I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 358 Preemptive Strike
"Douhezi?"

Upon hearing this unfamiliar name,
Not to mention the extraordinary individuals on the non-concierge side, even Director Zhuya was completely clueless.

"Lady Crab Princess, is this great demon very powerful?"

When asked about the question that Roman was most concerned about, Kani-hime shook her head, and the pink crab claw decoration on her head swayed.

“Not strong.”

"Although she is a powerful demon, I am confident that I can defeat her in a head-on battle."

These words surprised everyone.
Crab Princess is a typical power-type demon. Don't be fooled by the incredible power of her 'Spiral Hammer'; while it's unstoppable when she swings it, her speed isn't particularly fast. For a humanoid, agile demon, it's dangerous, but not fatal.

It's not a nice way to put it, but among the great demons, Kani-hime can only be considered to be of the middle level: neither weak nor strong.

Weaker than her, wouldn't that be...
The expressions on the faces of the people present turned strange. Could they really handle a few strong tigers?
"Then, Sister Crab Princess."

The little girl Annie raised her hand and asked a question.
"Is this great demon 'Dou Hezi' extremely powerful?"

Yes indeed,

Others also had this thought.

Perhaps this great demon is not strong, but its abilities are extremely abnormal: this situation is very common in the supernatural world. Its physical strength is terrible, but its abilities are extremely overpowered. It can defeat experts who are several levels stronger than itself on first meeting.

"Yes, Touko's ability is 'charm'."

"It may be tricky for you humans, but it's of no use to us."

Is it merely 'seduction'?

The men, some standing and some sitting, all frowned. With their strength and influence, what kind of beauty hadn't they seen?

Besides, they are all experts who have fought their way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. How could they possibly fall for mere love?

That was a real insult to their will.

Judging from Kani-hime's expression, that's probably not the reason.

what is that?

"Let Kani-hime ask you, what is the most important thing for an organization?"

Instead of revealing the answer directly, Kani-hime posed this question to everyone.

?

The topic jumped around too much, making it difficult for the audience to keep up.

However, since it was Kani-hime who asked the question, Luffy, who was wrapped up like a mummy, spoke first.

"The bond between companions?"

That fits his personality, but it's clearly not;

"A reasonable division of labor?"

Roman also adjusted his brown sunglasses;

"Communication and exchange?"

Even KYG tried to give his answer;
However, judging from Kani Hime's lack of response, it's clear that these weren't the answers she wanted. Therefore:

"He is a team leader."

The answer given by Director Zhu Ya

“You are all leaders of your respective forces, so you have subconsciously overlooked yourselves.”

That's right,

The most important leader of an organization!
Whether it's Luffy, Roman, KYG, or Director Takeya, their respective factions are all imbued with their own strong personal characteristics.

It is precisely because of them that extraordinary forces can be gathered together.

You answered correctly, but there's no reward!

The little girl Kani-hime in the pink kimono raised one finger.
"The great demon 'Dowako' is the 'leader' of the Nine-Tailed Fox's forces."

? !
Isn't it Tamamo-no-Mae?

"You should have noticed long ago that the Nine-Tails' forces are actually a disorganized mess."

Sitting on the soft children's sofa, Crab Princess swung her legs back and forth, looking like an innocent little girl; but the words she uttered startled the shrewd and calculating crowd.

"The Arrogant Sheren, the Bloodthirsty Red Lotus, the Leisurely Paper Dance, the Brainless Sea Serpent, the Unmoved Wave Arrow, the False Dazzling Only Follows Orders, Only the Blood-Stained Hakama Does Anything Seriously."

So the first one to be resurrected was Blood Hakama!
This is also why the Allied Forces have been able to 'persist' until now, despite the Nine-Tails' immense power!
"Touko is an absolute beauty,"

"But allure is not her weapon; identity and wisdom are—in many cases, Touko represents 'Tamamo-no-Mae'!"

As Crab Princess slowly began to speak...

Those who knew this felt a chill run through them.

While the Nine-Tails' forces were undoubtedly formidable in the past, there was virtually no 'cooperation' among them; they almost always acted independently. Toneri was arrogant; if someone knelt and begged for mercy, he wouldn't bother continuing his attack. Crimson Lotus was powerful, but bloodthirsty and playful, often wasting time on 'minions'.
Not to mention Paper Dance, who clearly has a lot of magical artifacts, but spends all his time slacking off and watching the show.
The amount of water released was roughly the same as that in the Pacific Ocean where everyone was.

If these great demons cooperate sincerely
can not imagine!

"Not only that,"

"Douhezi can control Haihui, Boshi, and Weixuan, allowing these three irrational demons to unleash their full power."

