Zoro
After calling the police, I picked up the guard who was lying unconscious not far from the factory.
"Hmm! I held back, so I don't think it's due to injuries. Could it be backlash from using all of his cursed energy?"
'If that's the case, that would be really informative. It's the first time I've seen someone use absolutely all of their cursed energy.'
I lifted him up and threw him over my shoulder. He weighed around 80 kilos, but that was nothing to me.
I got on my skateboard and took off.
Going back to Osaka would have been more complicated with him on my back. I wasn't confident enough in my balance to drag him on my back for 55 kilometers at 180 km/h.
So I headed to a secret base of the Inagaki clan in Kyoto.
It was a simple warehouse locked with a padlock, but it was discreet enough not to attract attention.
I got off my board with the guard still slumped over my shoulder.
I retrieved the key from its hiding spot, the flower pot next to it, and unlocked the padlock.
Tchik!
I grabbed the handle and lifted the metal door.
PHRAAH!
When I opened the container, I was surprised to see it was packed full of goods.
"There's not even any space left—what the hell is this?"
There wasn't even enough room for a single person to rest. But with no alternative, I was forced to make do.
"Ahh! The end justifies the means."
PHRAAH!
THUD!
After closing behind us, I started scanning the room. There was really very little space to even move.
I kept complaining internally when something caught my attention.
'There's nothing over there.'
At the back, in a corner of the room and its surroundings, there was absolutely nothing. It was still insufficient for someone who wanted to lie down, but it was still far more than the rest.
'But why?'
Why was that corner empty? And why had Kentaro given me this address if it wasn't usable?
'There must be something there.'
I did my best to squeeze through all the crap blocking my way, and after a lot of effort and frustration, I finally made it.
'Damn, that was harder than the whole hunt.'
After calming my frustration, I analyzed the surroundings. There was nothing—nothing except a carpet.
Normally, that would have annoyed me after all that effort, but I could notice the bulge that suggested something was underneath.
Fsh!
I tore the carpet off, and what I found underneath made me smile.
"Jackpot."
There was a trapdoor underneath.
"Cliché, but welcome."
I grabbed the handle of the trapdoor and opened it abruptly.
CRIICK!
Thud!
When I looked down, there were no stairs, so I had no choice but to jump.
TAP!
Landing at the bottom, I noticed it was really dark. But despite the darkness, I could tell the room was spacious.
Not spacious enough to throw a party, but more than enough for two people.
"Now I need to find the outlet. I hope there's electricity here."
I spent some time searching for a switch to turn on the lights. The darkness was almost total, but it didn't bother me much.
Well yeah, I wasn't going to spend all my time training my Observation Haki at the expense of my natural senses.
I managed to find it, but it was covered in dust.
"I hope it still works."
Click!
The bulbs on the ceiling flickered before all turning on one by one.
"And there was light."
I could finally see the entire room, and I had to say—I wasn't disappointed.
"Whoa. This is better than I thought."
It was basically a house underground.
It wasn't a nuclear shelter, and it wasn't very sophisticated, but it did the job.
It was a studio with everything you'd expect.
There was a bed, a couch, a fridge, a small dining table, and even a TV.
Not wanting to waste time, I got to work and placed the guard on the couch.
"Alright, it's time for him to wake up now."
I first went to get something to drink from the fridge. But I only found beer.
"Tch, damn yakuza."
After searching a bit more, I found a bottle of water, which I downed in a few seconds.
When I pulled the bottle away from my mouth, I couldn't help but sigh in satisfaction.
"Ahhh! There's really nothing better than water in this world. But back to business."
I went back to the guard.
"Wake up."
No reaction.
"Hey, wake up."
Still nothing—he didn't seem ready to wake up anytime soon. Unfortunately for him, I was in a hurry.
'I've got a history test this morning, so I can assure you—you're getting up.'
"ARE YOU GONNA GET THE HELL UP OR NOT?!" I shouted a bit too loudly.
He immediately woke up with a cry of pain.
"ARGH!"
He looked around in confusion before staring intensely at me—and even more intensely at my swords. Then he sank into his thoughts.
The more time passed, the more painful his expression became. After a few moments, a different expression formed on his face.
It was understanding.
"Three swords," I heard him say before he started shouting.
"IT'S YOU!"
At those words, I couldn't help but let it all out.
"Well, you finally recognize me. I know I hit hard, but I held back so you wouldn't be too damaged. How were you stupid enough to waste your cursed energy to the point you couldn't even protect yourself?"
"What do you want from me?" The coldness of his voice was ruined by the fear and tension radiating from him.
And that was the beginning of a great legend. That of the greatest Jujutsu mercenary in history.
"My name is Roronoa Zoro, and I feel like you and I are going to become GREAT~ friends."
---
Back to the present
Three years have passed since that day, and thanks to the help of Jin Kahmi. It was clearly a fake name, but I didn't hold it against him.
I used his contacts to enter the underground sector of the underground world that is the Jujutsu world.
I carried out all kinds of missions, each more dangerous than the last. It ranged from theft to assassinations, sometimes combining both when it came to dismantling organizations. The one I had just completed was one of those dismantling missions.
Even though I stayed in the region, that didn't stop me from making a name for myself in the field.
I was given several nicknames during my three years of activity, but my favorite by far was "The Scythe of Certain Death."
The origin of that nickname was simple—I had never failed a single mission involving killing. I had failed other missions like espionage or theft, but I loved missions that involved fighting.
My reputation had reached Kyoto and all its surroundings, and I'm sure it had spread throughout the entire Jujutsu world.
But it was over—I was retiring.
'At least for now.'
The wind blew against my face as I walked calmly. I had just finished my last mission.
Suddenly, there was movement behind me.
But I didn't panic, because I knew exactly who it was.
"I see you've mastered Soru perfectly now," I said to the person behind me.
That person was dressed the same way as me, the only difference being the blood staining his clothes.
"Of course. What did you expect?"
"Who are you talking to in that tone?" I shot back in a falsely irritated voice.
"Cut the act, will you?"
I continued my role, this time pretending to be sad and disappointed.
"Ahh! To think you'd talk to me like that one day. Where did I mess up your upbringing? Or is this just teenage rebellion?"
As soon as I finished speaking, I had to tilt my head to the side to avoid a punch to the face.
"Stop your bullshit."
"Ahh! To think that one day my little brother would raise his hand against me. I miss the days when little cute Toji still called me big brother."
"Tch." He stopped struggling with me, realizing it was exactly what I wanted.
I started laughing at his attitude. "Hahahaha! Alright, alright, I'll stop."
Calming down, I regained my composed expression.
"So, how did it go?" I asked.
"As usual," he replied casually.
I had tasked Toji with taking care of the small fry while I went after the leaders of the organization. And he had handled it brilliantly.
I started doing missions with Toji very soon after entering. After his first mission with me, I asked him if he wanted to continue.
He seemed shaken by his first kill, but he said he wanted to keep going.
A year ago, he started taking solo missions, mainly assassination ones.
Since he mainly targeted cursed users, he couldn't receive the title of curse killer, but instead received a new one: "The Sudden Death."
Together, we made the underground of the underground tremble. They eventually started calling our duo "Fear and Terror."
"Alright, let's head home—we've got things to do," I said as I resumed walking.
"What do you mean?" he asked, following me.
"We're going back to Tokyo."
He stopped abruptly, his face expressionless.
"So, it's time."
"Yes, Toji." A feral smile spread across my lips.
"We're going home."
END OF VOLUME 1 : ACCLIMATIZATION