Chapter 59: Calamity
ââWano Country.
Over two years had already passed since Kurozumi Orochi took the seat of the shogun as a proxy.
By now, for better or worse, both the daimyo and the people had begun to grow accustomed to Orochiâs rule. No matter how much they complained, the one sitting on the shogunâs throne was Orochi.
Neither the other daimyo nor the common folk had any right to oppose him, and even if they tried to resist by force, Orochi had the backing of the Beasts PiratesâKaido and the Oniwabanshu, monsters whose infamy was so great that there wasnât a soul in Wano who didnât know of them.
Weighed down by the terror they inspired and the sacrifices that would come with defiance, the people found it harder and harder to choose rebellion.
The labor in the weapon factories was brutal, and the wages were pitifulâbarely enough to scrape by. Many had grown poorer than they were before.
The only exception was the Flower Capital, where Orochiâs castle stood and which served as Wanoâs lifeline. Considering his own comfort and that of his subordinate samurai, Orochi exempted the Flower Capital from forced labor, allowing it to remain as prosperous as everâthough even there, those who had grown poorer were gradually being pushed out.
Resistance was futile, so they didnât resist. No matter how many atrocities Orochi, his officials, or the Beasts Pirates committed, the people could only endure. Rebellion against the shogun was a grave crime. If they could be certain of victory, it might have been worth itâbut if not, they would only give their oppressors an excuse to retaliate.
Perhaps Orochi still had some use for the daimyo and samurai, or perhaps he simply enjoyed watching the people of Wano suffer in silenceâwhatever the reason, he allowed the would-be rebels who hadnât yet caused trouble to remain, at least for now. Or maybe he was simply waiting for them to defy him so he could crush and execute them.
The other daimyo, samurai, and common folk couldnât fathom Orochiâs motives. Was he just a tyrant? Or was he merely Kaidoâs puppet? The people tormented by Orochi made all sorts of guesses, but in the end, it didnât matterâthey could only act to minimize their suffering and losses.
There was only one hope leftâthe return of the rightful heir, Kozuki Oden.
He was out at sea now, living as a pirate, and no one knew when he might return. He was a wild, strong manâbut whether he was fit to rule was another matter entirely.
Still, the people held onto the hope that he would be better than Orochi. Anyone who had known Oden in the past, who had seen or heard of him and his loyal retainers back when he was still in Wano, believed this.
That said, there were still plenty who criticized him for abandoning his responsibilities as a daimyo and future shogun to go to sea. But even that sentiment was beginning to change in Kuri.
The reason was one woman.
"Toki, thank you as always~!"
"Oh, itâs nothing! Weâve got to help each other in times of need!"
"But werenât you sick not too long ago? Are you sure youâre alright?"
"Iâm fine! It was just fatigue from the long journeyâIâve recovered now! Besides, if I let something like this wear me down, Oden-sama would scold me!"
Dressed in a beautiful, high-quality floral-patterned kimonoâthough worn and repeatedly mendedâa stunning woman worked alongside the townsfolk, sweating and smiling brightly as she helped with their tasks.
The sight had become familiar, but this woman was no ordinary beauty from the town. Quite the opposite.
She was Kozuki Tokiâwife of Kozuki Oden, the future shogun of Wano and current
of Kuri, who was now out at sea as a pirate.A few months ago, Toki had returned to Kuri with two of Odenâs retainers who had accompanied him and the two children she had borne with him.
"And then Oden-sama just took off without even listeningâ"
"Hahaha!! Now thatâs a problem!!"
Despite being the wife of a daimyo, she carried no airs of superiority. She was dignified but not haughtyâif anything, she was approachable. Once she learned of the countryâs state and the peopleâs hardships, she began helping with their work as soon as she recovered from her illness, all while cheerfully sharing stories of Odenâs adventures in between.
As they spent time with Tokiâalways so bright and working for their sakeâthe people of Kuriâs castle town gradually stopped speaking ill of Oden.
And the retainers who watched over her grew even more steadfast in their loyalty, certain that serving Oden had been the right choice. They redoubled their efforts for the country, the people, and their lord.