A single, mindless serpent has severely disrupted maritime transport in countless countries; if this behemoth were to attack major port cities, then—

The entire world order will be reshaped as a result! Don't forget, almost all major cities are located by the sea.

"As expected, this is information that breeds despair."

KYG chuckled awkwardly, but then thought for a moment:
"What does this have to do with our Maritime Kingdom?"

Hey, hey, hey, you've already decided you're not human?!

The others all turned to look. Even though he had become a superhuman and stood above ordinary people, they still considered him one of their own.

That bastard KYG, acting like a dog from the Sea Kingdom, no, like a Sea Kingdom dog, trying to stay out of it?

"It really didn't have much to do with our Maritime Kingdom before,"

Crab Princess spread her small hands.
To be honest, the Sea Kingdom and the Nine-Tailed Fox forces didn't have any deep-seated hatred for each other.

but--

"That guy Teach actually betrayed the Sea Kingdom and even sold out many of its people."

"The Sea Kingdom will remember this grudge!"

Wonderful!

Director Zhu Ya's face lit up with joy, and she almost clapped and cheered on the spot.

The coalition forces were badly tricked by that guy Teach, but the casualties were mainly among the superhumans in this sea area; the losses of the superhuman countermeasures department were not even a crippling blow to the island nation: the army, Buddhist sects, samurai families, Onmyoji, not to mention Yu, the god among men.

Despite the island nation's seemingly fragile appearance, it also boasts the strongest superhuman strength, so such losses are nothing to them.

Now that the Sea Kingdom is getting serious and preparing for a major battle with the Nine-Tailed Fox's forces, it's something that humanity would absolutely welcome.

Knock knock knock,

Just then, there was a knock on the door of the palace.

?

"Lady Kani, I'll go take a look."

KYG first bowed to ask for instructions, then turned and left with a displeased expression.

Who is so inconsiderate as to interrupt Lady Kani's meeting?!
Not long after, he hurriedly returned.

"Lord Crab Princess,"

"And everyone, I have some bad news—"

"Just now, the shipyard in Nagasaki, an island nation, was attacked by 'sea serpents'!"

"Including two 'space carriers' under construction, a large number of ships were destroyed, and even the Kasaiin family's 'ground effect vehicle' production base was affected." The mindless sea serpents' precise attack on the island nation's shipyard—in the past, everyone would have at most thought it was an accident. But now:
"Dou Hezi has begun to mobilize his troops!"

Crab Princess's face was serious; only that one could make the Nine-Tailed Demon so at her beck and call.

"The coalition's arms depot in Australia was attacked by 'Red Lotus,' and the losses are incalculable."

Snapped,

As the English Defense Minister rose in shock, KYG continued:

"The Cervantes family's residence has been invaded by 'Teach'."

? !
"That bastard!!"

The young man in the suit named Roman had veins bulging on his forehead, furious yet somewhat relieved.

Fortunately, the family members were all slaughtering Teach's city. Although some people remained at the base, they were all peripheral members, and—

"Humph,"

"Is the target 'artificial Devil Fruit'?"

Shipyards, arms storage sites—it seems Teach's goal is to destroy the 'artificial Devil Fruit' production base.

That was the heart of the Cervantes family; how could Roman not have made preparations there?

I just didn't expect that bastard Teach to come—

Alright, let him taste the wrath of the family!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Billyland

This is one of the non-governmental northern islands that have been 'reclaimed'.

Surrounded by several large islands, it enjoys favorable weather and a pleasant climate, making it ideal for cultivation.

Now, this is the Cervantes family's territory: only the docks are now littered with the wreckage of various ships bobbing on the sea, leaving only filthy garbage; the outer buildings of the harbor are in a reddish, semi-melted state, while in the center of the island:

A gigantic mushroom cloud rose slowly, like a fist, soaring ten thousand meters into the sky!
These are the traces left by a 'strategic nuclear weapon' explosion.

The "Little Boy" bomb dropped on the island nation had a yield of only 20,000 tons; but the one exploding in front of us is a megaton-level three-phase bomb! It's equivalent to hundreds of "Fat Man" and "Little Boy" bombs exploding at the same time, and its power is definitely not something that can be ignored by "hiding in a basement vault".

The entire island was wiped out; both buildings and people were reduced to ashes in the 'ultimate destruction'!
The air was filled with temperatures of thousands of degrees Celsius, lava flowed everywhere, and the earth was reduced to only black and red hues—a veritable forbidden zone for life.

"Cough cough,"

Yet, in this desperate situation, a dark figure stepped out.

puff!
With each step,
They will all leave a charred footprint on the hot earth.

With each breath,
White smoke billowed out, hissing and crackling as it corroded the air.

