I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 409 The Curtain Rises
"My lords, this way please."

The private jet landed at Itami Airport in Osaka.

As soon as Luffy, Anne, and Roman stepped off the plane, Japanese military personnel approached them and asked them to transfer to a black sedan to head east to Nagaokakyo City.

As a frontline city bordering Heian-kyo, it had become the army's headquarters, with countless weapons and ammunition fresh off the assembly line filling hastily constructed war fortresses.
Even a modern, regular army would find it difficult to break through, yet everyone knows that the only ones who can truly withstand 'Heian-kyo' are the extraordinary individuals.

"The Kakaiin family, the Isoya family, and the various samurai families of Tokyo have all arrived."

Inside the car, a solemn-looking government official briefed the three people on the situation.

"It is said that the Akatsuki organization is also gathering members."

Jingle bell~~
Whose phone is still on?

The sudden ringing of a cell phone interrupted the staff member's words, causing him to frown slightly.

Once we get back, I'll definitely show him what the Japanese workplace is like.
"I'm going to take a call,"

The young, blond head of the Cervantes family, wearing brown-tinted glasses, pulled his phone from his suit pocket and gestured to the crowd.

"Please go ahead, Mr. Roman."

It turns out it was a customer's phone, so it's alright now.

"Sugar, what's up?"

Roman was also somewhat puzzled: the family members left behind should have known the risks of his mission and wouldn't have bothered him with phone calls; now that the Filipino Sea no longer had the Nine-Tailed Fox or any powerful forces capable of challenging the three former Shichibukai who had joined forces.

"They're here again?"

Roman was taken aback when he heard the explanation on the other end of the phone.

The two newcomers, also using the name of the 'Akatsuki' organization, led several superhumans to the Cervantes family.

Although they were not members of Akatsuki and knew very little about the supernatural world, considering the opponent's strength and the fact that its leader possessed Susanoo's 'eye of God', Roman gave instructions after a moment's thought.

"We will meet their requirements with the highest level of VIP treatment."

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.

Inconsiderate
"Sorry to have kept you all waiting."

In the Cervantes family residence, a little girl named Sugar, wearing a red nightgown, returns to the drawing room.

In the reception room sat a man wearing a black robe with red clouds, with several other people dressed similarly standing behind him; but in terms of both aura and strength, they were worlds apart from the real Akatsuki members: their detached gazes under their straw hats and their subtly wary movements completely lacked the ease and confidence that a strong person should have.

But it doesn't matter,
There are at least eighty to a hundred people in this sea area who claim to be part of the 'Akatsuki' organization!
On one hand, others may not know, but surely the people here know that it was the Akatsuki leader, the Six Paths, who forced the Nine-Tails to retreat?
On the other hand, the real members of the Akatsuki organization are high-flying and always appear in a major battle, never giving ordinary superhumans a second glance; the many lower-level forces have also gradually become bolder, and it is very common for them to use this disguise to bully others.

The one in front of us is probably the strongest among these forces, right?

These thoughts flashed through her mind, and the little girl-like 'Sugar' began to act cute with a beaming smile:
"Unfortunately, the head of the family is out on business."

"However, the patriarch has already instructed that you all be treated as VIPs of the highest level."

"You need my supplies; the Cervantes family will prepare them immediately. As for the payment method—"

"Same as last time,"

Sitting in the reception room, surrounded by several companions, Ie spoke in a deep voice.

"no problem!"

The little girl named Sugar snapped her fingers.

Despite her childlike appearance, she is actually an adult; she only has this appearance due to her illness.

"Our family has prepared a transport ship. Would you like to rest for a while, or..."

"Let's go immediately!"

Yijiang stood up, feeling a vague sense of unease, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

Complete this transaction quickly, then head straight home.

There are companions and lovers there!

Having tasted the pleasures of love for the first time, he was already savoring the experience; if he weren't the leader, he should be spending every day in bed with Fan Qiu.

Thinking of Fan Qiu, even the expression under the straw hat softened.

wait for me,

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.

"Itsuki-san, Nobuna-san,"

As she sat sideways on her warhorse, galloping silently at full speed, the girl under her straw hat silently grumbled.

"We've only had a few days of rest, and now we're going back to the battlefield."

“It’s no use telling us this; you have to complain to ‘Six Paths’.”

In her mind, Izuki shrugged, realizing that this battle wasn't so easy to avoid:
"You're ostensibly with the Metropolitan Police Department, but secretly with the Akatsuki; use your brain, how could a battle of this magnitude be complete without you?"

