In the current Wano Country, the strength of the samurai faction was still at its peak.
During the decisive battle at Onigashima in the original work, even after Wano Country had been ravaged to such a state, Orochi's total forces still numbered ten thousand.
And the number now goes without saying.
However, just like later when Luffy and his ten crewmates faced an army of one hundred thousand fish-men on Fish-Man Island… most were just there to make up the numbers.
A large tide of samurai surged from all around, charging at Makoto and his group in the center.
Swords flashed, killing cries shook the heavens.
Saeko, holding the Shodai Kitetsu, stepped forward.
Suddenly, her pupils sharply contracted.
An astonishing aura erupted from her entire body, sweeping like a tidal wave towards the surrounding Wano samurai.
Boom—
The aura, like an invisible giant wave, swept through.
Instantly, over ninety-five percent of them went cross-eyed, foamed at the mouth, and passed out.
The 'clang' of dropping weapons sounded one after another, and the samurai collapsed like corpses, covering the plaza of Flower Capital.
Kaido, who was using his kanabo to repeatedly smash Orochi's head like playing whack-a-mole, as well as King, Queen, and other Beasts Pirates executives, all turned their heads to look at Saeko.
"Conqueror's Haki."
Kaido sighed in surprise.
Back in the day, Saeko hadn't trained under him... she mainly studied swordsmanship under that old geezer Shiki.
But Kaido remembered her… because she was the one with the best talent and fastest progress among those girls.
But even so, Kaido hadn't expected Saeko to awaken Conqueror's Haki.
After Saeko released her Conqueror's Haki, only a handful of people were still standing.
Besides Kin'emon and the Nine Red Scabbards, Makoto also saw a few familiar faces—
Hyogoro, the Wano Country's ace who taught Luffy Ryuo, and the one who would later be publicly executed by Orochi...
Makoto thought for a moment, remembering he was called Shimotsuki Yasuie?
"To be able to withstand Saeko-senpai's Conqueror's Haki, it seems this country does have some capable people."
Chika, carrying a kanabo identical to the one future Yamato would use, commented with a whistle.
Makoto repeated the order he had just given: "Cut off the limbs of these people and wait for disposal."
Then, Makoto focused his gaze on Shimotsuki Yasuie, walked towards him step by step, and said with a light laugh, "Leave this country quickly, and I'll let you go."
At these words, Yasuie looked confused.
He didn't understand why this terrifying man was willing to spare only him, a complete stranger.
Of course, Yasuie didn't know that the reason Makoto was willing to spare him was the same as why he had left Rocks's body intact earlier—
Yasuie was one of the few people in the Wano Country Arc who hadn't disgusted him.
That simple reason was enough for Makoto to let him go.
Also, he needed someone to deliver a message to Oden, didn't he?
"Unfortunately, I will live and die with Wano Country."
However, Yasuie refused Makoto's offer and proactively drew his sword, pointing it at him.
Looking at the tip of the sword pointed at him, Makoto shrugged.
"Alright, then I'll give you a quick death."
After all, sending a message could be done anytime, and Oden would come back on his own in a few years anyway.
With that, Makoto raised his left hand and waved it gently.
All the women understood Makoto's intention and acted, launching attacks on the still-standing Kin'emon, Raizo, Ashura Doji, Hyogoro, and the others.
After ten years, even the least talented, low-profile wallflowers like Sonoko and Komachi had developed some combat ability, at least enough not to hold the others back.
Among the Nine Red Scabbards, only Ashura Doji's strength could be considered Emperor Commander level.
But that was when he reached his peak twenty years later.
At present, he couldn't gain any advantage against Saeko.
The current Saeko was, in terms of strength, completely comparable to the one-eyed Zoro who returned after two years of training under Mihawk.
But even so, it was somewhat puzzling.
Why was it that during the battle at Onigashima, weaker people like Raizo and Kawamatsu didn't die, but Ashura Doji, the strongest, ended up dead?
Well, perhaps he didn't show enough respect to Lord Momonosuke, and was killed off by Oda's 'divine will'.
Following Makoto's orders, the female players didn't kill anyone, merely cutting off their limbs.
For a time, all of Flower Capital was dyed red.
Severed limbs flew everywhere, and the wails of the samurai echoed through the capital, making one's scalp tingle.
It felt like this was worse than killing them.
Kotonoha, who had transformed into the Katana Devil, displayed combat prowess no less than Saeko's, cleanly severing the arms of Denjiro, one of the Nine Red Scabbards, like cutting vegetables.
This lady really didn't hesitate when it came to violence. Whoever Makoto said to cut, she cut.
Seeing his comrade Denjiro's arms severed, and the others falling one by one with their limbs cut off, Kin'emon cried out:
"Everyone hold on! We must wait for Oden-sama to return and hand this country over to him! He is the only one worthy of being shogun! All troops, hear me! Fight to the last breath!"
Hearing Kin'emon's words, Makoto almost burst out laughing.
He was just afraid Kin'emon would end with 'commit seppuku and ascend to heaven'.
No sooner had Kin'emon shouted this than Chika seized the opportunity and hit him on the back of the head with her kanabo, causing him to stumble and nearly fall to his knees.
Two seconds later, Kin'emon gritted his teeth and recovered, slashing back at Chika.
"He's not falling?!"
The Cancer of the Earth was startled.
'Wait, old man, I hit you on the back of the head with my club.'
'And you're not falling?'
Seeing this, Makoto couldn't help but laugh.
'This guy took dozens of hits from Kaido-sensei's Conqueror's Haki coating and stood back up in the next scene. What was this in comparison?'
At this critical moment, a graceful figure rushed over, side-kicking Kin'emon several meters away.
It was Ai.
Chika snapped out of it and thanked her, "Sorry, Herthaka-san."
Ai said somewhat helplessly to Chika, "Just call me Hayasaka is fine, Chika-san."
She hadn't expected that after ten years in this world, someone would still remember the fake name she used at school.
"Damn! King! Queen! Come over here and kill him!"
Just then, Kaido-sensei roared in frustration, pointing at Orochi, who was lying on the ground growing a new head.
He couldn't remember how many times he had knocked this guy's head off, but a new one kept growing back.
Kaido-sensei was getting annoyed.
Seeing this, Makoto couldn't help but smile wickedly, then pointed at Kin'emon, who had just been kicked away by Ai.
"Want to try him?"
Kaido raised an eyebrow.
He felt Makoto was probably messing with him, but not daring to disobey, he could only grab his kanabo and attack Kin'emon.
In terms of pure strength, how could Kin'emon be a match for Kaido?
In the first exchange of their fight, Kin'emon was sent flying by Kaido, crashing through who knows how many houses before stopping.
Kaido put down his kanabo, thinking the man was dead.
However, using Observation Haki, he looked up in disbelief.
There, in the smoke, Kin'emon stood up again. Though his head was covered in blood, he still drew his sword and continued his attack.
Kaido was momentarily stunned, letting Kin'emon's sword cut his arm, leaving a shallow gash.
The next second, Kaido backhanded him with his other hand, sending him flying again.
Yet a few seconds later, Kin'emon stood up once more.
Kaido was dumbfounded.
'How many freaks were there in Wano Country? Damn, first there was Kurozumi Orochi who could grow infinite new heads, and now there was an ugly guy with defense comparable to Rocks...'