The top floor of Orochi Castle.
The former majesty was gone, replaced by a chaotic battlefield.
The walls and pillars were covered with hideous knife marks and shattered traces.
And in the center of the battlefield, an ice plain was clearly visible.
Dozens of ice sculptures, in various poses and lifelike, stood among them.
Of the originally dense, crowded army of samurai and ninjas, only a few lucky ones who hadn't been blinded by the five hundred Gold could still stand and fight.
They gripped their weapons, but their bodies trembled uncontrollably, their fearful gazes Lock-On on Yamato, who was like a war god in the center of the battlefield.
"Hey!"
Yamato casually slung her spiked club, "A-Ken," over her shoulder, her other hand on her hip, and grumbled impatiently, "Why aren't you coming up to fight? I'm getting impatient waiting!"
Her tone was full of unfulfilled frustration.
There weren't many decent opponents here, just a few ninja leaders who had some tricks, but even they were just a few swings away.
The remaining samurai and ninjas looked at each other, their faces filled with struggle and despair.
They wanted to escape, but feared being purged by Orochi afterwards.
Staying meant facing that monstrous girl who could instantly freeze people into ice sculptures, which was tantamount to seeking death.
Just as they were worrying.
Tap, tap, tap...
A steady, powerful sound of footsteps, like drumbeats, came from the passage behind, breaking the dead silence.
Everyone subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound, only to see a handsome man leading Fukurokuju, the leader of the Omnyoban, and a group of surviving samurai, calmly arriving.
"Who is he?"
"Why is Captain (Fukurokuju) following behind him?"
The samurai and ninjas wondered.
As soon as Yamato saw the newcomers, her previous impatience instantly vanished.
"Kain, look!"
Yamato excitedly bounced a few times in place, waving the spiked club in her hand, pointing to the ice plain and the ice sculptures.
Her tone was full of pride and showing off.
"Well done, Yamato."
Kain walked to Yamato's side, naturally reached out, and stroked Yamato's hair as a compliment.
"Hehe~" Yamato, who had just been like a fiend on the battlefield, let out a carefree, goofy laugh.
After praising Yamato, Kain turned around, faced the group of silent samurai and ninjas, and calmly clapped his hands.
Fukurokuju immediately understood. He stepped forward, held up the head of Orochi, which he had specially brought, and loudly announced, "Orochi has been executed! Kneel and surrender!"
The Shogun is dead?
The first reaction of the samurai and ninjas was not grief and a vow of revenge, but a deep sigh of relief.
That's great, finally, no need to fight that monster.
Whoever wants those five hundred Gold can go fight for them.
Clang, clang, clang...
Like a chain reaction, the sound of weapons dropping rose and fell, forming a continuous clang!
The samurai and ninjas knelt on both knees, their foreheads touching the ground, and shouted in unison, "We are willing to surrender!"
Looking at the 'harmonious' scene before him, Kain nodded in satisfaction.
The overall situation was settled.
The only one who was dissatisfied with this was probably Yamato, who was still itching for more.
"Ah! Kain, you're too much, I also wanted to fight Orochi!" Yamato pouted.
That was the Shogun of Wano Country, the feeling of beating him up must be better than these small fries.
Kain chuckled at her words, shaking his head, "Orochi isn't a strong person. If it came to a real fight, he probably wouldn't even be a match for Ulti and her brother."
"Really? Then never mind."
Yamato pouted, looking disappointed.
After comforting Yamato, Kain no longer delayed.
He took Orochi's head from Fukurokuju and strode towards the giant balcony on the top floor with the widest view.
From here, the entire Flower Capital was visible.
At this moment, at the foot of Orochi Castle, there was a sea of people.
Almost half of the Flower Capital's citizens had been attracted by the previous appearance of the giant dragon, the series of explosions, and the earth-shattering sounds of battle.
"Do you know what happened?"
"Someone's causing trouble, obviously."
"Nonsense! Who doesn't know that? The important thing is, who's causing trouble?"
"It seems Kaido's daughter has arrived, saying she wants to depose Shogun Orochi."
"Really? That's great!"
"That might not be a good thing. Shogun Orochi is at least a local."
"Whoever it is, I only wish the Shogun would encounter danger."
"Exactly, exactly!"
...
The common people discussed animatedly, silently praying that the Shogun would not be safe and sound.
"Silence!"
Kain's voice boomed from the top floor of Orochi Castle, clearly echoing throughout the entire plaza.
"Orochi has committed numerous crimes, shown no remorse, refused to abdicate, and even resisted with force. He has now been executed!"
Kain held up Orochi's head high and declared loudly.
"As the representative of the Guardian King, I announce that in three days, Wano Country will elect a new Shogun through a vote by all the Daimyo!"
As his voice fell, Kain no longer paid attention to the boiling clamor and discussions below, turning to return to Orochi Castle.
Inside the castle, Yamato, at his signal, unfroze the ice sculptures.
There was nothing to say about these people; they directly joined the surrendering army.
Orochi didn't have the virtue of making them swear undying loyalty.
It's worth mentioning that Kyoshiro also appeared out of nowhere, leading the samurai of the Kyoshiro Family to also declare their submission.
Kain didn't want to expose him; a known spy was much more useful than a dead one.
Not to mention, he still held Kyoshiro's weak spot—Kozuki Hiyori.
Kain coldly commanded, "Fukurokuju, display Orochi's body for three days. At the same time, publish his crimes in the Newspaper ; I will inform you of the specific content later."
"Yes, Lord Kain!" Fukurokuju bowed in acceptance.
Kain nodded slightly and continued to instruct, "Clean and repair Orochi Castle. The main hall is the most important; it must be ready for discussions in three days. Additionally, immediately notify the Daimyo of each village in Wano Country to come to Orochi Castle in three days to elect a new Shogun."
"Yes, Lord Kain!" Fukurokuju echoed again.
"That's all for now."
Kain turned to Yamato, who was boredly tapping on the railing, and waved, "Yamato, it's time for us to go back."
"Okay~" Yamato immediately responded cheerfully.
After achieving her goal of eliminating Orochi, Orochi Castle no longer held any attraction for her, and she was eager to return to Onigashima as soon as possible.
Before leaving, Kain's gaze fell on Kozuki Hiyori, and he smiled, "Kozuki Hiyori, you come with me too. Don't be a courtesan anymore; be my personal maid."
Kozuki Hiyori and Kyoshiro's expressions froze simultaneously.
Kain's invitation completely exceeded their expectations.
Kozuki Hiyori's original plan was to start as a low-level courtesan and gradually become Wano Country's top oiran.
This way, she could not only gather information from high-ranking officials but also extract ill-gotten gains from wealthy merchants and distribute them to the poor, killing two birds with one stone.
But now...
What should she do?
If she agreed, her previous preparations would be wasted, and she would have little to do on Onigashima.
But if she refused?
It was still serving people. As a commoner girl, she would refuse to follow a benevolent important figure, but instead insist on being a courtesan.
What, was she addicted to being a prostitute?