At the sound of the panicked intelligence officer shouting, every yakuza family in the room shot to their feet, shocked.
"There’s another powerhouse? You’re saying Ashura Jakun is in Bakura Town?!"
Fukujin Kishoten had thought Jakun was stationed with the army in the southern district. To hear he’d appeared all the way out west in Bakura Town ant one thing—Kuri Castle was nearly surrounded.
anwhile, Brook and Charlotte Linlin had just arrived near Kuri Castle from the east, coming from Amigasa Village. Using a Den Den Mushi, they got word that Redfield had been clashing with Kuri for days in the north’s Okobore Town. With the shortage of samurai, casualties had already piled up.
The rcenaries—who were few to begin with—were now even fewer. Discontent was spreading like wildfire. These down-on-their-luck samurai were grumbling that there weren’t enough soldiers to even dream of breaking Kuri Castle. So were already ready to throw in the towel and focus on saving their own skins.
In the south, Newgate had gathered a couple hundred bandits, encircling the southern gate. To the west, Golden Lion Shiki had cut off Bakura Town’s food supply, bringing Jakun and over a hundred n along. They floated a small mountain to block the western gate entirely.
"The situation’s bad, gentlen. The Wano Shogunate sohow pulled together a force of heavy hitters to pin us in. Our only option now is to split up and save ourselves," Kishoten said coolly.
For him, abandoning a city wasn’t unfamiliar. He’d done it a couple of tis before. These families couldn’t possibly surrender to the Shogunate—every one of them had been exiled, outlawed, or driven here after falling afoul of the governnt’s judgnt.
"Sigh... guess we’ve got no choice. Who knows how much we’ll lose this ti—but survival cos first."
Hattori Hachizō let out a bitter sigh. It felt like the Shogunate cracked down on Kuri every few years, crushing its growth, looting its wealth, and reducing its cities to rubble.
Kuri had been trapped in a cycle of endless rebuilding, always barely keeping enough footing to let these scattered families survive.
In the past, their fallback had been to retreat toward Bakura Town. Now, both routes were blocked—and worse, the west had Ashura Jakun and so unknown sorcerer. Breaking through wasn’t an option.
The south? That was the southern district’s turf too, and if they ran there, Ashura’s clan would sell them out. As for the north—that lightning user was out of the question. He was several tis stronger than Ashura Jakun.
That left only the east. Even if it ant fleeing to poverty-stricken Amigasa Village, so be it. The forests there would at least give them cover from pursuit.
The yakuza families rushed back to their hideouts, hurriedly packing their valuables for a quick escape.
But while Kishoten fanned the flas and pushed them to flee, he himself made no move. The Chiyaryu Clan, who always followed his lead, couldn’t help but notice.
"You’re... not running?"
"Let those fools go," Kishoten said with a faint smile. "We’re surrendering. This ti’s different—the ones attacking aren’t Shogunate troops. They’re outsiders, powerful enough that even the Shogunate doesn’t dare expel them."
He leaned forward, eyes gleaming.
"This might be our chance to flip the script. If we pledge loyalty now, we might finally be free of the Shogunate’s oppression."
His plan was simple: offer Kuri Castle, intact and undamaged, as a gift to the invaders. As for those yakuza families he’d tricked into fleeing? They wouldn’t be around to compete for credit.
"You want us to kneel to these outsiders?!"
The head of the Chiyaryu Clan looked genuinely shocked. Once, their families had been noble lineages in Wano—had it not been for their allegiance to the failed Kurozumi rebellion, they could’ve been daimyō in their own right.
"What else would you have us do? Keep getting hunted and crushed by the Shogunate? At least if we side with these outsiders, we might beco their top retainers—maybe even their voice in Wano!"
Kishoten’s voice turned sharp, his true motive slipping through. What he really wanted was for these foreigners to go further—to topple the Kozuki Clan entirely and avenge his father, who had been executed by the royalists during the Kurozumi coup over thirty years ago.
But victory went to the strong. All Kishoten could do was curse his bad luck and the terrifying grip the Kozuki Clan held over the land.
The Chiyaryu head fell silent. The Kozuki na had lood over them their entire lives, an unshakable mountain. Now, perhaps, with these outsiders involved, they finally had a chance to break free.
Even if they couldn’t seize power, they could at least shed their black marks and return to Wano’s noble fold.
"Thirty years ago, our ancestors backed the wrong horse with the Kurozumi. Are you really ready to gamble again? If these outsiders succeed, fine. But if they fail... our clans will be wiped from Wano entirely."
His voice was grave. They hadn’t even t the leader of these foreigners yet. To stake everything now felt reckless.
"I’ve already got spies in the Flower Capital. They’ve confird it—the outsiders have four warriors strong enough to rival daimyō. Add Ashura Jakun and us, and we’ll have enough muscle to challenge the Kozuki."
Kishoten’s eyes burned with determination. Even if Chiyaryu refused and chose to retreat, he wouldn’t bla them. He was ready to make this bet alone if he had to.
As long as the Fukujin Clan could finally cast off the sha of being branded traitors—even if it ant exile once more—he would risk everything.
"Four daimyō-class swordsn? That strong?!" The Chiyaryu leader looked startled but began to believe. Slowly, he nodded.
"Fine. We’ll stay. But we’d better start taking over Kuri’s defenses fast—and we’ll need to negotiate terms before pledging ourselves."
...
At the northern gate, Redfield’s face was expressionless. rcenaries were rcenaries—they couldn’t compare to trained subordinates. He’d already wounded several yakuza bosses from Kuri Castle but still hadn’t broken through.
To make things worse, the defenders inside had Sea Stone nails and Sea Stone-tipped arrows. Even he had been caught off guard once and forced to retreat. Most of Hyougoro’s n had already escorted prisoners back to Amigasa Village.
The fighters left under Redfield’s command were a patchwork crew, scraped together from Okobore Town. Most were starving thugs—useless for real combat. At best, they could guard prisoners and put up a front.
Redfield had reached his limit. He was ready to smash down the gate and turn Kuri into a bloodbath. He’d originally planned to minimize damage and claim the city, but the stubborn resistance had pushed him too far.
Fine. If that ant fewer prisoners and a ruined city, so be it. He’d break this gate today and execute every last yakuza boss inside.
...
"Redfield-sama! Soone from inside the castle is here—they want to speak with you directly. They even sent over a Den Den Mushi."
Hyougoro approached with a Wano-style snail in hand, bowing respectfully. After seeing Redfield in action these past days, even he had grown cautious around the man.
The thunderous power Redfield wielded had left Kuri’s gang leaders scattered like rats—each one who had faced him barely escaped with their lives. If not for the rain of Sea Stone arrows from the walls, Redfield would have stord inside already.
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122 Chapters on p@treon/tambeerg
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