiercely toward Sakura at the center.
"So it's you rats!" Sakura's gaze sharpened.
Ripples brimming with endless spirit suddenly resounded. Conqueror's Haki, carrying a blazing will, precisely struck every arrowhead, plunging the encirclement born from this ability into a brief paralysis.
"Insect of the lower world, die for your blasphemous acts against God!"
A pair of long, straight, beautiful legs, wrapped in countless arrows, kicked out from the mirror. Using the Devil Fruit's ability to interfere with fate, it traced an unavoidable trajectory for this strike.
—Arrow Mark Bond!
"Get lost! I don't have time to waste on you!"
Her Observation Haki predicting the trajectory of the other's attack, Sakura drew her greatsword cloud rope, coated it with Haki, and slashed upward, colliding with Gunko's leg.
Bang!
Terrifying tremors spread and swept through. As the arrows shattered, the leg kicking toward Sakura was severed by her greatsword.
Sakura released the cloud rope, letting the recoil dissipate. She stepped forward, charging toward Shiki in the distance, whose heart was about to be pierced by a blade.
However, Gunko, who had lost a leg, showed no sign of pain. She crossed her arms and braced them on the ground, drawing a brand new arrow.
Her suspended body quickly flew forward following the arrow's trajectory, firmly hugging Sakura's waist. Then, more arrows were released from her hands, winding around Sakura's waist, forming an airtight waist cincher.
"You bastard..."
Her Observation Haki predicting a future where she would be cut in half three seconds later, Sakura released the Chakra from her Yin Seal, deepening the effect of the Strength of a Hundred Technique.
At the same time, her palm pulled a kunai with a cherry blossom mark from her ninja tool pouch and tossed it toward Shiki.
Crack!
Gunko's released ability began to take effect. Sakura's upper and lower bodies each rotated in opposite directions four or five times.
And the two of them, under the illusory light of the Flying Thunder God Technique, flickered and teleported before the giant blade-wielding three-headed dog.
"Tch, a monster!"
Watching Sakura, whose body was almost severed in two yet still lively and kicking, Shamrock frowned.
"Hey, Sakura, are you still alive?"
Shiki looked at Sakura, who was almost inhuman, with some fear.
"I'm fine. Get ready. We need to retreat!"
The markings of the Strength of a Hundred Technique spread. Sakura's body made a cracking sound.
The twisted, necrotic, almost severed flesh rapidly repaired. Sakura's fist, wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, slammed into Gunko's and the three-headed dog's faces. A vast, resounding thunder burst where the fist made long-range contact.
—Cherry Blossom Impact!
The terrifying force, which a human body could not bear, shattered the bodies of the woman and the dog. The broken debris flew backward.
Shamrock, attacking next, did not hesitate. He drew his sword, pierced Gunko's half-repaired body, and, using the blind spot, stabbed at Sakura.
But under the insight of her Observation Haki, Sakura raised her hand and drew the cloud rope in the distance. The greatsword shot toward her, crashing into her hand, using its wide blade to block the thrust for her.
As the two fought, from the mirrors that had been spread throughout the room by Gunko's arrows, a shark-toothed Maffey with sunglasses extended.
She opened her mouth toward Shiki behind Sakura. Vast energy gathered light particles within.
"Another one?"
Sakura frowned. Her green eyes, sparkling with the rainbow light of Observation Haki, moved to the side. Her hand gripped the hilt of the cloud rope, ready to swing it at Maffey.
But Gunko and Shamrock before her did not hesitate. They used their bodies to crash into Sakura's greatsword, their Haki reinforcing it, jamming her blade.
"You...?"
Encountering for the first time a fighting style that relied on immortality to act arbitrarily, Sakura was delayed by them in this way.
Gunko, with half her body destroyed and her chest pierced, still acted as if nothing was wrong. She reached out and shot an arrow from her fingers, connecting the laser on Maffey to Shiki.
The next moment, the laser was fired. Guided by the trajectory of the attack, it bypassed many obstacles and shot straight through Shiki's heart, causing a huge explosion within the Tenshukaku.
Boom!
The floor of the building cracked. Hurricanes howled. A deafening roar, enough to tear eardrums, followed the surging of brutal flames, along with thick smoke, covering the entire Tenshukaku.
The entire Flower Capital suddenly shook. The power lifting it began to weaken, showing a trend of being on the verge of collapse.
