Chapter 139
No one knew this fact.
In this world, Zoro was the only one who possessed Conqueror's Haki, and it was also the first time Zoro encountered a sorcerer who could deploy a domain.
Among modern sorcerers, very few can deploy a domain. Even Gojo Satoru only pretended to, but ended up failing miserably.
However, the moment Zoro wrapped his sword with Conqueror's Haki and saw it push back Kenjaku's domain, he realized like a bolt of lightning.
'It's the same.'
Conqueror's Haki and domain deployment are of the same nature.
Although Conqueror's Haki is not made of spells and power like domain deployment, making it not perfectly identical.
But, the innate quality of a king and the conversion of mental and physical toughness into energy that overpowers people within a certain range…
Clearly, it's a type of 'domain'.
Realizing this, Zoro withdrew the Conqueror's Haki from his sword.
Then, he released all the Conqueror's Haki he possessed.
...
A single bubble surfaced on the calm sea. It popped meaninglessly on the water. However, more bubbles followed.
Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop...
As the sea of poison began to bubble up, Kenjaku's face hardened. Like someone facing an incomprehensible natural disaster, his face twisted both gloriously and miserably.
The domain was being pushed back.
...
Dddddddruck!
Waves of poison, like a tsunami about to engulf Zoro, formed a circular wall.
However, the black sea of poison kept being pushed back and couldn't come near Zoro. Like standing on calm and peaceful land in the eye of a typhoon, Zoro shook the poison-soaked hair from his head.
Conqueror's Haki does not split space to trap others. It doesn't affect those above a certain level of strength at all, and it only has non-lethal effects on those below that level.
Without guaranteed hits or kills, just constraints plastered over the domain.
But because of that, its durability as a domain far surpasses any domain deployment.
Even if it collides with much stronger Conqueror's Haki, Conqueror's Haki simply negates the other's Conqueror's Haki by its mere existence. Regardless of superiority or completeness, it just eliminates both.
The opponent's domain deployment, too, is the same.
In other words, when Conqueror's Haki collides with an opponent's domain deployment.
—The domain deployment is invariably destroyed.
Sizzle, sizzle.
A dark red shockwave fizzed through the waves of poison. Zoro had seen such a phenomenon in his past life when Conqueror's Haki collided.
Boom!
As Zoro's Conqueror's Haki and Kenjaku's domain clashed, a black shockwave spread in all directions. By the time Kenjaku came to his senses, both his domain deployment and Zoro's Conqueror's Haki had vanished.
All that remained was a mountain wrecked by bombs and smoke wafting into the air.
The domain had been broken.
Staggering in disbelief, Kenjaku thought,
'I need to run.'
The body and techniques Kenjaku currently used, belonging to the assistant director, were for abducting Zoro from the classic realm; they weren't quite suited for combat not involving domain manipulation.
Especially since he had just deployed his domain. He had nearly exhausted his techniques and energy for combat—
"Three Sword Style,"
One Hundred Eight Pound Phoenix.
Creak, boom!
The flying slash cut through the hillside behind Kenjaku. Forgetting the seriousness of the situation for a moment, Kenjaku wondered,
'How?'
What technique had pushed back the domain? And how was he still so vigorous after using such a technique?
Unfortunately for Kenjaku, Conqueror's Haki didn't carry any consequences for its use. It required no energy, techniques, craftsmanship, or incantations.
And the same was true for each subsequent use.
Barely turning his head, Kenjaku caught sight of Zoro, his black Armament Haki overlaid with green Conqueror's Haki flaming around his swords.
Zoro kicked off the ground and charged. His eyes glowed red, and green flames trailed behind his three swords along with dark red lightning.
"Conqueror, Three Sword Style."
One Hundred Three Emotions. Zoro's body was enveloped in a powerful aura of green.
"Flying Dragon Extreme."
The green energy drew a long tail across the sky like a flying dragon, splitting the air. Zoro wrapped this flame-like, wave-like energy around his body.
And finally.
A slash as large as the fangs of a beast tore Kenjaku apart.
Screech!
Whoosh!
