Chapter 53: The Truth Revealed

Far away from the battlefield, within the confines of Orochi's palace, the shogun sat in his chambers, drinking from an ornate sake cup. He had spent the last several years ruling over Wano as Kaido's puppet, reveling in power and luxury while the people suffered under the Beast Pirates' oppression.

A panicked guard burst through the doors, his face pale with fear.

"Orochi-sama! The castle is under attack! It's—it's an all-out invasion!"

Orochi's smug expression twisted into one of disbelief. He slammed his cup onto the table, spilling its contents. "What did you say? Who dares attack us?!"

The guard swallowed hard, sweat forming on his brow. "I-It's Momonosuke, Orochi-sama! He is alive—and fighting Kaido as we speak!"

For the first time in years, Orochi was truly afraid. His fingers trembled as he grabbed the hilt of his sword.

"T-That's impossible… He was sent twenty years into the future! He should have been nothing more than a weakling!" Orochi's voice cracked, his fear evident.

Another advisor stepped forward, equally shaken. "We have reports from the battlefield—Kaido's commanders have been defeated. King, Queen, and Jack… all taken down by Whitebeard's men and Momonosuke!"

Orochi's hands clenched into fists. "No… No, no, NO! This wasn't supposed to happen!" He paced back and forth, panic setting in. "Kaido promised that brat would never return!"

The room was filled with murmurs of uncertainty and fear. If Momonosuke was truly alive and leading the invasion, then the prophecy was coming true.

Orochi gritted his teeth. "Summon all our remaining forces! Find that brat's allies and wipe them out before they can reach me! If Kaido loses, I will not be left to die with him!"

Denjiro and Hiyori Learn the Truth

Meanwhile, in a hidden stronghold deep within Wano, Denjiro sat among a group of samurai. The rebellion had long been waiting for a sign—a chance to strike back against Kaido and Orochi.

A scout rushed into the room, his breathing ragged. "Denjiro-sama! There's an attack happening at Onigashima! The enemy is… Momonosuke!"

Denjiro's eyes widened in shock. The samurai around him murmured, exchanging looks of confusion.

"That… That cannot be," Denjiro said slowly. "Momonosuke-sama was sent twenty years into the future. This must be a mistake."

But the scout shook his head firmly. "It is no mistake! I saw it with my own eyes! He wields a black blade, his presence commands Conqueror's Haki, and he cut through Kaido's Bolo Breath as if it were nothing!"

Hiyori, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, stood up abruptly, her hands clutching the fabric of her kimono. "Momo…? My brother…?"

Denjiro clenched his fists, his emotions warring within him. He had spent years waiting, enduring, protecting Hiyori, and keeping their forces hidden. He had believed that salvation would come from the future, but now… Momonosuke had returned on his own.

"If this is true… Then our time is now!" Denjiro's voice rang through the chamber. "Gather our forces! The Kozuki Clan's return is at hand!"

The samurai cheered, their spirits reignited by the thought of their rightful leader finally standing against Kaido.

Hiyori, however, felt conflicted.

Her brother… was fighting Kaido?

He was supposed to be a child when he arrived in the future. How had he grown strong enough to challenge the dragon himself?

Her heart pounded. "Denjiro… We have to go to him. I must see him with my own eyes."

Denjiro nodded, gripping his sword tightly. "Then we ride to battle. Tonight, we reclaim Wano."

Back at the Battlefield – The Fight Continues

As the battle raged on, Kaido's massive dragon form coiled in the sky, his eyes locked onto me. The battlefield trembled beneath his power.

"You have their hopes resting on you, brat," Kaido growled, his massive jaws parting as flames built up. "But hope won't save you."

I steadied my breath, gripping my Black Blade tighter.

"I don't need hope," I responded, my Supreme Conqueror's Haki surging. "I have strength."

With a mighty swing, Kaido unleashed another Bolo Breath, but I was ready. My blade cut through the flames once more, sending embers flying in all directions.

Kaido's eyes narrowed in frustration.

"So you really think you can win? Let's see if you can handle this!"

He dove toward me, his massive claws descending like falling meteors. I dodged at the last second, appearing above him, my sword coated in Supreme Haki.

With a fierce war cry, I slashed downward, my blade meeting Kaido's thick scales.

The battlefield erupted with energy as our clash split the sky in two.

The World Watches

As the battle between me and Kaido intensified, the rest of Wano held its breath. The samurai, the citizens, even the hidden rebels—all of them were beginning to hear the rumors.

Momonosuke had returned.

The heir of Wano was here to finish what his father had started.

And for the first time in years, Kaido looked as if he could fall.