And so, the tall, all-black figure walked out of the nuclear blast zone step by step, until it saw a mysterious person wearing a black robe with red clouds and a bamboo hat, and then it stopped.

"That's quite a mess, Teach."

A clear, crisp voice rang out from under the straw hat.

"Lord Jiukong, cough cough~~"

The black mud kept peeling away, revealing the disheveled Teach underneath.

"It made you laugh."

"So, how do you feel now that your wish has come true?"

Faced with the question from the mysterious man in the straw hat, who was none other than Jiu Kong Yao Ai, Teach, whose body was covered in black hard blocks that kept peeling off, clenched his fist.

"Excellent, very good, better than ever before!"

He had just become a Demon-level transcendent being when he was caught by Ōtakemaru and hacked at wildly, almost being killed on the spot.

After being healed by the Paper Dance, he volunteered to destroy the 'artificial Devil Fruit' base; however, the insane Cervantes family had actually buried strategic nuclear weapons there. If Teach hadn't been careful and used 'Melting Clone' to scout ahead, and hadn't been located at the center of the explosion, he would have almost been killed.

However, whether he was beaten up by Ōtakemaru or hit by a nuclear weapon, Teach felt no frustration, only his unwavering ambition.

"If it weren't for my demon-level power, I would be dead by now, wouldn't I?"

"Hahaha~~ I made a profit!"

"Don't be so happy yet. What are your next steps?"

"Of course, I'll obey orders."

Shaking off the black mud he had used for defense, Teach explained to his collaborator.

"The Nine-Tails' power is different now than before; the most special tail, 'Touko,' has been resurrected."

"She is the 'tail' that Tamamo-no-Mae uses to show herself to others. In many ways, she represents Tamamo-no-Mae's will: with her around, all the great demons are respectful."

As Teach spoke, he recalled the scene of the meeting held on the colossal 'Bygmy Mother'.

Facing the beautiful woman in black and white seated at the head of the table,

Whether it was the arrogant Sheren, the bloodthirsty Honglian, the great Onmyoji Xuehakama, or the playful Kami-maru, they all sat properly and obeyed Douhezi's orders. In an instant, the efficiency of the Nine-Tailed Fox's forces increased more than tenfold.

First, bypass the various defense lines and launch a surprise attack on the logistical supply lines; then, concentrate forces to eliminate the allied forces' manpower, and finally engage in a decisive battle with the Sea Kingdom.

With Touko present, even Hyuga Toneri would have to set aside his pride and obey orders to destroy the military industrial base located in Bharat.

Once logistical supplies are cut off, the Allied forces' guns and cannons will soon become scrap metal.

At that time, our sword will be aimed at the Sea Kingdom!

The Sea Kingdom has two Dragon-level and two Ghost-level fighters; however, the Nine-Tailed Force now has nine Ghost-level fighters: moreover, Sheren and Honglian are top-tier Ghost-level fighters, plus the pseudo-dazzling spell that counters magic; in a real fight, their high-end combat power is no less than that of the Sea Kingdom.

And low-end—

"Should we deal with the allied forces and eliminate the superhuman forces first, and then besiege the Sea Kingdom?"

Jiu Kongyao, hidden beneath her straw hat, seemed lost in thought.
With command, the Nine-Tailed Fox forces have changed their previous style of fighting independently; they have begun to attack in all directions and cooperate with each other. They are clearly the strongest forces, and they have even started to use tactics. How are other forces supposed to compete with them?
"It seems the plan to ambush the great demon is doomed to fail."

"Seize this power as soon as possible, and then implement the second plan."

"certainly,"

Teach nodded.

The powerful demons of the Nine-Tailed Fox's faction clearly didn't consider him one of their own.

In the meeting room, Teach's status was even lower than that of Takahashi Eileen: at least that little girl had a fondness for paper dances.

But what does it matter? Anyway, Teach didn't consider these great demons as partners. For someone like Teach, partners don't even exist.

"Good luck,"

After saying this, Jiu Kong Yao Ai, dressed in a long robe and bamboo hat, suddenly scattered, transforming into countless poisonous snakes that slithered out in all directions and disappeared.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Fog Zone
Inside the conference room on the back of the colossal 'Beast Mother'.

"My Lord, what do you think?"

A giant mirror floats on the conference table, playing a scene of Teach's secret meeting with the 'mysterious man'.

Upon hearing Blood Hakama's question, the black-and-white beauty sitting in the main seat glanced at him.

"It's nothing more than an insect whose fate was already sealed."

"Let him continue to serve us until we no longer need him—"

Then crush him to death with a single finger.

"Yes,"

Blood-stained Hakama answered with a serious expression, head bowed.

In the script arranged by 'them', Teach's future is already predetermined; as for how far he can struggle, that depends on his own abilities.

(End of this chapter)