As for Pudding, Kaguya concealed the truth about her being Big Mom's daughter. She simply said Pudding was a girl she picked up on the road and instructed the Marines on her ship to send her to Gion, adding that it was on her orders—Gion would understand.
In Kaguya's view, since Big Mom was already dead and Pudding was still a child, it would be better to place her in the Navy. At least the environment would be safer, and she wouldn't have to live in fear.
Keeping Pudding at her side was too dangerous. The girl had no ability to protect herself, and it would also be inconvenient when handling secret matters—especially with such a scheming little girl around.
As for Edo Tensei, it was an extremely powerful jutsu from the Naruto world. Its brilliance lay in being able to summon the dead from the underworld to serve the summoner. Although the revived individual's strength might drop slightly, they gained insanely fast regeneration and unlimited chakra.
Kaguya had considered using the technique long ago, but there hadn't been anyone worth resurrecting. Plus, she wasn't sure if Edo Tensei would even work on characters from the One Piece world.
But now it was clear—it worked just fine.
What surprised her even more was that those resurrected retained their Devil Fruit powers. This was similar to Nagato's case in Naruto, where even after his Rinnegan had been removed, the Edo Tensei version still had it.
That put Kaguya at ease. She'd been worried that if they were revived without their Devil Fruits, their combat power would drop significantly.
The only question now was whether these Edo Tensei revivals retained their old weakness to water.
The area stretched into an endless desert—winds blowing up sand and stones in all directions, a barren and desolate land.
Kaguya followed the group of what seemed like local militia toward a nearby village, but when they arrived, the sight surprised her.
The town was in ruins. Walls were riddled with bullet holes and scars, with collapsed buildings and burn marks everywhere. It looked like a war zone.
"What happened here? Was there a war?" Kaguya asked curiously.
A young man sighed and replied, "Yes. A few months ago, the Holy War Army and the Government Army fought a brutal battle here. We barely managed to push them back."
"Holy War Army?" Kaguya blinked. "What's that?"
Being stared at by Kaguya's eyes—clear as autumn water—the young man's face turned red, and he stammered, "T-They're fighting to overthrow tyranny..."
Cough cough!
Before he could finish, a tall, dark-haired man with a chiseled face stepped forward. "Didn't I tell you never to speak of this in front of outsiders? Have you forgotten?"
The young man's face flushed in shame. "Ah—sorry, Captain Chaka. I'll remember next time."
The man named Chaka walked over and stared at Kaguya with sharp, blade-like eyes. "I don't know who you are or what you're here for, but I suggest you stay out of this. It won't do you any good."
With that, he turned and walked away.
This guy wasn't very strong, but he sure acted tough.
What caught Kaguya's attention more was that he looked familiar—but she couldn't quite remember where she'd seen him.
Oh well. Probably just some nameless grunt.
"There's a hotel and an inn nearby. If you don't mind, you can eat there," an elderly man said kindly.
Kaguya smiled and replied politely, "Thank you. I appreciate it."
Just then, shouts rang out from the distance.
"Bad news! The rebels are here! The rebels are coming!"
With the shouting, the town's alarm bell began to ring.
DONG DONG DONG!
Panic swept through the streets. Residents scrambled in all directions, rushing into homes and slamming doors and windows shut. Street vendors abandoned their stalls, fleeing in terror. Cries, screams, and chaos filled the air.
The unit Kaguya had encountered earlier swiftly regrouped, gripping their weapons and moving into defensive positions with practiced coordination. They were clearly battle-hardened.
"Prepare for battle!"
Captain Chaka was among them, shouting orders as he waved his arms to organize the defense.
Spotting Kaguya, he ran over, frustration in his voice. "What are you doing here? Get out of here, now! Do you want to die?!"
Yelling at her? He's got guts.
Kaguya's expression turned cold.
No one had dared speak to her like that in a long time. The last ones who did were already feeding fish at the bottom of the ocean.
She raised her leg, ready to kick him into the next town, but just then, a wave of sand rose in the distance like a coming storm, surging toward them.
With her sharp eyesight, Kaguya instantly saw the truth—it wasn't a sandstorm, but an army. At least a thousand strong, clad in armor and fully armed, charging forward on horseback.
So that's the rebel army they mentioned?
What a bunch of fodder.
Kaguya sneered inwardly. No wonder these yokels were so panicked. In her eyes, these were just cannon fodder.
Then again, it made sense. To normal people, the freaks of the Grand Line were monsters.
The enemy rapidly approached—their thunderous hooves audible even from a distance. Chaka gave up trying to deal with Kaguya and rushed back to the front line, yelling orders to fortify the barricades and prepare to fight.
"Charge!"
"Charge!"
"Charge!"
The rebel army and the Holy War Army clashed with thunderous force. Gunfire cracked like popcorn, and the front ranks of the rebels fell like wheat being harvested. But the cavalry pushed forward relentlessly, storming in like a whirlwind and tearing a hole in the defense.
"Damn it," Chaka cursed under his breath. If the rebels broke through, the consequences would be dire.
Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a flash of silver. He turned and his pupils shrank in shock.
That silver-haired girl—Kaguya—was somehow standing at the very front line.
With cavalry charging straight at her, she was surely doomed.