"I'm just an ordinary junior high school student."

Higashi Hidemi instinctively retorted.
"A middle school student at the 'devil level,' if you told others, would anyone think you're ordinary?"

The 'Oda Nobuna' inside the girl's body dropped in rank due to feigning death, but through continuous battles and absorbing evil spirits, as well as the continuous improvement of Higashi Takami and Itsuki, the three of them have returned to the Demon rank.

In this situation, the island nation would certainly not let go of such a fighting force if it wanted to deal with 'Heian-kyo'.

Higashi Takami believes her identity has not been exposed: both Itsuki and Nobuna are well aware that the Metropolitan Police Department already knew their identities.

The fact that no one says anything is just a tacit understanding.

"Okay, Hyomi."

Another domineering voice rang out.

"This is our chance to shine! In my time—oops, Oda Nobunaga's time—monsters were things that hid in the mountains and fields. This time, I'm going to see for myself what kind of abilities the Hundred Demons of a thousand years ago really had!"

My sister,
Life is so wonderful, don't fight all the time!

However, considering Nobuna's background, Higashi Takami could only secretly shed tears.

Two to one, it seems the only option is a proper battle. Hopefully, they won't run into Abe no Seimei, otherwise, with their 'human + parasitic spirit' combination, they'll probably be caught by that great Onmyoji in an instant.
"We're here,"

Unbeknownst to them, the warhorse had already carried Higashi Takami, whose three souls were now one, to Mount Otowa, east of Heian Province.

That's right, it's the place where Jiu Kong Yao Ai and Xiao's story fell apart.

However, for Jiu Kong Yao Ai, being beaten up was already a normal thing; so she didn't feel uncomfortable about 'revisiting the old place', but instead looked at the people riding up on horseback.

“'Yu', you’re late.”

"Sorry, there's a traffic jam."

?

After giving a completely insincere explanation, 'Shina,' who had taken over the body, pulled on the reins.

"The five of us are going to attack Heian-kyo? And—"

He raised his hand and pointed to the obese person behind Jiu Kong Yao Ai.
"What's wrong with this guy?"

"Hahaha~~"

Removing his straw hat, Marshall Teach revealed his impressive face; he grinned, showing his dark yellow teeth.

"As someone under Lord Jiukong, how could I be absent from such an operation?"

'Hey, hey, hey, is that Teach??'

In the mind of the girl riding the warhorse, Higashi Takami's voice echoed repeatedly like a demonic spell.

'Calm down, Hyomi.'

'It's obvious, you don't need to confirm it repeatedly.'

“He is a ‘puppet’ that I resurrected using a secret technique, and he possesses the same power as when he was alive.”

Jiu Kongyao began to explain, mainly to the member codenamed 'Jade' who had just arrived. Meanwhile, 'Azure Dragon' and 'Black Tortoise' seemed to have known all along, showing no reaction whatsoever.

If possible, Jiu Kong Yao Ai doesn't want to reveal her trump card, the Impure World Reincarnation.

But there will definitely be a battle soon. If Teach suddenly makes a move, the others, unaware of the situation, will definitely attack him immediately.

This is something she doesn't want to see, and besides—

"The enemy we're dealing with is that Abe no Seimei!" Turning her head towards Heian-kyo, Kyuuka Yua gritted her teeth. That man had completely manipulated her, and even her resistance was probably part of his plan. How could Kyuuka Yua tolerate this?

That guy deserves to be taught a lesson!
"In this situation, we must utilize and unite all forces."

Hey, you just said you were using it, right?
Dong Xiaomei was speechless. Who is Jiu Kong Yao Ai? The world's second most wanted criminal! Who is Teach? The world's most wanted criminal!
Teaming up with someone like that means you're likely to get stabbed in the back at any time.

'What's the panic? We're not weak either.'

'Furthermore, above Akatsuki is the Six Paths.'

"Alright, shall we charge in now?"

While reassuring Higashi Takami internally, the 'Nobuna,' who was in favor of the fight, asked a question.

"Not urgent,"

On the other side, the hoarse voice of 'Azure Dragon' spoke.

"With the powerful monks of Mount Koya leading the charge, most of the forces have come out in full force this time."

The task of being a vanguard is not something that the 'Akatsuki Organization' can do.

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.

Tuao,

Tiwi Islands.

In the lobby of the underground base,

"Sister Fanqiu, this is our group's work progress."

"Yes, keep this momentum going."

"Sister Fanqiu, we're running out of training ammunition."

"Use them sparingly, don't waste them: before Yijiang and the others return, we need enough ammunition for a high-intensity battle."