"Toki-sama, itâs about timeâŠ"
"Thank you, Nekomamushi. Iâm sorry, butâŠ"
"Ah, thank you again today, Toki!!"
But Toki was still the wife of a daimyo and, effectively, the most powerful figure in Kuri at the moment. She couldnât spend all her time helping the townsfolk. Still, she did everything she could until she was called away or fetched by her attendantsâeven with two children to care for.
And so, the peopleâs faces brightened. Yes, this wasnât despair. They werenât the only ones suffering. Even so, there were still those who lived with all their might and wore smiles.
Though poor, they could survive if they worked hard. There were still joys to be found. And above allâthere was hope. So, they decided to endure a little longer, helping one another as they waited for that day to come. The day of the rightful heirâs return.
"Nekomamushi. Where are the others?"
"Ashura and Denjiro came back today too. Theyâre all playinâ with Momonosuke-sama and Hiyori-sama."
"Thatâs good. Then letâs all have dinner together tonight!"
"Lookinâ forward to it!!"
Even in these trying times, Toki never lost her smile. Her son Momonosuke, her daughter Hiyori, the retainers who had returned with herâInuarashi, Nekomamushi, and Kinâemon, who had stayed behind to watch over thingsâand the people of Kuri.
And most of all, whenever she thought of Oden, she held onto her firm resolveâthat they would overcome these hardships. They were not Odenâs weakness. There were things they could do, things they could save.
"Toki-sama! Welcome back!"
"Inuarashiâoh, is Momonosuke playing with you?"
"Mother! Nekomamushi! Itâs not hard at all!!"
When she returned to Oden Castle, Inuarashiâanother mink samurai like Nekomamushiâwas playing with Momonosuke on his back, likely pretending to be the lord of the castle. Still far too young to understand the countryâs plight, Momonosukeâs face was free of any worry, filled only with innocent joy.
"Welcome back, Toki-sama!!"
"KinshĂ©mon. Ah, Ashura and FĆ«jirĆ, welcome back. Youâve all been keeping Hiyori company, havenât you? You must be exhausted from your long journeysâyou really should rest."
"Not at all! If anything, this is a nice break for us!!"
"Yeah, if anything, this is our restâdonât worry about us!!"
FĆ«jirĆ, who had been traveling across the country collecting and lending money, and Ashura, who had become the leader of Kuriâs bandits and yakuza to keep them in line, had also returned to the castle today to enjoy some time with everyone.
They had resolved to endureâto protect their current lives without openly defying Orochi. Just a little longer, and Oden would return. They believed that once he did, they could rally under his banner and overthrow both Orochi and Kaidou.
No matter what happened until then, they would hold on. Or so they thoughtâuntil the atrocity that finally occurred made them reach for their swords without hesitation.
ââA man who refused to work at Kuriâs weapons factory, along with his entire family, had been executed.
By the time Toki, KinshĂ©mon, and the others learned of it, Orochiâs officials had already taken the manâs family to the factory and carried out the execution. The news drained the color from their facesâor twisted them in rage, veins bulging on their foreheads.
Had it been just the execution of the man who refused to work, they might have endured. Of course, they would have been furiousâthey might have still drawn their blades eventually.
But to slaughter his wife and childrenâpeople who had nothing to do with the factoryâwas too much. Even their patience had limits.
The extermination of an entire family. Cutting them down like cattleâsuch cruelty was the act of demons. Everyone seethed with fury. After enduring countless atrocities until now, this was the final straw. Their restraint shattered, they stormed toward Orochiâs stronghold, driven by pure rage.
And Toki couldnât stop them. Leaving Inuarashi and Kawamatsu behind to guard the castle as a precaution, they set off for the Flower Capital.
ââBut that reckless decision would only bring them more suffering.
Because from the very beginning⊠their every move had been laid bare before the enemy.
"ââEh~? No way, they actually attacked? Ahaha, theyâve got guts~âȘ"
"Itâs true. KyokyokyoâŠ!! So send assassins to take advantage of the opening. Iâm counting on youâŠ!!"
"Got it~! Delivery order accepted~. ToodlesâŠ! Well then, guess Iâll send some nearby underlings over."
