One Piece: Rayquaza of the Beasts Pirates

Chapter 12 Battle against Kurozumi Orochi

The black charcoal serpent escaped, swiftly and decisively, without hesitation.

Kane had no choice but to go after him, after all, the main objective for today was to take down Orochi.

If he doesn't die, it will be all for naught no matter how many samurai Kane and Yamato kill.

Kane followed the direction in which the black charcoal serpent disappeared, traversing several corridors within the labyrinthine Serpent City, but ultimately had to stop at a fork in the road.

"A miscalculation. I should have learned how to use domineering techniques before coming here."

Kane stared at the spiderweb-like network of passages before him, scratching his head in exasperation; he seemed to be lost.

Clang!

Suddenly, a loud thud came from the corner as a bottle fell to the ground.

"Hmm?" Kane turned and walked towards the source of the sound.

After opening an exquisite lattice door, he found a girl huddled in a corner, shivering and clutching a vase.

The girl was beautiful, dressed as a courtesan, and had long, beautiful emerald-green hair.

Clearly, the noise was caused by her kicking over the vase in her panic.

Upon seeing Kane, who resembled a dragon, the girl trembled with fear and hurriedly lowered her head, unable to look any further.

Kane thought for a moment, then tried to make his voice sound gentle: "I'm not a bad person. I came here to end the suffering of Wano Country and give its people a new lease on life. I'm currently hunting down Kurozumi Orochi. Do you know where he is?"

Pursue Kurozumi Orochi?

Upon hearing this, the girl's eyes lit up instantly, but then dimmed again.

There are still ten years until the mother's prophecy, and the warriors before us are destined to return empty-handed.

But she couldn't bear to see Kane lose his life so easily, so she whispered, "You should run away quickly. You can't beat the general. The general has Kaido, the Protector King of the Nation, protecting him."

Kane was blunt: "I was sent by Kaido."

So it was just dogs fighting?

The girl's newly formed affection for Kane vanished instantly.

"Look at you, Orochi must have exploited you a lot. Sigh, how many people like you are there in Wano Country."

Kane adopted a compassionate demeanor: "It was to protect people like you from the persecution of Kurozumi Orochi that I specifically persuaded Kaido to kill Kurozumi Orochi."

As he spoke, Kane squeezed out a few crocodile tears.

Is that how it is?

A hint of emotion flashed in the girl's eyes as she looked at Kane.

But then, the girl lowered her head in disappointment: "The Beasts Pirates' persecution of Wano Country will not stop. Changing the general is just changing the name but not the substance."

She even felt that the new general might not be as good as Kurozumi Orochi.

At least, Orochi, having fed on the people of Wano Country for so many years, must have been somewhat satisfied.

With a new general, it's time to start all over again.

"You're wrong. I won't allow that to happen!"

Kane extended his hand to the girl and solemnly said, "Believe me, under the new general's leadership, you will definitely live a good life."

Just then, a few rays of sunlight shone through the window and fell on Kane, as if draping him in a sacred cloak.

The girl stared blankly at Kane, a surge of courage welling up within her, and she reached out to grasp the hand Kane offered.

Even though the prophesied day has not yet arrived, and even though the Beasts Pirates still control this country, the girl is willing to believe that the man in front of her can help the people of Wano Country escape their lives of hunger and cold ahead of time.

Kane was naturally very confident about this.

Although there are historical reasons, Kurozumi Orochi's exploitative rule was too backward, and the cost of maintaining his rule was too high.

Now, sustainable, resource-intensive practices are the only way forward.

"My lord, please come with me. General, no, Orochi usually prefers to stay in the main hall. Once, when he was drunk, he unconsciously said that it was the safest place in the entire Orochi Castle."

The girl led the way, with Kane close behind.

"My name is Kane, what's yours?"

"My name is Xiao Zi, Lord Kane."

It really is you, Princess Hiyori of the Kozuki family.

Kane nodded to himself.

He had just noticed something strange; Xiao Zi was too calm when she talked to him, acting like she had seen it all.

