Denjiro had collapsed to the floor the moment Kurozumi Orochi was struck down.
He hadn't moved since.
Carl cast him a sidelong glance but had no intention of speaking to him. His business in the Flower Capital was over—for now.
Beside him, Fujitora, the blind Marine admiral known to most as Issho, turned slightly toward him and asked calmly, "Your Excellency Carl, what are your plans now?"
"Plans?" Carl raised an eyebrow, exhaling slowly. "I'm heading to Kuri, back to the Amigasa Village area. I've got a few people waiting for me there."
"And… a sword," Carl added, half-smiling. "I left it with a blacksmith there to be reforged. It's not just any sword either."
That sword—Deadwood—had been a mighty blade in its own right, comparable in craftsmanship to the likes of Sandaikyū (Sandai Kitetsu) or even Sakura Ten, the treasured blade that Carl had already raised into a black blade through prolonged use and mastery of Haki.
Creating a black blade was no small feat. It was said that only swordsmen of the highest tier, such as Dracule Mihawk, the "Strongest Swordsman in the World," could permanently blacken a blade with Busoshoku Haki. Ordinary warriors couldn't even begin the process.
"Kuri?" Fujitora seemed to consider it. "Coincidentally, I have no pressing matters at the moment. If Your Excellency would allow, I'll accompany you."
"Huh?" Carl blinked, surprised. "You serious?"
"Of course," Fujitora nodded, the corners of his mouth curling upward. "It's been a while since I traveled with someone I trust."
"Well then…" Carl gave a shrug and turned. "Let's get moving."
Together, they left the General's Mansion.
The streets of the Flower Capital were eerily quiet. The chaos of the previous night had left the city paralyzed. No one dared to approach the towering building after hearing the thunderous blasts and feeling the earth tremble. Rumors were running wild, but confirmation had yet to come.
By morning, however, an official declaration from Kyoshiro—now revealed to be Denjiro, a key retainer of the Kozuki family—spread through the capital like wildfire:
Kurozumi Orochi is dead.
"The general is dead?!"
"No way… he ruled for over twenty years!"
"But that explosion yesterday… Could it be true?"
"Kyoshiro-sama, is the Kurozumi snake really gone?!"
The townspeople stared, wide-eyed, as Denjiro addressed them from the main platform in the square. Though he confirmed Orochi's death, he didn't reveal Komurasaki's true identity as Hiyori, nor the full scale of what was occurring beneath the surface. It was not yet time.
Because the true oppressor looming over Wano was not Orochi.
It was still Kaido, the Governor-General of the Beasts Pirates.
Without Kaido's removal, there could be no true liberation.
Elsewhere, beneath the shade of a cherry tree in the quiet outskirts of Biankasa Village, Carl and Fujitora sat, sipping steaming cups of local tea. The air was unusually still.
"The Beasts Pirates haven't responded," Carl muttered, gaze drifting toward the far horizon. His sharp perception, honed through years of combat, was tuned toward the distant Onigashima—Kaido's stronghold.
There was no movement.
Not from the Tobi Roppo, not even from the All-Stars like King, Queen, or Jack.
Not even the lower ranks stirred.
"They're waiting," Fujitora said, gently placing his cup down. "For their leader. For Kaido."
He paused before continuing. "He's one of the Four Emperors… not just the 'Strongest Creature' alive, but also the so-called Protector of Wano."
Carl turned sharply. "Wait—what did you just say?"
Fujitora remained silent for a moment, then responded, "I'm here to meet him as well."
"…" Carl inhaled slowly, trying not to spit his tea. "No. No way. Are you seriously planning to take on Kaido?"
"Though I cannot see, I can still judge the weight of my sword," Fujitora said, voice calm but unwavering. "If my blade can serve justice, I would raise it against even an Emperor of the Sea."
Carl gave him a long look.
This guy—was he floating?
Did he really think that after taking out Orochi and Jack the Drought, he was ready to square up against Kaido himself?
That drunk monster had been sentenced to death forty times—and survived each attempt.
The Marines had captured him countless times, and not once had they been able to execute him. His vitality was absurd. A living calamity.
Even if Carl activated [Release], his technique that compressed everything into a single instant, even if he could land a clean blow—it probably wouldn't kill Kaido in one shot.
The stamina cost would be devastating.
"The real reason you came here was him, wasn't it?" Fujitora asked, not waiting for confirmation. "A Marine officer doesn't come to Wano just for sightseeing."
Carl waved both hands in protest. "Whoa, hold on—bro, I think you're seriously misunderstanding me. I'm not here to fight that guy."
He shivered just thinking about it.
After that exhausting clash with Charlotte Linlin—Big Mom herself—he had barely made it out of Totto Land. Fighting another Emperor was lunacy.
