Chapter 23: Castle or Prison

In prison as queen broke the cell, they came to view a person

The man's face was pale, his body exhausted, but deep within his weary eyes flickered a sliver of resolve that had yet to be extinguished.

Queen's strange laugh echoed through the dark corridors, a twisted contrast to the stillness. "Muhahaha! My captain is none other than the great pirate Kaido, and he ordered me to free you. He said you to meet with all the Daimyo and explain what happened here. Then, head to the Flower Capital. Kaido will be waiting."

Sukiyaki stood firm, suspicion etched on his face. Despite his weariness, his voice remained steady. "Even though I've lived in this isolated country, it doesn't mean I'm ignorant of the world beyond Wano. What does Kaido want from us?"

Queen scratched the back of his head, his carefree demeanor never wavering. "To be honest, I also don't really know that . But you'll have the chance to ask the captain yourself. Now, come on, old man! Unless you'd prefer to rot here forever. "

Sukiyaki hesitated, the weight of Queen's words pressing down on him. The fate of Wano hung in the balance, but with no other options, he took a deep breath and stepped forward, following Queen down the dimly lit corridors. As they walked, his mind raced with thoughts of what Kaido wanted from his homeland, fearing it might already be too late to change its course.

As they exited the dark prison, a tall figure stood waiting, casting a long shadow. He was a man of about 2 meters in height.

"Meet Daniel," Queen said casually, as if introducing a friend, "the user of the Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Osprey."

Meanwhile, in the Flower Capital...

Orochi, drunk on his newfound power and status, slouched on his throne with a twisted grin. He glared at Kurozumi Higurashi, his voice slurred with arrogance. "Wano is mine now. I am the Shogun. Why did you say I'm only the temporary Shogun until Oden returns?"

Kurozumi Higurashi's sinister laugh echoed throughout the room. "Ni kyo kyo kyo kyo! Orochi, not just yet. You must wait until Oden comes. With Kaido's help, we'll eliminate him once and for all. Ni kyo kyo kyo kyo!"

As the two schemed, the air in the room shifted, an unnatural wind whistling through the cracks in the windows. Suddenly, a guard burst in, his face pale with terror.

"Master Orochi! An asteroid is falling from the sky! We're all going to die!" His voice trembled with genuine fear, his body shaking as he pointed outside.

Orochi, still drunk, furrowed his brows in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about, fool?"

Before the guard could explain further, the ground began to tremble violently. Orochi and Higurashi rushed to the balcony, their eyes widening at the sight unfolding before them. Massive walls, taller than any structure in Wano,had enclosed the entire castle, sealing it off from the outside world. The towering prison-like walls surrounded them completely, trapping them inside.

Orochi's voice faltered as he whispered in disbelief, "What...what is this?"

As the towering walls loomed over the castle, Kaido's massive silhouette appeared from the shadows, his cold gaze locked onto Kurozumi Higurashi and Orochi. The fear in Higurashi's eyes was undeniable, though she quickly masked it, forcing a twisted smile onto her face.

With a venomous edge to her voice, she spoke. "Kaido... do you really think you can just kill us and take Wano for yourself? Without us, you'll never convince the Daimyo or the people. The public will never accept pirate rule!"Her voice quivered for a moment before she regained her composure. "They will rise against you."

" And don't forget Oden, he is in the group of whitebeard pirate, Whitebeard will never allow you to harm his crew, but with us even whitebeard come , he can't force common people to accept dethrone to ruler of country,but with you he will have legitimate reason to help Oden"

Orochi, still shaken from the sight, gripped the balcony railing tightly. His eyes were wide with fear and disbelief, but he forced himself to speak. "Kaido, what the hell are you doing?! I'm the Shogun! Without me, you can't rule Wano!"

Kaido stared at them both for a long moment, his face calm but his eyes sharp. His silence was more terrifying than any words he could have spoken. Finally, with a slow, dangerous grin, he let out a booming laugh that echoed throughout the castle.

"Wororororo! You fools are misunderstanding something," Kaido said, his voice filled with amusement. "Now, why would I care who rules Wano? The only reason I came here is because the Kozuki family has something that I want. But let's be honest do you really think they'd hand it over if I asked nicely?"

He paused, letting his words sink in, then continued. "So, isn't it a good opportunity for me to save Sukiyaki from your pathetic little scheme and, in the process, 'save' his country? and in return, I get what I want. It's your bad luck to stand in my way."

Kurozumi Higurashi and her subordinates paled, the realization hitting them hard. The mention of the Kozuki name seemed to trigger something dark within them. Orochi's face twisted with rage, tears and snot, his eyes wild and unfocused .

"K-Kozuki... it's always the Kozuki!" Orochi shouted, his voice rising to a hysterical pitch. "You can't do this to me!, you don't know how much I suffer, I can give you everything that Sukiyaki can and more! Why. Why do you want to help the Kozuki instead of me?"