After Oboro finished his meal, the battle outside had nearly concluded.
Although Lucci refrained from using the Rokushiki techniques and his Devil Fruit powers, Dom also held back his Haki and fruit abilities. In truth, Oboro could observe that Lucci wasn't fighting at full capacity, his objective was to complete his mission by sustaining sufficiently "impressive" and convincing injuries.
If both warriors had unleashed their complete arsenals, Lucci's physical conditioning would surpass Dom's after activating his Devil Fruit transformation. In terms of assassination techniques and combat experience refined over countless years, as well as battlefield instincts, he wouldn't fall significantly short of Dom's capabilities. Even so, he might not necessarily emerge victorious for one simple reason: Haki.
At this point in time, Lucci had not yet awakened Haki, this was the most critical factor.
After all, even Kaido had declared that in these seas, Haki represented the power that balanced all other abilities.
When Oboro had first mastered this force, he had confirmed that philosophy entirely.
Haki was indeed the pinnacle of this world's power system.
If someone wished to reach the apex of this world, they could rely completely on Haki mastery. But depending solely on Devil Fruit powers would prove insufficient.
Oboro slowly rose and walked outside the tavern. The scene that greeted him showed complete devastation, numerous wooden houses and vegetation lay in ruins, scattered debris covering the street.
Rob Lucci sprawled on the ground in a spread-eagle position, his black suit slashed into countless ribbons, blood seeping from multiple wounds across his body. Dom knelt beside him with his blade pointed directly at Lucci's throat, though he hadn't delivered the finishing strike.
Dom's bandages had unraveled and scattered around his position, sweat coating his exposed skin. Multiple areas of his body displayed clear evidence of severe impacts.
Although the bloodline card he'd received wasn't of the highest grade, he had undergone nearly two years of personal training under Oboro's direct supervision. This created a fundamental difference between him and other crew members who had also received low-level evolutionary enhancements. Even among the demon clan, flesh and blood could be strengthened through rigorous training and conditioning. Additionally, his recent sparring sessions with Oboro had accelerated Dom's progress and understanding exponentially. Even the slightest pressure he experienced while facing Oboro in combat was incomparable to the stress of battling Lucci.
Dom felt somewhat unsettled when he reflected on the intensity of their engagement.
Even though he could spar with Oboro for extended periods, those sessions still felt torturous.
Blood continued oozing beneath Dom's bandaged skin.
"Excellent performance."
At that moment, Oboro approached like an audience member who had just witnessed an entertaining show, applauding as he drew closer.
"Truly magnificent."
"A newcomer who just set sail possessing such formidable strength."
Lucci, pinned beneath Dom's weight, stared up at his opponent's face and spoke coldly, "Kill me."
"Do you think I'm incapable of doing so?"
Dom sneered in response.
No!
Lucci remained completely composed. From Oboro's earlier words to the "Night Walker" before entering the tavern, Lucci understood that he had been "selected." Otherwise, if they truly intended his death, the King of Hell could have eliminated him personally rather than waiting until now to emerge from the restaurant after finishing his meal.
The intelligence provided by his superiors had proven accurate. The Hell Pirates were desperately seeking additional combat strength in preparation for their assault on the Grand Line.
Swish!
Dom's grip shifted, and the sharp blade in his hand suddenly extended a concealed wire, slashing toward Lucci's face.
It appeared that he genuinely intended to pierce his skull.
However, the blade's tip ultimately stopped mere millimeters from Lucci's eyeball, yet he didn't even blink.
"Heh."
Dom curled his lips, stood abruptly, and positioned himself behind Oboro.
He withdrew from his combat stance.
"What's your name? Hadori?"
Oboro crouched beside Lucci, observing his serious injuries, and asked with feigned ignorance.
Lucci remained silent, but his lack of denial confirmed the identity.
"I have a question that intrigues me..."
When his opponent didn't respond, Oboro continued speaking, his expression darkening. "Those crew members you killed... where are their bodies?"
"Kill them and move on. Who cares about disposing of corpses? Perhaps wild dogs devoured them. When you kill people, do you handle the cleanup?"
Lucci replied with apparent indifference.