Fujitora smiled knowingly. "No need to explain. I understand."
Carl's eye twitched.
Understand? You understand nothing!
Meanwhile…
In the New World, inside the confectionery fortress of Totto Land—
"Brother Perospero, what do we do now?" one of the Charlotte siblings asked anxiously, their voice trembling.
Their mother—Big Mom—was missing.
And her mind wasn't entirely there anymore.
The cracks in the Charlotte Family's empire were beginning to show. And the wolves of the sea were already circling.
Mom is, after all, the true sovereign of Totto Land.
In other words, she herself is the symbol and pillar of the Four Emperors—the Big Mom Pirates' core and soul.
She hadn't appeared in public for a long time, and naturally, rumors had started to swirl. Whispers spread: had something happened to her? Someone even dared to battle in Totto Land—news of the clash traveled fast across the New World.
Now, Charlotte Linlin, one of the Four Emperors, had remained unseen long enough that doubts began to fester.
Was it an injury that wouldn't heal?
Or had she—perish the thought—died?
Although during her absence, Perospero and other Charlotte siblings kept the territory in order, relying on the fear and memory of their mother's overwhelming might, the tension was rising fast.
Perospero's expression darkened. "We're out of options. We'll have to let Mama show herself in this state."
"But…" Cracker, arms crossed, widened his eyes, clearly hesitating.
"There's no other choice," Smoothie nodded, arms at her sides, expression firm. "Even if Mama's memory is gone, her power hasn't disappeared. No one on these seas should dare take her lightly."
Yes—Big Mom had indeed lost her memory.
But her innate might—her strength, her indestructible body, her control over the Soru Soru no Mi—remained intact!
… even flowers trembled before her presence…
Normal people, or even Supernovas, wouldn't last seconds under her might.
So, when another reckless rookie pirate crew stormed into Sweet City, trying their luck, Charlotte Linlin walked out in person.
"Why are you hitting us?" she asked with an innocent tone—yet behind her, a crushing aura exploded outward.
"Y-You… you're the Queen of Totto Land… Charlotte Linlin?" the pirate captain stammered, sweat dripping from his jaw.
"That's right! I'm Charlotte Linlin," she answered cheerfully, drawing a massive cutlass taller than most men.
"So why did you come here to beat us up?"
"If you don't tell me… I'll beat you~" she pouted, puffing her cheeks like a spoiled child.
No one knew if it was something she'd picked up from mimicking Kizaru during their time in Wano, but paired with her enormous figure and blood-red lips, the contrast was eerie and disturbing.
The pirate leader's eyes twitched. He turned to his first mate: "Didn't you say Big Mom was a bloodthirsty, cannibalistic lunatic…?"
"What the hell is up with this creepy old woman acting cutesy?!"
"I-I don't know either!" the younger pirate muttered, also shaken.
The legend of the Four Emperors spread across the Grand Line like wildfire.
Among them, Big Mom was infamously known as the most tyrannical and unpredictable—known for crushing giants, claiming souls, and building the mighty Totto Land with an iron hand.
Her reputation was forged from raw terror.
But nothing they heard prepared them for the bizarre reality of the childlike, memory-lost emperor in front of them.
"No answer? Then Linlin's gonna hit you now~" she giggled, raising her cutlass high.
A thunderous pressure exploded outward—Conqueror's Haki infused with killing intent.
That aura alone brought the crew to their knees, breath stolen, bodies trembling.
"We surrender! It's a misunderstanding—just a misunderstanding!" the captain shouted in panic.
"We weren't here to challenge you, just passing through! Totally passing through!"
"Really?" Linlin blinked, her huge face tilting slightly.
"Really! We swear!" the pirates chorused in unison.
"If that's true, then fine," she said, lowering her blade, spinning it once with casual grace.
"But there's no next time. If you come again, Linlin will give you a biiiig punch~"
"Yes! Got it! Never again!" the captain yelled, dragging his entire crew away.
From afar, Perospero, Cracker, and Smoothie were left stunned.
"She… let them go?" Cracker muttered, brow furrowed.
Smoothie, arms folded, was speechless.
Even though their mother had lost her memory, they couldn't shake the instinctive fear they held for her former persona.
They expected violence.
They expected blood.
But the woman who stood in front of them now… was a completely different person.
A childish emperor, without concept of her former cruelty.
"This is bad…" Perospero's voice was low as he watched the escaping ship shrink into the horizon.
It had already gotten too far. Even if they gave chase, it was useless.
And sure enough—
Within a day, the seas were ablaze with gossip and speculation.
The Four Emperors, BIG MOM… Something's wrong!
The whole world began watching.
And for the first time in years—
—they smelled blood in the water.
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