Conquering Heroines: Starting From A World Of Zombies Chapter 168 - 167: Divine Departure

The next stretch of their voyage went surprisingly smoothly. Compared to the unpredictable weather of the Grand Line, the East Blue's seas were downright ordinary—almost boring.

Ryuji's training didn't stop, of course. Whenever he had free ti, he'd dive into the sea to swim, strengthening his body as much as he could.

After all, by the standards of this world, he was still far too weak.

But there was sothing else he was focused on as well.

"Eat properly! Every bite counts!" Ryuji ordered, watching Nami as she sullenly chewed through chunks of sea beast at.

"Every piece you eat now will beco part of your future curves—so eat up!"

His tone was dead serious. The doctor he'd consulted had made it clear: Nami's body wasn't fit for intense physical activity right now.

It made sense, too. Nami's health only really started improving after Chopper joined the crew in the original tiline. Before that, even minor illnesses that wouldn't trouble Luffy, Zoro, or even Usopp could leave Nami bedridden for days. That said a lot about just how frail she truly was.

That's why Ryuji was so focused on her nutrition.

"Who could eat with that kind of pressure?!" Nami grumbled under her breath. Still, she had to admit: the food aboard this ship was leagues better than anything she'd had during her years at sea. The woman nad Rouge was gentle and a fantastic cook. And as much as Robin seed cold on the surface, she always stepped in to shoulder Ryuji's desires when Nami couldn't take it anymore.

Plus, Robin was in a situation much like her own—relying on Ryuji's help to resurrect her mother. The difference was, Robin had power… and she and Ryuji were clearly long-ti companions, with a bond Nami could only observe from the outside.

At least all Ryuji wanted from her was to use her mouth. It had been uncomfortable at first, but she was mostly used to it now.

It was just… the taste. That was the part she could never like.

"Well, that's what happens when you belong to , Nami," Ryuji said, watching her pout. He found it strangely adorable. In fact, he was starting to realize he really enjoyed teasing girls like Nami—girls who'd grit their teeth and do what he asked, even as their faces filled with reluctant determination. There was just sothing especially satisfying about it.

But what could he do? Nami was far too thin right now. If they tried anything too rough, he'd probably feel nothing but bone—and that would ruin the mood.

"You guys really think you can beat Arlong?" Nami asked, worry creeping into her voice.

Roger perked up at that. He'd noticed this girl seed constantly anxious about this Arlong fellow. Even Ryuji had asked him to help take Arlong down. Could this Arlong really be that powerful?

"Is this Arlong really that tough?" Roger asked, genuinely curious. Back in his day, he'd never even heard of the guy.

"Eh, not really," Ryuji replied after thinking it over. "Physically, he's definitely stronger than right now. If I don't use any powers, we'd probably be evenly matched, fifty-fifty."

That was the truth. Arlong was weak in the grand sche of things—but his physical strength was definitely better than Ryuji's at this point.

"Hah! So he's a scrub, then," Roger said, scratching his head in disbelief.

To Roger, Ryuji's current level was barely above cannon fodder. Of course, once Ryuji started using his abilities, he beca… well, high-tier cannon fodder. The kind that could take out other cannon fodder in one hit.

Ryuji bristled at the thought. Sure, Roger was one of the strongest n in the world, but to him, anyone below admiral level was a scrub anyway. The only difference was whether or not they could withstand his Conqueror's Haki.

Those who could? High-tier scrubs. Those who couldn't? Low-tier scrubs. Simple as that.

"I know, okay?! I'm already working on it!" Ryuji grumbled, shoving the last piece of at in his mouth before diving into the sea again to continue his physical training.

There really was sothing addictive about working out in this world—especially the way he could feel himself getting stronger bit by bit. That sense of steady growth was intoxicating.

"Hmm. Kid's got so spirit after all," Roger chuckled, tugging his hat down over his eyes as he watched Ryuji haul the ship along through the water like a beast of burden.

The more ti Roger spent observing Ryuji, the more intrigued he beca. It felt like there was a bottomless well of potential hidden inside that body—sothing terrifying, sothing that made even him feel a flicker of unease.

If Ryuji had been training seriously since childhood? With how fast he was improving now… even Roger might have been no match for him by this point.

Roger's eyes darkened thoughtfully. He'd sent Buggy to Rayleigh for retraining partly to protect him. He'd sensed it—Ryuji didn't particularly like Buggy, and it didn't take a genius to figure out why. That's why he'd kept their reunion short and sweet.

Roger might be bold, but he wasn't reckless. Still…

"Bah, let the living worry about what to do with that monster. Not my problem anymore," he muttered with a grin, knocking back the last of his rum.

To be honest, drinking like this brought back mories for Roger. Toward the end of his life, he had quit alcohol just to spend more ti with his wife. For a pirate to stop drinking... that was pure torture.

And so, ti passed.

As Nami grew increasingly uneasy, they finally approached Cocoyasi Village. Her eyes darted nervously across the sea, half-expecting that monstrous sea king guarding Arlong to suddenly attack their ship.

Roger noticed her tension.

"Don't worry. Ryuji's already dealing with it. Look—he's fighting."

Nami followed his gaze… and imdiately spotted it.

The sea beast MoMoo—the giant sea cow that had crushed countless Marine vessels and sunk entire villages. Though its cow-like features made it look almost cute, Nami knew better. This monster had left behind a trail of death.

And now it was charging straight at Ryuji, who was dragging their ship forward by swimming… and completely unaware!

"Watch out! Ryuji!"

Nami scread in panic, but Roger only smiled.

As a master of Haki, he could clearly feel it: Ryuji was already aware of what was coming, even as he kept swimming.

"In fact," Roger remarked lightly, "he's quite talented with Observation Haki."

