One Piece: Lord of Calamity

Roa's lips curled into a smile. From his perspective, the greed emanating from these Kurozumi individuals burned as intensely as a raging mountain fire.

Kaido also glanced at them, then sneered dismissively. It was widely known that pirates had the right to break promises. Especially a stinky brat like Roa.

"Big Brother Kaido," Roa didn't answer immediately, but instead tilted his head and asked with interest, "Are you interested in that position of Shogun?"

"I don't have time to deal with all that messy stuff," Kaido replied casually.

As expected. In the original story, he even hoped to make Yamato the new Shogun to govern Wano Country for him.

"Understood," Roa nodded slightly. With the Kurozumi trio looking on with immense anticipation, he addressed them, "Very well, since it's a promise, I certainly won't go back on my word. Kurozumi Orochi, you shall be the Shogun of Wano Country."

"Hm?" Kaido looked down at the back of Roa's head in surprise. Was this something this stinky brat would say? Based on what he knew about Roa, at this moment, this kid should be smiling and saying he was just messing with these clowns.

Roa was the kind of stinky brat who enjoyed toying with others and found others' suffering delicious. Was he having a fit today?

"Shogun!!" Kurozumi Orochi trembled all over, wild joy erupting like a volcano, making this base and cowardly man burst into tears at that moment. "Gwahahahaha! I'm the Shogun now!!"

"Excellent!" Behind him, Kurozumi Higurashi and Kurozumi Semimaru also wept tears of joy. "The Kurozumi family has finally been revived!"

"Alright, now that the promise has been fulfilled, let's talk about how you guys disrupted my most respected Big Brother Kaido's enjoyment." Roa straightened his face. "You didn't let my big brother fight to his heart's content. How are you going to compensate us?"

The Kurozumi trio froze. Not just them, even Kaido himself twitched his lips. Just as he thought, how could this brat keep his promise so easily?

"Hmm, you probably can't afford too harsh a compensation. How about this, I'll be merciful," Roa's eyes suddenly inverted in black and white. "You two will compensate me."

In the next instant, black substance surged wildly in the eyes of Kurozumi Higurashi and Kurozumi Semimaru. They didn't even have time to make a sound before their eyes were completely filled with black. The two walked like zombies to Roa's side, respectfully kneeling.

These two guys' abilities are quite practical. The Mane Mane no Mi (Clone-Clone Fruit) can be incredibly useful at specific times. As for the Bari Bari no Mi (Barrier-Barrier Fruit), it goes without saying; that's an absolute defense superior to King's.

Once I figure out how to get Vegapunk's Devil Fruit replication technology, their usefulness will be even greater. Hmm, I wonder what stage Vegapunk's research is at in that regard.

"Eh!!" Kurozumi Orochi stared blankly at Kurozumi Higurashi and Semimaru, not understanding what had happened to them.

Kaido, however, spoke up with some surprise, "Why are you keeping this guy alive? He's also a Mythical Zoan. Wouldn't it be better to make him a puppet?"

Roa said seriously, "Orochi's body contains infinite energy; no one is more suitable to be the Shogun of Wano Country than him."

"Do well, Orochi," Roa then jumped up and patted Kurozumi Orochi's shoulder, encouragingly saying, "I'm looking forward to seeing how you govern this country. Don't disappoint us."

Orochi is a good comrade. Kaido was, at most, a social Darwinist, believing in the survival of the fittest. But Kurozumi Orochi was someone who truly governed this country with intense hatred for Wano Country itself. Was there a more suitable ruler than him? Anyway, this guy was a weakling, and even if he became a tiger's accomplice (Chang Gui, a Chinese idiom referring to a ghost assisting the tiger that killed it), he'd just have a few more lives. Might as well put his pig brain to good use.

Kurozumi Orochi glanced at Kurozumi Higurashi and Semimaru. Although he still didn't understand what had happened to them, from the conversation between Roa and Kaido, he understood that these two were likely dead, and he himself had walked a fine line with death. His body trembling like a sieve, Kurozumi Orochi dared not utter a single word.

Roa nodded in satisfaction, then turned his head to look at Kozuki Sukiyaki, who was crawling like a maggot towards Kozuki Oden's corpse.

"Next, I'll have to trouble you, Kozuki Sukiyaki."

Shortly after, Flower Capital.

Wano Country's most prosperous city was eerily silent today. Giant snails slowly advanced along the wide roads.

The residents of the Flower Capital could only hide in their homes, terrified, watching it all.

News of the foreign invasion had quietly spread through the city. Everyone had witnessed the samurai's departure yesterday. And now, the samurai hadn't returned, and these strange monsters had appeared in the Flower Capital. Did that mean...?

People dared not think further, only silently praying in their hearts. They could still hold onto a glimmer of hopeful possibility, but at this moment, in the central keep of the city, some had completely despaired.

"Lord Sukiyaki!" The country's ministers were now prostrate on the ground, wailing. "Are we truly not in a nightmare?" In front, the disheveled Kozuki Sukiyaki looked dazed, his face sorrowful. He had just informed everyone of the outcome of yesterday evening's battle. So, everyone was now plunged into despair.

