Chapter 233
Zixu's body was still slowly recovering, but his opponents were far too powerful. Each of them alone could give the Five Kage a serious headache—now he had to face three of them at once.
Even without the help of a system, Zixu's recovery had improved drastically through brutal self-inflicted training. But the sheer destructive force of the three in front of him was not to be underestimated.
And then there was Black Zetsu. The power of the Nika Fruit had once helped defeat Kaido. Sure, that was largely thanks to the Straw Hat Pirates continuously wearing Kaido down, but it didn't change the fact—the Nika Fruit was insane.
Madara, on the other hand, was like a walking arsenal of forbidden techniques. Orochimaru might not even know half as many as him. On top of that, he'd fused with the First Hokage's cells, giving him insane regeneration.
And Obito? He was the real nightmare. His Kamui could bend space itself. If he couldn't beat you, he'd phase into another dimension and disappear. Straight-up infuriating.
"Fall here. This is your fate..." Black Zetsu stared down at Zixu, convinced this was the end. He'd already uncovered all of Zixu's tricks. Even the system he once relied on had been stolen away. What could he possibly have left?
"Fate...?"
Zixu's thoughts drifted to the figure in his dreams. Normally, Devil Fruits were rumored to house a second consciousness—Crocodile and Doflamingo had both encountered theirs—but Zixu had never felt any presence like that. Not consciously, anyway. Except... in those dreams.
Chains wrapped around a towering figure, standing alone at the edge of a storm, facing down the crashing waves of destiny. That man moved upstream—fearless, unbroken—even in the face of utter destruction.
Zixu's eyes snapped open, fire blazing within their cold depths. A silent rage now burned behind them—rage aimed at the world.
He gripped his mace tighter. A faint red steam began to rise around him, and the long-absent purple eyeshadow of Sage Mode returned. The space around him trembled with unnatural life. Even the bricks beneath his feet felt alive.