Oguro lifted his zanpakuto to block the incoming strike.
"Another space-type ability!"
The other two took the opportunity to retreat rapidly, leaving the battlefield to Oguro and Freud.
"One-Sword Style… Tiger Charge!"
A ferocious sword pressure, like a tiger leaping down a mountain, tore toward Freud.
Whoosh!
Freud disappeared again, evading the strike.
"Slash Wave!"
The moment he shifted positions, Freud swung a slicing wave toward Oguro.
Their coordination was flawless.
With a space-type Devil Fruit user assisting, they could evade almost every attack.
Oguro countered, slicing the Slash Wave apart with a backward swing.
He then scanned for Freud's two companions.
But their figures had completely vanished.
His Observation Haki could only detect a faint trace of their presence.
Clearly, they were deliberately hiding their aura.
After all, they were CP0 operatives—capable individuals.
"A team with this level of coordination is rare even in CP0. And yet those idiots didn't brainwash you completely?"
As the strongest shield of the Celestial Dragons, CP0 agents were always heavily brainwashed to ensure absolute loyalty to the World Government and Celestial Dragons.
Freud's three-person team clearly exceeded the usual "tool" category.
Freud sneered, "Brainwash me? You think those fools could?"
"I just applied a little trick to control their instructors!"
"CP0 thinks I'm a loyal dog. They don't know I was just using them to find suitable subordinates!"
"Finally, I found these two! One with space powers to coordinate battles or retreats, the other able to hide their presence anytime, anywhere. Perfect subordinates!"
Good grief.
Oguro just shook his head.
The World Government always used others, and now finally, they'd been bested.
If this got out, CP0's reputation would be completely ruined.
Floyd continued, smug, "Give it up, Sith Oguro! As long as the three of us are together, we are invincible from birth. Chasing me is just wasting time!"
"Wasting time?"
A strange smile appeared on Oguro's face.
"You really think all this talking is a waste of time?"
Freud's heart sank, a sudden sense of dread rising.
The next moment, black lines spread from Oguro's feet, rapidly covering a vast wilderness.
"Heart of the South, Eyes of the North, Fingers of the West, Toes of the East, gather with the wind, scatter with the rain! Bakudō #58. Kakushitsuijaku "
Countless spiritual pressures spread like tentacles, every living thing in sight fully observed by Oguro.
"Found you!"
A slight smirk appeared on Oguro's lips. His figure vanished instantly.
Thud!
A barrier of light and shadow was sliced open by Oguro's blade, revealing the two hidden figures inside.
Bakudō 58 was designed for tracking targets.
Combined With Oguro's Observation Haki, no matter how deep they hid, capture was inevitable.
Oguro looked at the man wearing the thin monkey mask, coldly sneering.
"From my observation, your ability only works on others, and only within a limited range. That's why you always need someone by your side to protect you."
"So… how do you plan to escape now?"
Armament Haki wrapped around his zanpakuto, a crescent-black Slash Wave descended from above.
In the nick of time, Freud was transported in front of Oguro, blocking the attack.
"Just as I expected!"
Oguro grinned with satisfaction, waves of Armament Haki and spiritual pressure surging like a tide.
"One-Sword Style… Dragon Soars Through the Abyss!"
A hundred-meter-long dragon, black-scaled with a silver-white body, roared and surged forward, shaking the heavens.
Oguro had unleashed everything he had.
Floyd's expression changed drastically. "This guy… so strong!"
During the past few months of low-profile training, Oguro had honed his Armament Haki tirelessly.
Facing three captain-class Shinigami, the high-pressure environment had accelerated his growth.
Confronted with Oguro's full-strength attack, Freud dared not underestimate him. The three acted together to defend.
A faint mist surrounded them, their auras spiking instantly.
Oguro raised an eyebrow.
This guy's ability even affected him.
Covered in Armament Haki, their combined force surged to the peak, charging at the giant dragon.
Boom!
The dragon rampaged, colliding fiercely with Armament Haki, spiritual pressure sweeping like iron plows.
The ground split completely, as if a massive earthquake had struck.
Humans seemed as insignificant as ants in the face of this power.
In the center of the ruins, Freud lay on the ground, blood pouring from him.
The other two had completely lost their life force.
"Cough…" Freud spat blood, a mixture of regret and relief on his face.
"Am I going to die? Fine… I have nothing left anyway."
Revenge on his family and country…
Even if successful, he was a pitiful man with no home.
Perhaps dying in his homeland was the best ending.
A ray of sunlight pierced the clouds, illuminating Freud's face.
This long night had finally ended.
For a moment, he seemed to see the past:
"Father! With my abilities, everyone's efficiency increased at least thirty percent!"
"Haha! My son is incredible!"
"Father! I've controlled these pirates! We're short-handed, so let them do the hard labor!"
"Good! Let's do that!"
...
If only everything hadn't changed.
Freud stared at the gentle sunlight, his eyes slowly losing focus.
Yet on his face was a childlike smile.
Oguro remained silent for a moment. His zanpakuto sliced repeatedly into the ground, creating a huge pit and burying the three within.
His hatred was intense. He had once loved this country purely and deeply.
Burying them here fulfilled, in a way, their final wish.
Ding!
[Three unclaimed souls detected. Absorb?]
"Absorb."
All three had strong Devil Fruit powers, promising good rewards—especially Freud, whose ability was nearly a BUG.
But this time, the system remained silent.
As Oguro was about to question it, the system finally spoke:
"Detection complete. The three souls are deeply entangled. The host may choose to separate them and exchange rewards individually, or merge the three souls for a higher-level reward."
"Warning: If the souls are merged, the Devil Fruit cannot be restored."
***
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