[RLOP] Chapter : 32 - Anger

“What a strange-looking fruit…” Following Lucci’s gaze, Hiyori’s eyes fell on the grotesque, orange-yellow apple resting inside the box.

Its skin was etched with snake-scale-like patterns, jagged claw-shaped ridges, and eerie black stripes that seemed to pulse with a menacing aura.

“These markings… they look just like the great yokai of legend—the Nue,” Hiyori murmured, almost entranced, as though the fruit itself was casting a spell on her.

“Correct.” Lucci caught the flicker of unease in her expression and added flatly, “This is the Nue Form.”

He paused before continuing, “A Mythical Zoan—one of the rarest Animal-type Devil Fruits that exist on the seas.” His gaze then shifted to Shutenmaru.

“Oi, oi, oi—what’s with that look? I was just about to call you Lucci-sama, you know!” Shutenmaru tipped back the last drop of wine from his gourd, then raised his voice toward the rowdy bandits.

“Lads! Tell me, who drinks the first cup of wine?!”

“The boss!” they roared back in unison.

“And who takes the first bite of meat?!”

“The boss!”

“And who gets the first beauty to—”

“Cough, cough…” Shutenmaru froze mid-sentence, an icy chill running down his spine. He didn’t need to look far to find the source—Princess Hiyori, smiling sweetly at him.

Wait… black aura? Since when did she have that?

For a fleeting instant, crimson eyes gleamed in the shadows, sharp and feral. But in the blink of an eye, they vanished, leaving behind nothing but her delicate, charming face.

“Tch… kids these days are terrifying…” he muttered under his breath.

Still, he quickly raised his empty gourd and grinned, “Well, whatever the case, victory decides ownership. That fruit is yours, spoils of war. Do with it as you like.”

Then, squinting at Lucci, he added, “Though between us, I’m far more interested in your martial arts than any Devil Fruit.”

His tone grew sharper, thoughtful. “That burst of speed… that body like tempered steel… and those punches carrying shockwaves. That wasn’t just ordinary Ryuo, was it?”

“Correct,” Lucci admitted without hesitation. “That was the Rokushiki.”

“Rokushiki?” Shutenmaru frowned. For someone who’d never left Wano’s shores, the name meant nothing.

Lucci explained evenly, “Soru—high-speed steps that create explosive recoil for sudden movement. Tekkai—hardening muscles like iron by accelerating blood flow. Rokuogan—the technique I developed by pushing the Rokushiki to their limit.”

He ticked them off one by one. “Kami-e, Geppo, Rankyaku, Shigan… Together, they form the Rokushiki.”

Shutenmaru stroked his chin, listening intently. For the strong, the Rokushiki might seem redundant. But for rookies, they were like a sacred manual—a way to forge body and spirit.

“Hmph. So besides that Rokuogan, none of it sounds too difficult,” Shutenmaru said after some thought.

Lucci gave a faint nod. For someone of Shutenmaru’s caliber, all he needed was the principle. His battle-hardened body could do the rest. Still, in practice, the Rokushiki were often outclassed by dual-colored Haki—except for those like Lucci, who fused them seamlessly into his fighting style.

Even so, Lucci relied mostly on Soru and Geppo now. Rokuogan was still a work in progress, awaiting the day he could blend the White Tiger’s essence into it.

“How about it? Interested in learning?” Lucci asked, glancing at Hiyori and signaling her to close the box.

Shutenmaru considered, then shook his head. “No. My path is already set. Armament and Observation are far more practical than Tekkai or Kami-e. And Rankyaku and Shigan can’t match my sword. But Geppo and Soru… those, I might try.”

“That’s a wise choice,” Lucci replied without surprise.

But while Shutenmaru declined, the others present hadn’t missed a word. Their eyes glittered with desperate curiosity. For them—men who could barely grasp the basics of Haki—the Rokushiki could mean survival.

Even Yamato had edged closer, practically leaning on Lucci’s leg, eyes shining.

