Chapter 404: The Great Crimson Anomaly!
Chapter 404: The Great Crimson Anomaly!
Rumble!
Under the onslaught of the Tyrant Aura's tangible force, the black and red hues in the sky intensified, transforming the entire sky into a somber and ominous black and red canopy.
Sage, standing atop a black cloud, swiftly ascended into the sky, gazing down at the raging sea of trees that covered nearly half of the island below. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and then he reached up towards the heavens, clenching his fist tightly.
"Thunder Storm!"
Rumble!
Right above the center of the island, countless bolts of black and red lightning descended simultaneously, as if wiping the sky clean, and struck the tree sea below.
Sage wasn't sure if the lightning could shatter the darkness, but at this moment, it could pulverize a forest of this magnitude. As the trees shattered, they also ignited, turning the center of the island into a raging inferno.
Within the fiery forest, the trees continued to stretch, rolling and extending across the ground, growing taller and taller. In the blaze, they resembled a mountain of flaming trees.
They also resembled deep-sea tentacles, climbing upwards with the flames.
"Catastrophic Gale!"
Sage extended his hand, and the sky whipped up a ferocious wind capable of slicing a person to pieces. As it cut through the tree-like tentacles, the flames were driven downwards.
The fire, fueled by the wind, raged even more fiercely below.
"No matter how strong the wind, a forest can always block it! As long as there's enough, even the greatest fires can be extinguished! Fire Defense Forest!"
The tree-like forest, engulfed in flames, managed to create a safe distance behind it. Simultaneously, countless trees sprouted from the surroundings, their roots intertwining, relentlessly rushing towards the fire and gradually suppressing the inferno.
Nature-type abilities were always formidable, and all nature-type users exhibited remarkable resilience.
Ordinary elemental attacks were now largely ineffective, serving only as a meaningless drain on resources.
"Then let's try a different approach."
Sage leaped from the black cloud, causing it to shrink and merge into his cloak.
Boom!
As the sky rumbled with thunder, a brief flash of light illuminated the barren land below. Hwang Mu, looking up, saw countless objects resembling a meteor shower.
Sage's hands vanished in a fleeting movement, and beneath the sky, like shattering meteors, countless aura orbs exploded from his hands.
"Skybreaker Meteor Smash!"
"Aura, huh? It's surprisingly powerful!"
Hwang Mu gritted his teeth. "But I won't give up either! Tree Sea Descent!"
Transforming into a tree-like being, Hwang Mu lifted his hands, summoning even more tree roots from the ground. The roots entangled and thickened, colliding with the incoming aura orbs.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The aura orbs shattered the front ends of the tree roots, but they were quickly replenished by the roots behind, continually reinforcing the gaps. Even as the aura orbs weakened, the roots kept pushing forward.
Thud!
Sage's face contorted into a cold smile, and he kicked off the air, creating a smoke ring as he descended like an arrow. His fist tightened into a powerful aura blast.
"Hundred Demons Assault!"
Wherever his fist passed, the entangled root-like trees were blasted open, and Sage plummeted like a meteor, shattering the surrounding trees and landing heavily on the ground, creating a deep crater.
The moment he touched the ground, Sage's eyes flashed with red light, fixing on a specific direction. He raised his hand and unleashed three consecutive blasts.
"Galactic Impact Barrage!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The first blast shattered the massive forest ahead, the second blast tore open the hidden tree, and the third blast struck again before the tree could regenerate.
Clearly, Sage heard a muffled groan.
"Damn you!"
Hwang Mu's frustrated voice echoed from deep within the forest, and once again, trees sprouted from the ground around Sage, their branches reaching out like tentacles to attack him.
"I see."
Sage casually struck down the approaching tree roots, a smile on his face. "You're just like Old Crocodile, absorbing water, or in your case, life force. He's a desert, and you're a tree."
Nature-type abilities represented natural phenomena, not just individual elements; those were merely their manifestations.
Kuzan represented 'freeze', hence his use of ice.
Crocodile represented 'drought', which was why he manifested as sand.
This guy also represented a form of nature, expressing it through a forest.
However, it was rare for a nature-type user to reach this level.
"But this is just the beginning. As an Admiral, you're not yet qualified."
Sage soared into the air, bringing his hands together. Wind and lightning gathered in his palms, and with his Perception Aura, he locked onto a specific spot within the dense forest below.
"A true Admiral would not fear my Tyrant Aura. Your spirit needs more training!"
Sizzle!
The tangible Tyrant Aura erupted from Sage's body, targeting the tree-like Hwang Mu below. As Hwang Mu's heart trembled, he instinctively restrained his power.