"Old lion..."
Sakura, rushing out of the flames carrying Shiki, could not take her arm away from his heart, which had become a hollow cavity.
Through the Strength of a Hundred Seal markings spreading over his body, she poured a large amount of Yang Release Chakra into his heart, maintaining his flickering flame of life.
On the other side, the three members of the God's Knights also fell from the tower. Their bodies, shattered by the explosion, burned with black flames and rapidly regenerated.
Soon, they stood up completely unharmed, gathering in the square below the Tenshukaku.
"Alright. The first phase objective is achieved. Begin the second phase of the plan!"
Shamrock, sensing Sakura healing Shiki in the distance and confirming she had been delayed, urged Gunko beside him.
Gunko's raised arm split into numerous arrows, converging on the ground to form a hollow, headless bird. Carrying the three, it flew from the Flower Capital, heading straight for the distant Leviathan.
…
Elsewhere, on the Leviathan above Onigashima.
Hearing the distant explosion, the members of the Higanbana Pirates leaned over the ship's side, gazing at the Flower Capital in the distance, where black smoke was rising.
"Hey, is Sakura-nee setting off fireworks to celebrate over there?"
Ace, carrying his sword, raised a finger and tipped his cowboy hat, cracking a joke to lighten the mood.
"Not good! It's enemies!"
Leviathan, receiving a message from Sakura through their telepathic link, turned serious. Her voice was loud as she warned those around to be on guard.
The moment her words landed, the headless bird made of arrows had already arrived above the ship. Three people in black military uniforms coldly looked down on the people on the ship below.
"Mad dog, have you had enough fun? We've come to pick you up!"
Shamrock, Gunko, and the others tore off their cloaks, revealing their faces.
On the deck of the Leviathan, the giant, expressionless girl saw these faces. Her body trembled.
After a long while, gathering courage, Sato Sakura's expression became firm. "I won't go back with you. I want to stay with Mother!!!"
"Sato Sakura, what are you saying? And Shanks, how can you...?"
Not understanding, Ace stepped forward, preparing to greet the person standing on the back of the headless bird.
"Step back, Ace! That's not Shanks. They're enemies!"
The small ship spirit sharply shouted to stop Ace's movement. The giant shark's bow extended into the night raven's giant beak.
"Is that so? I didn't expect that after being lost for a while, you'd learn to be a stray dog out there!"
Floating above everyone, Shamrock's expression became even more indifferent. He drew his blade from his waist. A dangerous aura shot out from the sword. The three-headed dog again struggled from the tip of his blade.
Just then, another change occurred.
A voice, amplified by the pentagram array drawn on the high mountain shrine of Kuri, invaded the ears of Shamrock, Gunko, and the others.
"What are you dawdling for? Why haven't you retrieved what Mu wants?"
"Wano is not like other places. We cannot invest too much combat power. Prolonged staying also carries the risk of prematurely igniting the flames of war."
Gunko's face twisted into a ferocious expression. Her eyes turned crimson red. A cold aura spread across the sky.
"Your Excellency..."
Shamrock and Maffey immediately knelt on one knee on the back of the headless bird, toward Gunko, whose aura had suddenly changed.
"Enough. Mu will do it. End this quickly. I will also brand my beloved dog."
The pentagram array gathered in her hand. A pitch-black trident extended from it. Black wings spread behind her back. Like a demon, she descended upon the world.
"Go... God... Your Excellency..."
Sato Sakura's pupils began to contract. She became somewhat incoherent.
"Who the hell are you!"
Seeing Sato Sakura's expression, Ace led the winged tribe warriors forward, shielding Sato Sakura behind them.
"Dog, are these insects what you rely on for your rebellious heart?"
Gunko, spreading her wings, floated before the Leviathan. Her broad Observation Haki sensed the disturbance of 'insects'. Her brows furrowed slightly.
The next instant, the previously chaotic world suddenly contracted, leaving only the thunder-like roar of Conqueror's Haki echoing over the entire sky of Wano.
The fierce Conqueror's Haki shocked unconscious all nearby life. The powerful aura even caused the battle-hardened winged tribe warriors to faint one after another.
Ace and Leviathan looked gravely at this demon-like girl, so close.
Gunko landed lightly before Sato Sakura, pinched her chin, and gazed with satisfaction at her terrified expression.
"Return to Mu's domination and fight for Mu!"