CHAPTER 149: CHAPTER 149: THE NEW CITY AND THE FRONTLINES

While the Pirates Alliance clashed with the Rocks Pirates in the New World, things were bustling with construction at the borders of Wano’s Amigasa Village.

At the frontlines, Redfield, the Golden Lion Shiki, and Newgate fought fiercely. While they conquered some followers by strength alone, those who failed Redfield’s mental trials were sent back to the new city to do hard labor.

The rest were sent to the quarry at Udon to mine Seastone. Brook’s Seastone quarry had finally opened, and the Daimyo of Udon, Ametsuki Maiken, was helping Brook recruit skilled Seastone craftsmen at a high price.

Meanwhile, Shakky was living it up like a queen in Udon, splurging on all kinds of famous swords, weapons, and real estate with Platinum. If not for her strength — and the protection Ametsuki Maiken arranged — she and her group would’ve been easy targets.

Back at the new city, it turned out that the Fish-Man shipwright Tom was also a master builder. Under his precise command, the captured mountain bandits and thugs, all somewhat strong, made quick work of the heavy labor. Everything was getting done fast and solid.

With the forests of Amigasa nearby and an abundance of stone, building materials were plentiful. As for food, Streusen the head chef converted scraps and building waste into edible meals using his Cook-Cook Fruit powers, feeding the prisoners.

It was frugal... and just a little bit ruthless.

Brook and Charlotte Linlin hovered in the sky, watching the new city rise. As a hands-off boss, Brook felt almost guilty — his subordinates were so capable he barely had to lift a finger. All he needed to do was issue orders and watch it all unfold.

"Linlin, did you understand the Ryuo techniques that Redfield wrote down?" Brook asked, glancing at the busy workers. Since he had some free time, he considered taking Linlin to check out the situation in Kuri Castle and Mt. Atama, while keeping an eye on everyone’s Ryuo training progress.

"Don’t worry, Brook! I’m confident I can master Ryuo within a month!" Linlin said energetically.

Thanks to her terrifying strength and natural resilience, her mastery of Armament Haki would progress at an incredible pace.

"Good. In that case, let’s head to Kuri Castle right now!"

Brook picked up Charlotte Linlin, and the two set off on a spur-of-the-moment journey to see the infamous criminals lurking in Kuri.

"Got it, Brook!" Linlin called out, steering her thundercloud Zeus straight toward Kuri. Along the way, they passed captured prisoners being transported back, and the flags of the Hell Pirates were planted across the route.

...

Meanwhile, at the run-down settlement next to Kuri Castle — the village of Scavengers — Redfield had already taken full control. He had even subdued all the nearby villages, leaving only Kuri Castle itself, where the crime lords had holed up.

Rather than storm Kuri Castle alongside Redfield, Golden Lion Shiki and Newgate had flown with Kozuki Oden and a few of his retainers straight toward Mt. Atama, searching for the strongest bandit and gangster forces: the Ashura Clan.

Inside Kuri Castle, a coalition of declining noble families formed a gangster alliance. These families had once been prominent samurai clans who followed the Kurozumi family in their failed rebellion thirty years ago, and were forced into exile.

Over time, Kuri’s native gangs and these exiled clans fought and merged, forming a loose alliance based purely on shared interests.

The strongest remnants of the Kurozumi faction were the Chiyaryu Clan and the Fukujinryu Clan — two families that mastered both swordsmanship and ninjutsu. They were tough fighters with excellent survival instincts, always ready to shift with the winds to stay alive.

The original gang families of Kuri — notably the Hattori, Sarutobi, and Saemon clans — also specialized in samurai and ninja arts. They were powerful in their own right.

However, none of them could ever break the iron grip the Kozuki family and their vassals — the Fugetsu, Shimotsuki, and Ametsuki clans — held over Wano.

And so, they had been pushed into the lawless land of Kuri, where they set themselves up as petty kings. Over the years, their ranks swelled with criminals and outcasts from all corners of Wano.

Yet, more people meant more power struggles. With no supreme leader, constant infighting over territory and resources dragged them down into an endless cycle of stagnation.

...

"This time, the enemy is different. Their terrifying Lightning Release techniques are even more powerful," Fukujinryu Clan leader Fukujin Kishoten said calmly. Though he was a relative newcomer to the underworld, his strength and strategic cunning had earned him a place at the top.

Still, if it became clear the invaders were unbeatable, he wouldn’t hesitate to surrender. Survival was everything — there was no shame in it.

"Among the fallen samurai in the enemy ranks, I’ve seen some familiar faces. They’re fools who still dream of restoring their fallen clans under the Kozuki banner. But the one wielding the fearsome Lightning Release is a stranger. I don’t think he’s from Wano," said Hattori Hachizo, former head of one of Kuri’s dominant gangs, grimacing as he touched his lingering wounds.

"Does anyone have a plan to deal with that lightning user?"

"I suspect he’s a powerful user of mysterious powers. We should use Seastone weapons and Sea Water against him — just like we did against sorcerers in the past!"

"Good idea. Let’s organize a full-scale counterattack and find out if he really is a user of mysterious powers!"

Fukujin Kishoten slammed his hand down to finalize the plan. If there was any chance they could keep ruling Kuri, he’d take it. They immediately began preparing Seastone weapons and barrels of seawater, hoping to neutralize the fearsome Lightning Release warrior.

...

Elsewhere, Golden Lion Shiki floated a small island through the air, carrying Newgate, Kozuki Oden, and a few others directly to Mt. Atama, the bandits’ headquarters.

Inside the Mountain Gathering Hall, the Ashura Clan’s current boss, Ashura Jakun, a plump man with pink hair tied into a samurai-style topknot, sensed incoming danger through his Haki.

Without hesitation, he ordered his stolen wife to take their chubby young son to hide.

"Papa, why aren’t we playing anymore?" the pink-haired child whined, pouting in disappointment.

"Listen, Tonji, be a good boy and hide. Papa has to go fight now," Ashura Jakun said, trying to soothe his four-year-old son, Ashura Doji, while giving his wife a firm look to hurry up.

Drawing his sword, he strode out of the hall, followed by his little brother Ashura Pengan and a gang of loyal men, charging straight toward the invaders.

When he saw the small floating island in the sky, even Ashura Jakun couldn’t help but stare.

A user of mysterious powers... one so powerful he could make the earth itself fly?

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