Gigalith kicked Geodude to the side as it had no interest in these round stones. After he was done with the creation, Arceus left the mine. Gigalith gazed at the sun in the sky and proceeded to choose a spacious location within the mine.
Although Udon Quarry is not entirely composed of Seastone, the surface here is rocky due to the abundance of Seastone veins below, with a hardness far surpassing ordinary rocks.
However, the crystals on Gigalith’s claws easily tore through the ground beneath its feet. It then dug out a suitable pit to bury itself in, with its crystalline body exposed on the surface, beginning its life of absorbing sunlight.
Meanwhile, in Wano Country, life continued as usual. With the Oniwabanshu who had been detained now surrendering once again, the Shogun’s exclusive guard also reappeared. However, this time, the leader of the Oniwabanshu had changed.
It wasn’t King or any other officer; it was a true “ninja,” specifically, a Kōga-ryū ninja, and to be more precise, a ninja frog.
One of Kalos Region’s big three – Greninja.
After Zeraora, it was the second Pokémon created with full language capabilities.
Its overall appearance was that of a blue humanoid frog, with an elegant and somewhat handsome demeanor. However, one should overlook a detail – the scarf around its neck is not actually a scarf but its own tongue.
Otherwise, it might feel a bit awkward.
“Your Majesty.”
After familiarizing itself with its body, the Greninja knelt before Arceus. After making slight adjustments to its body, Greninja’s height also reached two meters, giving its figure a more slender appearance.
“Your Majesty? Why does he address you that way?”
Kaido found it a bit strange to see Greninja address Arceus in this way. Although the level of respect was the same, Zeraora had always used “Master” or “My Lord,” so this change with Greninja struck Kaido as slightly odd.
“It’s nothing. He’s different from Zeraora. Most of the time, he will stay within Wano Country, handling various matters, so he has to adapt to the local customs. Where are those Oniwabanshu members? Let them meet their new leader.”
At this moment, the Oniwabanshu members who had chosen to surrender were discussing an important matter: who would become the new leader of the Oniwabanshu. In the past, Fukurokuju had held this position.
In terms of the Shogun’s trust and personal strength, Fukurokuju was far superior to them.
Compared to their various tools disguised as ninjutsu, Fukurokuju possessed genuine skills. But now that Fukurokuju was no more, the position was naturally vacant.
In fact, they all were injured, albeit slightly luckier than others.
Jigoku Benten and Daikoku died due to Geodude’s group attack. Even small-caliber submachine guns and the poison smoke personally prepared by the ninjas were ineffective against Geodude, not even causing a scratch.
Hanzo, on the other hand, had fallen victim to the enraged Aggron’s attack.
At the time, he was attempting to unlock some prisoners, and Aggron mistook him for the one responsible for unlocking the Devil Fruit user with the Drill-Drill Fruit. This misunderstanding led to an unfortunate encounter that provoked Aggron’s wrath.
They hadn’t grasped the art of cutting steel, so they had no way to deal with Aggron.
They all chose to surrender, so they didn’t care about others’ opinions. What mattered most to them was whether they could secure better treatment for themselves.
And without a doubt, the leader would obtain more benefits. Instead of recruiting them again, the Beasts Pirates had directly incorporated them, which had sparked some ambition among certain individuals. At this moment, Fujin and Raijin brothers, along with a woman named Chome, were engaged in a heated debate over this matter.
But before they could reach any conclusions, a leader was parachuted in. [*It means that the leader is “parachuted in” without having worked their way up through the ranks or having a deep understanding of the organization’s culture or operations. ]
Although their appearance was somewhat peculiar, it was not surprising.
Such individuals were relatively common within the Beasts Pirates. This was due to the presence of Minks like Zeraora and animals like Elizabeth among the officers, as well as Shayna, who always maintains Human-Beast Form, all of which were in line with the overall culture of the Beasts Pirates.
In the Beasts Pirates, beasts were mainstream. Many ordinary pirates adorned themselves with masks, horns, and fangs of beasts. This style of attire was gradually becoming the norm within the Beasts Pirates, and the members of the Oniwabanshu had grown accustomed to such scenes.
When faced with a parachute leader, the natural course of action was to humbly accept. These people had surrendered, and they had no say in this matter whatsoever. However, it was inevitable that some people would feel discontent.
“Anyone who disagrees can step forward and try. The victor will become the new leader of the Oniwabanshu.”
As a parachute leader, Greninja sought to establish authority, and in such situations, making an example out of somebody is always a good choice. Yesterday, the Beasts Pirates had executed the leaders of the riots for this very reason.
However, Greninja underestimated the patience of these ninja. They excelled in the art of endurance. Confronted with his provocation, not a single ninja stepped forward. Instead, they all obediently followed his instructions.
This completely caught Greninja off guard; he had not expected these ninjas to be so docile.
This was the result of the unique circumstances of Wano Country. The Oniwabanshu served as the Shogun’s guards, and in the history of Wano Country, only the Kurozumi family had attempted to seize power. However, this occurred only after the Shogun’s death.
Before Kurozumi Orochi, no one had actively plotted against the Shogun. Therefore, the Oniwabanshu was more like an honor guard, and their combat experience had dwindled over the years.
Moreover, their purpose was solely to protect the Shogun, regardless of who the Shogun was. It was this very logic that allowed them to maintain their position through three generations, from the time of Kozuki Sukiyaki to Kurozumi Orochi, and now to Kozuki Hiyori.
In the absence of an appointed leader, they fought for power, but faced with a greater force, they simply gave up resistance.
So, Arceus is only going to use them as an honor guard to maintain the nominal status of the Shogun in Wano Country. In reality, these people had no real authority whatsoever.
Nevertheless, Greninja’s plan proceeded successfully. While the members of the Oniwabanshu did not resist, there were still those who sought to claim the position of leader.
On the day before the Shogun’s succession ceremony, a woman arrived, identifying herself as a former member of the Oniwabanshu.
Shinobu, the user of Paramecia-type Ripe-Ripe Fruit, had originally served the Kozuki family as a member of the Oniwabanshu. However, when Kurozumi Orochi seized power, Oniwabanshu’s betrayal led her to leave the squad.
She was arguably the only member of the Oniwabanshu who had genuinely remained loyal to the Kozuki family. She returned here once again because she had heard news about Kozuki Hiyori’s succession.
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