28. B*****D Kaido

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Kurozumi Orochi, still riding the high of his banquet, froze immediately, his thoughts sharpening as he realized the timing. He had just been badmouthing Kaido, and suddenly, Kaido's Den Den Mushi was calling him. 

The thought crossed his mind that one of the people here might have reported him, but then he remembered—none of them had their own Den Den Mushi with them. It seemed impossible.

Raising his hand, he gestured to the geishas to stop their dancing, bringing the room to silence.

Answering Kaido's call wasn't something he could ignore.

"What's the matter, Kaido?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady, though it lacked his usual flattery.

"Worororo! You seem quite comfortable on your little throne, 'Shogun of Wanokuni.' Feels good, huh?" Kaido's laughter boomed from the other end, his tone thick with mockery. He'd clearly picked up on Orochi's change in attitude.

"Of course, I'm feeling great. I'm even holding a celebration banquet. But it's a shame that the main man—the one who made all this possible—didn't show up." Orochi's voice was steady, but he was uncertain what Kaido was getting at.

A loud hiccup came from Kaido. "Celebration banquet? Ha! Don't care for it! I just called to let you know that our partnership, you and me… it's over."

"What… what?!" Orochi's reaction was delayed, but when he processed Kaido's words, he practically shrieked in disbelief. "What do you mean, Kaido?"

"Worororo, nothing, we are not partners anymore."

Orochi's pupils contracted. "You're serious, Kaido?! Kozuki Oden is gone. Wanokuni's all set to become the land of weapons manufacturing, just like you wanted!" His voice grew desperate. "Or… are you afraid of some fleet Kozuki Oden left behind?!"

There was a brief pause on the line before Kaido's voice returned, laced with disdain. "Afraid? Of who, exactly? I fear no one! Just remember, our partnership may be over, but don't give me a reason to come and crush you."

"Then why, Kaido?" Orochi's voice was trembling now, and he suddenly seemed to grasp Kaido's intentions. Rage and fear surged within him. "You bastard! You plan to take all of Wanokuni for yourself, don't you?"

At this, all the members below gasped, their faces pale. They exchanged nervous glances, realizing the full scope of their predicament. They had betrayed the Kozuki for Orochi, swayed by Kaido's sheer intimidation and the promise of power. Without Kaido's support, their own security hung by a thread.

Desperate to regain his footing, Orochi stammered, "Don't forget, Kaido, Wanokuni has many fierce samurai! Without the proper right to rule, even you would face a massive revolt from the whole nation!"

His tone held a glimmer of confidence, but Orochi quickly shifted his approach, his voice dropping as he tried a new angle. "If it's more profit you want, then we can adjust the split—seventy percent to you, and thirty to me! Isn't that enough?"

Kurozumi Orochi, blinded by his desperation to keep his title and daily luxuries, hardly cared about the larger fate of Wanokuni as long as he could maintain his position.

"Worororo! Seeing how sincere you are, I'll let you in on the reason!" Kaido, who had sounded hostile before, now let out a booming laugh.

"Someone else struck a deal with me! Pirates care about profits, you know! This new offer tempts me far more than our arrangement. So, our partnership is over!"

"As for your little samurai problem, this other guy—he wants all of Wanokuni! Woohoo! I can't wait to see what he'll do!"

— Pat!

With that, the Den Den Mushi call ended as abruptly as it had started.

Orochi, halfway through a retort, was cut off and angrily tossed the Den Den Mushi aside.

— Boom!

"That bastard Kaido!!!" Orochi roared, slamming his fist onto the table. His frustration ignited his Devil Fruit powers, causing him to transform into an eight-headed serpent, his monstrous form twisting with rage.

"What should we do now, Lord Orochi?" 

The geisha had already been dismissed, and the members of the Royal Court, having overheard the entire call, were now anxiously questioning him.

They all understood Kaido's terrifying power and the influence of anyone who could make Kaido break his alliance. Such a figure's strength must be formidable, to say the least.

Orochi, his eight heads scanning the room, turned his gaze toward Kurozumi Semimaru, the aged barrier user who now served as his primary advisor after the strategist Higurashi's death. Semimaru, usually silent and vigilant, showed no reaction, offering no guidance in this critical moment.

Seeing this, Orochi's expression darkened. Then, an idea struck him, and he spoke with newfound conviction. "Yes! Kaido mentioned that an outsider wants all of Wanokuni! Well, I'm the country's rightful general, so if he wants Wanokuni, he'll have to go through me!"

The Court members nodded, picking up on his confidence, though the tension in the room was palpable.

With the festive mood of the banquet completely shattered, Orochi turned to his supporters and issued orders: "Double the defenses around Orochi City. Report any suspicious activity to me immediately!"

"I'll go myself to find Kaido and have a proper talk with him!"

"Semimaru, you're coming with me this time…" Orochi trailed off as his gaze fell upon an unexpected figure standing silently behind Semimaru.

The sight made his blood run cold. He gasped, "Semimaru! Behind you!"

Before his warning was fully spoken, a swift, deadly flash cut through the air—a streak of blood arced in the dimly lit hall, and the wind roared as Kurozumi Semimaru, Orochi's last trusted aide, collapsed in a pool of his own blood.