"How are Miyako and the others?" Ren didn't continue talking about the Ruin Guards, but instead asked about their condition.
"Miyako could barely spread her wings this morning," July said. Compared to Saketenmaru and Garo, Miyako and Yukiko's injuries were much lighter.
"Yukiko's back might be scarred from this," July added.
"Don't worry about that, with the Slip-Slip Fruit, there's a chance for a full recovery," Ren said. He still had the Slip-Slip Fruit back in Kuri, wondering when to have someone eat it.
Alternatively, he could find a Devil Fruit that could heal wounds.
July nodded, then seemed to remember something and became excited.
"By the way, Ren-dono, I've got a bounty too!" she exclaimed with joy. Ever since Ren was first wanted, Yukiko and others had started to feel proud of being wanted as well.
"My bounty is seventy-five million Berries!" July excitedly pulled out a stack of papers from her kimono lining, which she had stuffed there after getting them from a News Bird that morning.
Ren took them from her hand, and July placed her own bounty poster on top.
"The title is 'Oni Dragon'? You look pretty cool," Ren said, looking at the fierce expression on July's wanted poster, which was actually quite intimidating.
"Hehe, really? I feel like they made me look too scary," July said bashfully, scratching her head. The poster showed her in her Oni Human form, her face indeed looking ferocious with raptor-like features, very different from her normal appearance.
Ren continued flipping through the posters.
"Tengu Nine-Tails—Miyako, dead or alive, one hundred and twenty million Berries."
"Snow Woman—Yukiko, dead or alive, three hundred and thirty million Berries."
Miyako and Yukiko's posters looked much more artistic. Miyako had a pair of black wings behind her, and her face had few crow features, like she was wearing a mask hiding her features, only a smooth chin visible beneath.
Yukiko's white hair flew in a snowy scene, and just looking at the photo sent a chill down one's spine.
"I wonder how they took these photos, they all look like professional portraits," Ren commented. It wasn't just Yukiko and Miyako; even his own wanted poster looked like a professionally staged shot.
Not only were they photographed well, but some were even extreme close-ups, as if the camera was right in their face.
He almost suspected someone had eaten a Photo-Photo Fruit that could capture a pirate's cool side with one hundred percent accuracy.
"Saketenmaru's bounty has increased too. Asura's Demon, Saketenmaru, seven hundred and sixty million Berries."
Saketenmaru's poster had also been updated. It now showed him in his Oni Human form, with a ferocious face and two sharp horns on his head. However, the photographer probably couldn't imagine that Saketenmaru had lost one of his horns.
Looking at his wanted poster, Ren couldn't help but laugh.
"The Marines are something else, I can't believe they used Saketenmaru's original name as his title."
Saketenmaru's original name had been Asura Dōji, and he only changed it to Saketenmaru because that's what Ren called him. Now it had become his official title.
Still, Saketenmaru's bounty was well-deserved. He, Garo, and Yukiko had managed to cut off one of Captain John's legs, worth every Berry.
Besides them, the other squad leaders of the advance team had also been wanted to varying degrees.
Garo's bounty was four hundred and ninety million Berries, much less than Saketenmaru's, likely because he was missing a hand.
The bounties of the others were mostly under two hundred million Berries.
After all, it was a massive melee, and it was hard to stand out unless one's performance was exceptionally brilliant.
"Now that I have a bounty too, Jasmine must be so jealous," July said, still excited. Back in Kuri, her strength hadn't been as great as Jasmine's, but ever since becoming an Oni Human, she had quickly closed the gap.
But just as she was celebrating, a cold voice suddenly spoke up, dashing her excitement.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, you might be overtaken soon. You know Jasmine hasn't become an Oni Human yet."
July quickly turned to look outside and saw Yukiko, dressed in light-colored clothes, leaning against the doorframe. Her face was still a bit pale, her black hair scattered over her shoulders, with a draped cloak behind her. She had a certain beauty, like someone recovering from a serious illness.
"Yukiko-onee-sama, you don't have to be such a buzzkill," July pouted.
She knew it wasn't that Jasmine lacked the qualifications to become an Oni Human; it was just that they hadn't found a suitable Devil Fruit for her yet. The same was true for Yukiko; while Ancient Zoans were rare, Ren planned to give them Mythical Zoans.
"Yukiko, you should be resting properly," Ren said, beckoning her over to lean against him in a reprimanding tone.
At this point, Yukiko should have been resting on the central island.
"Actually, I have something to report," Yukiko said after finding a comfortable position. "Kurozumi Orochi just sent word, he's ready to make his move."
"So soon?" Ren asked in surprise. According to the original timeline, Orochi wouldn't have made his move until at least eight years later, after he became the shogun's regent. He didn't expect Orochi to be so eager to act now.
"I think it's not soon enough. That man has wasted so much of your time; letting him die would be letting him off easy," Yukiko said with a pout.
July had never seen Yukiko make such an expression and was so shocked she trembled, hiding nearby and afraid Yukiko would silence her afterward.
"In that case, have Kurozumi Semi return. We don't really need him here, and it's just been a hassle for him to travel back and forth," Ren said helplessly. "By the way, have Kurozusu-Bushi go to the Flower Capital to help Orochi. Spread the word that I've already left Kuri and set sail."
This was actually true, but it had needed to be hidden before, which was no longer necessary now. It also provided a convenient excuse to deflect any potential requests for help from other regions.
Yukiko nodded.
Ren thought for a moment and said, "The only problem now is Kozuki Oden. Although Orochi is much stronger than he was in the past, he still can't match Kozuki Oden. He needs an ally..."
Or rather, a backer...
Ren pulled out a wanted poster.
"Kaido?"
"That's right, he's the most suitable choice," Ren said. Orochi's backer couldn't be too weak or too strong; too weak would be pointless, while too strong would be hard to control. Kaido was the perfect choice right now.
Speaking of which, a few days ago when Ren fought against Shiki and Captain John, Kaido had secretly snuck over and looted John's home...
This made the news. He had caused a huge commotion in John's territory, but John had already hidden his treasure elsewhere, leaving Kaido empty-handed.
[
Hey everyone,
I need to tell you what's actually happening.
I just got hit with mass cancellations. On top of being buried in academics until the 9th, I'm in deep financial trouble right now—like, genuinely don't-know-how-I-cover-next-month trouble. Translation is the only work I do, and after two years of daily output, I am running on fumes.
I want to do more for you. I have another Naruto fic ready to drop the moment this academic hell ends. But I can't keep creating if I can't survive.
I'm not powerless about the work—I know I can deliver for you. But I'm powerless to stop the bleeding alone.
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]