"Idiot!" Chaka roared, leaping forward. In mid-air, his body transformed into a black jackal, sprinting like the wind toward Kaguya.
But it was too late. The cavalry had already reached her.
At the critical moment, Kaguya slid to the side, narrowly dodging the charge. She picked up a discarded rifle from the ground, aimed at the oncoming cavalry, and pulled the trigger.
Bang bang bang!
Three clean shots rang out. Three cavalrymen fell from their horses, each with a bullet hole in the forehead.
Captain Chaka's eyes narrowed.
Fast reflexes. Dead-on aim.
This seemingly delicate girl had such skilled technique—sharper and quicker than most veterans of the Holy War Army.
After dropping three enemies, Kaguya stepped back and reloaded with a quick snap. Bang bang bang! Three more shots rang out, and the attackers flanking her collapsed with bullets in their heads.
Who is she?
But Chaka didn't have time to ponder further. The rebel army was already upon them. Drawing his sword, he transformed into his jackal form and shot into the fray like an arrow, cutting down enemies with terrifying ferocity.
The battlefield erupted in chaos. Gunfire cracked like popcorn, the air filled with screams and the sound of clashing blades. Severed limbs flew through the air, and the stench of blood hung thick in the air. The battle had reached a fever pitch.
The rebels had every advantage—numbers and equipment.
There were over a thousand rebels, while the Holy War Army had fewer than two hundred. The rebels were armed to the teeth, while the Holy War fighters had only worn-out rifles and rusty swords. Their only hope was the makeshift defenses they had built in the town, which barely held back the rebel charge.
But under the rebels' fierce assault, the defenders were on the verge of collapse. One by one, they were being shot down.
Fortunately, there was still Captain Chaka. As a Devil Fruit user, even though Kaguya considered him a mere weakling, in this battle, he fought with the fury of a demon. He plunged into the enemy ranks, alleviating the pressure on his comrades.
Chaka let out a battle cry, slashing down with full force. His blade cleaved both enemy and weapon in half. With a swift spin, he cut down two ambushers. Blood sprayed into the sky, along with flying limbs.
He wielded his longsword with sweeping arcs—no one could stand against him.
But despite his fury, his heart was heavy with worry. He knew the truth of their numbers: fewer than two hundred, many already wounded from earlier battles. Ammunition was scarce. They wouldn't last much longer.
What made it worse was that this wasn't just any rebel force—it was their elite. Their combat strength was on a whole different level. They wouldn't be able to hold out much longer.
The sounds of gunfire and shouting were already fading. Chaka's anxiety grew.
Were they already losing?
He turned sharply—and his eyes widened in disbelief.
There she was.
A silver-haired girl, moving like a phantom across the battlefield, wielding two pistols and pulling the trigger with precise rhythm. With each shot, an enemy fell. Without fail, every bullet struck vital points—foreheads, throats, hearts. It was terrifyingly accurate.
In just a short time, more than a hundred bodies had piled up at her feet.
What had once been a crumbling defense was now stabilizing because of her. The Holy War soldiers, their morale rising, even began to counterattack.
"What amazing marksmanship!"
"Yes! We've held the line!"
"Let's go, everyone! Don't fall behind!"
"Right! How can we let a girl outdo us?!"
"Charge! Defeat the rebels!"
"Charge!"
The Holy War Army's morale soared. Their spirits lifted, fatigue vanished, and they surged forward against the rebels with renewed strength.
Even Chaka was stunned. Not even he, the captain, could inspire such an overwhelming change.
Meanwhile, Kaguya's relentless onslaught finally drew the attention of the rebel army. A large formation began to shift toward her in an encircling maneuver. They approached with heavy shields that ordinary bullets couldn't penetrate.
Chaka panicked and tried to rush to her aid—but before he could get far, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
"You're not going anywhere. Your opponent is me."
With that, the man flung something sticky and white toward Chaka.
"Candle Lock!"
Caught off guard, Chaka took the full hit to the face.
"What is this?!"
He tried to wipe it off, but the gooey substance solidified into a ring-shaped shackle, locking his body in place. He couldn't move.
Chaka's pupils shrank. "Candle... this is wax."
"That's right," the man said with a sneer. "It's wax—and I'm the Candle Man. Don't bother struggling. Once you're trapped, there's no escape."
Looking up, Chaka saw a thin man in a blue-striped suit with a rectangular face—and a distinct number 3 formed by his hair.
Chaka clenched his teeth. "You're Baroque Works' Mr. 3!"
"Oh, you know me?" Mr. 3 grinned. "Good. Then at least you'll know who killed you."
With that, he swung a wax-molded hammer down hard toward Chaka's face.
Meanwhile, the shield-bearing rebels had completely surrounded Kaguya.
"You're not going anywhere, little girl."
"Give up and surrender."
"No matter how good your aim is, it won't pierce these iron shields."
"That's right. Surrender now and maybe we'll let you live."
"Yeah, hehe. We might even go easy on you—"
Before the sleazy soldier could finish, bang bang! Two clean shots rang out. Blood spurted from his forehead as he fell backward, dead on the spot.
The rebel soldiers were stunned.
What?!
They were sure they were safely behind their iron shields.
Kaguya elegantly blew the smoke from her pistol's barrel and smiled faintly. "Who says hiding behind a shield means you can't die?"
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