When one is flustered, their strength indeed becomes scattered.
The Tyrant Aura had this effect, and although Sage's aura was not as formidable as Red-Haired Shanks, it was still a force to be reckoned with.
The newly appointed Admiral did not completely ignore the impact of the Tyrant Aura, and it did affect him to some extent.
Whoosh!
With the dual lock-on of Perception Color and Tyrant Aura, Sage's figure flashed with a black-red light in the air, like a bolt of thunder descending from the sky, and he darted into the depths of the dense forest.
The light swept past, shattering countless trees, and the wind and thunder spread in all directions.
Deep within the forest, a newly grown tree-man looked up in disbelief as the light reached above his head.
The power of wind and thunder, the instantaneous burst, the impact of the fist, the penetration of Wibbur, and the true damage dealt by Sage himself.
As he struck with both hands, a black-red flash of light erupted, moving so swiftly that it left no room for reaction, and it struck Hwang Mu's body directly.
"Great Crimson Anomaly!!!"
Boom!!!
Like a bowl cover, the center of the island was enveloped in black-red light, radiating outwards and destroying everything in its path.
Trees, soil, and even the secluded paradise within the waterfall—all were obliterated by the spreading light.
Boom!
The central peak of the island was shattered by the impact, exploding into rocks of various sizes.
The island's terrain, which should have been uplifting, was blasted into a bowl shape, causing the surrounding seas to churn and ripple.
"Ugh!"
In a corner of the outer forest, Moriah shielded his face and laughed towards the center:
"Hehehehe, is it Sage who made the move? The power is indeed formidable."
Sitting on Jozu's body, Hawkins, who had been reading the tarot cards, drew one and spoke calmly, "It's over."
"Yeah."
Uki, standing nearby, let out a strange laugh, "No one can match the Captain."
On the other side.
Lily swung her sword, missing her target, and looked up at the sky where Marco was fleeing, frowning, "He got away?"
"Oh ho! Sage has made his move!"
At the same time, not far away in the forest, Renitiah sat on Wibbur's shoulder and cheered, pointing towards the center with her hammer, "I can sense it, Wibbur! Let's go in that direction!"
"Okay, Big Sis!"
Wibbur nodded foolishly, shouldering his long sword and heading in the direction Renitiah indicated, leaving behind a trail of shattered corpses.
In the center, Marika protected herself and retreated a considerable distance before smiling, "Has the power weakened? It should be enough to destroy an island, but it's still impressive."
Sage's move was powerful enough to completely annihilate an island.
It was evident that he had held back, considering his subordinates.
But it was more than enough.
In the center of the massive bowl-shaped depression, the pulverized trees no longer grew, and even the green grass had disappeared, leaving a desolate wasteland.
At the bottom of the depression, Hwang Mu, charred and cracked, struggled to catch his breath. He tried to lift his hand to support himself, but a pair of boots appeared in his line of sight.
Smack! The foot stomped on his head, embedding him into the ground below. The Tyrant Aura wrapped around the boot, assaulting his mind and spirit, preventing him from elemental transformation.
Sage sneered as he looked down, "Not good enough, Agin!"
Compared to Yellow Monkey and Green Chicken, he was far inferior.
Those top-tier powerhouses were indeed beyond the reach of the World Drafting.
Although this guy was impressive, when compared to the likes of Katakuri, whom Sage had encountered before, he was far superior.
There was indeed a ceiling to power on the vast seas.
And at the very top, of course, was Kaido.
Beyond this line, power was hard to differentiate, but in a serious battle, a victor would eventually emerge.
Beyond this line, surpassing the level of Royal Vice Admirals and above, if we were to categorize them using Sage's earlier classification of 'Weak Admiral', 'Strong Admiral', and 'Strong Yonko', Hwang Mu could be considered a 'Weak Admiral', standing at this level.
However, facing a 'Strong Admiral' like Sage, he was outclassed.
Especially against someone like Sage, who was an overwhelming force.
While Tyrant Aura was Sage's weakness, his battles against powerful foes had continuously strengthened it.
Having reached this level, he was significantly more powerful than before. Hwang Mu should have been his match, but Sage possessed an infinite amount of Tyrant Aura, and whether it was through consumption or direct confrontation, Hwang Mu would ultimately succumb.
In terms of physique, his thirty-fold body was unmatched by anyone except Big Mom and Kaido.
Not to mention this move, which utilized countless Tyrant Aura techniques and attributes. Even though he sensed that his subordinates were on the island, reducing the power by a fraction and controlling it to destroy only the center of the island, it was beyond Hwang Mu's ability to stop.
Hwang Mu's face pressed against the ground, gritting his teeth as he spoke, "I... I am Hwang Mu, you bastard!"
