章 9: Chapter 9: The Death of Orochi
Both Kurozumi Orochi and Kozuki Oden had been thrown into the boiling cauldron, yet Orochi continued to wail in protest, claiming his innocence.
Could Edie, the cunning scientist, truly be unaware if the wine had been poisoned? The truth is, no one understands the depth of an injustice better than the one who orchestrates it. But at this point, any explanation was futile. The evidence, both human and material, was damning enough. Orochi's fate was sealed, and there was no escaping it. His only chance of survival had been to prevent Edie from suggesting the testing of the wine. But that opportunity had long passed.
As the people watched Orochi flailing in the oil, their shock was palpable. What had begun as a public execution quickly turned into a spectacle beyond belief, all within the span of ten minutes.
"Did the Shogun really try to poison Kaido?" The crowd buzzed with confusion and disbelief.
In the cauldron, Orochi floundered, his screams filling the air as he desperately clawed at the edge, trying to escape the searing pain. Kozuki Oden, balanced precariously on the platform above, was forced to sidestep Orochi's wild thrashing to avoid being dragged down with him.
Suddenly, with a blood-curdling roar, Orochi's neck elongated and split into eight separate heads. This was the fearsome Yamata no Orochi, a mythical beast with eight heads. One of the heads hung lifeless, eyes closed, but the remaining seven writhed and howled in agony.
"So hot, hot, hot!!" Orochi screamed, his monstrous form expanding rapidly until the cauldron could no longer contain him. With a deafening crash, the cauldron shattered, spilling boiling oil across the ground.
Kaido's eyes widened in surprise. Even he hadn't anticipated that Orochi possessed such power.
"A Devil Fruit user?" Edie feigned surprise, his voice laced with curiosity. "This form… it's the Zoan-type Snake-Snake Fruit, Model: Yamata no Orochi, a mythical beast."
King, who had withdrawn his massive katana after his failed strike, now stared down the transformed Orochi with cold, calculating eyes.
"How is he still alive after having his heart pierced?" Queen blurted out, visibly stunned by the spectacle.
Edie, ever the scholar, explained calmly, "The Yamata no Orochi is a mythical beast with eight heads, each representing a life. One of them died just now."
The chaos below the execution platform continued to unfold. The shattered cauldron lay in ruins, and the spilled oil blazed across the ground. In a bizarre twist of fate, both Kurozumi Orochi and Kozuki Oden found themselves free, the line between executioner and condemned blurred in the flames of destruction.
Kurozumi Orochi panted heavily, his seven remaining heads glaring menacingly at the figures on the execution platform—Kaido, King, Queen, Edie, and the grim-faced man in the mask. His serpent-like eyes flickered with a mix of fear and rage as he desperately tried to grasp the situation.
"Hah… hah… wait, wait, I get it!" Orochi's seven heads swiveled to lock onto Edie, their voices filled with venomous accusation. "It must be you!"
"Orochi." Edie's voice was calm, almost amused, as he regarded the trembling beast with the detached curiosity of a scientist observing a cornered rat. "Look at the chaos you've caused—rebellion, sabotaging the execution. How do you think this will end for you?"
"Hahaha, this is interesting. Eight heads, eight lives, huh?" Queen chuckled, unfazed by the sight before him. He reached behind his back and pulled out an enormous, custom-made AK-47, several times larger than the standard model. "I just had this gun built to match my size. Orochi, let's see how well it works on you."
With practiced ease, Queen set the gun, aimed, and pulled the trigger. The muzzle erupted in a barrage of bullets, sending a cloud of smoke into the air as dozens of rounds tore into Orochi's massive body.
The seven heads twisted and writhed in agony as another head's eyes closed, signaling yet another lost life. But Orochi was still clinging to the last vestiges of his existence.
"Wait a minute, Queen! This is—" Orochi's frantic plea was cut short as King's figure blurred into motion. With deadly precision, he raised his katana and, in a single, fluid motion, brought it down.
Whoosh!
The blade flashed through the air, severing the remaining six heads in one swift strike. Time seemed to freeze as Orochi's monstrous form stood still for a heartbeat, the severed heads hanging grotesquely in the air. Then, with a sickening thud, his body collapsed into a pool of blood.
"Is he dead?" Queen muttered with a hint of disappointment, lowering his weapon. "Don't go stealing other people's prey, King."
King ignored the remark, sheathing his sword with a cold efficiency. His eyes turned to Kaido, awaiting further orders.
"Kaido-sama."
Kaido rose from his seat, his massive frame casting a shadow over the execution platform as he walked to its edge. His gaze swept over the lifeless body of Kurozumi Orochi before finally settling on Kozuki Oden and the Nine Red Scabbards.
"Apologies," Kaido said with a mocking tone, "someone sabotaged the execution."
"Kaido! What about our agreement?" Oden, regaining his composure, looked up defiantly. "You promised to let us go! If you're dissatisfied, then have the execution redone—I won't protest!"
"I've lost interest," Kaido replied indifferently. Without hesitation, he picked up a pistol and aimed it directly at Oden's head.
The Nine Red Scabbards were horrified, their anger boiling over as they shouted, "Kaido! You don't keep your word!"
