Vivi landed on the island with a sense of unease. The island was expansive, its most prominent feature being a giant, horned oni head.

The name Onigashima was derived from this giant oni head. The ancient people of Wano believed it to be an evil spirit that brought calamity to the world.

Did such enormous creatures actually exist in the ancient world of One Piece? As she looked at the huge, stone-weathered oni head, Vivi felt a deep sense of awe.

Using her Voice of All Things ability, she sensed an intense malevolence within the stone oni head. She couldn't identify exactly what it was, but she was certain that it was more than just a mere stone!

Having honed her skills during her time in Lulusia Kingdom, she now trusted her perception even more.

Before setting out, she had closed her eyes and allowed Ace to attack her fiercely, sharpening her Observation Haki at the last minute and raising it to Lv5. The result of this enhancement was an increase in the range of her senses and the clarity of the emotions she was able to perceive.

Vivi closed her eyes and focused her senses at this moment. She didn't feel much of a threat on the island.

The island was full of malice, but there seemed to be no enemy capable of killing her with a single blow.

Of course, it was possible that an enemy's Observation Haki was far superior to hers, in which case she'd just have to accept her fate.

One by one, Ace and his crew began to land on the island. Assassination didn't mean charging in recklessly. It required strategy. 

Compared to his brother Luffy, Ace seemed more thoughtful.

Since he was unfamiliar with the nature of Onigashima, he decided on a three-way split for the group.

"I'll go find Kaidou and Miss Tomoe will search for the Den Den Mushi. Deuce, you and the crew will rescue the kidnapped villagers from Wano Country. Everyone clear on their tasks?"

Searching for Kaidou and the Den Den Mushi both required delving deep into the enemy's lair, while rescuing civilians was much easier.

A bandit den like Kaidou's wouldn't care much for simple villagers. Many were captured for menial labor or, worse, used as experimental subjects. Most of the villagers were likely near the dungeons. For Deuce, the first mate of the Spade Pirates, leading his crew to overpower the jailers and liberate the villagers wasn't a daunting task.

The real challenge was for Ace and Vivi.

Vivi was the first to speak: "I haven't sensed any strong enemies on this island, but that doesn't mean there aren't any. The enemy could be much stronger than we expect. Let's split up and move on."

The sky above Onigashima was covered with dark clouds. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Faint human wails could be heard in the wind. The island truly lived up to its ghostly name at night. It was hardly a place for the living.

Ace said, "All right, let's split up! If you see Kaidou, give me a signal."

The last part of his sentence was clearly directed at Vivi.

Not knowing where his confidence came from, Vivi chuckled slightly. She wrapped her cloak around her and in the next moment, she disappeared into the night.

"Is this doctor lady also a Devil Fruit user? Do you know what power she has?" Deuce, the ship's doctor and first mate, asked Ace.

Ace casually replied, "Not sure... I'll be on my way now, you guys be careful."

Compared to Vivi's shadow blending, he could only rely on his long legs and dashed across Onigashima like a sprinter in a 100-meter race.

…

In a storage room on the first floor of Kaidou's castle, Vivi quickly captured a pirate who appeared to be a minor leader and began interrogating him for information.

The information she gleaned was beyond her expectations.

"You're saying Kaidou and the major officers of your pirate crew went to chase Golden Lion?" Vivi's brow furrowed in confusion. The pirate she had captured swore he was telling the truth.

Where did this Golden Lion come from? She was baffled by the sudden turn of events.

She killed the pirate with a single slash, then caught another to interrogate and killed him too. She repeated the process of capture, interrogation, and killing until the seventh pirate.

Everyone's answer remained the same: Kaidou was not home, nor were the All-Stars or Tobi Roppo. Almost the entire crew of the Beast Pirates had been mobilized to chase after Golden Lion!

The fourth pirate's account was the most detailed as if he had witnessed the events firsthand.

The gist of it was that Golden Lion had attempted to steal red beans from Queen the Plague, one of the All-Stars, who was only three years younger than Kaidou, almost like a junior to him.

When Kaidou learned that Queen had been beaten up by Golden Lion, he was furious.

And Golden Lion, who looked down on Kaidou as a 'greenhorn,' sneered, "When I ruled the seas, you were still swabbing decks on a ship!"

This led to a fierce confrontation in which the old veteran was soundly beaten by the young upstart.

Golden Lion fled, and Kaidou, who understood the importance of eradicating the root of the problem, went after him without a second thought.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Vivi laughed heartily. She had a dozen escape plans in her head, but now it seemed she would not need any of them. There was no one left on Onigashima who could pose a threat!

Her belief was confirmed when she saw the sword marks on the main gate of the palace. They were unmistakably the work of "Shishi: Senjindani." She was an expert in this regard!

"Lucky me!" She was delighted. With the enemy's top fighters absent, only a bunch of foot soldiers remained. What was there to worry about?

"Where do you keep your Smashi? Lead the way and I'll spare your life."

Vivi, blending into the shadows, gestured to a pirate who looked like a minor leader to guide her.

The pirate had no sight of her, but the sound of her voice was enough for him to know that she was nearby. He dared not make a sound or try to escape but obediently led the way. They quickly found a Smashi that could communicate with the outside world.

Vivi swiftly killed the minor leader with her sword. Then she picked up the Smashi to contact Karoo in Trans Town...

...

Karoo, playing cards in a Trans Town inn with the innkeeper and a lady next door, frowned. Its hand seemed to get worse and worse. At first, the highest card had been a Queen, but now its luck had plummeted. Most of its current cards were below ten! How could it play like this?

When the duck heard the Den Den Mushi ring, it took the opportunity to quit the game and remove the cards from its face.

"Karoo!"

"Quack! Quack--!" The duck responded to Vivi's voice with great excitement.

The voice of the innkeeper from Trans Town could be heard in the background. Vivi felt a weight lift from her heart as Karoo seemed to be doing well these days. As long as Karoo was safe, that was all that mattered.

"Listen, I'll be back soon. Stay in the inn for now. Don't go out, don't go anywhere! Understand?"

Karoo replied, "Quack! Quack?... Qu...ack."

"Uh?" Vivi spoke several times, but then there was only a busy tone. She examined the Smashi, only to find that its eyes were in a spiral shape. It had clearly fainted.

What had happened...? In less than a second, Vivi understood the reason for the Smashi's fainting. She felt a powerful and domineering aura burst forth from the western part of Onigashima. It was unmistakably Conqueror's Haki!

And she could tell, it was Ace's Conqueror's Haki.