"Yes, maâam!! Iâll contact them right away!!"
And so, after receiving the report via Den Den Mushi, I ordered the Beast Piratesâ crew stationed in Kuri to launch a half-hearted attack on the castle.
Orochiâs castle had Higurashi and Semimaru guarding itâno issues there. Those samurai wouldnât be able to break through Semimaruâs barrier, and Kaidou was already heading to the castle. Killing Orochi was impossible. Thinking that, I floated upâonly for one of my subordinates to call out.
"Lady Nue!! Where are you going!?"
"Just gonna go play in Kuri for a bit~. If anything comes up, let King or Queen handle it, âkay~âȘ"
"Youâre going yourselfâŠ!? R-roger that! Iâll inform the two of them!"
Waving goodbye to my underlings, I set off from Onigashima toward Kuri. This was just a little diversionâsome fun. Lately, there hadnât been many rebellious types, and with the need to maintain control over Wano, plus Orochiâs restrictions, I couldnât run wild as freely as before. So I had to let loose every now and then. Partly to vent my own frustration, but also because if I didnât, the enemy might start getting ideas. Not that hope was a bad thingâit just made crushing them all the more satisfying.
The higher they climbed, the harder theyâd fall. Right now, they wouldnât fall completelyâbut a lesson still had to be taught. Defiance was amusing, but annoying, so they needed to learn their place with a little pain.
ââA wicked grin spread across my face before I even realized it, and I headed for Oden Castle, trailing after my Kuri-bound underlings.
When I arrived, the crew members who spotted me froze in shock.
"Lady Nue!?"
"Why are you hereâŠ!?"
"Just killing time~⥠Iâm tagging along, so follow my lead, âkay?"
"Uhây-yes, maâam! Of courseâŠ!!"
"Hehehe⊠Lady Nue showing up? Damn, those guys are so screwed."
"But Lady Nue!! Youâre not gonna, like, wipe out Kuri, right!?"
"Hmm~? Well~âŠ"
I tapped my chin, pretending to think it over. Nah, I wasnât gonna destroy the place.
But still. From what I could see, the people in Kuriâs castle town were poor, yeah, but they still had some fight left in them. Just "poor" wasnât enoughâtheir suffering was still lukewarm. Weighing that against my own amusement, I grinned and answered.
"Oh, câmon~ You really think Iâd destroy it? This is just a little demonstration⥠So no going overboard, âkay~?"
"Understood!!"
"Ah, then the crew we sent to the castleâ"
"Totally fine! Iâm heading there now to have some fun myself. You guys stay put."
"Yes, maâam!!"
With my subordinatesâ eager replies, I took off toward the castle keepâjust in time to spy on them: the dog, the fish, and the rest. Right as my crew burst in, arrows already flyingâ
"GYAHAHAHA!! DIE, SCUM~~~~!!"
"Ghâ!? TchâŠ!!!"
"Lady Toki!!!"
"Lady Toki!!! An arrowâher legâŠ!!!"
"âŠ!! Iâm fine⊠Focus on the enemiesâŠ!!"
Ooooh!! That arrowâs perfectly lodged in her thighânice shot, boys!! No mercy at all!! GOOD!! The retainersâ pale faces, Tokiâs pain-twisted yet defiant expression⊠Mmm, what a delicious scene. If Iâd brought a camera, Iâd have snapped a pic. Maybe next time.
And the kidsâ shocked faces? Priceless. First time seeing real bloodlust, first time watching their mother get hurt. Back on Rogerâs crew, those monsters wouldâve shielded them from everything. Oden probably never even got scratched. Heh. Guess this is how kids grow upâone trauma at a time. Good for them.
"You ratsâŠ!!!"
"A disgraceâŠ!!!"
"GuhâAAAGH!!?"
"Shit!! These guys are strong!!"
"Donât falter!! Thereâs only two of âem!! Crush âem!!"
Next up: Inuarashi and Kawamatsu tearing through my grunts in a rage. Tch. I love the fury, but watching my underlings get wreckedâeven the fodderâkills the vibe. Time to intervene. I slipped between the two, catching their blades mid-swing.
