Chapter 435: Chapter 499— I can't lift the stick anymore.
Liu Feng's voice echoed through the land, carrying with it the weight of finality. His words struck with the force of a storm, rippling across the battlefield and beyond, reaching even the furthest corners of Wano Country.
The silence that followed was heavy—almost suffocating. The people of Wano, who had been cowering under Orochi's tyrannical rule for so long, now faced a new reality.
The man who had promised them nothing but suffering was gone, reduced to nothing more than blood and shattered bones. For the first time in decades, hope flickered in the hearts of the oppressed, though many could hardly believe it.
Members of the Beasts Pirates, who had once followed Orochi's every command, now stood frozen, their faces pale and filled with uncertainty.
Their leader was dead, his power stripped away by Liu Feng, and their once unshakable confidence crumbled beneath the weight of the change unfolding before them.
Liu Feng, standing amidst the wreckage of the battle, felt the eyes of all of them—fearful, hopeful, uncertain—on him. But he didn't flinch, didn't waver. He stood as a force of nature, unyielding in the face of the storm he had set in motion.
"Rise up and fight," he repeated, his voice now carrying a tinge of command, firm and unwavering.
"The shackles are broken. Your country is yours to reclaim."
The people of Wano, those who had suffered under Orochi's iron fist, began to stir. Whispers spread like wildfire, and though the path to true freedom would be long and fraught with challenges, they now had a spark of hope.
A new dawn had come, one forged by Liu Feng's actions, a dawn that promised a future free from the darkness that had ruled their lives for far too long.
Liu Feng glanced around one last time, his gaze settling on the remnants of the Orochi. "This country will rebuild," he murmured to himself, more as a promise than a statement. And with that, he turned, his figure disappearing into the distance, leaving behind a land on the brink of change.
After a brief silence, the entire Wano Country erupted into chaos. The people began to rise in revolt. The slaves, who had been forced into grueling labor by the Beasts Pirates to produce weapons day and night, the samurai who had endured the brutal rule of Black Charcoal Orochi, and the citizens of Wano, whose families had been torn apart and oppressed, all found their courage.
They gritted their teeth, armed themselves with various weapons, and launched a rebellion against those who had once enslaved and ruled them with arrogance. Fighting erupted everywhere across Wano Country.
At the same time, the trusted troops of Kurozumi Orochi, the Orochi Oniwabanshu, were struck with shock upon seeing Orochi. They immediately lost their will to continue fighting.
These death squads, trained by Orochi himself, had lived with one purpose: to serve him. Without him as their leader, they felt as though they had lost their very reason for existence and lacked direction.
Koshiro seized the opportunity and swiftly eliminated them all with his sword, showing no mercy. Zephyr's eyelids twitched in surprise.
Although he had known Koshiro for years, this was the first time he had seen this side of him. Koshiro, always gentle, now revealed a decisive, murderous edge. It seemed this honest man was truly frightening when provoked!
Meanwhile, on the distant battlefield, two figures—one large, one small—collided fiercely, like a comet striking the earth.
Their battle raged with intensity and ferocity, neither showing fear. With every clash, the ground shook, the sky cracked, and the wind howled.
Dust and sparks flew into the air. The Golden Lion, with a fierce, scarlet fighting spirit, abandoned his previous agile tactics and chose to engage Kaido, the monstrous powerhouse, in close combat!
"Hahahaha!!!"
"Kaido! It seems you haven't improved over the years!"
"Can't even lift your mace?"
The Golden Lion swung his twin swords wildly, sending sharp blades of light raining down on Kaido's forehead like a storm.
"Damn it!! Shiki, you bastard!!"
Kaido growled, furious, as he was forced to retreat step by step.
Kaido paid no attention to the battle before him. Both he and the Golden Lion knew each other's strengths well, and the fight between them would not be so intense.
The outcome would be decided quickly. Even in a life-and-death struggle, it was uncertain who would win.
After all, the two had once been partners on the same ship and were familiar with each other's moves, abilities, fighting styles, and tactics.
This wasn't their first fight; over the years, due to various reasons, they had clashed countless times—so many that they couldn't be counted on two hands.
At the start, Kaido had focused his attention on Kurozumi Orochi, not the Golden Lion. Despite his deep disdain for Orochi, a lucky upstart, Kaido understood that the navy posed a serious threat. Even he, arrogant as he was, realized that their only chance of survival was to join forces with Orochi. But when Kaido saw Liu Feng's hand pressing down on Orochi's head, his heart sank.
"Oh no!"
Sure enough, it only took a few seconds for Orochi to be killed instantly.
"What a useless fool!"
Kaido cursed, swinging his mace to force the Golden Lion back. Then, his body suddenly transformed into a massive dragon as he soared into the sky. The Golden Lion's expression shifted slightly.
Kaido was trying to escape!