It was the day after the two ninjas dispatched by Orochi disappeared. With no word from them, even Orochi himself concluded they were dead.

But their deaths didn't matter to him. After all, ninjas could always be replaced. Orochi—cruel, paranoid, and power-hungry—had never been short on disposable subordinates.

"A waste," he muttered, reclining in his private chambers. "But that kid couldn't possibly know it was me… right?"

He chuckled to himself, low and anxious.

"No. There's no way. Unless those fools confessed. And they'd never do that. A ninja's loyalty is absolute."

The "kid" he referred to was Rhett Vane. Orochi had sent those two shinobi to shadow him and uncover his purpose in Wano. Vane's presence unnerved the tyrant, especially since he didn't know Kaido's stance on the outsider. But Orochi wasn't about to consult Kaido either. Allies though they may be, their alliance only held under the weight of shared profit. Otherwise, they moved independently.

As the self-proclaimed ruler of Wano, Orochi spent his days in debauchery. That night, drunk and surrounded by courtesans, he slumped in a haze of wine and lust.

Then the room shifted.

Through his blurred vision, he saw a figure standing tall—a young man, lean and cold-eyed.

"Who… who are you?" Orochi slurred.

The form seemed familiar, but his alcohol-clouded mind couldn't place him.

It was Rhett Vane.

Of course, Orochi didn't recognize him.

Vane's eyes were frigid. Without a word, he stepped forward and slammed his foot down on Orochi's grotesque, swollen face. There was a sickening crunch. Bone cracked beneath his boot.

Orochi screamed.

He hadn't felt pain in years—not even a scratch. He was always surrounded by guards, wrapped in luxury. But now, his scream echoed through the room, raw and real.

The women shrieked in terror, huddling together in corners like frightened rabbits.

"If you don't want to die, leave," Vane said coldly.

The women scrambled out the door, some barefoot, some crawling in fear. None of them dared to look back. Orochi was a god in their eyes—untouchable. To see him beaten was unthinkable. They fled for their lives.

"Who… who are you?" Orochi stammered, coughing blood, his vision swimming.

Vane didn't answer. He drove his heel into Orochi's face again, silencing him with another crunch. The screams resumed.

The tyrant tried to rise, but Vane was already on him. In one fluid motion, he snapped a pair of [Sea Prism Stone Shackles] onto Orochi's wrists.

"Wha—what is this?!" Orochi gasped.

"You know exactly what it is," Vane replied.

Orochi's panic deepened. Without his Devil Fruit power—the [Mythical Zoan: Snake-Snake Fruit, Model: Yamata no Orochi]—he was helpless.

"You bastard! Release me! If you dare, fight me fairly—I, Orochi—!"

He didn't finish. Vane kicked him straight through the wooden screen wall. The fragile architecture of the palace crumbled under the impact, sending splinters flying.

"Y-you…" Orochi tried to speak again, but Vane appeared before him in a blink. He struck again, a brutal kick to the stomach that sent wine gurgling up Orochi's throat.

"We've got no grudge… no real grudge…" Orochi whimpered. "Whatever I did… I can change…"

Typical coward.

Vane said nothing.

"You… you don't understand," Orochi rambled. "I'm the ruler of this country. If something happens to me, it'll plunge Wano into chaos. You can't kill me!"

Vane picked up a small fruit knife from the lacquered table.

Orochi's panic turned to horror.

"No—wait—you can't—! Listen, if I die—Kaido will—"

Vane drove the blade into Orochi's chest.

Pfft!

The tyrant gasped. The pain was unlike anything he'd ever known. His hands flailed, eyes wide, blood blooming across his silk robe.

"You…" he rasped.

"You ruled through fear," Vane said, his voice low. "You sacrificed your people for greed. Tonight, Wano is freed."

And then, with cold precision, Vane slashed his throat.

Black blood sprayed across the tatami floor. Orochi collapsed with a final gurgle.

Dead.

Vane stood still for a moment, watching the tyrant's life fade into silence.

He cleaned the blade on Orochi's robe, turned, and walked out of the ruined chamber.

Tonight, Wano changed hands.

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