Inside the underground base, a girl with brown, wavy hair is handling various affairs.

“Look at that guy,”

Several girls huddled together and whispered.
"They're practically acting like they're our leader."

"Who told her to get into the leader's bed?"

“So shameless”

Fanqiu paid no attention to these noises; they were nothing more than the lamentations of a defeated dog.

Whether it's fighting or falling in love, if you can't forge ahead, the only possibility is failure: she likes Ie, and she believes that many girls in this base like her too.

Strong, gentle, responsible, and decisive—the perfect lover! In this situation, it's first come, first served!
Hmph hmph hmph~~ The voices of the losers are the most pleasing praises of the victors.

brush--

Just as Fan Qiu was in a good mood, a boy rushed in with a faint flash of lightning!
"Sister Fanqiu! Something's happened!"

"Our outpost members have suddenly lost contact!"

? !
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.

"too easy!"

"Ha, is this how you deal with little brats like this?"

On the outskirts of the island, several superhumans dressed as pirates stood before the twisted corpse of a boy, their faces full of ease and mockery.

In theory, this boy was stronger than them; but in a real fight, he was no match for them and was quickly killed.

Battles are always unpredictable. Teammates, equipment, skills, weather, terrain, mentality—there are too many factors that can influence the outcome, rather than simply relying on strength. Otherwise, everyone could just reveal their total spiritual power and the weaker ones could commit suicide—it's not that simple.

"Be careful, everyone,"

The pirate captain, Henry, surveyed the island.
With its typical tropical jungle landscape, this island is said to have once had only five hundred inhabitants: over thousands of years, it has remained a completely primitive island.

Furthermore, since those targets are all extraordinary individuals, and they are hiding underground, capturing them will not be an easy task.

"Don't die in the final battle."

"Haha, Captain, don't worry~~"

"After we win this battle, we'll be rich!"

The pirates, all extraordinary individuals, burst into laughter. After this battle, they would return to 'civilized society' and enjoy the rest of their lives with their superhuman strength and wealth: all they had to do was eliminate the nearly one hundred extraordinary test subjects on this island.

"Also, try to capture them alive."

At his command, Captain Henry, a pirate captain, strode out and led his men toward the island.

It wasn't just his team; in other directions, extraordinary teams were also advancing towards the island: countless drones filled the sky, and a large reconnaissance network of fully armed soldiers formed on the ground.

On the open sea outside the island, a ring of warships surrounded the island completely.

For this operation, the Commonwealth deployed thousands of ships, hundreds of thousands of troops, and hired hundreds of superhumans. Satellites, reconnaissance aircraft, disguised mechanical birds—all available means were used. There was no room for failure!
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.

"what?!"

"We're surrounded."

"Damn it, why did it have to happen at this time!"

Inside the underground base, a group of teenagers were already in a panic: after all, they were not professional soldiers; even with superhuman strength, they were still at a loss when faced with such a crisis.

"Contact the leader."

"It's no use. There's intense electromagnetic interference around this island!"

"It's the Commonwealth, we're finished, we're finished—"

"Sister Fanqiu, what do we do now?"

Finally, everyone's eyes fell on the girl with wavy hair.

Calm down, calm down, the most important thing now is:

"Everyone, arm yourselves!"

"Firearms, power armor, and supernatural supplies—eat what you can, take what you can, and destroy what you can't!"

While her mind raced, the girl kept issuing orders: Regardless of whether these orders made sense or not, getting everyone moving was better than running around like headless flies.

"Prepare to meet the enemy! This is our home, and we must defend it!"

"No one is allowed to set foot here until Yijiang and the others return!"

The girl's words gave everyone a sense of security.

"That's right,"

"Kill them!"

"Yes, we are all extraordinary beings. It is the enemy we should be afraid of!"

well,

Seeing that everyone had calmed down,

The girl named Fanqiu raised her hand, clenched her fist, and swung it heavily.

"Akatsuki will prevail!"

In times of crisis, once someone takes the lead, others will instinctively follow suit.

"Akatsuki will prevail!"

"Akatsuki will prevail!"

"Akatsuki will prevail!"

Amidst roars of anger, the boys and girls who had been used as 'test subjects' sprang into action; some were fully armed with guns and cannons, while others were preparing for hand-to-hand combat—it was time to deliver a crushing blow to the invaders.

However, Fan Qiu, who was the temporary leader, knew that it was not that simple.

All the outer outposts have lost contact, and the enemy is advancing aggressively.

Yijiang, come back soon!

(End of this chapter)