However, this was no time for sadness. Kozuki Sukiyaki forced himself to gather his spirits. "Everyone, Lord Roa and Lord Kaido have been merciful and are willing to pardon our offense against them." "But I have no honor left to continue serving as Shogun. From today onwards," he moved aside, revealing Kurozumi Orochi, who was dressed in ill-fitting luxurious robes, looking like a monkey in a crown. "The position of Shogun will be taken by Kurozumi Orochi."

"Gwahahahaha! From today onwards, I am the Shogun!" Kurozumi Orochi was utterly pleased with himself, even completely forgetting about Roa and Kaido, who were sitting cross-legged behind him.

The ministers could only wail now. Kurozumi! Letting a Kurozumi become Shogun, and he's even a puppet for outsiders, what kind of suffering will this country face? But they also knew that nothing could be changed now. Wano Country's most elite samurai had been wiped out overnight. This country now had no power to resist.

However, there were still some courageous individuals.

"Die! Traitors!!" A minister roared, lunging directly at Roa and his group. But in the next instant, blazing flames engulfed him, turning the man into a torch.

"Foolish," King, guarding in front of Roa, indifferently retracted his flaming right hand.

Kozuki Sukiyaki's face grew even more sorrowful. He simply knelt down, earnestly pleading, "Next, please, everyone, assist Shogun Orochi well!" "Please, everyone, help him gain control of this country as quickly as possible!" Otherwise, as that monster named Roa had said, they would destroy all of Wano Country. Having personally witnessed Roa's terrifying power, Kozuki Sukiyaki had no doubt of his capability.

"...Yes." The ministers all bowed their heads to the ground in despair, a mournful atmosphere spreading.

"Thus, I have fulfilled what I promised you," Kozuki Sukiyaki turned back to Roa, "Kill me." His country had fallen, his family dead; there was no point in him living.

"What are you saying? For atonement, haven't you already relinquished the position of Shogun?" Roa said in surprise. "We are now even!"

Kozuki Sukiyaki froze.

"However, I hope to hire you to join our Cataclysm Company, as a technician," Roa offered. This man not only understood ancient texts but was also an excellent swordsmith, and he was easy to drive, so naturally, he couldn't be allowed to die just like that. "Additionally, I hope you can act as a tour guide and take us to see the Red Poneglyph."

Kozuki Sukiyaki's pupils instantly constricted. How did he know!

Regardless of how Roa knew, soon after, Kozuki Sukiyaki was leading Roa and the others down a long, downward staircase.

"Is that the sea outside?" Through the glass window beside the stairs, Doflamingo looked out. The view outside shocked him immensely. How could it be underwater? You can even see many buildings underwater.

"Many years ago, Wano Country wasn't surrounded by high walls," Roa casually explained. "It's just that eight hundred years ago, for some reason, this country built high walls, and the accumulated water became an inland sea, submerging the original land." "The current Wano Country is a floating island reborn on the sea."

"Is that... truly so?" Dylan was somewhat amazed.

Kozuki Sukiyaki, leading the way, was greatly astonished. How did this monster know so much?

The surprise brought by the window quickly passed, and the stairs seemed endless. Kaido was already getting impatient and casually brought up a topic, "I don't think that clown will be able to firmly hold the ruler's position after this charade." Who doesn't know that Kozuki Sukiyaki was coerced? A resistance movement in Wano Country will certainly rise in waves after this.

"It doesn't matter, does it, Big Brother Kaido?" Roa said with a smile. "Wolves, they only turn into dogs after their spines are broken."

"Ugororororo!" Kaido burst into laughter. "You're right, you brat, you're looking forward to it!"

Roa offered a tactical smile. Kozuki Sukiyaki unconsciously clenched his fists, his expression mournful.

Even the longest staircase has an end. Soon, everyone arrived in a spacious room. There was a huge red stone here.

"This is—" Dylan paused. "A Road Poneglyph?"

"The legendary stone that records the history of the Void Century?" King was even more excited than anyone else. "I heard that, like our Lunarian tribe, anyone associated with this stone will be hunted by the World Government!"

"Isn't it just a stone?" Kaido sneered. "Is this what you came all this way to see?" It wasn't surprising that Kaido didn't care. The truth was, at this stage, no one was certain if the Grand Treasure truly existed, and no one could decipher this writing. In such a situation, who would be interested in such a stone?

"Make a rubbing, Big Brother Kaido," Roa wasn't planning to tell Kaido the contents recorded on this stone right now. As for the Pirate King, it's better for Roger to become him. If Roger, who was terminally ill, didn't become the Pirate King, how would the Great Pirate Era, which Roa had been long awaiting, even begin?

"Rubbing?" Kaido raised an eyebrow. "Don't say I'm not interested in this stone; even if I were, the stone is right here, why make a rubbing?"

"Of course, because this stone is useful to me, Doffy," Roa turned, looking at the puzzled Doflamingo. "This stone is for you to use."

The Road Poneglyph had a very significant characteristic: it was indestructible. It was a perfect match for the Gasha Gasha no Mi (Clank-Clank Fruit).