Ordinary courtesans wouldn't be able to do this upon seeing his beastman form; they'd be lucky not to be terrified.

The two figures disappeared into the depths of the corridor.

From the corner, a figure with a bloodied head slowly emerged.

Kyoshiro's eyes were filled with worry, but his hands gripped the wall tightly, trying not to make a sound.

His worst fears came true.

He took advantage of being blasted away to escape the battlefield, hoping to return and find Xiao Zi, and take her away from this place of trouble.

Unexpectedly, I was still a step too late.

"Lord Oden, Denjiro is incompetent and failed to protect the princess."

Kyoshiro felt a pang of self-reproach, gritted his teeth, and followed after them.

On the other hand, Kane knew he had come to the right place.

Before even getting close to the main hall, the roar of the giant black serpent could already be heard.

"Fukurokuju, quick! Gather all the samurai in the country! I'm going to defeat Kaido, no, I'm going to defeat the Beasts Pirates!"

Haha, instead of trying to escape, you're actively gathering forces to attack Ghost Island?

You bastard, Hagi Snake.

That's incredibly stupid!

Kane pulled Xiao Zi behind him. "Let's stop here. Find a safe place and protect yourself."

"Lord Kane..."

Seeing Kane protect her, Xiao Zi was deeply moved. From that moment on, she was completely convinced that Kane was different from the other Beast Pirates.

Knowing she was a burden, Xiao Zi could only silently pray, "May you have great fortune in battle!"

In front of the main hall gate.

"Let's say hello first."

Kane opened his mouth, and the energy within his body transformed into a raging inferno, frantically condensing and compressing deep within his throat.

"Flame Jet!"

A pillar of orange-red fire, like a torrent of magma, roared from Kane's mouth.

boom!!!

The flames spread like wildfire, instantly blasting through the main hall's gate.

A terrifying heatwave swept across the entire area like a tsunami.

"It's so hot! It's so hot!" came the pig-like screams of the giant black snake: "Put out the fire, you bunch of useless trash!"

"Yes, General!"

Inside the hall, the surviving warriors and servants were in a state of chaos, frantically trying to extinguish the spreading flames.

"General, be careful."

Fukurokuju shielded the black charcoal serpent behind him, watching the door warily.

Kaido's daughter clearly uses ice powers, so this time the flames are probably from that giant dragon in the sky.

pat!

Kane casually brushed aside the remaining debris from the gate blocking his way, and stepped into the main hall, his presence as radiant as a dragon descending upon the world.

This temperature was just a little warm to him.

Kane walked straight to the center of the hall, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the weather: "Orochi, could you please go die? You're blocking my way."

"You bastard! Who do you think I am?! I am the shogun of Wano Country!"

Orochi, though outwardly fierce, was actually quite cowardly. As he spoke, he lost his confidence: "Stop now, and I can give you countless treasures and beauties!"

"Foolish." Kane scoffed. "Even if I kill you, all of this will still be mine."

He was too lazy to waste words.

"Lightning speed!"

The towering dragonman vanished instantly, leaving only a distorted ripple in the air.

boom!

A heavy, dull thud that made your teeth ache.

The short, thick body of the black charcoal serpent, like a tattered sack being flung away by tremendous force, crashed into the solid wall behind the main hall with astonishing speed, accompanied by the cracking sound of bones breaking.

The force was so great that it created a large crater in the wall.

The black charcoal snake lay limp in the pit like a lump of mud, its limbs twisted, blood gushing from its mouth and nose, and it was completely lifeless.

Chapter 13 Kurozumi Orochi, Die!

"Great, Great Serpent General—"

Fu Lu Shou's eyes were filled with disbelief, but he quickly realized what was happening and knelt down heavily on both knees without hesitation.

"My lord, I, Fukurokuju, am willing to lead the Imperial Guards and my five thousand subordinate ninjas to swear allegiance to the Yamato Shogun!"

With the leader in charge, the remaining warriors and servants in the main hall reacted immediately, kneeling down and shouting in unison: