Chapter 22: Flower Capital

**King vs. Orochi's Oniwabanshu**

In the dimly lit corridors of Orochi's castle, King stood tall and menacing, his dark wings spread slightly behind him. His piercing eyes scanned the shadows as the silence of the room was broken by the soft rustle of fabric and the faint whispers of movement. The Oniwabanshu had surrounded him, Orochi's elite ninja force, masters of stealth and assassination. Their numbers were considerable, but their opponent was no ordinary foe.

Suddenly, without a word, one of the ninjas lunged from the shadows, brandishing a dagger coated with poison. In an instant, King's hand shot out, catching the blade mid-air. His eyes glinted dangerously as he crushed the dagger with his bare hand and, liquid pieces of metal falling to the ground burning red.

"This low level attack don't work on me" King growled, his voice low and dangerous.

The Oniwabanshu moved in, their attacks coming from every direction. They were quick, darting in and out of the shadows, aiming for weak points, striking with precision. But King was faster. His Pteranodon hybrid form granted him incredible agility, and with every attack, he countered with brutal efficiency.

A masked ninja tried to strike from behind, but with a single swing of his sword, King sent him crashing into a wall. Another came from above, but King shot into the air, dodging the blow, and in the same breath, delivered a devastating kick that sent his attacker spiraling to the floor.

Though individually they were no match for King, the sheer number of the Oniwabanshu was starting to wear on him. Their stealth capabilities made it difficult to track every move, and despite his sharp senses, some managed to slip away into the shadows, retreating to inform Orochi of the battle.

"Tch," King muttered, wiping a speck of blood from his cheek, not his own but from one of the fallen ninjas. He knew the runners were headed to Orochi, but little did they know, their lord was already facing a much greater threat.

With a sudden surge of energy, King flared his wings, sending a powerful gust of wind through the room. The remaining Oniwabanshu were thrown off balance, and in one swift motion, King drew his sword and cut through the final wave of attackers, their bodies collapsing to the floor in a heap.

As the dust settled, King sheathed his sword, his eyes cold and calculating. "Run to Orochi all you want," he muttered under his breath. "By the time you get there, the real storm will have already hit."

After swiftly defeating Orochi's forces, King pushed open the doors to the arsenal, his sharp eyes scanning the room packed with weapons and supplies. The clank of his footsteps echoed ominously in the large chamber, with the defeated bodies of Orochi's elite warriors lying motionless in the corridors behind him.

"Take everything," King commanded, his voice cold and without emotion. His subordinates immediately got to work, gathering swords, spears, rifles, and anything else of value. They worked in near silence, the only sounds being the occasional clatter of weapons and the muffled groans of fallen enemies.

King turned and led the group deeper into the castle, walking with a steady, measured pace. As they went, the Beast Pirates continued their methodical looting, loading crates with more weapons and armor, ensuring that every corner of the castle's arsenal was stripped bare.

The few members of Orochi's forces who had managed to escape the earlier battle had no idea what had happened to their comrades, nor did they realize that their leader, Orochi, was facing a far worse fate than they had.

As King and his crew reveled in their recent loot, a sudden shift in the atmosphere gripped the Flower Capital. The once-clear skies darkened unnaturally, and the wind, which had been mild just moments earlier, now howled with a fierce intensity.

Two guards, stationed at the entrance of the Shogun's castle, stood in disbelief as they observed the strange phenomenon.

"Hey… why did the weather change so suddenly?" one guard asked, eyes narrowing in confusion.

"And why is it getting so dark in the middle of the day?" the other replied, glancing at the swirling clouds above.

Their unease deepened as a colossal shadow loomed overhead. Before they could fully grasp the danger, a massive platform descended rapidly from the sky, appearing as if it would flatten everything beneath it. Just as the ground quaked in anticipation of impact, the platform slowed its descent, halting mere moments before it touched the earth. With a thunderous sound, the platform split into four enormous sections, each crashing down to form towering walls around the Shogun's castle.

The entire structure trembled violently, the ground beneath it rumbling as the newly-formed walls sealed the castle in, turning it into a colossal prison. The air was filled with the echo of the impact, and the earth quivered underfoot as the people of Wano stared in shock at the impossible sight before them.

Ordinary citizens, ignorant of the true nature of this event, stood frozen in terror. Some gaped in stunned silence, while others began to panic, their movements frantic as they tried to flee from an unknown danger. The trembling of the earth beneath them only added to their fear, as the once-great castle was now enclosed in a prison like structure that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

But those in power—the samurai, the bureaucrats, the nobles—recognized the gravity of the situation immediately. Their fear was palpable, for they understood what the sudden change in weather and the massive enclosure signified: a powerful force had arrived in Wano, likely a pirate with the strength to take on even the Shogun. Whispers of Kaido, coming had already reached some people before but now it's confirmed .

The agent of Daimyo of Wano's various regions were alerted, messages sent in haste to prepare for what many feared was the coming of war. Some officials even sought to establish escape routes, understanding that this new power could destabilize the very balance of the country. They knew the Shogun's reign was under threat, and if Kaido had truly come to Wano, it may signify nation becoming pirate nation, which was not good for any normal person, the storm that was coming would leave no corner of the land untouched.