"Hellooooo~! Mind if I cut in~? âĄ"
"Youâ!? NueâŠ!!"
"!! To think⊠this girl is reallyâ"
"Not âgirlââGORGEOUS girl!! Get it right, or Iâllâmurder you!!"
"!!!"
"GuhâUghâŠ!!!"
"Inuarashi!! Kawamatsu!!"
A swing of my spear sent both crashing into the wall. Damn, theyâre tough. Wanna join my crew? (Yeah, yeah, I know.) A mink and a fishman samurai? Even my knockout swings barely fazed them. Rare finds.
But someoneâs killing the mood. Tokiâs clutching her kids, fretting over her retainers. Sigh. Might as well introduce myself. Our acquaintance will be brief.
"Hiiii~! ⥠You must be Kozuki Toki!! Iâm the prettiest, charmiest idol pirate in the New WorldâBeast Piratesâ Right Hand, Nue the Sealed Beast!! Nice to meet ya~!!"
"So youâre⊠thatâŠ!!"
"Hm? Ohhh, youâve heard of me? âŠWell, duh! I am famous!! Plus, I knew Roger and the gangâcourse youâd know. ââBut todayâs a demonstration, so~? No holding back~!"
"âŠI wonât let you lay a finger on these childrenâŠ!!"
"Lady TokiâŠ! RunâŠ!!"
"IndeedâŠ!! Weâll hold her hereâ!!"
Oho? Inuarashi and Kawamatsu are already up. Impressive. Tch, wish my underlings had this grit. (Well, some doâbut most are just cannon fodder. The guys behind me are still just cheering like idiots.)
"GYAHAHA!! You serious!? Think you can run from Lady Nue!?"
"Give it up!! Youâre dead today!!"
"Better beg for a quick death now!! Lady Nueâs got zero mercy!!"
"âŠâŠ"
ââAnd that made Toki grit her teeth⊠Ahhh, the crystal-clear villainy here. Weâre this close to full tragedy. If I killed the mom now, Iâd probably go down in history as some ultimate evil, huh? Fufufu. TemptingâŠ
But nah.
"Hmm~? Who said anything about killing you guys? Yâall wild with assumptions."
"!!?"
"Wha⊠WHAT!? Seriously!?"
"You heard me say this was a warning, right? That's why we came to instill fearâso you don't underestimate us."
Exactly. I didnât come here to kill these Kozuki people. At least, not right now.
When I said that, my subordinates were surprised, exchanging glances before nodding in understanding. But the women in front of me didnât lower their guard, instead glaring at me intently. Ahh, so cute~⥠That kind of expression just makes me want to mess with them even more. I couldnât help but break into a cheerful, beaming smile.
"...We canât trust you!! Then what exactly are you planning to do as a 'warning'...!?"
"Oh, youâll see soon enough. Lookâright here is the perfect spot to watch~."
"Eh...?"
I pointed to the view from the castle towerâthe sweeping panorama of Kuriâs town below. Toki, despite the pain from the arrow in her leg, kept her guard up to protect the children but still looked. Inuarashi and Kawamatsu did too. And so did my own subordinates.
Kuriâs town. Appearing in its skiesâcountless unidentified flying objects. UFOs.
"W-What the hell are those...!?"
"Not birds...!! What in the world...!?"
"My, my. Is this your first time seeing UFOs? Then youâre in for a treat. Enjoy my marvelous, enigmaticâhorror show!!"
"Y-You canât mean all of those are...!!"
As they recoiled in fear at the sight of the unknown, I made sure they witnessed the terror unfold. The townspeople below were already looking up, trembling at the incomprehensible, otherworldly dread descending upon them.
Sensing their fear, I gave the order.
Simultaneously. On my mark.
"The unknown... The UFO Armada of Despair has arrived...!!!"
"!!!"
In that instantâred, blue, green, rainbow-coloredâthe UFOs began their assault, raining destruction upon the town.
"What... is this...!?"
"Ngh!! Lord Momonosuke! Lady Hiyori! Donât look!!"
"Aw, câmon, no need to shield them! My showâs rated E for Everyone! All ages welcome~âȘ"
"You bastard...!!"
