"Guhahahahaha!"
A grotesque man burst into wild laughter.
He had an abnormally large, square-shaped head, a wide mouth, and a completely bald scalp. On one side of his head rested a crooked crown, while the other side was tied into a ridiculous topknot.
In his arms lay a young woman dressed in revealing clothing.
His hand roamed freely across her body.
"My little beauty, what was the name of that dance you performed today? It was absolutely mesmerizing. The finest dance I have ever seen in my life!"
His voice overflowed with greed and lust.
"Ge General Orochi, it does not matter what dance Ruby performed, as long as it pleased you."
Though her voice sounded obedient, a faint trace of disgust flickered deep within her eyes.
Tear.
He ripped apart her undergarment without hesitation.
"Guhahahahaha, good! Truly worthy of a woman chosen by Kurozumi Orochi!"
This man was none other than Kurozumi Orochi, the shogun of Wano Country.
A tyrant who drowned himself in excess, indulging endlessly in alcohol and women.
Just as he leaned closer, preparing to continue, loud commotion erupted outside.
The woman quickly covered herself, her tone turning urgent.
"General, something is happening outside!"
Orochi paused, his expression twisting from lechery into irritation.
"Which fool dares interrupt me at a time like this?"
Moments later, his grin returned.
"My little beauty, wait here. I will deal with it quickly."
After throwing on his clothes, he stepped outside.
The moment the door shut, the woman spat repeatedly, frantically wiping her lips.
She pulled her clothes together, wrapping herself tightly as if trying to erase the touch.
Her hands trembled as she stared at the closed door, gripping her collar so hard her knuckles turned white.
Her face was filled with disgust and suppressed rage.
Ever since she had been forcibly taken to the shogun's residence, her life had become worse than death.
If not for her father, she would have ended it already.
Tears slid down her cheeks.
She could not fight, could not escape, and could not even choose death.
She had heard of Orochi's cruelty. Once he grew bored, he would kill without hesitation.
She did not fear death.
If anything, she longed for it.
At least then, it would all end.
Her only regret was leaving her father behind.
...
"Who are you people? How dare you cause trouble in the shogun's residence!"
When Orochi reached the main gate, he saw his guards sprawled across the ground.
Standing before him were three men and two women.
He had never bothered to look at bounty posters himself, so he failed to recognize them.
But the moment his gaze landed on Robin and Hancock, his eyes lit up.
"Such beauty... I must have them!"
Their presence completely overshadowed every woman he had ever seen.
His mind instantly filled with fantasies of dragging them back and keeping them for himself.
Before he could indulge further, Luffy's voice cut through his thoughts.
"Hey, square head, you are Kurozumi Orochi, right? You are really ugly!"
Orochi's veins bulged in fury.
"What did you say? I will..."
He never finished.
Luffy's fist, coated in Armament Haki, slammed directly into his face.
Bang!
Orochi shot backward like a cannonball, crashing through multiple walls before stopping.
The entire residence trembled violently.
"That hurts! Straw Hat, I will kill you!"
His roar echoed as the structure collapsed into rubble.
Dust filled the air.
From within the ruins, a massive eight headed serpent emerged.
The central head, darker than the rest, wore a crown.
The other seven were lighter in color, but equally monstrous.
"So ugly," Luffy said without hesitation.
"Shut up!"
One of the serpent heads opened its mouth and unleashed a torrent of flames.
Luffy vanished instantly using Soru.
Orochi's pupils shrank.
Too fast.
Luffy reappeared above him, raising his leg high before bringing it down.
Conqueror's Haki surged into his strike, red and black lightning crackling around him.
"Gomu Gomu no... Supreme Flip Flop!"
Boom!
His sandal smashed into the central head, crushing it instantly like a bursting fruit.
The impact shattered the ground below, cracks spreading across the Flower Capital.
But the remaining seven heads rose again.
They unleashed a barrage of attacks, wind, fire, lightning, water, all converging on Luffy's position.
A massive crater formed.
"Guhahahahaha! You must be dead!"
"I am fine," Luffy's voice came from behind him.
"That was close. You still move after losing a head? Do I have to destroy all of them?"
Without hesitation, Luffy infused his fists with Conqueror's Haki and moved.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each strike obliterated another head.
One after another, they exploded.
Finally, all heads were gone.
Luffy stopped, glancing at the still writhing body.
"That should do it, right?"
Suddenly, Orochi's tails lashed out.
Luffy stretched his arm back, haki surging once more.
"Gomu Gomu no... Rocket!"
His fist struck the core of Orochi's body.
Boom!
The massive form shot into the sky, vanishing into the distance like a falling star.
Luffy clapped his hands.
"Haha, we won!"
Meanwhile, the remaining guards had already been dealt with by Robin and the others.
Silence returned.
From the ruins, several women emerged, trembling as they knelt.
"Thank you for saving us."
Luffy waved casually.
"No need to thank us. Just go home."
But they remained kneeling.
One of them spoke urgently.
"You must leave Wano quickly. Kaido is behind Orochi!"
Luffy's eyes lit up.
"Really? Where is Kaido? We came here to beat him up!"
The woman hesitated.
Before she could respond, Rolan stepped forward.
"Enough. Go back. Stay out of this."
His voice was calm, indifferent, yet carried an undeniable pressure.
With a slight motion of his hand, the women felt an invisible force urging them away.
They quickly retreated.
Silence settled once more.
Then Luffy shouted toward the sky,
"Kaido! Where are you?!"