Kaido's grin widened, a cruel glint in his eyes. "Oh, Kozuki Oden, your will is impressive. I respect your strength—you lasted the full hour, after all." His voice turned cold. "But the agreement was voided when the execution was sabotaged."
Oden couldn't find a retort to Kaido's twisted reasoning.
Boom!
The sound of the gunshot echoed across the platform as the bullet struck Oden squarely in the head. He collapsed to the ground, his lifeless body lying before his loyal retainers.
"Lord Oden!!" The Nine Red Scabbards cried out in anguish, their eyes filled with fury as they glared at Kaido. Their hearts burned with a desire for revenge, a thirst to tear him apart.
Kaido, unimpressed by their rage, delivered his cold verdict. "You have one hour. As a reward for your lord's bravery, I'll give you that much time to flee."
His eyes narrowed as he continued, "So, what will it be? Will you seek revenge now, or run for your lives?"
Kanjuro, unable to contain his grief and rage, shouted, "I'll fight you, Kaido!" He lunged forward, desperate for vengeance.
But Kinemon grabbed his shoulder with a grip so tight it threatened to crush the bone. "We have to leave! Now! Remember our mission—there are things we still need to do!"
After a series of heartfelt exchanges, the Nine Red Scabbards cast one last seething glance at the execution platform before making the painful decision to flee.
Edie watched them with a slight shake of his head. "These small fry think they can take revenge on Kaido? Even twenty years from now, without someone like Monkey D. Luffy, they wouldn't stand a chance."
His eyes drifted to the bodies of Kozuki Oden and Kurozumi Orochi, a subtle expression of irony crossing his face. Both men, locked in a struggle for power, had ultimately found themselves sharing the same fate.
"King," Kaido ordered, his voice steady, "in one hour, issue a bounty and hunt them down."
"Yes, Master Kaido," King replied without hesitation.
After issuing the orders, Kaido turned to Edie, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "You've caused quite the stir today."
Edie returned the smile, though his tone was measured. "Mr. Kaido, you executed Shogun Orochi for treason. It's time you found a new Shogun."
Kaido's grin widened into a savage smile. "I'll be the Shogun myself!"
An hour later.
Wanted posters for the Nine Red Scabbards were swiftly plastered across the city, their faces now marked with high bounties. Alongside these, an obituary for the late Shogun Kurozumi Orochi circulated—executed publicly by Kaido for the crime of rebellion. The new Shogun was none other than Kaido himself.
The news sent shockwaves throughout the country, though most had already resigned themselves to Kaido's rule. The Beast Pirates had solidified their grip on power.
Meanwhile, Edie returned to his research institute, a vial of Kurozumi Orochi's blood carefully stored in his possession. He knew the value of the blood factor of a Mythical Zoan user and had no intention of letting such a resource go to waste.
As for Kurozumi Semimaru, the old man had sensed the tide turning against him and had vanished amidst the chaos.
"Chenlong, locate Kurozumi Semimaru and the kunoichi who tried to infiltrate the institute yesterday," Edie ordered. "The kunoichi must be captured alive."
Without a word, Chenlong set off to carry out the task.
After some time, Shenhou, Edie's other loyal operative, returned. He deactivated his Clone-Clone Fruit ability, reverting to his original form—a figure cloaked in gray, wearing a ghostly face mask similar to Chenlong's.
"Lord Heavenly Father."
"Thank you," Edie replied, settling into a sofa and casually making himself a cup of coffee. He poured another cup and handed it to Shenhou.
"What's the situation outside?" Edie inquired, his tone as relaxed as his demeanor.
Shenhou sipped his coffee before reporting, "Kaido's forces have begun their search for the Nine Red Scabbards. They've concentrated their efforts on the suburbs."
"They're likely hiding within the city," Edie remarked, shaking his head at Kaido's predictable missteps. He noticed Shenhou hesitating, the young operative clearly wanting to say more.
"Go on, speak your mind," Edie encouraged.
"Yes, it's just... something feels off. Your plan wasn't particularly complex, yet Kaido seems to trust you a little too much," Shenhou admitted, his confusion evident.
Edie chuckled, amused by Shenhou's innocence. "This isn't about simple trust. It's about calculating interests."
Shenhou's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why was Kaido so certain that Orochi was the one who poisoned him? Shouldn't he have suspected you?"
"You're still young," Edie said with a knowing smile. "You don't yet understand the unspoken agreements between adults."
Shenhou had been raised in a cloning lab, his mental age a mere two years despite his ten-year-old appearance. Edie took another sip of coffee, elaborating on his point.
"Does it really matter if Kurozumi Orochi was the one who poisoned Kaido? For Kaido, it was the perfect excuse. In front of everyone, I exposed Orochi's 'rebellion,' and Kaido used that as a pretext to execute him. Now, Kaido is the Shogun of Wano. All I did was hand Kaido a knife."
Shenhou fell silent, pondering Edie's words. After a long pause, he asked, "So, Kaido's mind works that quickly?"
Edie rolled his eyes, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Did you think Kaido was an idiot? The only fool in this game was Kurozumi Orochi—and that's why he's dead."
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