He could still move, but the Domination Bind temporarily rendered him immobile.
Sage didn't give him a chance to move either.
"Whatever, it's all the same. You're not bad, I'll take you in for now and see which of my men can make use of you."
Sage retracted his leg, infusing his toes with Dominance once again as he prepared to kick Hwang Mu.
Hwoosh!
Just then, a gust of wind suddenly reverberated from the side, like the sensation of a blade tearing through the air, accompanied by a unique...
"Vibration?"
Sage was momentarily stunned, not even bothering to look back. Instead, he immediately swung his fist, unleashing a powerful strike.
Boom!!
The blade and the Dominance-infused strike collided, creating an odd vibration that caused the ground to crack.
The person behind Sage was Ougreen's body, but on this headless body, a red-nosed mask had formed, and in his hand, he held a gleaming kukri.
The vibration was emanating from this blade.
"Damn you, Hwang Mu! Damn you, Catastrophe! My plan is completely ruined! And I had such high hopes for you, Hwang Mu! Why didn't you follow my plan?"
The red mask let out a venomous roar, and the voice was familiar.
It was Kai Hai.
"Hmm? You're not dead? No, that's not an option."
Sage looked at him in surprise, his eyes revealing understanding, "Is it your ability?"
"That's right. As the Great Celestial Dog, even though I'm a Beastman, my ability doesn't lie in combat. Instead, I live as the legendary 'Vengeful Spirit'!"
Kai Hai shouted, "My ability also doesn't fear death! After death, I have one chance to condense vengeful spirits and possess others!"
"At the same time, I can also use the obsessions within the land to manifest this power! The reason I chose Whitebeard's homeland is that the obsessions here are too strong. Whitebeard's weapon is also here. By using this 'Cloud Slash,' I can manifest Whitebeard's power!"
"I only need a body, and a young body will suffice. And the best body is yours, Catastrophe!"
"Do you think I want to defeat you? No, I want your body! Your peak-achieving body!"
"My plan was to wait for you to show a weakness, and after you die, I would also die. I would even risk my life as long as you die."
"As long as you die, I will possess your body, and then, with the power of Cloud Slash, I will become you!"
Kai Hai tightly gripped Cloud Slash, "At that time, the world will proclaim that on the great sea, Catastrophe was stopped on his way to conquer the Green Nation by the remnants of Whitebeard, the King of the Green Nation, and the Naval Admiral. But in the end, he defeated them all and conquered the Green Nation."
"At that moment, your reputation will be unparalleled, but it won't be you; it will be me! Me! Possessing the strongest body and manifesting the strongest power! I will replace you and become the new pinnacle on the great sea!"
He pointed Cloud Slash at Hwang Mu, "Hwang Mu, you've ruined everything!"
"Shut up! It's not like that, old man Kai Hai!"
Hwang Mu shouted, "This guy isn't ordinary. Your plan was ruined from the start. You're not even a match for Wet Crow. It's because your strength is too weak!"
"My plan can't be wrong. The only mistake is you!"
Kai Hai frantically waved Cloud Slash, "Forget it! It's already like this. Ougreen's body will do, and I can also manifest Whitebeard's power, even if it's only usable on this island. But that's enough! Catastrophe, you've ruined my plan, and I won't let you off easily!"
"Finished talking?"
Sage's eyes were filled with disdain, "You think you can get Whitebeard's power just by holding a sword? Power isn't that cheap, old man. You're not even as good as the body you're occupying."
"I am immortal! As long as the obsession remains, I will never die. Catastrophe, no matter how strong your power is, you can't kill me!" Kai Hai went crazy and raised Cloud Slash, ready to attack.
"Nothing is immortal. No matter how strong the ability, Dominance can surpass it. Dealing with you is too easy, but..."
Sage didn't even glance at the swinging blade, filled with intense vibrations. Instead, he looked to the side, "You don't need me to take action."
"Eightfold Jade Orb!"
Buzz!
A bright light appeared in the sky, piercing through the gloomy sky. In the midst of the light, countless laser beams rapidly fired towards Kai Hai's body.
Under the barrage of laser beams, the body was disintegrated, leaving behind not even a fragment, including the red mask, which also vanished under the laser attack.
At the edge of the sky, an old man with his hands forming an 'OK' sign and wearing sunglasses appeared, pouting and dragging out his words.
"Oh~ How scary, Catastrophe."
Sage's face twisted into a sinister expression as he clenched his fist and burst into laughter,
"Hahahaha! One admiral isn't enough, so you sent a second one? Are you determined to capture me alive today? Do you have the guts, Monkey!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
