"A remnant of the Kurozumi Clan? Then he deserves to die!"
Ashura Doji looked like he was ready to erupt with rage, glaring at Kurozumi Orochi through gritted teeth.
A fierce killing intent burst from him.
If not for the Kurozumi Clan, Kuri would never have turned into that living hell.
As a former bandit of Kuri, he knew that better than anyone.
The moment he heard the name Kurozumi, murderous intent surged in his heart.
So frightened was Kurozumi Orochi that his whole body trembled even harder. He hurriedly denied it.
"No... I'm not from the Kurozumi Clan! The Kurozumi Clan was wiped out long ago!"
Even Kanjuro, standing nearby, had gone deathly pale. Beneath his red bangs, his forehead was already covered in dense beads of sweat.
His blood seemed to turn cold with panic.
"Damn it, how does Ares know Orochi's real identity? And... he actually ordered me to kill Orochi. Does that mean he's already seen through me too?"
For a moment, Kanjuro was terrified out of his mind. His heart pounded wildly.
"So this guy is one of the Kurozumi lot. No wonder he looks so treacherous and scheming..." Whitebeard muttered.
Back then, he had also learned from Kozaburo about the grudge between the Amatsuki family and the Kurozumi clan.
"Pops, what's going on?" Marco asked curiously.
After Whitebeard gave him a brief explanation, he finally understood.
So the Kurozumi Clan was one of Ares's enemies.
Faced with Orochi's frantic denials, Ares remained unmoved. His sharp, domineering gaze shifted toward Kanjuro, instantly making the latter feel as if he had been struck by lightning.
"Kanjuro, what are you still standing there for? This is your chance to earn merit."
Under that overwhelming pressure, like facing a primordial beast, Kanjuro shuddered and slowly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
The moment he saw that, Kurozumi Orochi's face twisted in madness, and he screamed hysterically, "Ares, you can't kill me! You have no proof that I'm from the Kurozumi Clan!"
"If you kill me, everyone else will lose faith in you!"
Ares let out a disdainful laugh.
"What a slippery tongue. Proof?"
Then he declared with absolute tyranny,
"My word is proof!"
"In front of me, you're just an ant I can crush with one finger!"
Ares looked at Kanjuro and barked sharply, "Do it!"
Kanjuro jolted so hard his whole body shook. He drew the katana at his waist and thought grimly, "Orochi, don't blame me. If I don't kill you, I won't survive either. And once you're dead, no one will know I'm part of the Kurozumi Clan."
"From this day on..."
"Let the name Kurozumi truly vanish from this world."
As the blade was about to fall, Orochi's face turned savage with madness.
"Ares, I curse your Amatsuki Clan to be destroyed!"
"None of you will ever..."
Before he could finish, Ares reached out, grabbed Kanjuro's hand, and forced it down with brutal strength. The katana split Orochi's skull, leaving behind a face twisted with hatred and malice.
Blood slowly spread across his ugly features.
Kanjuro's hands loosened. He turned deathly pale, trembling all over.
Before he could even react, Ares yanked the sword free from Orochi's head and, with the same blade, drove it straight through Kanjuro's heart.
Kanjuro's eyes bulged wide as he stared at Ares in disbelief.
"You... why... why are you killing me?"
"Kurozumi Kanjuro."
The instant Ares spoke his name, realization dawned on him. But his eyes were still full of confusion.
He could not understand how Ares knew his identity.
Thud.
Kanjuro collapsed to the floor.
Ares called out to his subordinates, "Clean this up. Kurozumi Clan trash really is bad luck."
Those two were better off dead early, before they caused any future trouble.
Kill them now, and be done with it.
"Good riddance. Not one person from the Kurozumi Clan was ever worth a damn!" Ashura Doji spat on the corpses.
In Wano, the Kurozumi Clan was universally despised and hated, like rats in the street everyone wanted to beat to death.
Once the matter of those two was dealt with, the banquet dispersed.
A few days later, Sukiyaki sent word to Ares that it was time to prepare for the shogunate succession ceremony.
Everything was readied.
Everyone dressed in their finest.
In the capital, the Flower Capital.
The square was packed shoulder to shoulder. Countless people had come to witness this historic moment.
Not only was the shogunal title of the Kozuki family, passed down for centuries, changing hands, but Ares was also a man firmly determined to open Wano's borders.
That made Wano's future feel filled with uncertainty.
Ares looked curiously at the daimyo and asked, "Sukiyaki, why don't I see Shimotsuki Ushimaru?"
"Ushimaru... Ushimaru has already set sail," Sukiyaki answered with a bitter smile.
"He set sail?"
Ares was surprised, then laughed.
"I guess he wanted to temper himself. Going out to sea is a good thing. True powerhouses are never confined to one corner of the world."
"It's good for him to see the outside world."
On the raised wooden platform, Sukiyaki formally announced before everyone that Ares would inherit the office of Shogun of Wano.
Quite a few young people broke into cheers.
But the majority of the crowd remained expressionless.
Seeing that, Ares knew very well that his task of ruling and reforming Wano would be a long and difficult one.
Around him, Kaido, Whitebeard, and the others were smiling brightly, sharing in the joy.
Just as Sukiyaki was about to leave, Ares stopped him.
"Wait, Mr. Sukiyaki!"
"......"
Sukiyaki halted and turned to look at him in confusion.
"Ares, I won't be serving as any official. From now on, I only want to devote myself to the art of swordsmithing."
Ares stepped closer and said, "What I want to discuss next isn't suitable for the public eye. Shall we talk inside the shogun's palace?"
"You're already Wano's shogun... what else is there?" Sukiyaki asked, puzzled, but still followed Ares into the palace.
The two sat facing each other and dismissed everyone else.
Sukiyaki asked, "Ares, just say what you came to say. After this, I'll most likely live in seclusion in Wano."
"Then I'll be direct. Can you take me to see the ancient weapon Pluton buried beneath Wano?"
?????
The moment he heard that question, Sukiyaki's expression changed drastically. He sprang to his feet, reacting violently.
"You..."
"How do you know about that?!"
He had never even told his own son, Kozuki Oden, about that secret.
So how could Ares possibly know about the ancient weapon?
Unless...
Unless Ares had come to Wano for Pluton from the very beginning?
The more he thought about that possibility, the more terrified Sukiyaki became.
"Ares... are you just like those invaders from centuries ago? Are you after the ancient weapon too?"
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