Resurrection

Kyoshiro ultimately could not persuade the three of them. Still, Yota understood where he was coming from.

After all, given Wano Country’s previous situation, there had basically been no chance of turning things around. That was why everyone had placed their hopes on the prophecy. That was the real reason Lady Toki’s prophecy had become so widespread.

Although the prophecy had given Wano Country’s people a glimmer of hope even in their darkest hour, it had also made them lose all confidence in defeating Kurozumi Orochi and Kaido ahead of time. Especially after Yota heard that the last group of Wano samurai who had challenged Kaido had never returned, no one in Wano Country had dared to resist again.

Still, Lady Toki’s prophecy had not actually been wrong. If not for the variable that was Yota, Wano Country truly would not have been liberated until twenty years later.

More than ten minutes later, accompanied by a burst of grating laughter, Kurozumi Orochi entered. He had a huge head, a tiny body, and looked like no kind of decent person.

"Guhahahaha! Miss Komurasaki! I’m here!"

Kurozumi Orochi swaggered in, with an old man following at his side. He was probably the Barrier Fruit user.

In addition, Yota’s Observation Haki sensed several concealed presences. They were likely the Oniwabanshu ninjas Denjiro had mentioned.

When he saw Komurasaki, whom Yota’s clone was impersonating, the "big-headed baby" immediately sidled up to her, practically drooling.

What delighted Kurozumi Orochi even more was that this Oiran Komurasaki did not put on her former attitude of seeming gentle while actually keeping everyone at arm’s length. Instead, she half-welcomed and half-resisted his advances.

Just as the man dreamed that he might get to take a beauty home in his arms today, "Komurasaki" casually grabbed Kurozumi Orochi’s arm with one hand, smiling as her other arm instantly transformed into a thick wooden spear that plunged into his chest with a wet thud.

"Wood Release: Cutting Technique!"

"Guh-urgh… ghk ghk ghk…" Like a fish impaled on shore, Kurozumi Orochi twitched weakly a few times, blood foam spraying from his mouth. What should have been a miserable scream became a chicken-like groan as countless wooden spikes destroyed his internal organs.

"Lord Kurozumi Orochi!"

Cries of alarm rang out all around them as several people in bizarre outfits suddenly rushed forth. They were the Oniwabanshu ninjas.

Unfortunately, while they were also ninjas, they were clearly nowhere near as professional as the ninjas in Naruto. The moment they appeared, Komurasaki’s maids sprang into action as well and subdued them with ease.

"Barrier Technique!"

The seemingly ancient Kurozumi Semimaru formed a strange hand sign. A transparent barrier rose from the ground, forming a semicircle that enveloped both himself and Kurozumi Orochi’s corpse.

"He did it! Kurozumi Orochi has been killed." Denjiro, seated to one side, stood up with delight written across his face. Even seeing Kurozumi Orochi’s corpse taken away by Kurozumi Semimaru did nothing to diminish his joy.

"Heh heh heh, hahahaha! Kurozumi Orochi, so this day has come for you too! Lord Kozuki Oden’s hatred has finally been partly repaid today!"

Yamato and Ace, who had just drawn their Spiked Clubs, exchanged bewildered looks.

That was it? This was his level?

Denjiro had been so grave at first, going on about the Barrier Technique and absolute defense, yet before the defense could even go up, Kurozumi Orochi had already been slaughtered?

Then what had been the point of the two of them being so cautious and vigilant? They had not even gotten a chance to attack before Yota’s Wood Clone handled everything. This guy was way too weak, wasn’t he?

As for Kurozumi Semimaru… he was an old man with all his teeth gone. How fast could anyone expect his reactions to be? If Kurozumi Orochi had lasted even one move, perhaps he could have reacted. But if he was instantly killed in one move, what use was raising a barrier afterward?

Looking at Kurozumi Orochi’s miserable corpse, Denjiro even began to regret it. Had he known this guy was such a weakling, he should not have cared about some twenty-year prophecy and simply cut him down with one slash!

"Urgh, ghk ghk ghk…" But at that moment, Kurozumi Orochi, who should have already breathed his last, blankly raised his head. The wounds on his body rapidly healed, pushing out the wooden branches embedded in him. Soon, a completely unharmed Kurozumi Orochi stood before them.

"H-How is this possible?!" Denjiro’s eyes nearly popped out. "Is he immortal?"

"Of course not." Yota stared at Kurozumi Orochi with blazing eyes. "That is the legendary Eight-Headed Serpent Fruit… eight heads and eight tails, which means eight lives!"

"Eight… lives…" A trace of despair appeared on Denjiro’s face. "Doesn’t that mean there’s no hope at all?"

And putting everything else aside, he had just thought Kurozumi Orochi was dead and exposed himself on the spot! While he had not revealed his identity as one of the Nine Red Scabbards, he had made it clear that he was an infiltrator!

Who the hell could have guessed that this guy would come back to life?

Denjiro felt like he was falling apart.

Kurozumi Orochi swept his venomous gaze across the room. "You… you traitors! You actually dared to assassinate me, your Shogun! I’ll have Kaido kill every last one of you!"

"And you, Kyoshiro! I never thought you were one of Kozuki Oden’s remnants! You will all die! I’ll make you die horribly, utterly horribly, beyond all human endurance! Aaaah!"

At this rate, Kurozumi Orochi was practically about to start spouting the lines of a Hong Kong comic powerhouse.

With things having come to this point, Denjiro took two breaths and calmed down. Instead, he completely let go, fixing Kurozumi Orochi with a cold stare. "Listen, idiot. My name is Denjiro. I am one of the Nine Red Scabbards, a retainer of Kozuki Oden, not some Kyoshiro!"

"You…" Seeing the killing intent in Denjiro’s eyes, Kurozumi Orochi took two frightened steps back. Then, growing angry from embarrassment, he shouted fiercely despite his cowardice, "You can’t break Kurozumi Semimaru’s barrier! You can’t kill me! Just wait! I’ll slaughter your entire families!"

"Mm, slaughter our entire families… then you’ll have to work hard." Yota glanced around. "You’ll need to take down a Navy Hero, the World’s Strongest Man, and the Strongest Creature in the World."

"My Wano Country has Guardian Deity King Kaido! No matter who you are, you’re all doomed!" Kurozumi Orochi did not really understand Yota’s joke and merely continued shouting.

"Oh." Yota casually pointed at the eager Yamato. "There, that’s the son of your Guardian Deity King. You were just saying you’d slaughter his whole family."

"Ah!?" Kurozumi Orochi’s eyes widened.