Kenjaku's upper body was lacerated with deep cuts. His stomach, chest, collarbone, even his neck—there wasn't a spot that wasn't bleeding from being sliced.
"AAAAAAH—!"
It was unclear whether it was a wail or a scream, but Kenjaku collapsed. It couldn't be helped.
There simply did not exist a being who could remain standing after receiving a strike from Zoro that combined Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki to its fullest.
Crackle.
Blood and flesh dripped from the lacerated wounds. Grasping his horizontally slashed stomach with his left hand, fearing his intestines might spill out, Kenjaku pushed off the ground with his right hand in a desperate crawl. But given his dire condition, he didn't get far.
Even as his body was crushed, he couldn't accept death and writhed like a squashed bug, a grotesque sight to behold.
Kenjaku forced his blurry eyes open, swallowing the rising blood with effort, his teeth grinding in resistance.
'Not yet, not yet.'
He just needed to switch bodies; he didn't even have to return to his hideout first. He could just take over any healthy body first, then move to the hideout.
If it came to it, he could even transfer into 'that body', one that neither Zoro nor the Conqueror's Haki could harm.
Then, after that—
Thud!
A blade wrapped in Armament Haki pierced through Kenjaku's skull from behind. It was the moment Kenjaku's eyes rolled back in his head.
Splash!
Zenin Toji dragged Kenjaku's body, now collapsed on the ground, with his black-clad blade. Brain matter and blood spurted out as Kenjaku's head and upper body were cleaved in half.
...
The bisected brain with its teeth spilled lifelessly onto the ground.
Toji didn't pay it any attention. It would be more accurate to say he couldn't afford to.
"Zoro."
His entire focus was directed at his eldest son, standing still, soaked in black venom.
Zoro didn't hear Toji calling him. The adrenaline of battle had momentarily pushed aside the terrible pain of the venom, dulling his senses and vigor.
His consciousness flickered. Blinking, blackened blood oozed from Zoro's eyes due to the venom. The sensation of being crushed by a hot iron was endured solely through sheer willpower.
Zoro's vision was blurry as he looked ahead.
'Who… is it?'
He couldn't see anyone. His surroundings were engulfed in darkness. With his physical sensations and Observation Haki compromised, Zoro had few ways to recognize Toji.
Ugh, Zoro felt his stomach twist in pain as he vomited the venom he had ingested earlier. The moment the venom touched his tongue, horrendous pain surged, and Zoro retched in disgust.
"..."
Toji watched this scene with trembling eyes. After feeding his blade to his Armament Haki, he slowly approached Zoro.
Shush.
As soon as Toji got close enough, Zoro instinctively raised his sword.
It wasn't hostility but a primal instinct to protect himself. Unable to distinguish between threats and non-threats, he simply guarded against everything.
Despite the mess from the venom, Zoro was still Zoro. Approaching him carelessly now could get even Toji cut.
"It's okay now, son."
Yet Toji kept moving towards Zoro.
Slowly, one step at a time.
"It's all over, you won, Zoro."
Seeing Zoro's hair, once vibrant and now soaked with black venom, Toji felt as if every vein in his body was tearing apart. His stomach churned. He wished he could rip his own body apart for not realizing sooner.
If only he had been faster, then Zoro wouldn't have had to end up like this.
To you, I'm always… too late.
Looking at Zoro's skin turning purple, Toji resisted the urge to immediately scoop Zoro up and rush to Shoko. Instead, he spoke with more desperation and urgency than ever before.
"…Let's go home, my Marimo."
The familiar nickname faintly reached his ears. Zoro blinked. He still couldn't see the person before him, and couldn't use his Observation Haki, but...
"Dad…?"
Zoro lowered his sword.
As he uttered the word, Zoro realized the person in front of him was indeed his father.
A wave of relief crashed over him. It was going to be alright. Toji wouldn't leave Zoro to die. He'd handle the aftermath too…
As Toji said, it was all over.
Darkness swarmed Zoro's already dim vision. The pain spread through his body like oil catching fire.
"...!"
As Zoro's body lost strength and he collapsed, Toji gasped and caught him. In the warm embrace of his father, Zoro's consciousness sank. The familiar hell welcomed him.
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