Accompanied by a series of bell chis, Wano Country's much-anticipated Oiran appeared at the end of the street.
The woman had a beautiful face, with long, erald-green hair tied up in a high bun, adorned with golden hairpins. She wore a luxurious pink-patterned kimono and walked on a pair of tall wooden clogs.
She rested her hand on the shoulder of the attendant holding a parasol beside her. Because of her elevated footwear, her steps were slow and deliberate, adding to her dignified presence.
Kalifa assessed the Oiran and comnted,
"She's definitely beautiful. And her poise is impressive."
Chiga glanced at her and imdiately recognized the Oiran as Kozuki Oden's daughter, now going by the alias Komurasaki, though her real na was Kozuki Hiyori.
Chiga wasn't particularly fond of Kozuki Hiyori. Compared to other princesses like Shirahoshi, Vivi, and Rebecca, she seed practically useless.
In the ani, her so-called twenty years of endurance amounted to nothing more than entertaining Orochi and other old n, advancing her career as a geisha.
Aside from that, she hadn't learned anything of value, and in the end, she simply reappeared to reestablish her presence.
Still, it had to be said—she was quite good-looking, likely inheriting her mother Kozuki Toki's beauty.
As for her brother, Momonosuke… in both appearance and idiocy, he was the spitting image of their foolish father.
Thinking of Momonosuke, a flash of killing intent crossed Chiga's eyes. That brat had to die—no justification was even needed.
Though the intent only flared briefly, it was enough to unleash a terrifying oppressive aura from Chiga.
The ordinary people on the street groaned in unison, their knees buckling as they collapsed to the ground.
Hiyori's face turned pale, but luckily, she had the support of the guard beside her and didn't fall.
Even the guard was trembling violently, struggling to remain upright. This was just a sliver of Chiga's aura—barely a glimpse—yet it was overwhelmingly suffocating.
Kalifa, having spent considerable ti around Chiga, had built up a resistance. She wasn't severely affected.
But she did notice the brief flash of killing intent and asked,
"Boss, what was that just now? Is Kaido nearby?"
"Nothing," Chiga replied. "Just thought of soone disgusting."
Chiga felt helpless. That guy, Momonosuke, was truly revolting. Even the thought of him made his mood swing.
Kalifa, hearing that soone could disgust Chiga this much, pressed further.
"Is he still alive? Is he strong?"
"No. He's pathetically weak."
"Then there's no need for you to handle him personally, Boss. Just send soone to take care of it," Kalifa said coldly.
To her, anyone who made Chiga feel even a shred of disgust deserved to be erased—especially if they were powerless. Why should such a person exist?
Chiga glanced at Kalifa's calm, icy face, then suddenly pulled her into his arms and chuckled,
"There's no need. He's a nobody. I'll handle him if the mont's right."
"Is he in Wano?" she asked.
"Yes and no. He's hidden sowhere very safe, but I know how to drag him out."
"Mm."
Kalifa gave a soft hum in reply and nestled quietly into Chiga's chest. This was a rare mont of peace—no need to dwell on irritating matters.
anwhile, on the street, Kozuki Hiyori had recovered from the oppressive aura. Her expression turned solemn as she looked over the kneeling crowd.
That's when she noticed the only two people still standing: Chiga and Kalifa.
There was no avoiding it. Their appearance and presence were already eye-catching. Now, surrounded by a sea of collapsed people, the two remained standing—embraced and completely unfazed.
It was obvious one of them had released that aura. Hiyori narrowed her eyes in judgnt and quickly dismissed the woman as the source.
After all, the woman was currently resting peacefully in the man's arms, looking harmless with her eyes closed.
Of course, if Hiyori had known that this seemingly gentle woman had just suggested killing her brother, she might've reevaluated that impression.
As for the man… even a single glance revealed sothing extraordinary. His eyes—those eyes—radiated a presence that was impossible to ignore. Just by looking at them, Hiyori felt the sa pressure she'd just experienced.
Truth be told, there were very few people on the seas who didn't recognize Chiga's Rinnegan. One look was enough to identify him.
But Wano Country was isolated from the rest of the world. The World Governnt had little influence here, and news from outside rarely got in. So, Hiyori had no idea what those eyes ant.
She stared at Chiga's youthful face and thought,
"When did such a terrifying young man appear in Wano?"
She hadn't interacted much with the outside world, but she had t Kaido and her father, Oden—both among the strongest n alive. She was no stranger to a powerful aura.
And even though Chiga's oppressive aura had only lasted for a split second, it was already on par with—if not stronger than—Kaido or her father.
But this man looked too young. It was hard to believe that soone this youthful held strength that could possibly surpass even Oden and Kaido.
What was soone like him doing in Wano? She highly doubted he was here just to stroll the streets with a woman.
If he was an ally of Kaido's, she would've seen him before. But she hadn't.
And if he wasn't with Kaido… then she had to win him over to her side.
Although Kalifa was breathtakingly beautiful, Hiyori was an Oiran. That status alone gave her a distinct advantage with n.
With her charm and position, Hiyori was confident she could win Chiga over.
She had done it before—with past patrons and even Orochi. If she had to offer more than just her looks, she would. If it ant gaining Chiga's favor, she would go that far.
She didn't expect him to defeat Kaido, but if he could eliminate Orochi? That alone would be enough!
Her mother's prophecy spoke of twenty years… but Hiyori didn't want to wait anymore. Even a faint hope was worth grasping.
She turned to her guard and commanded,
"Go invite those two over there. Tell them I want them at tonight's banquet!"
The guard, sent by Denjiro to protect her, hesitated.
"But tonight's banquet is with Orochi. Won't this upset him and jeopardize the plan?"
"No. Kaido isn't here. And if we can recruit that man, we might not need Orochi anymore!"
"But how do you plan to recruit him?"
"I have my ways," Hiyori said confidently.
The guard forced a wry smile. He understood what she ant—but deep down, he had a feeling this wouldn't end well.
If that man really was the source of that overwhelming pressure, could soone like him really be swayed by re beauty and the title of Oiran?
Not everyone was like Orochi… or those pathetic forr patrons.
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