Chapter 296: Defeat—Orochimaru's Hasty Retreat
But if he used his trump card, he'd lose everything—his entire Skeleton Sea, carefully cultivated with over 400,000 Reward Points.
His strength would plummet.
Within the Fire Empire, Yan Zhao Xiong had already been secretly eliminated and turned into a puppet by Orochimaru through necromancy to deceive the people, so that threat had long been neutralized.
But there was still the Hyuga clan's taijutsu prodigy. If Orochimaru even hinted at weakness, that wolf would pounce, ready to reshape the Fire Empire in his own image.
"If I play my trump card and Lukas still blocks it… the consequences are beyond what I can bear."
If he couldn't kill Lukas,
Then he wouldn't earn the Reincarnation Game's clearance rewards, and the Fire Empire he had so painstakingly built might plunge into civil unrest.
Back when he founded the Sound Village, he didn't mind handing it off to others.
But the Fire Empire was different—it was his life's work. His lab, his reward farm, something he could not afford to lose.
"Lukas… if fate wills it, we'll meet again."
The Necrocurse Serpent vanished.
Orochimaru gave up on the dungeon, spread his arms, and allowed the massive Lightning Ring to tear through his unguarded body.
"He failed?"
"Even Orochimaru couldn't defeat a Tier-2 Lord… That's terrifying."
As the battle ended,
Screens in cities across the world faded. The final image was Lukas's lightning trident piercing Orochimaru's chest.
Low-level players didn't feel much—just enjoyed a top-tier battle spectacle.
But the top players… had mixed reactions.
"He's even more twisted than me… heheh. I wonder if Fire Empire's ninja would consider a deal with him?"
Doflamingo chuckled darkly.
He loathed self-righteous types. Maybe they were cut from the same cloth—those who trampled on humanity's illusions.
He smelled the same rot on Orochimaru as himself.
Kaido had already been killed by the Straw Hat Pirates. Doflamingo had no interest in being in the spotlight.
Joker was meant to rule from the shadows.
Orochimaru seemed like the perfect partner. Now, what kind of chips would interest him?
"Not satisfying enough!"
In a tavern, Roger slammed his thigh, replaying the battle in his mind.
He tipped his head back and downed an entire bottle of rum.
Rayleigh clutched the remaining liquor to his chest, frowning.
"Roger, slow down. This isn't some cheap swill!"
Taverns across Arad's towns sold high-grade spirits.
Each bottle offered special effects—stat boosts, skill amplification, HP or energy restoration.
They cost Reward Points—and required Contribution Value.
Contribution came from slaying dangerous monsters or helping NPCs with quests.
So every bottle was expensive.
Rayleigh regretted ever bringing Roger here. A brute like him should've just dunked his head in a barrel and drunk seawater.
"That guy… his name was Orochimaru, right?"
Roger looked dejectedly at his now-empty mug of beer.
"He's insanely strong. I doubt even the entire Roger Adventure Crew could beat him."
A solid endorsement of Orochimaru's strength.
But Roger frowned again.
"His whole combat style… was full of schemes and manipulation."
"He obviously had more cards to play but chose to give up."
"If he were a pirate or an adventurer, he'd be the type I hate the most."
Roger, who could hear the voice of all things, had insight beyond soul-reading—his perception was razor-sharp.
He saw clearly Orochimaru's hesitation and retreat.
The Dragonkin Chieftain was an unprecedented opponent—no one had beaten it. The greatest adventure was right there.
But Orochimaru turned away.
If it were Roger, he'd fight to the last breath. Die if he had to—but never back down.
Perhaps…
That was the fundamental difference between their worlds.
Roger was a classic pirate and adventurer. He lived for the thrill of it.
Some would call him reckless. Others would say he followed his heart.
Even if it meant dying on the road, he had no regrets.
Orochimaru, meanwhile, was the perfect ninja.
He executed flawlessly, ruthlessly, never letting emotion cloud his objectives.
So—
In the brief contact between the pirate and ninja worlds, dozens of battles had already erupted.
"Damn these bastards…"
Orochimaru cursed in frustration.
The danger zone of the Sea of Sky was under siege.
Magma fists rained down from the heavens. Forests were frozen over.
Naruto's golden flame blazed like a sun, lighting every shadow. Shadow clones and Beyblades swarmed the region.
"Apocalypse Light!"
Tsunade, clad in golden armor, shouted as a massive sphere of golden energy rose into the sky.
Everyone bathed in its radiance felt warmth infuse their very core.
Power surged.
This [Apocalypse Orb] was a core Paladin ability—providing powerful team-wide buffs.
Naruto received the greatest boost.
His class was similar to Tsunade's—both rooted in holy light—but because of their worlds, the effects were different.
Naruto's golden flames were a fusion of light and willpower—
Manifesting as a power akin to a divine contract.
In battle,
The more he upheld the vows of holy light, the stronger he became.
Protecting Konoha. Guarding his friends. If they were harmed, Naruto could unleash power beyond even Orochimaru's.
This was the path he chose after seeing Konoha destroyed.
His Paladin core ability was called [Covenant of Light]—
Konoha's ultimate trump card.
Whenever enemies invaded, and the village and its people suffered, Naruto's power would grow proportionally.
And now, facing the very man who once harmed Konoha—
Naruto's sacred flame was nearly tangible, relentlessly hunting down Orochimaru.
"Don't miss this chance."
"Orochimaru died once in the Dragonkin Tower. His Life Lock is gone. If we kill him now, his power will weaken."
Jiraiya stood atop Gamabunta's head, scanning for Orochimaru's trail.
Necromancers specialized in corpse play—but also in escape.
Not only Konoha—
The Navy also sought him, eager for revenge over the stolen Sky Sea Key.
Yet despite being hunted by both groups, Orochimaru kept slipping away.
His escape techniques were unparalleled.
A tiny worm-like snake,
Completely masking its aura, slipped through a crack in the rocks—
slithering through the damp, rotting ground, heading toward Grand Forest.
Elsewhere—
The Demon Slayer World.
In the surreal, timeless space named [Infinity Castle] by Muzan Kibutsuji—
"Have you learned anything?"
Still in the form of a well-dressed child, Muzan stood atop a floating platform.
Around him were test tubes, beakers, copper stands, and strange, bubbling liquids.
"My Lord Muzan…"
A trembling figure knelt on the ground—shaking with terror.
A bulging tumor grew from his forehead. Horns sprouted from his head. A grotesque old man, barely human.
"After accepting the invitation scroll, I was transported to a strange forest…"
"It was filled with monsters."
"Everything requires currency… something called Reward Points. You use it to buy items."
"It felt like some kind of nobleman's hunting game…"
Hantengu pressed his face to the floor, body quaking.
He spilled everything he knew.
"Forest… monsters… currency…"
Muzan's crimson eyes narrowed in a mix of intrigue and dread.
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