One Piece: Starting with Sharingan, First Mate Uchiha

"Tap, tap, tap..."

As the sound of wooden clogs tapping on the floor grew louder, the figure of the approaching person gradually became clearer amidst the interplay of light and shadow.

It was a time of bright sunshine and gentle light.

At this moment, Hiyori was already dressed in an elaborate and gorgeous princess kimono.

The expensive silk shimmered softly in the sunlight.

The cranes embroidered with interwoven gold and silver threads are lifelike on the wide skirt, as if they are about to take flight at any moment.

She wore an exquisite and unparalleled jeweled hair ornament, and her lightly made-up face was absolutely stunning.

On that stunningly beautiful face, the worldly air and coquettish charm of the courtesan "Xiao Zi" had long since faded, replaced by an inviolable nobility.

At this moment, she was like a high-mountain flower blooming at the pinnacle of power, radiating a dazzling brilliance that was impossible to look directly at.

Hiyori stepped into the center of the hall and slowly stopped.

She slightly raised her head, her beautiful, watery eyes gazing at the man sitting casually on the general's throne in front of her.

Golden sunlight streamed through the shoji doors, falling perfectly on Viktor's tall and imposing figure, giving his dark robe a dazzling golden edge.

That composure and domineering aura, in Hiyori's eyes, seemed to have merged with the chair, making it the true ruler of Wano Country.

Hiyori's heartbeat quickened involuntarily, and an indescribable throbbing surged in her chest.

She composed herself and held a pot of top-quality sake from the land of Wano Country, which exuded a rich and mellow aroma, in both hands.

She then gracefully ascended the white jade steps and came to Victor's side.

She knelt gracefully to the side of the throne.

Her fair, delicate hand tilted the wine pot slightly, and the clear, cool wine flowed from the spout, filling the white porcelain wine glass in front of Viktor with fine wine.

"Lord Victor, now that Orochi has fallen, with your and the Straw Hat Pirates' strength, Kaido's destruction is only a matter of time."

"This closed-off island is about to enter an unprecedented period of power vacuum."

She tilted her head slightly, revealing her fair and slender swan neck in the sunlight.

Her expressive eyes gazed at Viktor's cold profile with gentle, watery eyes:

"If you wish, Lord Victor, you can sit securely on this throne and rule this land forever."

"I am the rightful heir of the Kozuki clan, and the blood of the general flows through my veins."

"If you are willing to stay, the supreme power of Wano Country, and even... myself, will be yours."

"They will all be your most loyal vassals, at your behest."

Faced with such a promise that would make any normal man's blood boil, Viktor showed no sign of greed.

He maintained that calm and languid demeanor.

Viktor smiled and reached out to take the cup of sake from Hiyori, then drank it all in one gulp.

"Good wine."

Viktor casually remarked on the rich aroma of the liquor.

After setting down his glass, Victor's smile remained unchanged:

"Your Highness, your plan is indeed very shrewd."

"In your eyes, I am not a benefactor of any country, but merely a more useful, more powerful, and more pleasing knife."

"In the end, you still haven't escaped the way of life that comes with being a 'court lady'."

"Deep down, you always want to rely on a strong person who can protect you from the wind and rain."

Upon hearing this merciless analysis, Hiyori's gentle expression instantly froze.

She opened her mouth, instinctively wanting to speak out in rebuttal, wanting to argue that she was doing it for the future of the country.

Ignoring Hiyori's speechlessness, Viktor slowly stood up and stretched his broad arms.

Then, he casually patted the shogun's throne beneath him, which symbolized the highest power in Wano Country.

"This wooden chair, which reeks of decay and blood, may be priceless to you."

"But in my eyes, it doesn't even have the value of being displayed as a collectible in the cabin."

Viktor murmured softly, his gaze sweeping across the hall to the vast, boundless sea in the distance.

"What's the point of being the king of such a small, isolated place, like a frog at the bottom of a well?"

A moment later, Victor withdrew his gaze from the distance and slowly walked down the white jade steps.

As Viktor passed by Hiyori, who was still kneeling in place, he paused slightly.

He turned his head slightly:

"If the Kozuki clan truly wants to protect this ravaged country."

"If you want to regain the support of the people, stop with those clever little tricks."

"Learn to be like a true king, grasp power with your own hands, and support the burden of the nation with your own spine."

"Instead of groveling here and pouring drinks for a pirate like this."

Upon hearing Viktor's words, Hiyori did not, as expected, shrink back in shame.

She knelt on the spot, bowing her head deeply, her slender shoulders beginning to tremble slightly uncontrollably.

Then, in the empty hall, her whispered words, tinged with sorrow yet filled with boundless stubbornness, echoed:

"So what if a courtesan lives like that?"

"As long as I can survive in this cannibalistic, chaotic world..."

"Even if it means wallowing in the stench of filthy swamp like a disgusting maggot, even if it means abandoning all shame and dignity, I must live on..."

Before he could finish speaking, Hiyori suddenly raised her head.

Those once clear and beautiful eyes were now slightly red, even with fine blood vessels.

She no longer concealed her emotions, raising her head without hesitation to look directly into Victor's eyes:

"The reason why Lord Victor can stand here, so high and mighty, and mock my actions is because..."

"It's simply because you were born strong, because you possess absolute power that allows you to disregard all worldly conventions and crush all rules!"

"Because you are powerful enough, you are qualified to stand on the clouds and look down on us, who are like ants struggling."

"You have the right to despise the unscrupulous means we use to survive."

"You have more right to casually talk about the pride and integrity that are such a luxury for us!"

Hiyori suddenly stood up from the steps.

She took a step forward, meeting Viktor's gaze, her chest heaving, her tone growing increasingly fierce:

"And I am weak!"

"I am a weak person who cannot even kill a chicken."

"In this cruel hell, my beauty, my disguise, and my tears are the only weapons I can wield!"

"Abandon your dignity and attach yourself to the strong, use hypocrisy to squeeze the wealth out of those who are greedy and insatiable."

"Like a poisonous vine, I cling shamelessly to a bloodthirsty poisonous tree, barely surviving, always ready to deliver a fatal blow—that's me!"

"This is my survival rule for living for twenty years!"

A single, glistening tear slid down Hiyori's cheek.

She gritted her teeth and let out a cry from the depths of her soul:

"As a vulnerable person, is there anything wrong with surviving in your own way?!"

At this moment, Hiyori Kozuki cast aside her heavy burdens, as well as her reserve and shyness.

She put down the expensive sake jug in her hand, letting it spill onto the tatami mat, the fragrant sake flowing slowly.

Without flinching, she strode directly toward Victor, who was standing at the bottom of the steps.

Hiyori walked up to the tall man and stood on tiptoe without hesitation.

She stretched out her slender, white arms and wrapped them tightly around Viktor's neck.

The subtle, sophisticated fragrance of cosmetics intertwines with the slightly intoxicating aroma of sake permeating the air.

She closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly, tilted her head back, and kissed those cool, thin lips deeply.

The moment their lips touched, her body trembled slightly.