The Fall of the Shogun
Inside the burning halls of the Shogun's castle, steel clashed like thunder against thunder. Orochi's elites fought fiercely, their loyalty twisted by fear and survival, but they stood against men who carried twenty years of hatred in their hearts.
The Nine Red Scabbards did not fight merely to win—they fought to end an era.
Denjiro's blade flashed, coated in flowing Ryō, splitting through an armored guard. Ashura Doji roared as he cleaved through two warriors at once, blood painting the tatami floors. Kawamatsu spun low, cutting tendons and rising with another precise slash.
"You still serve that coward?" Denjiro snarled, locking blades with one of Orochi's commanders.
"For the Shogun!" the man shouted desperately.
"There is no Shogun," Ashura roared, finishing him. "Only a snake waiting to be cut down!"
Hyogoro parried a spear and whispered calmly, "For Oden… let this hatred finally rest."
The elites fought valiantly, pushing the Scabbards back step by step, but hatred and hope are stronger than fear. The retainers pressed forward like demons reborn, their swords blazing with Ryō.
One by one, Orochi's defenders fell.
The final clash echoed through the throne room as Denjiro's blade carved a clean arc through the last standing elite. Silence followed, broken only by heavy breathing and the crackle of distant flames.
"It's over," Kawamatsu said quietly.
Ashura Doji pointed his blade forward.
"Now we cut the head of the serpent."
---
Orochi stood at the center of the throne chamber, trembling violently. His painted face was smeared with sweat, his golden robes stained with ash and fear.
"You fools!" he shrieked. "Do you know who I am?! I am Kurozumi Orochi! The rightful Shogun of Wano!"
"You are a coward who hid behind Kaido," Denjiro replied coldly.
Cornered, madness consumed Orochi completely. His body twisted grotesquely, bones cracking as he transformed into his Yamata no Orochi form. Eight serpentine heads rose, hissing and snapping wildly.
"I will not die!" Orochi screamed from every mouth. "You will die with me!"
The massive heads lashed out blindly, destroying pillars and tearing through the burning hall.
Ashura Doji spat to the side.
"Ugly even as a monster."
"Together," Hyogoro ordered calmly.
The four advanced as one.
Ryō flowed from their blades like liquid lightning. Massive sword slashes erupted simultaneously, carving through the air with devastating force.
The serpents roared as the attacks connected.
One head fell.
Then another.
Orochi screamed in rage and terror, thrashing violently as more heads were severed in brutal succession.
"You can't!" he shrieked. "I am immortal! I am chosen!"
"You are nothing," Denjiro said.
Within minutes, seven heads lay on the floor, dissolving into smoke. Only one remained, snapping weakly.
Orochi's final human face emerged from it, pale and broken.
"Please… wait… we can talk—"
Ashura stepped forward without hesitation.
"For Oden."
The blade fell.
The final head rolled across the floor.
Kurozumi Orochi was dead.
The Scabbards stood silently for a long moment as the flames consumed the throne behind them.
"It's done," Kawamatsu whispered.
"No," Denjiro said softly. "It begins now."
---
Above Onigashima – The Sky Battlefield
Yamato's body was drenched in blood, both hers and her enemies'. She stood in her Beast-Human form, chest rising heavily, kanabo resting against her shoulder.
Across from her stood King, Queen, Jack, and Who's Who.
Queen wiped sweat from his forehead, mechanical limbs humming nervously.
"Ha—ha… you've been fighting us for hours!" he shouted. "How the hell are you not tired?!"
Yamato grinned through bloodied lips.
"Who said I'm not?"
She charged again.
Her movements were sharper now. Cleaner. Faster. Every strike carried refined Conqueror's Haki infusion and Internal Destruction.
As she fought, something strange was happening.
Her wounds were closing.
Bruises faded. Cuts sealed.
The constant energy flowing through the mysterious link with Ren surged through her body, refining her Haki and strengthening her physique in real time.
