Zoro also appeared from the smoke, his blades sheathed, dragging along Kyoshiro who stumbled behind him like a defeated hound. The blood trickled down Kyoshiro's arm, his fine clothes slashed to ribbons.
"What a waste of time," Zoro muttered, though his smirk betrayed his satisfaction.
Luffy grinned. "Good. You didn't kill him. I'll need him later."
Then his gaze shifted to the frightened faces peeking from alleys and broken doorways. Citizens of the Flower Capital, silent and trembling.
Luffy raised his voice, sharp but oddly warm. "Oi! You lot. Bring me the big broadcasting Den Den Mushi."
For a heartbeat, the citizens hesitated. Then whispers rippled among them. Their fear of Orochi clashed with the long-buried hatred they carried. They looked at Orochi, tied and beaten, no longer a tyrant but a trembling rat.
And for the first time in years, hope sparked in their eyes.
One by one, they moved, and someone ran into a storehouse. Dozens of people supported as they returned carrying the massive Den Den Mushi, its shell creaking, its eyestalks blinking lazily.
Excitement buzzed in the air as they set it up, wires trailing across the square.
Click… whrrr…
The machine hummed to life. The broadcasting shell glowed faintly. Soon, this moment would be displayed across every town, every village, every corner of Wano.
Orochi's heart pounded in terror. His reign and his illusion of power were about to be shattered in front of everyone.
And Luffy only smiled wider, stepping back to admire his work.
"Perfect. Let's show this country what happens to trash who think they're kings."
The giant Video Den Den Mushi blinked to life, its shell glowing as the strange lenses atop its head projected the live feed across Wano. From Flower Capital to the farthest villages, citizens stopped what they were doing, staring at the sudden broadcast with wide eyes.
On the screen, their supposed ruler, the mighty Shogun Kurozumi Orochi, was tied like a common criminal, gagged and bruised, his swollen face barely recognizable.
The gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowds watching from different corners of the nation.
Binz adjusted his cap, leaning closer to Luffy with a frown. "Captain, what are we waiting for? Let's just finish this bastard already. The people will cheer louder the sooner his head rolls."
Luffy's lips curved into a faint grin. He tilted his head, lightning sparking faintly across his shoulders. "Nah, Binz. Patience. We're still missing a big celebrity… the main act hasn't arrived yet."
Binz blinked, confused. "Celebrity?"
But before he could press further, the steady rhythm of wooden geta echoed against the stone road.
Clack… clack… clack…
Dozens of heads turned at once.
From a distance, a figure approached. She was graceful, radiant, each step measured and poised like she was gliding instead of walking. The sun caught her elaborate hairpins, scattering glints of gold and color across her turquoise locks that cascaded down to her waist. Her kimono shimmered as though stitched with fragments of the heavens, every embroidered flower and the majestic peacock upon her sleeve glowing in the light.
The air itself seemed to still, and the citizens watching from afar gasped in recognition.
"Komurasaki-sama…!"
"The most beautiful courtesan of Wano!"
"She's even lovelier than the rumors…"
Even among the soldiers standing guard, more than one pair of eyes widened, and throats went dry. The men fidgeted, struggling to look anywhere else, while the women narrowed their eyes slightly, instinctively recognizing the allure she carried.
Luffy let out a slow whistle, tilting his head as he watched her draw closer. His grin was half amused, half appreciative. "Heh… so the rumors weren't lying. She really is the most beautiful woman in Wano."
But his admiration ended there. Beneath his casual smile, his thoughts soured. 'Of course… my damn Incubus Physique. The stronger they shine, the harder they get dragged toward me. Just what I need... more complications.'
Her steps slowed as she neared, her gaze sweeping across the group, watching Doll's cold stare, Gion's sharp vigilance, and Ain's calm detachment.
But the moment her eyes met Luffy's, her breath hitched. Her heart pounded in her chest, erratic and unexplainable.
The world blurred around her, leaving only that boy standing casually with his hands in his pockets, lightning faintly sparking off his shoulders like a crown of untamed power.
'What… what is this feeling?' She thought, panic and fascination tangling inside her chest. 'Why does he feel so… inevitable?'
Luffy caught the flicker in her eyes, the subtle shift of her body as if she was unconsciously leaning closer. His grin stiffened. He sighed inwardly. 'Damn it. I can't even have a normal introduction without this physique making women act strangely. This is gonna be a headache.'
Still, he lifted his chin, breaking the silence. His voice, calm yet carrying weight, cut through the heavy atmosphere.
"Good. You're here." He shifted his gaze back to the struggling, trembling Orochi tied to the post. "Now we can finally begin the execution."
The words rolled out like a thunderclap, resonating through the square and, through the broadcast, into every home across Wano.
Orochi's muffled whimper escaped past the gag, his swollen eyes darting between Komurasaki and the boy who spoke so casually of his death. His body squirmed violently against the ropes, desperation flooding him.
"Mmmphh! Mmmphhh! (Komurasaki-sama! Save me! Don't let them kill me!)" He tried to scream, though it came out garbled.
The citizens watching through the broadcast sneered, muttering among themselves.
"Pathetic… even at death's door, he clings like a worm."
"And we thought this man was our ruler…"
"How shameful."
Komurasaki's hands tightened slightly on her sleeve, though her gaze remained fixed on Luffy, ignoring Orochi's pitiful cries. Her heart told her to keep watching him, the strange boy whose presence eclipsed even the spectacle of execution.
And Luffy, noticing her silence, only smirked faintly, electricity buzzing like laughter in the air.
Orochi struggled helplessly, ropes digging into his flesh, his once pompous face swollen and bruised beyond recognition.
"Hnnnnghh! Mmmphhh! (Let me go! I am the Shogun!)"
His muffled cries burst out, but they sounded less like commands and more like the squeals of a trapped pig.
Luffy raised his hand lazily, and Binz instantly understood.
Shhhk... shhhk...
The sound of oil sloshing filled the air as Binz poured it generously across the wooden frame, soaking Orochi's robes, dripping down his grotesque face. The sharp, pungent scent spread, making the citizens watching from afar cover their noses.
Luffy's eyes narrowed. Slowly, he turned toward the colossal Den Den Mushi, its lenses glowing as the feed broadcast across every inch of Wano. His voice rang out, smooth yet firm, carrying an almost regal weight.
"People of Wano."
The square erupted in murmurs, and the citizens watching from villages and towns leaned closer to their projection screens, hearts hammering.
Luffy continued, his tone almost polite, almost playful, yet undeniably commanding.
"I am Monkey D. Luffy, Vice Admiral of the Marines." He paused deliberately, letting the words sink in, watching the surprise ripple through the crowd. Then, with a lazy tilt of his chin, he gestured toward the pathetic figure bound atop the stand. "And this creature here… is your so-called Shogun, Kurozumi Orochi."
The gasps exploded through the air, and some clutched their mouths in shock, others snarled in fury, long-buried hatred bubbling to the surface.
"Today, his reign ends for all of Wano to see," Luffy smirked faintly. He lifted his hand theatrically, his voice rising. "So feast your eyes and witness the end of your false ruler."
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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