Chapter 322

As Oden tried to steady his breath, fighting to keep his rage under control, King moved beside the massive crater Kaido had left behind. Kaido had reverted back to his human form, his mighty body slumped, barely holding itself together after the grievous wounds Oden had inflicted.

Blood poured from a cut so deep it nearly severed him in two. Despite Kaido's famed invincibility, Oden had delivered a blow that should have been fatal. Yet here Kaido was, struggling to even stay conscious.

King, however, showed no hesitation. His loyalty to Kaido was unshakable, unwavering even as he lifted Kaido from the rubble. He eyed Oden coldly, showing neither fear nor respect for the samurai, only a predator's disdain.

Just then, Katakuri appeared at Big Mom's side, his jaw clenched, his voice low as he whispered to her. "We have his entire family in custody, Mama. But… is this really how we want to do this?"

His tone held a rare note of hesitation, an unspoken plea. Despite all his strength and ruthless reputation, Katakuri felt a pang of guilt. To break a warrior like Oden through such dishonorable means felt beneath even the pirates' way.

Big Mom, however, paid no mind to her son's discomfort. Her mouth curled in a cruel smile as she looked at the struggling Oden. "Honor?" she sneered.

"That's a luxury for fools, Katakuri. Let Oden see how helpless he is—let him taste despair." Her laughter echoed across the battlefield, chilling the bones of even her own crew.

Oden's grip tightened around Enma, his eyes blazing with fury as he took a step toward Kaido and King. "You bastards… have you no honor?!" he roared, lunging forward. But King stepped in smoothly, helping Kaido to his feet and lifting a hand to halt Oden.

"If you want your family to die slowly and painfully," King replied, voice as calm as it was vicious, "then by all means, keep fighting. But if you're wise, Oden, you'll drop your sword." He tilted his head, his smile mocking as he saw Oden falter.

The samurai gathered around Oden, their resolve fading. Every eye widened in shock as they looked down—heads had been tossed before them, rolling across the ground. The heads of the daimyo's family members.

The horror was stark and paralyzing; these were the people they had sworn to protect, the very families they had fought to keep safe. How had these pirates managed to bypass their defenses so completely?

As Oden struggled to process this betrayal, a familiar, sickening laugh echoed across the battlefield, forcing him to look up. The pirates parted, revealing the hulking figure of Douglas Bullet.

Oden's blood ran cold as he took in the sight. Bullet strolled forward with casual cruelty, carrying Oden's children—Momonosuke and Hiyori—dangling from his iron-like fists.

"Oden-san…" Bullet's voice dripped with mockery, his sneer widening as he met Oden's gaze. "Long time no see." He looked down at the two terrified children, their tiny forms dwarfed by his massive hands.

Oden's conqueror's haki flared, a wave of rage so intense it cracked the ground beneath him. Enma hummed in response, greedily drinking his ryou, ready to strike Bullet down where he stood.

But Bullet's mocking grin grew wider. "Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you, Oden-san…" With horrifying casualness, he tightened his grip on Momonosuke's arm and twisted, crushing it with a sickening snap.

"Aaaargh! Father, save me!" Momonosuke's scream tore through the air, his tiny voice thick with pain, the sound hitting Oden like a physical blow. The boy's small, broken arm dangled limply in Bullet's iron grasp, and the sight forced Oden to stop mid-stride, his entire body trembling with rage and helplessness.

"That's it… Watch, Oden," Bullet taunted, his eyes glinting with dark pleasure. "I want you to understand how powerless you are. You think you're strong, don't you? But strength means nothing if you can't protect the people who matter to you."

He squeezed Hiyori's shoulder, and the little girl whimpered, her tear-streaked face turned away, unable to bear looking at her father in such a moment of despair.

Oden's heart broke at the sight, every fiber of his being torn between the warrior's instinct to fight and the father's desperation to protect his children. He gritted his teeth, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill, his gaze blazing with defiance even as he slowly lowered his sword.

"That's better," King sneered, watching Oden's spirit being crushed. "A true samurai chooses his battles carefully. And right now, Oden, you've already lost."

Oden stood frozen, his swords lowered to his side, surrounded by his loyal samurai, all of them helpless to do anything but watch as their enemies trampled on everything they held dear. In that single moment, as Bullet's laughter echoed, Oden felt his spirit waver—not broken, but pushed to the very edge.

As Oden stood frozen, his fists clenched so tightly around Enma that his knuckles turned white, he shouted, his voice raw with fury, "Why are you doing this, Bullet? You were raised by Roger himself! So why?" The rage in his voice echoed across the field, but his body remained still.

His children's lives were in the hands of a monster, and for the first time, the indomitable samurai felt truly helpless. It all began to make sense—how the pirates had breached Wano's defenses so easily, how they'd slipped into Kuri unnoticed to target his family. He looked at Bullet, realization dawning.

Someone he had once considered his own family had betrayed him.

Bullet's eyes glinted with cold satisfaction as he took a step forward, tightening his grip on little Hiyori, who whimpered under the crushing weight of his iron-like hand.

"You don't think I'm that naive, do you, Oden-san? I am a pirate, and you have something I need, and I will go to any extent to get what is rightfully mine." Bullet sneered, his voice laced with disdain.

"As long as you do what I tell you, Oden. Your family will be safe , or I'll crush your daughter's skull like a melon first, so give up…!." The threat hung in the air, the cruelty in his voice striking deeper than any blade could.

Oden's breath caught as he looked into Hiyori's frightened eyes. His hands trembled, gripped by the agonizing choice before him. The daimyo, loyal retainers who had fought beside him for years, were paralyzed, their spirits shattered by the ruthless display of their enemies.

"Shogun-sama… please, don't!" Tempura, one of the daimyo who had just lost his wife to this bloody ambush, fell to his knees beside Oden, pleading desperately.

"To submit to such demands… we will be defeated in both body and spirit. Our honor—our very way of life—demands that we resist." His words struck the other daimyo like a spark, igniting a murmur of resolve, however faint, as they moved to urge Oden to stand strong.

But their voices seemed distant to Oden, who couldn't tear his gaze from Bullet's smirking face or from the terrified expressions of his children. His heart wavered between a father's duty and a samurai's honor, torn as he struggled to decide.

"I don't have all day, Oden-san," Bullet interrupted, his grip on Hiyori's head tightening until she let out a piercing scream.

"Every second you waste is another second your daughter suffers." The cruel glint in his eyes only grew as he continued, his gaze never leaving Oden's face. "Are you still willing to fight, Oden? Or will you let me keep my word?"

Oden's composure broke. He sank to his knees, his head bowed, and with a voice so hollow it seemed to shake the ground, he whispered, "Let them go, Bullet… I've already dropped my blades."

Bullet chuckled, a low and sinister sound that sent chills through even the most hardened samurai. "Drop your blades, huh? Good, but not enough. I'm not one to take half-measures." He looked down at Enma, still laying near Oden's right hand, and sneered. "Sever your arm, Oden. Show me how much your children mean to you."

The daimyo gasped in horror, their pleas growing frantic as they realized the depths of Bullet's demands. "Shogun-sama, please! Don't let him humiliate you like this. We'll find another way!" one of them cried, voice filled with desperation.

But Oden, barely hearing them, raised Enma with his left hand, his arm trembling. The sword began to glow with his ryou as he prepared to cut through his own flesh. The horror in his eyes was matched only by the resolve—he was a father first, and his children were worth more than his pride.

With a swift, heart-wrenching motion, Oden brought Enma down upon his right arm, severing it at the elbow. Blood sprayed from the wound, staining the ground beneath him, and he clenched his teeth against the searing pain. But as his arm fell to the ground, he locked eyes with Bullet, breathing heavily, his gaze a mix of fury and helplessness.

A wave of silence passed through the field, the samurai too stunned to speak as they watched their fearless leader brought to such a breaking point.

But Bullet's face remained impassive, unmoved by the sacrifice. "Not bad," he sneered, his tone still cold and mocking. "But I'm afraid that's still not enough to make me feel safe." He nodded toward Oden's other arm. "The other one, Oden. Now."

Oden's heart dropped as he glanced at his remaining arm. He could barely lift Enma, his blood spilling freely from his wound, but he turned to his retainers, a silent plea in his eyes. "Will… will any of you help me?"

The daimyo looked away, shame and fear written across their faces. They had fought loyally beside him, but to carry out such a horrific act, to aid in their shogun's humiliation—it went against everything they held sacred. Not a single one of them moved, the weight of their loyalty crushed by the horror of the moment.

From the side, a low, rasping laugh grew louder. Kaido, bloodied but conscious once more, staggered to his feet, his hatred for Oden burning bright. "Worororo….! I'll gladly help you with that, Oden." His voice was a twisted mockery, a savage grin spreading across his face. "I'll take that arm myself."

With cruel delight, Kaido stepped forward, gripping Oden's remaining arm in his massive, iron grip. His fingers dug into Oden's flesh like a vice, twisting and crushing with an inhuman strength that made Oden's body tremble in agony. Oden didn't struggle, didn't resist—his gaze remained fixed on his children, his heart breaking as he felt the unrelenting force beginning to bear down on his arm.

Kaido grinned, his eyes glinting with savage pleasure, and with a sudden, brutal twist, he pulled. Bone and sinew cracked, tearing apart with a sickening sound as Kaido wrenched Oden's arm from his shoulder with brute force.

Blood sprayed from the wound, splattering across Kaido's face and chest, painting him in Oden's life's essence. He laughed, loud and triumphant, as Oden collapsed to his knees, his body shaking with pain so intense it blurred his vision.

The sight of their fallen shogun, bleeding and broken, struck the daimyo with a chilling realization of their helplessness. Kaido loomed over Oden, savoring his triumph, his cruel laughter echoing across the battlefield like the toll of a funeral bell.

Kaido sneered at the samurai around them, who watched in horrified silence. "This is your great shogun? Look at him now—broken, helpless!" He roared, reveling in the humiliation of the once-mighty warrior.

Bullet, however, shot Kaido a warning glance. "I still need him alive for now, Kaido. You can play with him all you want, but if you kill him now, you'll ruin the plan." His tone was calm but with an edge that even Kaido couldn't ignore. He leaned in, tempting him further.

"Think about it, Kaido. You'll get the pleasure of seeing him grovel, of breaking him down completely before you take his head. I'll make sure no one stands in your way."

Kaido's eyes gleamed with twisted satisfaction as he stepped back, giving Oden a mocking salute. "I look forward to it," he sneered, watching as Oden lay bleeding and broken, his once-bright spirit crushed under the weight of his captors' cruelty.

Meanwhile, Katakuri turned away, unable to stomach the despicable display any longer. His loyalty to Big Mom was absolute, but even he couldn't condone such dishonorable tactics. "I'll be returning to the flag ship," he muttered to his mother, not waiting for a response as he disappeared into the shadows.

In the silence that followed, Oden knelt, his head bowed, blood pooling around him as his captors laughed and taunted him. The daimyo watched in silence, their honor and pride stripped away, unable to act. Oden had sacrificed everything for his family, and the sight of their broken shogun was a wound that would scar them all forever.

"Mamama...! Capture all the daimyos and their retainers! And if any dare to resist… kill their families!" Big Mom's voice rang out over the battlefield, her laughter cruel and triumphant.

With the decisive blow dealt and Oden subdued, she wanted to seize control before any ember of resistance could reignite. The samurai, battered and exhausted, stood motionless, their faces painted with the horror of what was to come.

Blood soaked the earth, mingling with the broken weapons and shattered armor strewn across the ground—a grim testament to the cost of their defiance.

Kaido watched with cold satisfaction, his monstrous frame towering over the battlefield. He reveled in their suffering, his bloodshot eyes darting from one face to another, feeding off their fear and anguish. For him, this was the triumph he had always sought: not just the submission of Wano, but the total, crushing annihilation of its spirit.

*****

In the heart of the Flower Capital, now swallowed in shadow, the new order had taken its throne. Kaido and Big Mom ruled from the palace, and their crew, or what remained of it from the clash with the Samurais, took over the flower capital in its entirety.

The people of Wano knew only fragments of the horror that had transpired on the battlefield. The news of Oden's defeat had sent ripples of despair across the land, but the truth—the betrayal, the cruelty, and the totality of Wano's fall—remained tightly smothered.

Word of Oden's capture was all that had reached the ears of his people, yet even this fractured knowledge was enough to choke the spirit of Wano. Small bands of samurai had tried to resist, to defend their lands and kin, but they were swiftly crushed. Within a day, every glimmer of defiance had been snuffed out, leaving a chilling silence over the land.

Deep beneath the palace, Oden sat chained to a wall, his once-powerful body now beaten, torn, and bloodied. Both his arms were severed, and his left eye was swollen and bruised, his right eye gouged, and his skin was painted with fresh cuts from Kaido's brutal treatment.

Shackles pinned his legs to the ground, and his head hung low, eyes hollow with pain and exhaustion. He'd endured Kaido's rage for a full day, and yet his spirit remained defiant.

Before him sat Bullet, leaning forward, observing him with an expression somewhere between curiosity and satisfaction, admiring the handiwork Kaido had carved into Oden's once-unbreakable form.

"Why haven't you killed me yet? Where is my family? What happened to my retainers?" Oden rasped, his voice cracked but still laced with strength, forcing himself to lock his remaining eye with the traitor before him.

Bullet smirked, a cruel glint sparking in his eyes. "Your children are safe… for now," he replied, his tone casual, as though discussing a trivial matter. "But I'm not sure how long that'll last, Oden-san. Kaido… well, it seems he holds a special grudge against you. I wonder—what did you do to make him hate you so much?" Bullet chuckled darkly, reveling in the torment he was inflicting.

For Bullet, the Beast Pirates and Big Mom's crew had little significance. He was here for one thing, and he had gone to painstaking lengths to keep Oden alive to get it. Kaido's wrath and Big Mom's schemes were useful distractions, but Bullet's prize was far more personal.

"What about Toki… my wife?" Oden whispered, his voice breaking. "Where… where is Toki?"

Bullet's sneer widened. "All in good time, Oden-san. But you haven't answered my question." His eyes gleamed with a twisted ambition. "Where is it? The Eternal Pose to Raftel. Roger left you with a map to the throne of the world, didn't he?" His voice cracked with a fierce hunger. "Where is it?"

Finally, Oden understood the depths of Bullet's betrayal. All this—the alliance, the invasion, the capture—had been orchestrated by Bullet's ambition, his desire to reach Raftel, the legendary last island, and claim what Roger had left behind. But Oden remained silent, his face unreadable.

Bullet's face twisted in frustration, his fist slamming into Oden's gut with bone-crushing force. Oden's body lurched, a fresh wound splitting open across his torso, but he did not flinch. Bullet gritted his teeth, his impatience mounting as Oden met his gaze with silent defiance.

"Fine, if it'll loosen your tongue," Bullet said with feigned indifference, "I'll tell you what you want to know." He leaned in close, taunting.

"Toki san is with your children, along with the retainers who are still alive." A chuckle rumbled from his throat, mocking. "For now, they're all alive. But Kaido doesn't enjoy leaving loose ends. And if I get what I want from you, I may even ensure they're spared… maybe."

Relief washed over Oden's battered features, though his expression quickly hardened. His mind raced with thoughts of Toki, the hope that, as long as she was with their children, she would find a way to keep them safe. His silence only deepened, a calculated act of defiance as he looked away from Bullet, refusing to play his twisted game.

Bullet's patience snapped. He slammed a fist into Oden's face, splitting open his cheek. "You don't get to look away from me, Oden," Bullet growled, a cold fury taking hold. He leaned closer, his voice a venomous hiss.

"Tell me where the Eternal Pose is, and give me your logbook. You kept one, didn't you? I know Roger trusted you with every secret, every clue to Raftel."

Oden turned back, his eyes piercing through the pain as he locked onto Bullet with a fierce glare.

"I don't have it. You went through all this for nothing, Bullet." His voice rose in mocking defiance.

"And now, I understand why Roger never took you to the end. I always wondered why he left you behind on that final journey. Now I see… you never deserved it. You'll never be worthy of that path."

Bullet's face twisted with rage, his fist clenching, a dark shadow falling over his expression.

"Watch your tongue, Oden," he spat, struggling to suppress his anger. "Your family is still under my mercy. I can end them with a word."

But Oden only smiled weakly, a small victory glinting in his eyes. He couldn't suppress the laughter that bubbled up within him, shaking his bloodied frame. It started as a low chuckle, building to a defiant laugh that echoed through the dark, rattling his chains. His conqueror's haki flared, shaking the walls of his underground prison, its powerful surge like a mockery of Bullet's ambitions.

Bullet's face twisted further, his anger raw and unfiltered as he took a step back. "Tell me, you bastard! Tell me why… why was I deemed unworthy? The world was mine, mine to conquer! I was supposed to rule the seas after Roger! I could have surpassed him!" His voice cracked, the fury of a man who had chased greatness his entire life, only to be denied by the very man he worshipped.

Oden's laughter grew, a harsh, mocking sound that stabbed at Bullet's pride, pushing him to the edge. For all his power and might, Bullet could not stand the sight of Oden—a man he had brought to ruin—laughing in his face, shattering his ambition with nothing but the force of his spirit.

Through his pained gasps, Oden raised his head, meeting Bullet's eyes with unwavering defiance. "That's exactly why, Bullet," he whispered, his voice carrying the strength of a man unbroken.

"Roger understood that strength without honor is nothing but a hollow shell. You… could never understand that. You'll never know the freedom he found, the respect he earned. You'll never reach Raftel, not with a heart like yours. And you supassing Roger…?"

The walls of the dungeon trembled under Oden's mocking laughter and the force of his haki, as if even the earth itself rejected Bullet's ambition. The conqueror's spirit of Oden, even at his lowest, blazed on, untamed, a last beacon for Wano, a promise that his people would one day rise again.

Bullet, face pale with fury, clenched his fists, his rage boiling over. But in that moment, he could not touch Oden.

*****

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