King noticed first.
"She's growing," he muttered.
"What?" Queen shouted.
"Her Haki. Her body. It's improving mid-battle."
After hours of relentless combat, Yamato's eyes sharpened.
The world slowed.
She saw it clearly.
Future Sight.
Not flickers. Not fragments.
Continuously.
At that moment, Ren's clone appeared beside her in midair, voice calm.
"End it. The main body has finished adapting to his Beast Form."
Yamato nodded once.
Jack charged with a roar.
She vanished.
"Divine Swiftness: White Serpent!"
Her Conqueror's-infused kanabo smashed into Jack's skull. Internal Destruction detonated within him.
Blood burst from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
Jack's massive body collapsed midair, unconscious.
Queen's mechanical jaw dropped.
"No way…"
Yamato turned before Who's Who could retreat.
She stepped into his predicted movement.
"Maharoba."
Her kanabo crushed into his chest, followed instantly by "Thunder Bagua!"
He flew backward, blood spraying as he slammed into the ruins below.
Queen staggered back, cold sweat drenching him.
"Y-you've got to be kidding me! She fought three of you for hours! Why does she look stronger?!"
King exhaled slowly.
"Her Haki and physique have grown multiple times over. Even after losing that much blood, she's fine."
Queen stared in disbelief.
"But how?!"
King's eyes narrowed.
"Either she holds a secret… or her Devil Fruit mastery is evolving alongside her Haki."
Queen nearly sobbed.
"What kind of nonsense is that?!"
Yamato turned toward them.
Conqueror's Haki poured from her like a storm. The sky trembled as black lightning cracked around her body.
Her eyes glowed red from the sheer output.
Queen's legs nearly gave out.
Even King felt a chill.
Yamato laughed.
"Still standing? Good."
She launched forward.
"Thunder Eight Trigrams: Roaring Thunder Bagua!"
Queen saw it coming. The kanabo grew larger in his vision.
But he could not move.
Her Conqueror's Haki pinned him in place like an invisible mountain.
The strike hit his stomach.
He spat blood violently and was sent flying into the distance.
King moved to assist, but Yamato's Haki repelled him before he could close the gap.
He sent a massive flaming slash.
It was deflected.
Now he stood alone.
Yamato opend her mouth. White -blue frost beam shot forward.
"Namuji Hyoga!"
King's flames flared as he unleashed his strongest attack.
Their powers collided and canceled briefly.
But Yamato was already moving.
"Himorogiri!"
The strike landed clean.
King gritted his teeth and countered, landing a heavy blow on her side.
"Kagamiyama," she whispered.
The damage was absorbed by Ice armour.
King's eyes widened.
She descended like judgment itself.
Another Namuji Hyoga from above.
Then Divine Swiftness: White Serpent.
Then—
"Raimei Hakke!"
The final blow shattered his guard.
King crashed downward, unconscious.
---
Yamato slowly returned to human form.
Her body trembled.
She had used everything.
The sky spun as exhaustion finally caught up.
She began to fall.
Ren's clone expanded to full size and caught her gently before she hit the ground.
Without hesitation, Yamato wrapped her arms around him.
The clone's mouth twitched.
"Hey, control yourself. Any closer and the main body will come here just to kick my ass."
Yamato blinked lazily.
"Why? Aren't you the same?"
The clone sighed.
"We have our own consciousness. We think independently. So no, we're not exactly him."
She frowned slightly.
"Even so… why would he be so angry?"
The clone stared at her.
"You really think he would come for just any girl and fight a Yonko?"
Yamato froze.
"So why did he come for me?"
The clone tilted his head.
"If Toki had been captured by Kaido… would Oden have gone to fight Kaido for her?"
"Of course he wou—"
She stopped mid-sentence.
Her mind finally connected the pieces.
Her face turned red from her neck upward.
"No… no way… that means… me and him…?"
Her thoughts short-circuited entirely.
The clone chuckled.
"Took you long enough."