“Lucci-sama,” Hiyori said softly, “could you teach me?”

“Me too! Teach me, teach me!” Yamato chimed in, waving her hand.

The bandits, though silent, stared at Lucci with barely concealed hope.

“…The Rokushiki training is brutal,” Lucci warned after a pause. “It can cost you your life.”

Hiyori stiffened, then clasped her hands and met his gaze with rare determination. “Even so… I want to grow stronger, so I can always stand at your side, Lucci-sama.”

Her voice was firm, her cheeks unblushing for the first time.

“I’m not scared either!” Yamato grinned, sticking out her tongue. “For someone who’s been beaten half her life, it’s gonna take a lot more than training to kill me!”

“…Very well. Once Orochi is dealt with, I’ll establish an academy. I’ll teach you everything I know.”

“Yay! Then I’ll challenge Father to a duel!” Yamato cheered.

“Thank you, Lucci-sama,” Hiyori whispered, brimming with joy.

The bandits erupted in cheers, some crying, some laughing, others already boasting.

Shutenmaru watched quietly, a rare smile tugging at his lips. Perhaps… following this man wasn’t such a mistake after all.

Just as he was about to continue explaining, Lucci cut him off with a slight shake of his head.

“If it’s Kaido we’re talking about, you don’t need to worry.” His gaze slid toward Hiyori, eyes silently asking, Didn’t you tell him anything?

Hiyori, after slipping another piece of fruit between his lips, nervously twirled a lock of hair around her finger.

“Kaido…? Kaido?”

Shutenmaru frowned in confusion.

“Um… Lucci-sama is an executive of the Beasts Pirates, and Sister Yamato is Kaido’s daughter,” Hiyori explained, her voice cautious.

When she finished, she glanced anxiously at Shutenmaru.

“I see… so that’s why that girl had horns like Kaido. If she’s his daughter, then it makes sense. Wait—what the hell?!”

The realization hit him like a hammer. Shutenmaru’s eyes darted from Yamato to Hiyori, and finally locked on Lucci.

What is this madness?

The daughter of my late lord… with the daughter of her father’s killer?
And now I’m expected to follow that killer’s subordinate to topple Orochi?

The contradiction twisted violently inside his chest. He searched Hiyori’s face for any sign of coercion—some hint she was being forced.

But there was none.

“What? Second thoughts already? I’ll tell you now—the Devil Fruit won’t be returned.”

Lucci’s indifferent voice cut through his turmoil. He watched Shutenmaru’s shifting expressions without the slightest ripple of sympathy.

He had never cared much for Kozuki Oden’s retainers. Why should he? He already knew the tides of history. Winning their loyalty wasn’t worth the effort when there were far better prospects elsewhere. Protecting Robin. Awakening Enel. Killing Celestial Dragons before Hancock’s eyes. Even tricking Ace in East Blue into leaving behind a child.

West Blue. Sky Island. Mariejois.

At this very moment, Robin was probably scavenging to survive. Enel hadn’t yet eaten his Rumble-Rumble Fruit. Hancock… what year had Fisher Tiger climbed the Red Line again?

As for East Blue… better not risk it. Running into Garp would mean dragging Kaido out for a rescue.

Lucci’s thoughts wandered lazily, broken only by the morsels Hiyori occasionally pressed to his mouth.

Meanwhile, Shutenmaru’s mind was spiraling. Torn between the memory of his master and the pleas of his master’s daughter, alongside this cold-eyed young man he had just acknowledged.

But then the truth struck him.

He was Oden’s retainer. Not the Kozuki clan’s dog.

He had never cared about restoring the Kozuki line or chasing some prophecy. Hiding in the mountains as a bandit had been the full measure of his loyalty.

And now—Denjiro was dead.
The prophecy had already failed.
Kin’emon and the others? Who knew if they would even return?

Was he really going to gamble his life on a lie?

No.

“It seems you’ve decided,” Lucci said flatly, unfazed by the sudden calm in Shutenmaru’s eyes.

It made sense. In the end, the only so-called “righteous” Wano samurai who died in the coming war were Izo and Shutenmaru—two men who had been loyal to Oden, but never to Momonosuke.

There were even whispers that the Nine Red Scabbards killed them off, unwilling to stomach retainers who wouldn’t bow to the Kozuki heir. The truth was less dramatic, but the fact remained: Izo and Shutenmaru had always been the least loyal to the Kozuki name.

“The prophecy was false. I won’t waste my life on it,” Shutenmaru rumbled.

Lucci met his gaze, unbothered.

And as if to guard his pride, Shutenmaru added quickly, “I haven’t changed. Only the strong earn my obedience.”

This time Lucci’s reply was serious, his expression sharp. “A wise and understandable choice. I’ll only grow stronger.”

Beside them, Hiyori exhaled a quiet breath of relief. She hadn’t wanted her first mission for Lucci to fail.

“In terms of strength, I’m not inferior to you. If we kept fighting, I’d win eventually,” Shutenmaru muttered, though his voice lacked conviction.

“But tell me—why doesn’t Kaido defeat Orochi himself? If he wanted to replace the shogun, he could do it with one hand.”

“This is a trial,” Lucci answered, his tone calm, weaving half-truth with half-lie. “Kaido-san can no longer bear to watch Wano suffer. So he sent his daughter to liberate it. As for himself… he has more pressing matters.”

Of course, he couldn’t exactly admit Kaido’s real intention was just to test him against rebellious samurai.

…Rebellious samurai? Where were those again? Never mind. Slaughtering them all would count as a victory.

“Can’t bear to see Wano suffer…” Shutenmaru’s lip twitched, but before he could scoff, a Den Den Mushi rang sharply.

“Purupurupuru~”

Lucci’s brows furrowed. He had already arranged everything before leaving, setting routes and contingencies. If something happened, Hattori was to be contacted first—and only Hattori could decide whether to reach him. The bird’s language was unintelligible to anyone else. That ensured no leaks.

“Lucci-sama, allow me,” Hiyori said softly, reaching into his coat. After fumbling a bit, she pulled out the Den Den Mushi and flipped it open.

“Gacha.”

A burst of frantic bird cries erupted from the receiver.

“Coo coo coo! Coo coo!”

Lucci’s expression hardened. “Hiyori—we’ll rendezvous in the Flower Capital.”

Before anyone could respond—

A massive white tiger with wings burst out of the hall, its colossal form smashing bandits against the walls in a single sweep.

“Gah! What hit me?!”
“Why is it so dark?!”
“Dark, my ass, it’s already night!”
“Wait—did Lucci just… get bigger?!”

The impact vanished as suddenly as it came. When the bandits regained their senses, the hall was in ruins, a gaping hole torn through the ceiling.

“This…” Shutenmaru stared up at the distant streak of light racing through the sky. He swallowed hard. “Princess Hiyori… was that… a Devil Fruit power?”

“That’s right. Lucci-sama possesses the White Tiger Mythical Zoan.”

Shutenmaru’s face paled. Mythical Zoans granted terrifying boosts in battle. If he had struggled against Lucci in human form, then in beast form… he’d be nothing but a punching bag.

But Hiyori wasn’t paying attention to him. Her eyes darted across the ruined hall until she spotted a wooden box shoved into a corner. Rushing over, she clutched it tightly in her arms.

“Thank goodness… it’s still here.”

Inside lay the Devil Fruit, untouched. She closed the box with trembling hands, suppressing the temptation that burned in her chest.

“Hiyori, where is Lucci?” Shutenmaru asked.

“I don’t know,” she admitted softly, still hugging the box. “But Lucci-sama said we’ll meet in the Flower Capital.”

High above the night sky, Lucci’s tiger eyes blazed with killing intent as he hurtled toward Onigashima like a falling star.

For the first time in a long while, he wasn’t calm.

Because Hattori’s message had been clear:

The Castle is in danger. Return immediately!