Meanwhile, inside Udon Prison in Wano.
Dozens of prisoners continuously swung the shovels in their hands, furiously smashing away at the thick slabs of Seastone before them.
The short-statured Hyogoro was no exception.
However, at this moment, he had his ears perked up, quietly listening to the guards talking nearby.
The signal calling for the samurai to rise up and reopen Wano that had suddenly appeared yesterday had been completely beyond his expectations.
"Has Ashura gone mad? The Beasts Pirates may have left Wano, but choosing to reopen the country now... Forget whether they can withstand Kaido’s wrath afterward. They probably can’t even deal with Orochi’s forces. What’s the difference between this and the pointless sacrifice ten years ago?"
Hyogoro’s face turned grim as he muttered to himself.
Although he was deliberately targeted inside Udon Prison, that did not prevent him from gathering information.
Especially after Ashura Doji suddenly issued the call to reopen Wano, the matter had become a favorite topic of conversation among the guards.
The entire prison had become lively because of it. By now, practically everyone knew about the planned uprising.
"Old Man Hyo, eavesdropping again?"
An Alpacaman nearby darkened his expression and hurriedly lashed out with the whip in his hand.
"This time, Boss Kaido has pulled out all the main fighting forces of the Beasts Pirates. If it weren’t for you old geezers getting in our way, we’d be able to go fight too!"
"But don’t even dream about participating in this so-called war to reopen Wano. There may not be many of us here, but we’re still more than enough to deal with trash like you."
"And no matter what kind of trouble you people stir up, as long as Wano doesn’t have someone who can stand on equal footing with Lord Kaido, it’s all meaningless. You’ll all be dead afterward."
"As for us, we just need to sit here and enjoy the show!"
"Now get down and enjoy another taste of my whip!"
"Uncle Hyo, watch out!"
The prisoners in the distance immediately changed expression.
Because of his identity, Hyogoro had always been deliberately singled out.
As a result, his body had become extremely weak.
He was also frequently beaten.
If he took another beating from that whip now, he would probably be close to death.
However, with more than ten meters between them, explosive collars around their necks, and the guards watching them like hawks, the prisoners could do nothing but stare helplessly.
Hyogoro’s face turned slightly pale.
But after living like this day after day for decades, he had long since become accustomed to it.
The only thing he could do was close his eyes and endure.
Crack!
The heavy sound of a leather whip suddenly rang out.
Yet the pupils of everyone present contracted sharply, their faces filled with disbelief.
The expected pain never came.
Hyogoro froze before instinctively opening his eyes.
The moment he saw what was happening before him, his pupils likewise contracted.
A slender figure carrying a liquor gourd had somehow appeared in front of him.
"Young man, are you a prisoner? No... Who are you? How did you get in here?"
"This has nothing to do with you. Get out of here quickly, or you’ll get dragged into this!"
Hyogoro immediately became anxious.
He had no idea how Lucas had managed to enter Udon Prison, a place known to be virtually impregnable.
But if this young man had been dragged into trouble because of him, Hyogoro absolutely did not want to watch someone so young suffer because of him.
"Don’t worry. A place like this can’t hold me."
Lucas took a gulp of liquor, then glanced back at Hyogoro and the other prisoners who had once been samurai.
"I’m here to rescue you people this time."
"Rescue us?"
Hyogoro was stunned.
He was the first to lose his composure.
"Young man, are you joking? You’re only one person. How could you possibly rescue all of us?"
"And besides, why would you rescue us?"
The prisoners present, as well as the seven or eight guards nearby, were all filled with suspicion.
They simply couldn’t understand why this unexpected intruder had suddenly announced that he intended to rescue them.
"Why would I rescue you?"
Lucas smiled and shook the liquor gourd in his hand.
"Actually, there’s no particular reason."
"Although you people can’t exactly be considered special combat assets..."
"But you all look quite a bit like Berries. At ten thousand Berries apiece, I might even be able to make some money by selling you to Old Man Sengoku."
"So I’ve decided to take the deal!"
"Ten thousand each?"
Everyone present was dumbfounded.
Even Hyogoro was no exception.
He had never imagined that this unexpected visitor would sell them the moment he opened his mouth.
And for the astronomical price of ten thousand Berries each?
Could a human being really say something like that?
More importantly, even if they escaped Udon Prison, Wano was a tiny country.
Where could they possibly hide?
Before anyone could speak, the Alpacaman in the distance darkened his expression and roared furiously,
"You damn brat! How dare you sneak into Udon Prison and cause trouble!"
"Today, I’ll kill you!"
"Everyone, attack!"
Boom!
Two enormous figures suddenly descended from the sky!
The powerful gusts of wind and clouds of dust kicked up by their arrival swept outward in all directions.
Everyone else stared blankly at the two unexpected newcomers.
Only Hyogoro, who had once been the greatest yakuza boss in Wano, immediately recognized them.
"Nekomamushi and Inuarashi of the Nine Red Scabbards!"
"Why are you here?"
"Is Ashura’s campaign to reopen Wano really happening?"
"Heh. Master Hyogoro, I didn’t expect Lord Lucas’s words to be right. You really were here."
Inuarashi looked back at the frail old man who was completely different from the legendary figure he had once known and gave an awkward chuckle.
"But fortunately, you look like Berries and can still fetch a decent price."
"Otherwise, there would have been no way for us to find this place."
"That’s certainly something worth celebrating."
They had been sold, yet they were celebrating?
The prisoners were completely baffled.
But soon, they suddenly came to their senses.
They looked toward Hyogoro in utter disbelief.
"Uncle Hyo... you’re really Hyogoro of the Flower, the legendary yakuza boss?"
"Is that really true?"
"My god! Didn’t they say Boss Hyogoro had died? How could he possibly be here?"
"Those damn pirates and Orochi! They’ve been humiliating Boss Hyogoro right under our noses for decades!"
"That’s simply asking for death!"
"Quick! Spread the news to the other prison cells! Tell the other bosses that Boss Hyogoro is still alive!"
"Those bastards dared to humiliate Boss Hyogoro like this!"
"We’re going to kill them!"
The entire prison erupted into chaos.
As the most respected yakuza boss in Wano, Hyogoro held a position akin to that of a godfather.
For all these years, he had endured humiliation without revealing his true identity.
Everything had been done to prevent his identity from becoming leverage the guards could use against the other samurai.
At the same time, it prevented the other samurai from acting rashly and doing something foolish because of him.
Now, after several decades, seeing that these former youngsters still held him in such high regard, a faint smile appeared on Hyogoro’s face.
However, in the next moment, his expression suddenly changed when he saw what the Alpacaman was holding.
He immediately shouted,
"Get away from me!"
"Quickly!"
"Otherwise, you’ll die!"
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