Chapter 262: Leaving Wano
As soon as Charlotte embraced Toki, her previously calm expression turned into one of panic.
Yet, she did not resist—instead, she shyly lowered her head.
Charlotte smirked.
No resistance meant no rejection.
"Didn't you want to open Wano to the world? I'll help you. Wano is already under my control. Whether it opens or not—it's up to me!"
With Toki in his arms, Charlotte looked toward the distant sky.
A burning determination filled his chest.
Toki remained silent.
The two of them stood atop the mountain, gazing out over the ruins of Wano.
Time passed slowly.
Charlotte had stayed in Udon for more than a month.
At last, Wolfe had arrived—leading a fleet of ten ships and over a thousand men.
After a month of work, everything was finally in order.
The Seastone hull reinforcements were complete.
The Seastone mines had been fully excavated.
A large supply of high-purity Seastone had been secured and stored aboard the ships.
Barrett entered, holding a stack of documents.
"Captain! Everything is ready. It's time to depart!"
This grand hall, once used by Kaido for his banquets, had now been taken over by Charlotte.
Charlotte sat at the head of the hall, holding a newspaper in his hand.
The front page caught his eye—
"New World's Kaido Slain by the World's Greatest Swordsman!"
Another headline—
"Roger Pirates Return to the New World!"
It had been a month since Kaido's death, and news had finally spread.
Charlotte guessed that the surviving members of the Beasts Pirates had been the ones to leak it.
Not that he minded—in fact, he welcomed it.
If everyone had died, who would be left to tell the world that Kaido was slain by his hand?
However, the second piece of news made Charlotte pause.
Roger's crew had returned to the New World.
After the fall of the Rocks Pirates, the Roger Pirates had left the New World, sailing across the four seas instead.
Charlotte could guess why—
They wanted to avoid the conflicts between the rising sea emperors.
They had no interest in conquest.
Based on what Charlotte knew about Roger's personality, he wasn't someone who cared for power struggles.
"Since we're ready, let's go. We've stayed here long enough."
Charlotte stood up.
"Wolfe, I'm leaving Wano in your hands. Wipe out any remaining resistance."
"Understood!"
Both Barrett and Wolfe bowed slightly before leaving.
As they departed, Elena walked in—carrying a newborn baby in her arms.
Her child, born just days ago.
"It's time to leave?"
Elena asked, having overheard the conversation.
Charlotte smiled, looking at her before nodding.
"We've been here long enough. It's time to move on."
Hearing this, Elena nodded in agreement.
Charlotte unfolded a map, carefully studying the layout of the world.
A vast Red Line split the globe in half.
The Calm Belt, bordering the Grand Line, divided the seas into four major regions.
Ordinarily, the only way to cross the Grand Line was through Reverse Mountain or Fish-Man Island.
However, with Seastone hulls, Charlotte could now ignore the Calm Belt entirely—
He could sail straight into the Four Seas.
His gaze shifted between the East Blue and the North Blue.
"Forget it—let's head to the North Blue first."
Charlotte decided.
Wano's location was close to the Calm Belt—
Crossing it would take them directly into the North Blue.
With his destination set, Charlotte rolled up the map and headed outside.
A large crowd had gathered, awaiting departure.
Everyone was ready to set sail.
Charlotte casually tossed the map to Vinsmoke Judge, then stepped onto the bow of the ship.
"Set sail!"
His command echoed, and the crew began boarding in sequence.
First, his children—one by one, they climbed aboard in groups.
Next, their mothers, each assisted by their personal maids.
A large group of maids followed behind.
Finally, his swordsmen corps—having completed their preparations, they too boarded the ship.
In an instant, the once-crowded port fell into silence.
Charlotte took one last glance at Wano—
Then turned away, stepping into the captain's quarters.
"Head for the Calm Belt. We're crossing into the North Blue."
The navigators shuddered at his words.
Crossing the Calm Belt?
That was terrifying.
No one had ever survived crossing the Calm Belt.
Not because there was no wind—
But because it was a Sea King's nest.
"What did you say?! That pirate from the outside world is gone?!"
Kurozumi Orochi's eyes widened in disbelief.
For over a month, he had been monitoring Charlotte's movements.
Now, at last—
The calamity had departed.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
No more living in constant fear.
But no one was happier than Orochi himself.
His heart pounded with excitement.
He turned to the samurai who had brought the news.
"Are you certain?"
"Yes, Shogun! I saw it with my own eyes. That massive black ship has left Wano!"
The samurai reported loudly.
Even he couldn't help but feel relieved.
"HAHAHAHA! He's finally gone!"
Orochi jumped with joy, laughing hysterically.
For the past month, he had woken up night after night—
Terrified that the outside pirate would come for him.
Now, that nightmare was over.
However, Orochi was wrong about one thing.
Charlotte had never cared about him.
The only thing of interest about Orochi had been his Devil Fruit—
The Mythical Zoan: Snake-Snake Fruit, Model: Yamata no Orochi.
Unfortunately, Orochi had already eaten it.
If he hadn't—Charlotte would have taken it by force.
Since it was already consumed, Charlotte couldn't be bothered with him.
But just because Charlotte left—
Didn't mean Orochi was safe.
"Did they leave anyone behind?"
Orochi asked, still cautious.
He needed to know if Charlotte had left a garrison—or if he had simply looted Wano and left.
Judging by the past month, it was clear Charlotte wanted to occupy Wano.
But now, he had departed.
Why?
"Uh… Shogun, their main forces have left… but a large number of their men remain. They're still ruthlessly exterminating any remaining samurai."
The samurai reported.
"What?! That means they plan to stay!"
Orochi's face twisted in anger.
"We must resist! Have we contacted the surviving samurai?"
His rage boiled over.
He had been Shogun for barely a month—
And now, he had been chased into the mountains like a fugitive.
He wanted revenge.
He wanted to slaughter every last invader.
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