The next morning, chaos erupted across Wano Country. More precisely, it was the powerful families who spiraled into disarray—the Kurozumi family, the Shimotsuki clan, and others scrambled in confusion.

The reason? Kurozumi Orochi, the self-proclaimed shogun of Wano, was dead.

His decapitated head had been left submerged in a jar of wine. A grotesque and shocking display. It was the maidservant who discovered him first. She screamed so loudly that she fainted on the spot—unsurprising. That gruesome scene wasn't something an ordinary woman could handle.

Naturally, the Flower Capital was in a frenzy.

Yet, among the panic and confusion, there were many who silently rejoiced.

For years, countless people had grown resentful of Orochi's tyranny. His cruelty, his corruption, his greed—they had turned Wano into a prison for its own citizens.

One such person was Kozuki Hiyori. The daughter of Oden had received a summons from Orochi the night before. Though she detested him, she had no choice—when the ruler of Wano calls, even an "invitation" is a command.

But now… Orochi was dead.

"I can't believe he's gone. What a pity…" Hiyori whispered to herself, her expression unreadable. "I didn't even get the chance to avenge my father with my own hands."

Though her words were tinged with sorrow, her heart held something else entirely—relief. And maybe, just a trace of satisfaction.

After all, it was Orochi and Kaido who had boiled her father alive.

That memory—Oden screaming in the cauldron, cooking in oil—still haunted her. No matter how many years passed, that pain had never faded.

"Who… did this?" she murmured, her voice trembling with curiosity and disbelief.

---

At the same time, far from the capital, the news of Orochi's death reached Kaido of the Beasts.

"WHO DID THIS?!"

Kaido roared with such fury that the massive jug of sake in his hand shattered instantly. The subordinate who brought the news nearly collapsed in fear.

"Who dared kill that bastard, Orochi?!"

Though Orochi had always been a scheming worm, he had served a purpose. Kaido's control over Wano depended on him. He was the puppet ruler, and Kaido pulled the strings from behind the scenes. Now, that puppet was gone.

His head soaked in sake? It was more than murder—it was a message.

"Find out who's responsible!" Kaido bellowed again, slamming his fist into a nearby rack of barrels. The entire row exploded into splinters.

"Kaido sama, it might have been Vane," said Queen the Plague, cautiously stepping forward. "He's been in the Flower Capital these past few days."

Queen was right—and he knew it.

"Vane?" Kaido's eyes burned with fury. "That bastard Rhett Vane… So it was him! He dares to interfere with my affairs?!"

Kaido clenched his fists tightly, the bones within crackling like breaking stone. His very presence radiated fury, the floor beneath him trembling slightly.

"In Wano, no one dares to kill Orochi—except ME!"

He stood up, towering over everyone in the room. His aura was suffocating.

"It was Vane," he growled. "He didn't come here by accident. He came for power!"

"Kaido sama," said King the Wildfire, stepping forward. "Should we prepare to strike?"

"Destroy him!" Kaido shouted. "So he beat Big Mom? That bloated hag is nothing compared to me!"

With a single hand, he raised his massive kanabo. The spike-studded club looked more like a siege weapon than a handheld tool.

Even King and Queen tensed. Kaido's bloodlust was that intense.

"Where the hell is Jack?! I haven't seen that idiot in weeks!"

Kaido's sudden question left the room silent.

"Still no word," Queen muttered, irritation creeping into his voice. "I've tried the transponder snail several times. No response."

"Something might have happened," King said gravely.

"Try again," Kaido snapped. "Get him back here immediately!"

Queen scrambled to obey, pulling out his Den Den Mushi and dialing again.

---

Meanwhile, on a small, isolated island lost somewhere in the New World…

Jack the Drought and a handful of his crew were stranded.

Days ago, their ship had been destroyed—shattered by Vane's attack. Everyone else on board had been lost. The survivors, including Jack, had washed ashore on this forgotten stretch of rock.

They had no supplies. No ship. No means of escape.

And until today, no communication.

But at that moment, as if fate were mocking them, Jack's Den Den Mushi rang.

Brrrr-brrrr…

He grabbed it immediately. If it was ringing, that meant it had miraculously survived its seawater bath—and someone was calling.

"Jack, where the hell are you, you dumb bastard?!" came Queen's furious voice on the line.

Jack sighed. "I'm stuck on a deserted island—"

"Save it! We're about to go to WAR with the Godfall Pirates, and Kaido sama is losing his mind! Get back here NOW!"

"War? With Vane…?"

Jack was stunned.

"Don't waste time! If you don't return, Kaido sama will have your head!"

With that, Queen slammed the transponder shut.

Jack blinked.

"I'm on an island without a ship… How the hell am I supposed to get back?!"

He turned to his few surviving crewmates. Their faces were pale and confused, just as lost as he was.

"The war's already begun," Jack muttered. "And if I don't return, I'll be next."

But there was still one problem—no boat.

He stared out at the endless ocean.

"I guess I better call again."

---

Vote w Power stones.