Chapter 414: The Red-Light District
Chapter 414: The Red-Light District
After leaving the shopping street, Feng Ye and Robin turned onto two more streets and arrived on a street adorned in shades of pink.
On both sides of the street, they spotted women dressed extravagantly, holding fans and waving with alluring smiles to attract customers.
"A place of pleasure..." Robin murmured.
Feng Ye didn't stop walking and continued ahead nonchalantly, his eyes scanning the surroundings as he chuckled, "Compared to what I've encountered in other countries, this place certainly has a unique flavor."
The Land of Wano was a nation steeped in ancient traditions, and its red-light district reflected that with a vintage charm. There were establishments for pure physical pleasures, but also houses of art where geishas performed songs and dances.
Feng Ye wasn't particularly interested in the former.
With countless young girls pining for him, he had no need to quench any physiological desires.
However, he was slightly intrigued by the latter. After all, in the world of ninjas, technology had advanced to modern times, with even movies making an appearance. But on his journey through the Grand Line, he hadn't encountered a nation with such a vintage feel.
Moments later, in the most bustling geisha house on the east side of the red-light district...
In a room, Kyoshiro, with his distinctively slanted eyebrows, sat kneeling, yawning and looking weary. His true identity was Denjiro, one of the Nine Red Scabbards of Kozuki Oden, who had evaded the Great Snake's pursuit years ago by altering his appearance and infiltrating the enemy's ranks.
By day, he served as the Great Snake's bodyguard, but by night, he often took action, stealing from the rich and distributing the wealth to oppressed towns and civilians under the tyrant's rule.
As the Great Snake's bodyguard, he practically oversaw both the light and dark sides of the entire Flower Capital, including the red-light district, where he maintained order and dealt with anyone daring to cause trouble.
"What's going on...?"
Just as Kyoshiro was yawning and dozing off, he suddenly heard a commotion outside.
His eyebrows twitched, and he stood up, pushing the door open to step outside and look downstairs.
There, on the first floor, he saw a large number of geishas, each with a flirtatious smile, crowding around a table, vying for attention.
"They're really going all out," he muttered. "And who's that guy?"
Kyoshiro yawned. It was their job to entertain guests, but having so many of them fawning over a single customer, each trying to outdo the other, was a rather unusual sight.
Usually, only the presence of the Great Snake would attract the highest-ranking geishas of the entire red-light district.
As for the rest, not even the powerful head of the Oniwabanshu, Fukurokuju, could elicit such a response.
Kyoshiro's first thought was that the Great Snake must have arrived, but to his surprise, he saw a young man he didn't recognize.
"Hey, I'm still sitting here!" one of the customers on the first floor complained, annoyed by the geishas' sudden abandonment of them in favor of the mysterious young man.
"Who is that kid?"
"What's going on here?"
"Hey, do you guys not want my money anymore?"
There was no one else who could be as popular as Feng Ye; that was certain.
"Ah... it looks like they'd be willing to pay to spend the night with you," Robin said with a giggle as she sat next to Feng Ye and poured him a drink.
Feng Ye reached out and playfully tapped her forehead, a mix of exasperation and amusement in his voice as he asked, "What do you mean, pay to spend the night with me?"
While Robin's words held some truth—he was, indeed, that handsome—it still sounded odd to hear it said so bluntly.
Besides, he had merely come to appreciate the songs and dances and experience this ancient style of entertainment.
Robin's big eyes curved like crescent moons, reflecting her delight.
In truth, as long as she could be with Feng Ye, she would be happy wherever they went, even to a place like this flower house.
She knew that Feng Ye had no interest in the extravagantly dressed women vying for his attention nearby.
The geishas continued their performances.
However, due to Feng Ye's presence, the performing geishas frequently glanced in his direction, their expressions soft and inviting.
Compared to drinking with strange-looking or downright elderly customers, the prospect of being chosen by Feng Ye was vastly more appealing.
The other customers noticed the geishas' behavior, and their moods began to sour.
While it was true that the geishas were free to perform as they wished in the flower house, unless a customer specifically paid for their company, it was disheartening to see nearly all of them fawning over a single man.
What's more, that man was a complete stranger, seemingly a nobody who had appeared out of thin air. If he had been a powerful and influential figure, it might have been a different story.
"That damn kid..."
Finally, a man sitting at one of the tables, surrounded by several geishas, scowled.
He picked up his cup but, instead of drinking, he smashed it forcefully onto the ground.
Shatter!
The cup broke into countless pieces.
"K...Kuwabura-san..." one of the nearby geishas stammered, startled.
The man before them was an executive under General Orochi, in charge of tax collection for the entire Flower Capital—a true big shot in the Land of Wano.
When such a figure suddenly lost his temper, it was enough to strike fear into the hearts of the geishas serving him.
"Where did this brat come from...?"
"Get rid of that damn kid!"
Kuwabura angrily slammed his hand on the table.
In the Land of Wano, only in the presence of a handful of people, such as General Orochi, did he need to maintain a respectful demeanor. Everyone else, even the master of this flower district, Kyoshiro, had to treat him with deference.
But today, the geishas were blatantly ignoring him, a man whose influence could shake the entire Flower Capital with a stomp of his foot, and were instead fawning over that unknown youth. Even the geishas serving him were paying more attention to Feng Ye than to their own customer.
He was furious!
(End of Chapter)
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