Not long after, under Shinobu's guidance, a massive eagle and vulture carried several people high into the sky.
Before long, they spotted Bian Li Village.
"That's Kasa Village, Master Wilhelm~."
Shinobu pointed to the village below and spoke respectfully.
"Whoosh—"
Wilhelm nodded but had no intention of landing.
Using his powerful and unique Observation Haki, he locked onto the location of the swordsmith, Kouzuki Sukiyaki.
Then, without hesitation, he activated the powers of the Warp-Warp Fruit.
In an instant, the Second Generation Kitetsu, which had been stored inside the house, along with the legendary swords Ame no Habakiri and Enma, buried deep in the ground, were all in his possession.
"Swoosh..."
Three swords suddenly appeared out of thin air.
Shinobu froze in shock.
"These are..." She widened her eyes in disbelief. "Master Yasuie's Ame no Habakiri and Enma!?"
As a former retainer of Kozuki Oden, she instantly recognized these legendary swords, once known throughout the world.
"Amazing, we got them..."
Seeing Ame no Habakiri and Enma return to their rightful place, Miyamoto Musashi couldn't help but feel excited.
Since he carried Kozuki Oden's memories, he still had a deep attachment to these two blades.
"Li hee hee~ Now we have three more swords. Boss Wilhelm, are you planning to take all of them back?"
Pato, the civet cat, asked curiously.
Wilhelm simply shrugged.
"I'll give the Second Generation Kitetsu to Shiryu. I'm sure he'll love it."
For him, forging a supreme sword was far more important than collecting multiple blades.
In the past, he had combined legendary swords like the First Generation Kitetsu, the Shichiseiken, Tenseiga, and Raikiri.
With Dr. Hawkins' Munch-Munch Fruit ability, they were fused into a single, ultimate blade—Yunya.
Back then, Shiryu of the Rain had been jealous of the process.
So much so that he even asked Hawkins to use the Munch-Munch Fruit to reinforce his cursed blade, Thunderstorm, with Hawkins' indestructible alloy.
Now, by merging two monstrous swords, he aimed to create something just as powerful.
Even if it couldn't reach the level of a Supreme Grade blade, it wouldn't be far off.
And with Shiryu of the Rain's strength, controlling it wouldn't be a problem
As for the two giant snakes—
They were specially prepared for Shimotsuki Ryuma, the legendary Dragon Slayer, whom Shiryu of the Rain and Kuro, the Feathered Serpent, planned to bring back.
Hundreds of years ago, Ryuma was limited by the material of his famous sword, Shusui.
Although he had the strength to refine Shusui from an ordinary Great Grade sword into one of the world's rare Black Blades, making it one of the strongest swords at its level—
It was never able to reach the status of a Supreme Grade Blade.
"These swords are nothing special compared to this..."
Wilhelm suddenly reached into thin air.
A bright red Devil Fruit, shaped like an apple, appeared in his hand.
"Huh? What's that?"
"Boss, did you find a Devil Fruit?"
Shinobu, Pato, and Miyamoto Musashi were immediately drawn to the strange fruit in Wilhelm's grasp.
They had all seen Devil Fruits before, so they recognized it right away.
They were surprised—
They hadn't expected Wilhelm to find a Devil Fruit here.
"What a lucky find." Wilhelm chuckled.
He knew exactly what this was—
The Paramecia-type Dumpling-Dumpling Fruit.
While it wouldn't directly increase someone's combat strength, its ability was incredibly useful.
With this power, anyone who ate the dumplings made from the fruit could tame wild beasts, no matter how vicious they were.
Once fed, even the fiercest creatures would become completely obedient to the user's commands.
It was a perfect tool for their plans.
Wilhelm just wasn't sure—
Would it work on Sea Kings?
"AHH! WHERE'S MY SECOND GENERATION KITETSU!?"
A loud, hysterical voice suddenly echoed from the house below.
"WHICH DAMN THIEF STOLE MY SWORD!?"
Tenseiga Kitetsu had completely lost it.
Losing the Second Generation Kitetsu, a sword passed down through generations, had driven him mad.
Shinobu sighed, feeling a bit helpless.
She glanced at Ame no Habakiri and Enma, now firmly in Miyamoto Musashi's hands.
She hesitated for a moment—
But she knew—
There was nothing she could do to stop them.
Not only was Wilhelm her savior, but he had also accomplished what Shinobu had failed at repeatedly—
He had killed Orochi.
The same Orochi she had tried to assassinate time and time again, only for him to slip away each time.
No matter how she looked at it—
Wilhelm had avenged Lord Oden.
She could only comfort herself with that thought.
Taking a deep breath, she muttered:
"Accepting these two swords... is like accepting them on behalf of Lord Oden."
"Let's go. We're heading to the Northern Cemetery."
Wilhelm spoke calmly as he put away the Paramecia-type Dumpling-Dumpling Fruit.
Hearing this, Shinobu's expression changed slightly.
The Northern Cemetery…?
That was the resting place of countless samurai in Wano.
Warriors who, before dying, left their swords behind as an offering.
Was he after the swords there?
Wilhelm, as if reading her mind, waved a hand dismissively.
"Relax. I'm not interested in those swords."
His voice was calm as he added:
"I have another reason for going there."
Shinobu let out a sigh of relief.
"That's good..."
Less than two hours later—
Under Shinobu's guidance, Finley, in his vulture form, carried them to the Northern Cemetery in Wano's Ringing Bell region.
The air was freezing cold—
Snow and ice howled through the graveyard.
Shinobu, who hadn't prepared for this bitter chill, trembled violently.
Yet, the freezing temperature had no effect on Wilhelm, Pato, or Miyamoto Musashi.
"Shhh!!"
A massive burst of Observation Haki swept across the entire cemetery.
Immediately, Wilhelm sensed everything—
The countless crossed swords embedded in the ground.
The scattered bones of fallen warriors.
And then—
Something unexpected.
Wilhelm suddenly reached out.
A strangely shaped fruit appeared in his grasp.
"Another Devil Fruit!?"
Shinobu, still shivering, was stunned.
Pato, the civet cat, hopped onto Wilhelm's shoulder and grinned.
"Rihiihi~! Boss found another one!"
Miyamoto Musashi crossed his arms, clicking his tongue in mild amazement.
"Tsk, tsk... Unbelievable."
He glanced at Wilhelm.
"As expected of my lord. This kind of Observation Haki... it's like having invisible eyes scanning the entire area."
He smirked.
"To locate an exact target so easily— truly incredible."
In Wilhelm's hand—
The Mythical Zoan, Human-Human Fruit, Model: Great Buddha.
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You can read the advance chapters here : patreon.com/Vigilante04