Just as the members of the Beast Pirates were immersed in the bitter atmosphere of "mining to preserve their chastity," a series of hurried and obsequious footsteps shattered the heavy silence.
"Admiral! Calamity! What a magnificent battle, unprecedented in history!"
Kurozumi Orochi crawled out from the collapsed ruins of a distant pavilion, scrambling and stumbling.
Where was the usual imposing demeanor of Wano Country's nominal shogun now?
His luxurious brocade robe was covered in dust, mixed with unidentified yellow stains. His originally repulsive round face was now creased with nauseating wrinkles, exuding a sour stench.
After witnessing Kaido being beaten down and Onigashima being split open, the only thought in this shogun's mind was survival.
Orochi completely ignored Kaido's murderous glare, throwing himself at Kane's feet. With practiced ease, he raised his rear, attempting to wipe and kiss Kane's leather shoes.
"These savage pirates of the Beast Pirates should have been purged long ago! Lord Kane! You are too mighty! My admiration for you is as vast as the surging rivers... I am willing to be your dog! Truly! Please let me manage the Flower Capital. I promise to send you even more tributes every year!"
Yamato covered her nose in disgust.
"Lord Kane, this big-headed uncle is so ugly, and he smells awful."
Kane lowered his head slightly, looking down at the man squirming like a maggot at his feet.
"Switch allegiance to me?" Kane's tone was flat.
"Yes! With just a word from you, I will be your most loyal hunting dog in Wano Country! The Kozuki Clan, Oden's orphaned children—if you are displeased, I will sink them all to the bottom of the sea immediately!"
Orochi eagerly pledged his loyalty, completely unaware that King behind him had already tightened his grip on his sword hilt.
Kane frowned in disgust.
He lifted his foot and lightly kicked Orochi's plump chin.
"First, you are too ugly."
"Second..." Kane crouched down, pointing toward the distant factory billowing thick smoke. "Kaido can provide me with weapons, Sea Stone, and the best security services in the world."
"And you, aside from wasting food and creating noise, what value do you have?"
Orochi froze, his obsequious expression stiffening mid-air.
"One last point." A cold glint of amusement flashed in Kane's eyes. "My auditor's wife seems very eager for you... to join her son down below."
Before Orochi could react, he saw Kane slowly raise his foot.
"Spare me, my lord! I can give you money! I have lots of gold! I..."
Crunch—!
A dull sound of bone cracking instantly cut off Orochi's pleas.
Then came the second.
The third.
"Aaaaaah—!!!"
A piercing wail echoed through the sky as Orochi's limbs were instantly crushed into a mixture of pulp and shattered bones by Kane's evenly applied force.
"With a face like yours, even being a dog is disgusting."
"Kaido, take your men and get the hell out of Udon."
Kane dragged Orochi's crippled body like a dead dog, heading toward the shore without looking back.
"Since I'm trying to win over the people, this execution spectacle needs a change of stage."
...
Early the next morning, Flower Capital.
A massive platform had been erected in front of the once magnificent Shogun's Castle.
It was surrounded by emaciated commoners, their eyes filled with confusion and years of accumulated fear.
Not far away, Kozuki Oden continued tirelessly dancing in a mud pit, oblivious to everything around him.
On the platform, Kurozumi Orochi hung from a cross like a lump of mud.
And at the very center of the platform stood Kane, draped in a Justice Coat. Under the sunlight, the two large characters on his back shone with striking brilliance.
Kozuki Toki stood at one corner of the platform, holding Hiyori in her arms.
She looked down at the numb and suffering crowd below, then at the man beside her who filled her with such awe it made her tremble, her heart a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.
Kane raised a hand to quiet the crowd, and the previously roaring square fell into dead silence.
His voice, carried by the wind, reached the ears of every person in Flower Capital with perfect clarity.
"People of Wano Country!"
"My name is Kane, a Navy Admiral. In my homeland, Justice must not be tarnished. In my eyes, evil must be eradicated!"
Kane pointed at Orochi on the cross, his tone suddenly shifting to one of profound compassion.
"This man. He stole this country. He poisoned your water. He turned your fathers into laborers and left your children without milk to drink! He is the true architect of this tragedy!"
The commoners below began to stir.
Years of suppressed hatred were ignited in an instant by Kane's words.
"Kill him! Kill..."
"Kill him!!!"
The cries grew from faint whispers to earth-shaking roars, finally merging into a terrifying wave.
"Everyone, quiet down."
Kane adopted an expression of deep sorrow.
"Originally, as a Navy officer, I should not interfere in another nation's internal affairs. But last night, I had a dream."
"I dreamed of that unfortunate young prince who died too soon—Momonosuke."
"He took my hand, crying, and said to me: 'Uncle Admiral, please save my homeland.'"
Standing in the corner, Kozuki Toki trembled, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.
"For that lost child. For the dignity of this land. I, Kane, today representing the Navy and absolute Justice, shall carry out the execution of this criminal!"
Kane drew Zangetsu.
The black blade gleamed with a cold, merciless light under the sun, devoid of any warmth.
He did not deliver a swift death.
Instead, he walked over and began slicing Orochi's flesh piece by piece. Each cut meticulously avoided vital areas, yet elicited horrifying screams from Orochi.
"This cut is for the fathers who died in the mines."
"This cut is for the newborns who starved to death."
"This cut is for the spirits of the Kozuki Clan."
As Kane performed, he glanced around from the corner of his eye.
He noticed that with each slash he delivered, the commoners below erupted into frenzied cheers.
And in his mind, the system panel's Violation Value was also jumping wildly.
Killing could be done with a single stroke.
But his method not only harvested fame but also, through this brutal performance, firmly established his position in Wano Country.
"The final blow."
Kane's gaze sharpened to an unprecedented degree.
"For the dawn of Wano Country!"
Swish!
A black crescent flashed through the air.
Orochi's massive head soared skyward, tracing a bloody arc before crashing heavily to the ground.
A deathly silence gripped the square for a second.
Then erupted a roar of cheers powerful enough to shake the heavens!
Countless civilians fell to their knees, kowtowing frantically toward the figure on the high platform.
In their eyes, this man was no Navy soldier.
He was a savior descended from the heavens, answering all their prayers!
Kozuki Toki also knelt.
Her gaze toward Kane held not only gratitude but now a trace of fanatical worship.
[Ding— Detected host publicly executing key original character Kurozumi Orochi.]
[Through moral coercion and psychological domination, usurping ownership of Wano Country.]
[Significantly altering the course of the world. Violation Value obtained: 400,000 points!]
Kane sheathed his long sword, slowly closing his eyes to savor the sensation of being the center of all attention.
He sneered inwardly.
The dawn of Wano Country?
No, this was merely Kane's personal daybreak.
Now that the coordinates of Pluton were secured and the factories taken over...
How should he play the next phase of this game to make it even more interesting?
Kane looked toward the distant sea, in the direction of Marineford.
"I wonder if old man Kong will have a stroke when he sees me bringing back a 'Beast Princess' to join the Navy."
He chuckled softly, descending from the high platform and naturally wrapping an arm around the still-shaken Kozuki Toki.
"Madam, the wind is picking up."
"Let us return indoors to discuss... the reconstruction of Wano Country."