The heavy rain in Kuri could not wash away the thick scent of blood that hung in the air. Kin'emon slowly woke up while lying face down in the icy, muddy water. He forced his eyes open only to see Kozuki Toki's pale, lifeless face nearby, while Kozuki Oden was still tirelessly writhing and dancing in the mud pit.
Madam... Kin'emon's throat burned with an intense pain, and he coughed up a large mouthful of dark blood as soon as he tried to speak.
Go. Kozuki Toki didn't say another word to him. She reached down and tore off the hem of her ornate kimono, using the fabric to tie the swaddled Hiyori tightly against her chest. She stepped forward and helped Kin'emon up from the ground with her remaining strength. She did not spare even a single glance at the man she had once loved. There is no greater sorrow for a woman than a dead heart.
Raizo, Kiku, and Ashura Doji quickly moved in to prop Kin'emon up. A few gasping retainers protected Kozuki Toki as the small group plunged into the deep, dark mountains on this rainy night. Behind them lay Kuri, engulfed in soaring flames, echoing with the unbridled laughter of the Beasts Pirates. The path of their escape was marked by fresh blood with every step they took.
Having lost Kozuki Oden, who was their greatest combat power, and most of their skilled samurai, this remnant force was simply unable to escape the hunting net spread by the Beasts Pirates. I knew you rats would head for the back mountains! A booming voice shouted from the darkness.
In the depths of the dense forest, Jack, standing in his hybrid mammoth form, exhaled a heavy cloud of white mist. He casually pulled two Shotel blades from the corpse of a fallen guard samurai, watching the blood flow down the deep grooves of the blades. In the surrounding shadows, dozens of vicious pirates holding flintlock pistols had already completely surrounded the survivors. Kill them all, leave none of them alive. Jack impatiently spat out the rainwater in his mouth and issued the final death order to his men.
You guys take Madam and Lady Hiyori and go first! Break through toward the coast and seize a ship to set sail! Kin'emon stopped abruptly and drew his broken blade—of which only half remained—from his waist, holding it firmly across his chest. Raizo and Ashura Doji understood the plan immediately, standing shoulder to shoulder with him on either side. Kiku, whose one arm was already immobile and useless, also bit onto her sword hilt with her teeth, stumbling forward to block the very front of the path.
Madam! Carry our hope... and live on! Kin'emon didn't look back at her, but his shrill roar drowned out the thunder that was filling the sky above. Kozuki Toki bit her lip hard until beads of blood appeared on her skin. She knew what was happening. This was the Red Scabbards using their own lives to buy a few minutes of time for her.
There was no time for crying or sentimentality. she turned around abruptly, holding Hiyori close, and dashed recklessly toward the deepest part of the forest. The dull thud of blades entering flesh, the crisp sound of breaking bones, and the dying roars of the retainers intertwined behind her into a dirge of despair. The sounds grew distant but followed her through the woods like a haunting shadow.
She didn't know how long she had been running, but her physical strength was finally at its limit. The rain blurred her vision until her foot slipped on a root, and she fell with the child into a deep muddy pit. The massive impact made her vision go dark for a moment. Hiyori was startled in her arms and finally let out a loud cry as she began to wail. In the quiet, rainy night, this was undoubtedly a fatal sound.
Ha! Little lady, it looks like you can't run anymore! Several dark figures emerged from the thick curtain of rain, stepping through the mud to block the edge of the pit. A pirate with a crooked mouth and slanted eyes, carrying a heavy battle-axe, jumped into the pit with a nasty sneer. Hand over that little brat, then have some fun with us masters. Boss Kaido might even reward you by letting you be a slave girl!
Another pirate reached out, unceremoniously grabbing at Kozuki Toki's disheveled hair. Kozuki Toki slumped in the muddy water with nowhere left to retreat. Her back was pressed hard against the cold wall of the pit, and she closed her eyes in total despair. It was over. She had spanned eight hundred years of time. She thought she had found the key to changing the world, but she never imagined she would only witness the most absurd destruction of everything she held dear.