"This is madness...!!"
I made sure the spectacle was visibleâthat the screams carried.
What was happening in Kuri now was a full-scale aerial bombardment by unknown forces. Incomprehensible. Bizarre. An unfathomable power sowing chaos, spreading terror and death. A calamity capable of wiping out an entire island in an instant.
"What the hell is that!?"
"Run!! I dunno whatâs happening, but weâre dead if we donât move!!"
"M-My house is on fire...!!"
"The fieldsâthereâs craters...!!"
"The wellâs destroyed too!!"
"S-Somebody... help...!!"
"Grab your weapons! We gotta fight backâ!"
"Idiot!! How the hell are we supposed to fight things floating in the damn sky!?"
"GYAAAAHHâ!!"
"The townâs burning down...!!"
"W-What do we do...!? How...!?"
Screams are strange things. When theyâre desperate, when they come in waves, you can feel them from miles away.
From the castleâs vantage point, it was nothing short of a masterpiece. The town burned, people suffered, screams multiplied. Their terror reached us here, crystal clear.
And of course, even those not directly harmed would be moved by this sight. Any decent person would be righteously furious.
"...Stop this... right now!! Do you even understand what youâre doing!?"
"Hmm~? Of course I do. So what? Itâs just a town being wrecked. Not even that many people are dying."
"Eh...!?"
She tried to chastise me, but I gestured toward the town below, observing with Kenbunshoku to make my point. If they looked closely, theyâd see it tooâthe lack of corpses.
Like Iâve said repeatedlyâthis is a warning. I didnât come to slaughter everyone or raze everything to the ground. But since theyâre not getting it, Iâll spell it out again.
"Killing off valuable workers would be pointless, no? So right now, Iâm just destroying the town. Sure, some will get hurt, some might dieâbut Iâm not wiping Kuri off the map."
"...Then why...!? Why do this...!!"
Ah~ You got scared just now, didnât you? I can tell. Iâm sensitive to fear. Timing-wise, did you feel threatened by the fact that I couldâve wiped out Kuri if I wanted to? But getting scared over something like that is kinda lame. Doesnât matter how many ordinary humans there are or how big the country isâif the people there are weaklings, destroying it isnât that hard. Roger or Oden couldâve done it too. Hell, even I could pull that off. Or did you think I couldnât? If so, thatâs just rude~ But enough analysisâIâll explain it properly for you.
"Hmm~? I told you itâs a warning. I mean, câmon, you guys dared to defy General Orochi. Plus, on my way here, I saw how happy and carefree the people in this town were. So I figured, even if I wrecked the place, theyâd barely manage to scrape by, right? âȘ"
"...!! Thatâsâ!"
"Not true? Oh, please~ As long as people can still laugh, they donât care how poor they are, right? Theyâve still got the luxury to smile, after all~ And because they have that luxury, they get ideasâlike rebellion. Sooo⊠if I make them too terrified to even laugh, theyâll have to obey, wonât they? âĄ"
"Gh...!!"
Ohhh, what a great face! Clenching your teeth like that~ I wonder, if I torment you a little more, will you cry? Ehh~? What should I do? I really wanna see Toki-chanâs crying face~... But bullying you any more would be too mean⊠buuut I wanna see it, so Iâll just have to torment you anyway~ âȘ
"Honestly, if your husband had just stayed in Wano like he was supposed to, none of this wouldâve happened. You ever think about that? Look around~ People are dying, yâknow~? And more will keep dying! Will they starve because they canât survive? Or maybe get sick from the filth? Ohhh, imagining it is just delightful~ âĄ"
"......"
"Shut your damn mouth, you monster...!! If it werenât for you and Orochi...!!"
Oho~! Interception from the side! The Inuarashi player steps in to counter my verbal assault. Nice! Alright, thenâlet the war of words begin!!
"Mmm~? Not my fault. I just did what I wanted. The fact that you couldnât stop me? Thatâs on you for being weak. So really, everyone suffering or dying right now? Thatâs their own damn fault~"
"Guh...! Youâ!!"
"A calamity is a calamity... not a person...!!"
