Zoro gets used to Orochimaru's sword style very quickly and it doesn't become challenging again now. So he stops being defensive because it's getting boring. He walks forward calmly while deflecting Orochimaru's extending sword, which surprises Orochimaru.
After all, Zoro seemed to be having a hard time before, but he suddenly took it easy. He doesn't seem to be using much power deflecting Orochimaru's attack too, which makes the snake man doubt the power he uses on each strike.
Seeing that his sword attack doesn't work anymore, Orochimaru decides to stop using his sword. He retreats while using a Paralysis Genjutsu on Zoro. Much to his surprise, Zoro isn't affected by his Genjutsu at all.
Zoro is immune to most Genjutsu, even most of the strong ones because of his Conqueror Haki that protects his mind from outside influence. Though he isn't sure that it can also protect him from something like Shisui's Kotoamatsukami or Infinite Tsukuyomi, it sure can protect him from Orochimaru's Genjutsu.
Orochimaru then makes some hand seals and then shoots a very strong wind towards Zoro. The wind is strong enough to root the trees from the ground, but it only pushes Zoro a little, thanks to all the training weights on his body.
Zoro slashes his sword upwards and creates a slash attack that slices the wind. It flies toward Orochimaru while cutting the wind, forcing the pedo snake to jump away. Thanks to his wind reducing the slash attack's speed, Orochimaru manages to get away on time.
Orochimaru looks around quickly before creating 9 shadow clones. Him and his shadow clones then move quickly to surround Zoro from all sides.
Zoro can actually sense which one is the real Orochimaru because his Observation Haki can differentiate intentions and presence instead of just the similarities in chakra that makes normal sensor type shinobi unable to differentiate the real users and their shadow clones.
But Zoro doesn't attack Orochimaru because he wants to know what the pedo snake will do. So he just observes while unsheathing his 2nd sword to prepare for anything that will come.
Orochimaru and his clones suddenly open their mouths. Then, numerous snakes come out of their mouths and rush toward Zoro like a plague from all sides including from the sky those snakes are creating tall walls that connect to each other, creating a big snake dome.
The numerous snakes open their mouths and Kusanagi swords are coming out of them. Then just like when Orochimaru used the sword, the swords in the snakes' mouths extend at very high speeds toward Zoro.
So now, numerous Kusanagi swords are trying to stab him from all sides, even from above his head. Orochimaru grins because Zoro surely can't dodge this. Blocking all the attacks will also be impossible because there are too many swords, and he is right.
The extending swords are hitting Zoro's body from all sides. Orochimaru is smirking widely, but then he feels that something is strange. He can feel what the snakes' felt, but he doesn't feel any piercing sensation.
Instead he feels that he is hitting a wall, a very hard wall that can't be pierced. He hears a weak clanking sounds of metal hitting each other. He thought that they were just his swords hitting each other, but he feels that it's a different case.
Suddenly, his snake dome crumbles. His snakes suddenly lose consciousness, making their dome formation fall apart. Then, the snakes are popping into smokes and disappear along with their extended Kusanagi swords.
"I thought they were just fake creatures made out of chakra. Turns out they are real snakes. Or maybe they are truly just jutsu made out of chakra, but they have consciousness, maybe parts of yours or a Snake Sage's consciousness. That's why they are still affected by my technique. Not gonna lie, it's really interesting."
Zoro emerges again, uninjured as some black spots are disappearing from his body. He was using his Armament Haki on his whole body to protect him from the swords. The sword attacks were really strong, but they can't break through his Armament Haki's defense.
Orochimaru has heard about Zoro's defensive ability that the Akatsuki calls as Black Steel Body Hardening Technique. He knows this technique can harden Zoro's body greatly, but not to this extent and it can even be used on the whole body.
It actually makes Orochimaru lust for Zoro's body even more. When he takes over someone's body, he can have access to their abilities. If he can use Zoro's "Defensive Jutsu", then he will be able to protect himself from almost all physical attacks.
But this also means that defeating Zoro will be much more difficult now. If he can't break Zoro's defense, then he won't be able to weaken Zoro. Overtaking Zoro's body will be much harder if Zoro still has a lot of strength, after all.
Orochimaru is thinking of a way to break Zoro's defense when suddenly Zoro flashes toward him and attacks with a diagonal sword swing from bottom left. Thanks to his acute sense as a Snake Sage, Orochimaru can block the sword in the nick of time with his Kusanagi sword.
Zoro is using a really strong attack, an almost all-out attack, which is strong enough to send Orochimaru flying back at a very high speed. Orochimaru crashes onto many trees and breaks them.
The impact from Zoro's attack breaks his arm bones and pushes the sword to his body that breaks his ribs while the impact from crashing onto many trees breaks the bones on his back.
Orochimaru spits a lot of blood from his mouth because of the impacts that also damage some of his organs. Just 1 successful attack from Zoro can already cause such damage.
Instead of getting discouraged, Orochimaru just becomes more sure that possessing Zoro's body is the right choice now. If he can possess Zoro's body, then he will have the ultimate body and that won't break apart in just a few years.
Maybe it will even last for a lifetime, so he won't need to keep looking for a new host to be immortal in his pursuit of all knowledge.
The problem is, he can't even attack Zoro properly to weaken Zoro. Unless he can weaken Zoro, then his chance to possess Zoro's body will be really low. He is planning to place a Cursed Seal to prepare Zoro's body to suit him more too, but he can't even get that close to Zoro.
Orochimaru is lying on the stump of the last tree he breaks with a broken body and a lot of blood under his mouth now. Then Zoro approaches him calmly while holding 2 swords, ready to slash him anytime.
"The Legendary 3 Sannin are not as strong as I was hoping for. I never fought Tsunade and Jiraiya in real deadly battles, so I couldn't really judge their real strength. But from the training battles I did with them, I could tell that if we fight seriously, then it won't be so hard to win. It was still just a prediction before, but you've helped me confirm it. Unless Tsunade and Jiraiya are so much stronger than you, then I would defeat them this easily too. Though I'm sure as hell disappointed by you. I thought you were the best among the 3 Sannin in strategy and cunningness. But you are just this much. How disappointing."
Zoro looks down on Orochimaru to provoke the snake man. He is sure that Orochimaru still has many cards and he wants the pedo snake to take them out quickly. Also, seeing Orochimaru just lying on the ground like this is very suspicious.
There's no way Orochimaru will just wait to be killed like this. So Zoro is sure that this guy is hiding something. That's why he tries to provoke Orochimaru to attack because if he is the one attacking, he might fall into Orochimaru's trap.
Zoro's prediction is correct. Orochimaru really has something prepared. Without any signs, Orochimaru suddenly uses a surprising technique. A new body suddenly emerges from Orochimaru's mouth.
Orochimaru's new body is covered with fluid and the lower half is not human, but a snake's lower body. So he truly becomes a Snake Man now and he emerges from his previously damaged body very quickly with a healthy body.
He becomes very fast and agile in this form as he can attack Zoro with his Kusanagi sword while moving around very quickly. It actually gives Zoro a harder time than before and Orochimaru manages to push Zoro back slowly with his attacks.
However, he still can't hit Zoro because even if he is already very fast and agile, Zoro still can block and dodge his attacks. He also can't get that close to Zoro to bite Zoro and plant his Curse Seal.
So he retreats again before suddenly biting his thumb and slams his hand on the ground. A colossal snake with purple scales then appears with white smoke that disperses quickly. Orochimaru has summoned his best summon, the biggest strongest Colossal Serpent of Ryuichi Cave, Manda.
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Chapter: 178. Perfect Susanoo
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