The edge of the battle-axe sliced through the air in the curtain of rain. The shadow of death loomed over her. However, the expected sharp pain did not come. Pfft—! A sharp, silent stream of light suddenly streaked across the dark night sky! Kozuki Toki snapped her eyes open in shock. A few drops of scalding blood splashed onto her pale cheek.
The pirate who had raised the battle-axe, along with the heavy axe itself, was actually sliced smoothly into two halves from the waist! This sudden turn of events stunned all the pirates nearby. A cold chill surged from the soles of their feet straight to their heads. Who's there?! one of them screamed.
Tap. Tap. Steady footsteps stepped into the muddy puddles, making a crisp sound. Kozuki Toki looked up, trembling with fear and confusion. In the dark curtain of rain, a tall and upright figure slowly approached. The Ronin Haori on the newcomer's back was disintegrating in the wind. He took off the old garment and put on a dazzlingly white coat.
No matter how hard the rain poured, it could not dampen the coat in the slightest. On the back of the coat, two large characters written in thick ink carried a majestic momentum capable of suppressing everything, illuminated by a flash of lightning. Justice. The man slowly turned around to face them.
It was a face so handsome it was almost flawless. With sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, he had a truly majestic aura about him. Most importantly, those deep eyes were currently filled with heartache for this scorched earth and the deepest compassion for the weak woman before him. I'm sorry, I'm late. Kane lowered his head slightly and spoke in a voice that was extremely deep, magnetic, and filled with profound self-reproach. Allowing this land to suffer such misery is my dereliction of duty as a Marine Admiral.
The pirates stood frozen in place, staring at this man who had suddenly appeared with such a different and powerful aura. Ad... Admiral?! Someone's lips trembled as they uttered a nearly hopeless whisper. Kane ignored these lackeys; he lowered his head slightly, looking down at Kozuki Toki, who was slumped on the ground.
Kozuki Toki's taut heartstrings snapped completely. She stared blankly at this man; his stature and his power were like the only light source in the dark night. All the pain, despair, and betrayal she had endured seemed to have finally found a harbor to rely on at this moment. Madam. Kane reached out and gently brushed away the messy hair and muddy water from Kozuki Toki's forehead. His movements were as tender as if he were handling a piece of fragile porcelain. It's alright now. From here on, leave everything to me.
Kozuki Toki gripped the edge of his white coat tightly, feeling the sense of security emanating from it, and she nodded frantically through her sobs. Only in the depths of his eyes, unseen by any others, did a cold and playful glint flash in Kane's gaze. So easy to fool. Simply too easy to fool.
What delayed justice? He had actually arrived half an hour ago. He had been sitting cross-legged on the clouds watching the whole show, eating an apple and savoring the sight of the Red Scabbards being crushed by Jack like common bugs. Why didn't he act sooner? Nonsense. If he didn't let these remnants of the old era, who were loyally devoted to the Kouzuki clan, die out completely, and if he didn't let this woman fall into extreme despair where neither heaven nor earth would answer her cries, how could she ever develop an absolute dependence on him? To her, he was a Marine outsider who saved her life.
After today, there will be no more Kouzuki in Wano Country, only a puppet held in Kane's palm! He slowly stood up and turned to face the terrified pirates. Are you from the Beasts Pirates? Kane's finger lightly tapped the hilt of the Zanpakuto at his waist. Sp... spare us! We didn't know a Marine Admiral would be here...
Shh. Kane raised a single finger, interrupting the plea for mercy. Since you are pirates, then clearing you away carries no psychological burden for me. For the sake of Absolute Justice. Snap. Kane snapped his fingers with a crisp sound. Silent Severance.
The moment the snap rang out, those pirates didn't even have time to scream before a fine line of blood flashed across their necks simultaneously. In the next second, six heads soared into the air amidst the heavy rain. The headless corpses toppled into the mud as neatly as harvested wheat. He had killed them invisibly.
Kane finished all this without a single drop of blood staining even the corner of his clothes. He turned back to look at Kozuki Toki, who was tightly wrapped in the Marine coat and looking at him with eyes that almost worshipped him as if he were a god. Kane reached out his hand to her, a compassionate and holy smile on his face. Let's go, Madam. I'll take you somewhere safe.
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