Same time, different place.
Deep within a hidden ruin tucked away in Wano Country.
A group of youths gathered around Ryuma, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Boss, when are we moving out? I can't wait to take a shot at Kaidou!"
"Yeah! That bastard has turned all of Wano into such a mess!"
"Boss, you're the one who pulled us out of that hellhole. Say the word, and we'll march through fire and water for you without a second thought!"
They chimed in one after another, their expressions resolute.
Ryuma waved his hand casually, looking completely unbothered. "No rush... To break an enemy, you target their resolve. Strategy always triumphs over brute force. With all three Lead Performers active, winning a direct confrontation would be a brutal struggle even with me around. What we need to do right now is enjoy ourselves for a few days—eat well, drink well, and subdue the enemy without firing a single shot."
Hearing his words, the men exchanged blank glances.
Most of them were uneducated fighters who couldn't quite grasp the fancy tactical talk. Still, they managed to piece together the general idea: stay hidden, conserve their energy, and wait for the Lead Performers to collapse from within in a few days.
Is that really possible?
While Ryuma maintained an air of complete composure on the outside, his heart was beating fast. He had no idea what Kaidou would do next, but he knew one thing for certain—the Yonko had a notoriously explosive temper. If they held out long enough, Kaidou might just break those three Lead Performers himself.
Ryuma issued a strict order: not a single person freed from Udon Prison was allowed to step outside the ruins. Any violator would be executed on the spot!
And so, they laid low inside the ancient ruins for one day.
Then two days.
Then three days.
By the fourth day, their food rations had completely run out, and even the natural spring water inside the temple had dried up.
Ryuma took a deep breath, looking around at his men, who were now glaring with hollow, hungry eyes like famished wolves. Left with no choice, he finally ordered a small scouting party to step outside and search for basic supplies.
Ryuma felt extremely uneasy—for all he knew, Jack and the others might be waiting right outside the entrance!
But there was no other way. Having chosen this path, he had to see it through to the end, even if it meant a desperate last stand!
The moment the order was given, the freed prisoners scattered in search of provisions.
Ryuma followed close behind, grabbing a quick bite on the outer perimeter of the Flower Capital while feeling genuinely puzzled.
Why hadn't there been any word from Jack and his crew?
Under normal circumstances, the three of them should have been scouring the region with the full force of the Beast Pirates.
Right now, only two possibilities made sense: either they were keeping the search quiet to save face, or Kaidou had already finished them off—or was well on his way to doing so.
After securing his men, Ryuma watched from the shadows as the three Lead Performers marched past with their respective squads of elite soldiers!
A cold, sharp smirk curled up the corner of Ryuma's lips.
Jackpot!
The fish had actually swum straight into the net on their own!
Talk about searching high and low only to find it effortlessly right in front of him.
"Damn it, this is infuriating!" Jack grumbled, his eyes rimmed with red. "That bastard samurai is going to get all three of us killed by Lord Kaidou!"
As an All-Star of the Beast Pirates who had served for years, the thought of being executed over a nameless intruder was unbearable—a single small leak sinking a great ship.
"I just don't get it," King muttered, his fists clenched tight. "Where could that guy have vanished to? It's like he evaporated into thin air."
"Wano is huge, and we don't even have enough men under our command," Queen complained bitterly, holding a bowl of sweet red bean soup he had somehow snagged from somewhere. "A three-day deadline was way too tight to begin with!"
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN MORE CHAPTERS, I HAVE 60+ STORED IN MY:
[email protected]/xiram21