"You really killed him?" Gion asked, watching Vane return from the alley with an unreadable expression.

"Burned," Vane replied plainly.

There was nothing more to say. The flames he wielded were far from ordinary—sharp, bright, and far hotter than natural fire. Unlike typical flames that took time to reduce flesh to ash, his consumed the body in seconds.

"Don't treat me like a child," Vane said, meeting Gion's gaze. "If I have to kill, I won't hesitate. It doesn't bother me."

He meant every word. Vane had grown increasingly cold-blooded. The line between hesitation and action had long been erased.

"I know," Gion replied softly. "I don't see you as a child anymore."

She didn't know what else to say. For days now, she had tried to reason with him, steer him toward less violent paths. But Vane never listened. At times, it was frustrating beyond words.

Roughly ten minutes later, they returned to their residence.

"Were you two being followed earlier?" Esdeath asked curiously as they stepped inside.

"You noticed too?" Gion responded, her interest piqued.

Apparently, it wasn't just her and Vane who had been shadowed. Esdeath and the others had also encountered uninvited guests.

Kalifa scoffed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "There was a female ninja on our rooftop. Thought she was being clever."

Vane tilted his head. "And the result?"

Kalifa gestured toward Esdeath. "Ask her."

Esdeath pointed casually toward the bathroom. "Drowned her. The body's in there."

Vane went to look.

Inside, slumped over the edge of the soaking tub, was the lifeless body of the ninja. Her head rested below the waterline. He didn't need an explanation—Esdeath had drowned her by hand. Efficient and merciless.

He smiled. Esdeath hadn't let him down.

Spying on them? Kill them all. That was the rule.

Blame Kurozumi Orochi, not them.

The so-called shogun of Wano—Kurozumi Orochi—possessed the Snake-Snake Fruit, Mythical Zoan Model: Yamata no Orochi. With it, he could transform into an eight-headed serpent, a power fitting for someone as treacherous as him. Despite his alliance with Kaido, his strength was still… unimpressive. His power lay in schemes, not combat.

It was already past ten. After some idle conversation, the group retired to their rooms for the night.

---

Elsewhere, in a luxurious, towering palace deep in the Flower Capital, Kurozumi Orochi sat surrounded by wine, music, and women.

The man was as revolting in appearance as he was in character—arrogant, cruel, paranoid, and addicted to power. He upheld a feudal system of strict control, banning the carrying of swords by anyone except his own loyalists. The people of Wano, especially the impoverished outside the Capital, were forbidden from resisting. Even martial arts schools had been outlawed.

Yet in front of him now sat four beautiful women, each vying for his attention. Despite Orochi's grotesque appearance, they laughed and flattered him shamelessly—for wealth, for influence, for survival.

But his eyes weren't on them.

They were locked on the woman seated across from him.

With emerald hair, painted lips, and an air of tragedy in her eyes, Kozuki Hiyori—known publicly as Komurasaki—captivated him completely.

She sat nearly two meters away, calm and poised. Behind her stood four of her personal attendants, silent and unmoving. She had merely come to share a drink, and though Orochi found the lack of intimacy disappointing, her presence still thrilled him.

He hadn't expected the daughter of Kozuki Oden to become such a stunning woman.

He wanted her.

In his twisted mind, Hiyori was already his. In Wano, what wasn't his by right?

Who else could lay claim to the sun, moon, and stars? No one but him.

Wine that would have tasted dull now sparkled with flavor in her presence.

It was a banquet not of food, but of fantasy.

And Orochi was intoxicated.

He planned to take her slowly. Win her heart, or at least her submission. He believed he was succeeding.

What he didn't know was that Hiyori's every expression—her shy glances, her quiet voice—were part of an elaborate game. A performance.

She was a master of subtle manipulation.

Her carefully chosen mannerisms gave Orochi just enough hope to keep him obsessed, yet enough restraint to keep him chasing. She had become the perfect illusion—sweet, fragile, unattainable.

In his mind, she was already his.

And no one in Wano dared challenge him on that.

---

Ten minutes later, as the music faded and the feast wound down, Orochi was drunk on delusion.

A ninja arrived quietly at the edge of the room.

He hesitated, unsure whether to interrupt the celebration.

Two of their operatives had gone silent.

Most likely dead.

He couldn't report such news in the presence of Hiyori, so he waited.

Another thirty minutes passed before Kozuki Hiyori gracefully excused herself. Orochi, charmed, allowed her to leave without protest.

Only after she disappeared did the ninja step forward.

"My lord," he whispered.

"What is it?"

"We've lost contact with two operatives."

Orochi's expression soured.

"Dead?"

"Possibly. It's unclear. They may have been discovered."

"Do you think we've been exposed?" one of the guards asked nervously.

"They were just ninjas," Orochi said dismissively. "Even if they were caught, it won't matter. Let them think they've won. We'll move forward with the next phase."

He was still smiling, confident in his schemes.

But Kurozumi Orochi had no idea—

That danger was already knocking on his door.

---

I've started uploading two new fanfictions on my Patreon (they're free to read!).

One is based on One Piece and the other on Naruto.

patreon.com/Zphyr_

I'd love to hear your thoughts, should I keep going with them or stop?