"Ah, just so you know, Iâm not crazy. Totally sane. Cute, even~ Any normal person would get it, right? Blaming others for your own misery is so pointless~ You guys were pirates out at seaâhow do you not know this? Did Roger never teach you~? If you wanna be free on these seas, you gotta have the strength to back it up!!"
As I speak, I keep destroying everything. Shoving my version of the truth in their faces, forcing them to watch as everything they shouldâve protected gets obliteratedâcarving the humiliation of the weak and the terror of us into their souls.
"But then again~~~ Thatâs just my take. By societyâs standards, if a nationâs people suffer and die, itâs the fault of the rulers who failed them. So really, itâs Odenâwho abandoned his dutyâand you pathetic morons, his so-called retainers, who are to blame~ Ahahahaha!!"
"Gh...!!"
"Ohhh, are you crying? Ahaha, that mad? Goodâthatâs the face I wanted to see~!! Honestly, whoâs right or wrong doesnât even matter. As long as Iâm having fun, thatâs all that counts. Forcing your beliefs on others is just tacky, yâknow~?!"
"Shut your mouth, you fiend...!!"
"Aww, scary scary~ Such a fierce little doggy, arenât you~~~? Stare all you want, but you canât kill me~ Itâs your fault for being weak~ Ahaha!! Seriously, though. If youâre weak, either know your place or use your damn head. Donât you get that acting out when youâre powerless just gets you hurt~? Oh, but heyâif you join the Beasts Pirates, Iâll stop. So... whatâll it be?"
"Tch... Donât screw with us...!!"
"Like hell weâd ever side with you...!!"
"Heehee~ Well then, letâs enjoy the show together!! Donât worry~~~ I wonât lay a single finger on you guys, and I promise I wonât hurt you at all!! Iâll even let those samurai who went to the castle return safely. Theyâre all such strong, promising fighters, after all! So the only ones whoâll suffer are the people you failed to protect~ ⥠Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show with some tea and sweets!! Oh, we can even chat if you want!! Wanna swap stories about Roger? Who knows, maybe weâll even become friends~ Iâd love to get along with you~ âȘ"
I ordered my subordinates to actually bring tea and snacks while I carried out the spectacle. The dog and the kappa tried to stop me a few times, but after knocking them down enough, they had to stay put. As I worked, I kept talking to themâI do genuinely want to be friends, after all. Well, given our positions and the whole "making an example" thing, itâs probably impossible⊠buuut if I really wanted to, I could always change my appearance and get close to them later. For now, though, letâs just savor this humiliation and terror to the fullest~
Alright then, how about we start with a little high-altitude drop? And after that, maybe a dismemberment special!!
"Heeey, everyone~ Do your best, do your best~ ⥠Cry and scream all you wantâit wonât stop me~âȘ Really feel your weakness and just endure it!! Câmon, you can do it, I know you can!! Aww, youâre so pathetic~ ⥠So weak! Must be so frustrating to rely on your enemyâs mercy~! Ahahahaha!!"
ââAnd so, an hour later. After thoroughly redecorating Kuriâs capital, I kept my wordâI didnât lay a hand on Toki or her kids, and my crew and I withdrew peacefully to Onigashima. Oh, and I even healed the near-dead and fixed up Toki-chanâs leg for her~ With a special little spell that made the wound vanish~ ⥠Thanks to that mysterious kindness, I bet theyâre all calling me some kind of freakish monster or yokai now~ Perfect!!
ââSome days later, on Onigashima.
"Worororo!! The hell was that, ya overdid it!!"
"Ehh~? But theyâre still barely scraping by, and I didnât kill anyoneâsounds like the perfect warning to me~ I even gave them a fun little show! ...Though, I did wipe the smiles off their faces!!"
"Wahaha!! Now thatâs entertaininâ!! Guess weâll just have to laugh enough for âem!!"
"Hmph⊠A fitting lesson for those insolent samurai."
"My, how cruel~ Laughing at them like that is just mean."
And so, between stories of the rebellion and our little demonstration, laughter and cheers filled our banquet hall without end.
Comments (1)
Please login or sign up to post a comment.