Facing Oden's six retainers, Dimon actually felt a spark of interest.
He'd been fighting high-level opponents nonstop—finally, a chance to crush some small fry.
And oh, how he enjoyed crushing small fry.
"Who the hell are you? What do you want with Lord Oden!?" shouted Denjiro, his glasses flashing—a scholar's face on a warrior's body.
He barked quiet orders to the others:
"Kiku, Izo—check on Raizo!"
The two brothers shared a glance and darted off—only for a black blur to cut them off a few meters in.
Izo's eyes went wide; he couldn't even follow the motion. Instinctively, he shielded his younger brother.
"Watch out—!"
A colossal blade aura slammed down like a cannon blast.
Blood sprayed. Izo flew back hundreds of meters, crashing through tree after tree, and even Kikunojo—protected behind him—was knocked sprawling by the shockwave.
"Izo! Kiku!"
Kanjuro's eyes bulged; he dropped to one knee, furiously sketching with his brush.
The Brush-Brush Fruit—superhuman drawing power.
Dimon noticed. His eyes gleamed; he blurred forward and swung.
A blade intercepted him from the side—clang!
"Oh?" Dimon smiled. "You actually reacted. Not bad."
Ashura Doji's face twisted in strain. The weight pressing down on his blade wasn't human—it felt like an entire mountain.
Black lightning crackled between their weapons as Armament Haki collided in pulses, spreading outward like waves.
"Get back, Kanjuro! I can't hold—!" Ashura bellowed.
Denjiro seized the moment, twin blades flashing.
"Oden Two-Sword Style: Paradise Totsuka!"
The same technique Oden had used to wound Kaido—a high-speed cross-slash.
"You're a poor imitation of your master."
Dimon didn't even move. He pressed two fingers together and pointed.
A five-pointed magic circle flared between them.
The sword aura struck—and vanished, swallowed whole.
"What—?!" Denjiro froze, stunned.
In that heartbeat, Dimon knocked aside Ashura's blade and whipped a back kick straight into Denjiro's skull.
The crack echoed like thunder. Even Saturn wouldn't have eaten that clean.
Denjiro spat blood and tumbled like a rag doll, carving a long trench across the ground.
"Denjiro!" Ashura's heart lurched. Four down in seconds. Only he and Kanjuro remained.
Kanjuro kept sketching desperately on the ground.
Ashura gritted his teeth. "Kanjuro! Stop drawing! You can't handle him—get the others and run! I'll hold him off!"
Kanjuro froze, trembling, guilt and rage warring on his face.
Dimon chuckled softly, eyes glinting with mischief.
"How touching. You really care about your comrades. Shame you've got the wrong one."
"I called all your names earlier, didn't I?" His tone was almost playful.
"Kurozumi Kanjuro… Didn't that register?"
Ashura's pupils shrank. Slowly, he turned.
Kanjuro's face had gone dark.
"Kanjuro," Ashura said hoarsely, "your name is… Sudden Rain Kanjuro…"
Dimon's smile turned razor-sharp.
"Fake name. He's a talented little spy. Well done, Kurozumi Kanjuro."
Kanjuro's breath hitched. After a long silence, he muttered,
"Who are you?"
He was indeed a spy—born of the Kurozumi clan, sworn enemies of the Kozuki. He'd infiltrated Oden's circle for vengeance. But could this man be—?
"Did Orochi send you?" Kanjuro demanded, eyes cold now, mask dropped.
Dimon snorted. "He's not worth sending me."
In the blink of an eye, Dimon was there—his black blade driving through Kanjuro's chest.
He pulled it free in one smooth motion. Blood fountained.
"Y-You…" Kanjuro gasped, collapsing to his knees. "Why? Isn't your enemy Oden? Cough—"
"No. My enemy is all of Wano."
Dimon flicked the blood off his blade and turned to the last man standing.
"Honestly, bullying small fry gets dull. You're the toughest one—Ashura Doji. Try not to die too fast."
Ashura's mind reeled. Betrayal, chaos, and now this demon in human skin.
Still—when the blade came for him, thinking was pointless.
"Then I'll win! I'm Ashura Doji!"
He roared and charged.
Once, he'd been Kuri's terror—the "most dangerous monster in Kuri."
Two years ago, Oden had defeated him and turned him to his side. That duel had been close—he'd barely lost.
Now, he'd face a true monster.
Hours later.
Ashura's sword flew from his grip. He fell backward like a felled tree, body covered in wounds, blood streaking every inch.
"D… damn monster…" he hissed, before darkness took him.
Dimon glanced down, sighed.
"No fun. I'll probably forget you in a second."
Aside from his durability, this hadn't even been a warm-up compared to the battles he'd fought before.
With Oden's retainers dealt with, Dimon turned away.
On a nearby hill, he sat cross-legged, calmly watching Kaido and Oden's battle unfold below.
The two were perfectly matched—an even, roaring contest of strength.
No, Dimon mused, Kaido held the edge. Oden was flagging.
But defeating a man like Oden was no easy feat. It was a fight of endurance.
In this world, equal rivals could clash for days without rest.
Night bled away, stars dimming.
By dawn's first light, after hours of unrelenting combat, Oden finally fell—his body collapsing under a single, crushing blow from Kaido's kanabō.
Kaido reverted to human form, panting heavily.
Dimon walked over and studied the unconscious samurai.
"Not bad, Kaizo. I thought this would take days."
"Guh-hah-hah… Just a warm-up," Kaido said proudly.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/MugiwaraTL