At that moment, he maintained the persona of a fearless newcomer with considerable backbone and attitude.
After hearing this response, Oboro felt certain of his suspicions.
The bodies of pirates enhanced by system cards had undoubtedly been recovered by the World Government. As for their purpose, they were definitely conducting research! After all, his power held fatal attraction for both the World Government and the Celestial Dragons.
Because beyond this world's original power sources, Haki, Devil Fruits, and scientific advancement, he had introduced an entirely new method of gaining strength.
"With Vegapunk's abilities, extracting demon clan genetics and creating artificial bloodline products wouldn't be particularly difficult. Since these enhanced pirates had undergone acquired modifications rather than natural evolution, even inherited traits shouldn't pose excessive challenges for him. However, even if they successfully extract and fuse the genetics, I suspect the effects would prove vastly inferior to system-granted enhancements, rendering them practically worthless and failing to meet the World Government's expectations."
"Eventually, they'll still seek me out directly."
Oboro smiled privately.
But he didn't mind allowing the World Government to waste time and resources on futile research.
"Are you interested in joining us?" Oboro asked naturally, seizing the opportunity.
Here it comes!
Lucci shifted his gaze to meet Oboro's eyes directly.
"What happens if I refuse?"
Lucci employed strategic retreat to advance his position.
"Since you killed my crew members, given my personality, I can't leave potential threats alive. If we can't become allies, it's even less acceptable for you to become a future enemy. Moreover, I need to provide an 'explanation' to various North Blue powers regarding your actions. If you refuse my offer, I might make your fate worse than death, allowing others to witness the consequences of opposing the Hell Pirates."
Oboro understood Lucci's psychological approach and provided him with a face-saving excuse.
"I understand."
There was no alternative answer.
"I'll join."
Lucci declared.
"Welcome, my friend."
Oboro smiled and stood, appearing to leave, but seemed to suddenly remember something. He looked down at Lucci, who remained on the ground, and spoke casually, "Since we're now allies, we should treat each other with complete honesty. People throughout the North Blue only know me as the 'King of Hell', that's merely a nickname. My real name is Oboro."
"Oboro?"
Lucci was startled.
The name sounded strangely familiar.
"His real name is Dom. Before following me, he was a minor pirate operating in the Grand Line. We met at Sabaody Archipelago." When Oboro spoke these words, Lucci's pupils had already begun dilating as the title "God Slayer" instantly flashed through his mind.
Who in the world didn't recognize those two names?!
In other words, this Night Walker of the Hell Pirates was actually the Cunning Fox from the former Flame Dragon Pirates!
Because he lay facing upward toward the sun, his vision was partially obscured by the glare. Oboro stood with his back to the light source, shadows playing across his features as he looked down, allowing Lucci to glimpse only the subtle upturn of his mouth's corners.
A cold wind swept through the area, stirring up clouds of dust.
The air itself seemed to freeze in that moment, complete silence enveloping the scene.
Dom also glanced at Oboro, his expression shifting slightly.
Because among all the crew members aboard their ship, including Yuri, Oboro had never revealed his true identity during their initial encounters.
But Dom understood his captain must have specific intentions behind this revelation.
"Hehehe... So it shouldn't be difficult to accept your defeat against me. You should understand exactly who we are now."
Dom added with echoing emphasis.
No wonder...
That explained everything.
Rob Lucci immediately grasped the true purpose of his mission.
It was him!
His attention focused completely on Oboro's figure.
"Well? Do you still want to board our ship?"
"Since I gave you my word, I won't break it."
"Excellent. I mentioned that we should be completely honest with each other. Let me confirm once more, your real name is Hadori, correct? You didn't lie to me?"
Oboro's words carried clear implications.
Lucci maintained a blank expression. "Are you planning to give me a new name?"
Oboro shook his head, adjusted his hat, and turned away. He glanced back at Lucci with his left eye, that playful look causing Lucci's heart to skip a beat for reasons he couldn't identify.
But he maintained his natural facade perfectly.
"Clean up this area."
Oboro took the lead and walked away, leaving behind a simple command.
"Understood."
Dom nodded and accepted the order.
He knew exactly what needed to be done and went to find the village chief.