One Piece: Silent-Silent Fruit

At that moment, inside the main hall of the General's Residence, a group of dancing girls were swaying gracefully in performance.

On both sides sat the commanders who led the troops of Fujimitsu's domain.

And seated in the place of honor at the very center of the hall...

Was General Fujimitsu himself.

"Hah! That brat from the Saito household publicly declared that he would take this old man's head within a hundred days. I won't even give him a hundred days!" General Fujimitsu sneered from the main seat. "Not long ago, I already sent ninja to bring me his head. With a ninja's speed, they should have reached the Saito household by now. At this very moment, they've probably already cut off that Saito brat's head and are on their way back!"

His expression grew colder and crueler.

"When that brat's head arrives, I'll use his skull as a wine jug!"

"General is invincible in war. How could that little Saito whelp possibly dare offend your tiger's might?" one commander immediately said.

"Exactly! That Saito brat only became General because he inherited his father's shadow. Compared to you, General, he's nothing at all. Daring to speak such madness is simply asking for death."

"Please give the order, General, and let us march on the Saito household! I'm willing to be the vanguard. I swear I'll be the first to storm into Sunset City of the Saito domain!"

Below, the commanders raised their cups one after another.

Some flattered him.

Some raged on his behalf.

Some eagerly begged to lead the attack.

All kinds of shameless praise and bootlicking came crashing down on Fujimitsu like a storm.

And Fujimitsu, at this moment, was in an excellent mood.

Just as he was about to say something else—

A discordant voice suddenly rang out.

"So... you're that old man Fujimitsu?"

The voice was calm.

But it instantly shattered the atmosphere in the hall.

"Who's there?!"

General Fujimitsu barked sharply.

At the same time, more than a dozen ninja and samurai instantly appeared, surrounding Fujimitsu in tight formation and locking him behind layers of protection.

"You were just talking about me a moment ago," the voice sounded again. "And you forgot already?"

But no matter whether it was General Fujimitsu, the samurai commanders around him, or even the ninja guarding the hall—

Not a single one of them could locate the owner of that voice.

All they could do was frantically search in every direction.

"Saito brat?!"

Fujimitsu's expression changed abruptly.

"How are you here?!"

"Didn't General Fujimitsu want my head?" Rosinante's voice echoed again. "There's no need to send ninja to fetch it. I brought it here myself. If you've got the ability, come take it."

The moment they heard those words, every samurai and ninja in the hall tensed instantly.

Their expressions turned grave.

Their eyes swept the room with heightened caution.

At the same time, large numbers of soldiers rushed in from outside and completely surrounded the hall.

The entire General's Residence erupted into chaos.

Countless soldiers began flooding toward the area, encircling the hall inside and out until it was sealed tight on all sides.

"So Tsubasa's made his move," Hashirama said outside the residence, where he and Madara had been waiting as backup, watching the commotion erupt within the lord's mansion.

"Looks like he might be in a bit of trouble," Hashirama said, peering at the chaos. "With this many people gathering in the hall, no matter how good Tsubasa's stealth is, it'll be hard for him to act, right?"

Madara immediately narrowed his eyes.

"What are you planning?"

At this point, Madara knew Hashirama so well that the moment Hashirama so much as twitched, he could already guess what he was about to do.

...Though the metaphor that flashed through his mind was so ridiculous he mentally cursed himself for it.

In any case—

The moment Hashirama said that, Madara already knew.

This idiot was about to start something.

"Look, everyone's gathering in the hall," Hashirama said. "Even if Tsubasa's stealth is incredible, with so many people packed together, it won't be easy for him to move. So let's go help him spread out the pressure a little!"

"You're just bored and want to fight," Madara said flatly. "Don't make it sound so noble."

He paused, then added:

"...But sitting here waiting is pretty boring."

"Right? Exactly!" Hashirama said excitedly, looking like he had found a kindred spirit. "Since we're already here, how can we just sit around doing nothing? I refuse to do something that boring. And we can't let Tsubasa underestimate us either!"

"True," Madara said coldly. "We can't let him look down on us."

The two exchanged a glance.

Then, in the very next instant—

Swish!

Both of them vanished from where they stood.

Two figures flashed forward at terrifying speed and shot straight into the lord's residence.

Inside the hall, General Fujimitsu roared angrily:

"Saito brat! If you have the guts, come out! Hiding in the shadows and playing tricks, what kind of skill is that?!"

"Are you sure you want me to come out?"

Rosinante's calm voice echoed once more through the hall.

"Because the moment I appear... is the moment your head falls."

"This old man's head is right here!" Fujimitsu sneered coldly, his voice still carrying the arrogance of a warlord. "If you've got the skill, then come take it!"

He truly was a formidable tyrant in his own right.

Even now, in the face of an unseen assassin, he still held himself with ruthless authority.

But in the very next moment—

Blood exploded into the air.

A head flew high upward.

"GENERAL!!"

Every person in the hall screamed in shock.

That head spinning through the air...

Was General Fujimitsu's.

When it hit the ground and rolled to a stop, his face was still frozen in that same cold sneer.

He had never imagined—

That the very next instant, he would be decapitated on the spot.

At that moment, every weapon in the hall swung around at once, aimed toward the figure who had suddenly appeared behind General Fujimitsu and severed his head with a single strike.

Rosinante stood there calmly.

Unbothered by the countless blades pointed at him.

He casually grabbed Fujimitsu's severed head by the hair and lifted it up.

"I told you already," Rosinante said lightly. "The moment I appear... is the moment your head changes owners."

"Bastard!"

One of the commanders roared in fury.

"Don't touch the General! Everyone, attack! Kill him, and there'll be a massive reward!"

The moment those words fell—

Every samurai and ninja in the hall lunged at Rosinante at once.