When Swords Clash (A One Piece Fanfic: Roronoa Zoro)

CHAPTER 12

A Cold Warrior

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Tonoyasu—no, the former daimyo of Hakumai, Shimotsuke Yasuie's voice echoed across the scattered parts of Wano.

Light-scrolls—a form of broadcasting equipment unique only to Wano—were used to telecast a livestream of the old man on walls and buildings. Despite being battered and bruised, that trademark grin known for Ebisu settlers never wavered on his face.

Brook panted as he kept up with the others who were rushing towards the capital. They passed by occasional screens showing Yasuie's face, but no one stopped as they continued forward.

"Can you hear me, Orochi?"

Brook glanced at the screen for a millisecond and saw Tonoyasu hung high up on a wooden pole in some form of a crucifixion. Onlookers and ordinary citizens were crowding in front of the screen, some bemused and some horrified at the state of their once-proud daimyo.

"All you have done to our bountiful forests and fields and rivers and villages.. is pollute and corrupt them with your sludge and greed!"

"Kurozumi Orochi. You are nothing.. but a vermin!"

Brook caught by the corner of his eye how the red haired samurai—Katana, lightly flinched. Had he not been running at the very back of their group, he would have failed to notice.

"Katana-san? Are you alright?"

He received no reply.

One thing Brook noticed about this samurai was that she was a woman of few words. If she wasn't in the mood, you'll be left like a sitting duck, waiting for a response that was never going to arrive. And if you were lucky, maybe she wouldn't send you her trademark brooding glare, as if you took her grandma and fed it to wolves and she was planning her revenge plan that included a very meticulous method of dismembering you.

Very specific, I know.

Cold, she was, Brook thought. And mystifying.

From the light-scrolls, they heard Yasuie tell off the Shogun and his cowardice for the past twenty years.

Brook knew that if he kept it up, his death would come a lot sooner. But still..

He looked at the screen.

Yasuie was still smiling. How?

"Cover your children's eyes! For now, the final daimyo serving the Kozuki.. nay, the friendly oddball of Ebisu, shall make the final grand journey! In fact, I think I'll go singing! And a one, and a two—"

"This is bad, we need to hurry—" Hiyori was interrupted by the sound of a barrage of gunshots.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Screams from the citizens echoed from the light-scrolls, before eventually, the live feed was cut off.

Deep inside, Brook knew they were too late. He had no connection with this old man, but hearing Toko's desperate cries as she reached for her father swelled pity for her, and anger towards the Shogun.

Kurozumi.. Orochi.

Truly, that name is a curse, he concluded.

As the group finally reached the execution grounds, they realized they weren't the only ones who had rushed into the capital. Beggars from Ebisu town had raided the grounds, running with tears and smiles. Up till now, Brook didn't know whether they were serious or just taking it all as a joke.