Just as he finished, Ryuji paused mid-stroke. Sothing felt… off.

It wasn't a physical sensation—he hadn't seen, heard, or slled anything. But sohow, he knew sothing was approaching.

He saw no color, yet he felt its hue.

Saw no form, but knew its shape.

Heard no sound, yet could sense every vibration, every breath.

Slled no scent, yet sohow knew where the at on that thing would taste best.

What is this…?

His instincts kicked in. The water around him spiraled under his control, lifting his body skyward in a spinning current—just as MoMoo lunged forward with its enormous jaws.

Landing atop his own controlled stream, it felt like he'd stepped onto a surface both soft and springy. Then, channeling the movent techniques from his water-manipulation manual, he assud a Tai Chi pose.

The spinning water coiled upward, binding the massive beast. His punch followed, empowered by both water montum and his blood-qi techniques.

BOOM!

His fist crashed into MoMoo's skull with a heavy thud, shaking the beast's consciousness. It couldn't even tell what was happening anymore.

Before it could recover—

BAM!

The second punch landed.

Another low rumble. A sickening crack. Bone gave way.

The sea beast went limp, its massive fra floating silently on the surface.

"Damn, that hurt," Ryuji muttered, shaking out his hand. His forearm was flushed unnaturally red—broken capillaries from the sheer force of the blow.

But he was frustrated. If he'd already mastered the ability to freeze water like the scrolls described, things would've been easier.

Between fla and water, Ryuji found himself favoring water now—especially at sea.

Through practice, he'd learned water manipulation could even pull moisture from the air. Not that he was good at it yet… Roger laughed at him every ti he tried.

Just as he was thinking about borrowing a sword to butcher the downed beast, Roger leaned over the bow, eyeing him with amused interest.

"Well now, looks like you've awakened Observation Haki too. What a monster."

Ryuji blinked. He looked at his fist and saw thin tendrils of black energy clinging to it.

"And that weird sensation earlier… was that Observation Haki?"

He looked back at Roger, dazed.

"Yup," Roger chuckled. "You and I are alike—we hear more than others. You should be able to hear that sea king's weak point, right? Otherwise, there's no way your tiny fist could've shattered its skull."

Weak point?

Ryuji instinctively turned his attention back to MoMoo's unconscious form—and imdiately felt it.

Even without seeing anything, he knew which parts of its body were strong, which were vulnerable, which muscles were tensed or twitching.

Now that he thought about it… he had instinctively followed that feeling during the fight.

No wonder two punches were all it took.

But when he tried to use the sa sense on Roger… nothing.

With Nami and Robin, he could vaguely sense their intent—almost like a prediction.

But Roger? He was everywhere. In his field of vision, every possible version of Roger's next move appeared at once.

"Yeah, that's how Observation Haki works," Roger said, laughing. "For soone way stronger than you, it's pretty much useless. But keep training—it'll grow."

Then the illusions vanished. As if they'd never been there.

Observation Haki was, after all, a skill developed by pushing human limits. Against a superior opponent, it simply failed.

"Alright. Looks like we're here. Once you deal with Arlong, I'll be on my way, right?" Roger grinned.

Ryuji nodded. Roger might've bullied him into swimming every day, but when it ca to the Haki system, he was a master instructor.

"Right. Once you've wiped out Arlong's crew, you and your wife are free to go. I'll give you both one year."

Roger scratched his head. "A year, huh? That's a bit long. More ti for trouble… but probably not enough for her."

Still, it would do.

After all, Ace was with Whitebeard. Finding him wouldn't be hard.

"Then we'd better move fast. We've got company."

He leapt down to MoMoo's corpse and looked behind Ryuji.

Ryuji turned. On the distant shore, lounging on beach chairs, was a group of strange, humanoid figures—half-man, half-fish.

"Fishn?"

Roger nodded. "Yup. Weaklings, all of them. Even without , you could crush them. But a promise is a promise—I'll handle this."

He pulled Ryuji to stand beside him and smirked.

"Activate your Observation Haki."

"Huh?"

Though confused, Ryuji complied.

In that mont, Roger's eyes flashed red.

Ryuji didn't even have ti to react.

Roger drew his sword. Black lightning surged down the blade. The air itself trembled.

A horrifying pressure crushed down on Ryuji's mind—death itself seed to claw at his heart.

But in the split second Roger struck, Ryuji saw everything.

How the sword moved. How the Haki flowed. Every piece of it burned into his soul.

Then—

"DIVINE DEPARTURE!!"

A cataclysmic wave of power tore through the sky.

Behind Ryuji, Arlong had just stood up from his beach chair and begun to complain.

"Where the hell did these—"

He didn't finish.

Roger's blade fell.

In an instant, Arlong's body—and his crew, his base, his dreams—were obliterated.

Ryuji stood frozen, too stunned to even turn around.

He knew what was behind him.

Because the energy of that strike had blasted through him.

His Haki, the water, the air—all whispered the truth.

The earth had cracked. The sea was roaring.

A demon had just laid waste to this land.

"Phew, finally free from that horny bastard," Roger said, cheerfully sheathing his sword. "You're so loud every night. It's annoying."

He clapped Ryuji on the shoulder.

"I'm off, kid. Don't forget that move."

Then he hopped back on the ship, scooped up his wife, and sailed away in a lifeboat with a few packages.

Ryuji stood there for a mont, then slowly turned around.

Two kiloters behind him—

The island was split in half.

Literally cleaved in two.

And that was quick recovery. Nami, standing beside him, hadn't even reacted yet. She still thought it was all a dream.

Not until Ryuji climbed back aboard.

That's when it hit her.

Snapping to attention, she grabbed a telescope to catch one last glimpse of Roger as he drifted away.

And then she scread.

"MY MONEY!!"

Yes—

Roger had stolen Nami's money.