Chapter 141: Orochi

"Well, who are you?"

Kozuki Hiyori asked with some doubt. It was reasonable to assume that most people on the seas knew of Luo Ning's fame. However, Wano Country had been closed off for years due to Orochi and Kaido's rule.

Not only were citizens forbidden from going to sea, but even news from the outside world couldn't penetrate their isolation. The people of Wano Country were completely unaware of current events. Luo Ning's name was likely only familiar to Orochi, his confidantes, Kaido, and a select few others. The average citizen wouldn't recognize him.

"Hiyori, let me introduce you," Whitebeard said with a grin. "This is a very well-known figure in the world, even more famous than any of us. His strength is far superior as well. This time, his target is Kaido. We're just... tagging along!"

Whitebeard's introduction made Luo Ning a little uncomfortable. It felt like the old man was bragging about himself through Luo Ning's accomplishments.

"More powerful than Father Whitebeard?"

Kozuki Hiyori, having been born on Whitebeard's ship, naturally held immense respect for him. So, hearing about someone Whitebeard respected so highly was quite surprising.

"Master Luo Ning, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

After processing Whitebeard's words, Kozuki Hiyori greeted Luo Ning. He then introduced Nami and the others, but they all understood this wasn't the time for pleasantries.

"Let's head straight for Kurozumi Orochi," Luo Ning declared. "As for his followers, I have a way to identify them. We can deal with them all together."

Everyone nodded in agreement. This time, Kozuki Hiyori joined them as well. The desire to see her enemy, the man who orchestrated her family's downfall, brought her resolve.

In this way, under Luo Ning's power, the group walked unnoticed through the streets, though the nighttime crowds were sparse.

Soon, they arrived at the General's Mansion.

"This is it!" Kozuki Hiyori, leading the way, was quite familiar with the place. After all, she had frequented it. She knew the layout well.

Just like that, the group entered. To be honest, Whitebeard's height was a source of immense frustration for him now. The buildings here were not grand; most were only two or three stories tall, manageable for people of average height. Whitebeard, however, towered at over six meters, making him feel cramped and awkward.

Previously, Kozuki Hiyori couldn't enter through the front door and could only meet with him in the yard.

"Such an inconvenient building! If I could use my abilities freely here, I'd just flatten this place and be done with it!" Whitebeard grumbled helplessly. Luo Ning found his frustration a little humorous, considering Whitebeard's usual environment.

Whitebeard was so tall that he could only sit on the deck of his flagship and couldn't even enter his own cabin.

After locating Kurozumi Orochi, Luo Ning retrieved him directly from his chambers. Orochi was still in a daze, having just fallen asleep when he was roughly dragged out.

As a shogun, he had enjoyed a long period of comfort. Who would dare to disturb him like this? But upon opening his eyes, he thought he was hallucinating.

The room was filled with familiar faces – not just the ever-present Kozuki Hiyori, but also Whitebeard and others he recognized.

While the citizens of Wano were isolated from outside news, Orochi wasn't. Seeing Whitebeard and Luo Ning standing before him sent him into a near panic.

"Wh-… Whitebeard, and Lu-… Luo Ning? Impossible! This must be a dream, yes, a dream! And Hiyori… you must be seeing things!"

Kurozumi Orochi desperately clung to the belief that this was all a fantastical dream.

"This is truly unbelievable!" Looking at Kurozumi Orochi, Luo Ning was speechless. Orochi had two heads, yes, two distinct heads! The size of each head took up almost half of his body. This bizarre physical anomaly was something you could only find in the Pirate World.

"Dream on, you bloody bastard!" Marco roared, rushing at Kurozumi Orochi and landing a brutal punch directly to his face. Marco held nothing back, the force of the blow instantly deforming Orochi's face and shattering some bones.

The excruciating pain jolted Orochi fully awake. This was no dream, it was horrifying reality.

Marco's attack was the trigger, and a swarm of captains descended upon Orochi. The most ruthless among them was Izou, who targeted the man's most vulnerably spot.

Luo Ning watched the scene unfold, slightly shocked. This group had already dealt with the giant snake, leaving it lifeless with rolled-back eyes.

"You all fight dirty, hiding in the shadows like that," Luo Ning said with a glance at the defeated snake, before swiftly decapitating it with a single swing.

"A direct kill?" The others were surprised by Luo Ning's decisive action. They had intended to leave Orochi with a sliver of life for Luo Ning to handle, but he had opted for immediate execution.

"Kurozumi Orochi is a Devil Fruit user, a Zoan Mythical type. His fruit grants him multiple lives, so he can't be killed easily."

Luo Ning glanced at the fallen Kurozumi Orochi. "In fact, this creature has several more lives, and beheading is useless against him.

But his ability is not unrelated to Yamata no Orochi, the eight-headed serpent. Just like the myth, he possesses multiple lives.

Beheading won't kill him, but his bodily injuries will remain. While his recovery is potent, it can't perfectly regenerate severed heads. In the case of beheading, it guarantees his survival.

"Aren't you going to get up? It doesn't matter if you don't. Who are your confidantes?"

Luo Ning asked, looking at Orochi's corpse. He didn't need an answer; he just needed Orochi to think.

He had activated his mind-reading ability. Now, anyone Kurozumi Orochi thought about was being recorded.

After gleaning the information, Luo Ning inquired about the distribution and identities of Kaido's people in Wano Country.

The giant snake possessed knowledge of all this, and Luo Ning quickly grasped what he needed.

"Alright, that's enough. You can die now," Luo Ning declared and cut Orochi down again. This time, however, he used Reiatsu. Luo Ning directly severed the soul of the giant snake, and the Devil Fruit power naturally disappeared.