It must be said that samurai are indeed a very unfriendly bunch, both to foreigners and the residents of their own country.
In Wano Country, the samurai class constitutes the ruling elite. Those who are not Shoguns or Daimyos, mere retainers, hold extraordinary power. These masters of swordsmanship are not something ordinary citizens can compare to; they are a privileged class, regarded as such by everyone—samurai, commoners, and even Daimyos and Shoguns alike. No one thinks there's anything amiss with this system.
In this country, the rigidity of class stratification is unheard of elsewhere. Here, rulers will always be rulers, nobles will always be nobles, the descendants of Daimyos will be Daimyos, those of Shoguns will be Shoguns, those of samurai will be samurai, and those of commoners will remain commoners. Climbing the social ladder is extremely difficult.
Swordsmanship is the only way for a commoner to become a noble, but acquiring it takes work. Sword techniques are treasured family heirlooms among the samurai, the sole foundation ensuring their progeny continue to enjoy privileges, and few are willing to share them.
However, while only some are willing, there are some exceptions. There are schools of swordsmanship in the country, and founding a new school is a dream of many strong warriors. Dojos born from this can offer commoners their only chance to learn swordsmanship. Still, sadly, these master swordsmen look only for prodigies who can inherit and even advance their family's techniques. Ordinary commoners hardly meet the requirements, and dojos also charge fees that commoners generally cannot afford.
Due to the nation's long-standing policy of isolation, commoners still need to venture out to sea to seek their fortunes. Their only choice is to spend their lives in this country, silently being born, living, and dying like their ancestors. In this sense, a nation that leaves its people without dreams is genuinely the worst kind of country.
As commoners, their only option is to be governed.
Thus, when Kenjiro turned around, he instantly collapsed to the ground, his face covered in cold sweat, his eyes devoid of any sparkle, filled only with endless fear and despair.
He knew deeply that his life would end today, for he now faced a samurai, one eager to test his blade on him. These samurai, excited by the prospect of trying out a new blade on a living person, never hold back because their test subjects are human; on the contrary, that's precisely why they are more thrilled.
The gulf between the samurai class and commoners is vast; aside from their own families, no one cares about a commoner's life or death.
"Ha ha ha ha!!!" The unnamed samurai laughed wildly; his head shaved except for a topknot at the back, dressed in a pale blue kimono, wooden sandals on his feet, and a long sword at his waist—a quintessential samurai image.
"Very wise of you! Not trying to run like the last few fools!"
"Ha ha ha ha! Good!"
"Tap, tap, tap!"
The samurai slowly approached Kenjiro, drawing the long sword from his waist. The dull moonlight reflected off the blade with a sinister gleam. The samurai licked the blade and chuckled, "I'll make it quick for you! I won't torture you like the others!"
"Don't worry, my blade is quick! My swordsmanship is top-notch! You won't feel a thing!"
"No... no..."
As if awakened by the samurai's words, Kenjiro burst into tears, tears and snot streaming from his nose and eyes, his body shrinking back in extreme fear.
"That's right, that's right, that's it!!!" The samurai didn't get angry at Kenjiro's pleading; instead, he seemed pleased, laughing maniacally, "That's more like it! I knew something was off! A slaughter without crying is meaningless!"
"Ha ha ha ha!!!"
"Be proud, commoner; your death will improve my swordsmanship!"
The samurai raised his sword, laughing.
"When you get to heaven, be sure to boast about it! You helped a samurai! That's an honour most can't even dream of!"
As a samurai in this country, climbing higher in society is achieved through swordsmanship, constantly becoming more muscular, reaching higher ranks, and becoming higher-ranking rulers. Thus, engaging in constant combat and improving their swordsmanship is what these samurai most desire to do.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!!!" The samurai laughed as his gleaming blade swung downward.
"No, no, don't ah ah ah!!!"
Kenjiro made no move to resist; at this moment of life and death, all he did was cover his head with his hands, shut his eyes, and scream and cry. As a commoner, he couldn't fight back against a samurai; this doctrine he always kept in mind.
"Ding!!!" A clear sound rang out in front of Kenjiro.
Kenjiro, holding his head, waited a long time. The expected pain did not occur, and he opened his eyes to see a man standing before him.
"Ah, this captures the national character," Vlad chuckled, casually releasing the samurai's blade he had caught with his right hand. Lately, he enjoyed such actions, especially when the opponent was a swordsman—it felt extraordinarily prestigious.
"What?? My lord's sword was blocked??"
The samurai staggered back a few steps as if at a crossroads in life, facing a red light.
"Who are you? State your name!!"
The samurai shouted, gripping his sword and pointing it straight at Vlad's chin.
"Guess!" Vlad shrugged casually, "Guess right, and I'll tell you!"
"Judging by your attire..." The samurai's gaze sharpened, "A foreigner?"
"Damned foreigner! How dare you trespass in the Land of Samurai!"
The samurai's emotions surged, "Let me show you the power of us Wano samurai!!!"
"Enough talk!" Like lightning, Vlad suddenly spread his wings and rushed forward, pressing his large hand directly on the samurai's face.
"I have some questions for you; come with me!"
'Swoosh!' The fiery red dragon-man soared into the sky with the samurai.
"Huff—huff—huff—" Collapsed on the ground, Kenjiro gasped for breath, "I survived?"
He spread his hands, incredulously muttering, "I... I survived?"
"Ha ha ha ha ha!!!"
"Wuu wuu wuu wuu!" Like a madman, the man laughed and cried uncontrollably, overwhelmed with emotion.
"Wait, a foreigner? A foreigner saved me?"
"If I report to the Daimyo—"
Kenjiro's face broke into a smile, "Then, how much reward—"
"Boom!" Flames descended from the sky, consuming everything.