Chapter 1: Transmigrated and Became the Fruit of the Eight-Headed Serpent?
Concealment Era, year 1483.
In this country known as Wano Country, Orochi, who had been oppressed since birth, was kneeling inside a dilapidated shrine. His ugly face and trembling eyes were fixed on a demonic-looking fruit placed on the ground.
Before him sat 2 elderly figures, withered like dried corpses, positioned on either side. They were retainers of the Kurozumi Clan.
The old woman on the left had a face twisted like an ugly demon mask. She was Kurozumi Higurashi, the one who possessed the power of the Clone-Clone Fruit.
The gaunt old man sitting in the corner held a musical instrument, his eyes tightly closed. He was Kurozumi Semimaru, the one who possessed the power of the Barrier-Barrier Fruit.
At this moment, the purple fruit lying on the ground, covered in patterns resembling snake scales, was a legendary Devil Fruit. It was an extremely rare Mythical Zoan-Type Devil Fruit—the Snake-Snake Fruit, Model: Yamata no Orochi.
"As long as you listen to me, I will grant you power." Kurozumi Higurashi's demonic words echoed endlessly in Orochi's mind.
Power. If he had power, he could take revenge on those who had humiliated him. If he had power, he would make everyone in this country die in agony.
He wanted to destroy this country.
Madness surfaced in Orochi's eyes as his trembling arm slowly reached toward the fruit, wanting to grasp that power. If he ate it, could he truly gain power?
Holding the terrifying fruit in his hands, Orochi finally saw its appearance clearly. It looked like an apple, but its entire surface was covered in scale-like patterns.
At the top of the fruit were 8 green leaves drooping in different directions. At first glance, they resembled 8 tiny arrows.
But upon closer inspection, it felt as though the leaves had come alive, twisting and swaying like 8 snakes dancing in the wind.
No—it was not merely a feeling.
The 8 green leaves instantly transformed into 8 ferocious snake heads. One head shot forward like lightning, striking toward Orochi's neck, while the other 7 suddenly extended and lunged at Kurozumi Higurashi and Kurozumi Semimaru.
Everything happened too suddenly. None of the 3 had time to react before they were bitten tightly by the snakes formed from the leaves.
At first, Kurozumi Higurashi and Kurozumi Semimaru struggled violently. Soon after, however, all 3 of them, including Orochi, fell completely silent.
The snakes released their bites and slowly withdrew, returning once more to the appearance of ordinary leaves.
The 3 remaining members of the Kurozumi Clan did not die. Instead, they knelt on the ground with their heads lowered, as though bowing in submission to the fruit itself.
If one looked carefully, it would be clear that the marks left on their bodies were not venomous wounds. They were strange, ominous imprints.
These were the Serpent's Seals Ren had left behind. As long as the Serpent's Seal existed, the marked individuals would submit to him completely, becoming his servants.
And at this very moment, Ren was this Mythical Zoan-Type Devil Fruit.
Ren had already forgotten how long it had been since he transmigrated into this world. He only remembered that after his consciousness entered the fruit, he was nearly annihilated by the demonic consciousness within it.
Fortunately, at a critical moment, he awakened Reception Magic from Fairy Tail, allowing him to receive and assimilate demonic power.
To survive, Ren had no choice but to forcibly receive the power of the Yamata no Orochi.
Since then, he had been locked in a prolonged struggle with the Yamata no Orochi's consciousness. Although he had slowly gained the upper hand, he had yet to fully succeed.
If he had not sensed that he was about to be devoured by Orochi, Ren would not have forcibly used his ability to turn Orochi and the other 2 into his servants.
After implanting the Serpent's Seal, Ren once again fell back into the confrontation with the Yamata no Orochi.
In truth, if he had not been fighting it for so long, he would never have realized that this Devil Fruit—known in the original story for granting extra lives—actually possessed many undeveloped abilities.
The Serpent's Seal, which allowed control over others, was one such ability.
Although it was useless against true powerhouses, it was extremely effective against someone like Orochi.
"That was close. Fortunately, I have already mastered part of the Yamata no Orochi's power. Otherwise, I would have been eaten by that disgusting fellow, Orochi."
Ren let out a quiet sigh of relief. Although he could not interfere too much with the outside world for now, after this incident, the 3 of them would surely treat him as a sacred object.
Even if they did not worship him, they would at least preserve him intact.
As for what Orochi and the others would do next, Ren did not care in the slightest.
Once he completely subdued the demonic consciousness within the fruit, he would be able to transform back into a human. Moreover, he would fully master the power of this Devil Fruit.
That power even included Devil Fruit awakening.
After all, the time spent fighting the fruit was also a form of cultivation.
By then, even if his strength did not reach the level of the Four Emperors, it would at least place him at the lower tier of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
With that level of strength, he could do whatever he pleased.
At this moment, the 3 individuals bearing the Serpent's Seal exchanged glances.
Orochi cautiously picked up the Devil Fruit before him and gently set it down again.
"Orochi, how could you place the Great One on the ground like that?" Kurozumi Semimaru scolded sternly as he hurried forward to pick up the fruit.
Hearing this, Orochi's face flushed with guilt. He immediately knelt down, kowtowed repeatedly, and spoke sorrowfully.
"I am truly sorry. I actually committed such a disrespectful act. But…"
He hesitated before continuing, "There is no suitable place to enshrine the Great One at the moment…"
"Foolish, Orochi." Kurozumi Higurashi had now completely transferred her loyalty to Ren.
Holding the fruit, she slowly walked to the entrance of the dilapidated shrine, pushed open the door, and looked up at the dim sky.
Rumble.
Dark purple lightning tore across the night.
"Is there not a palace over there that perfectly suits the Great One's status?"
Kurozumi Higurashi's voice was hoarse and sharp.