The West Sea was calm, the sea breeze gentle, the surface of the water like a painted scroll.
Yet, this tranquility was shattered in the very next second.
"BOOM!"
High in the sky, where moments before there had been not a cloud in sight, dark clouds suddenly gathered, lightning flashed, thunder roared, and a violent storm erupted with savage fury.
An island was submerged.
An enormous black tree descended from the heavens, crashing onto the sea's surface and sending up mountainous waves that engulfed a nearby, remote, and uninhabited island.
This colossal tree was, naturally, the Devil Fruit Mother Tree. However, the Mother Tree now was covered in wounds, its once lush and dense branches and leaves now sparse and withered.
At that moment, a figure shot through the air, arriving before the Mother Tree in the blink of an eye. A terrifying force of destruction surged downward from above.
"ROAR!"
A piercing shriek emanated from the Mother Tree. Its remaining branches and leaves, writhing like the tentacles of a kraken, erupted with the powers of various Devil Fruits, frantically lashing upward toward the sky.
A deafening explosion rang out. Yet this time, the Mother Tree's last remaining foliage was utterly shattered by the impact of Uchiha Madara's Six Paths Staff. Its trunk was split by a massive fissure, nearly cleaving the tree in two.
"Hmph, I'll make you understand that my power is not something you can resist!" Uchiha Madara snorted coldly.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
A torrent of flames spewed from his mouth, sweeping toward the Devil Fruit Mother Tree like a sea of fire.
The Mother Tree trembled in terror. Its freezing ability erupted, and a wall of ice surged from the sea to shield it.
"BOOM!"
Susanoo!
Flames collided with the ice wall, generating vast plumes of steam that rapidly shrouded the area in a thick mist.
Uchiha Madara activated his Complete Body — Susanoo. Chakra coalesced on the massive blade in its hand. With a single slash, it cleaved through the surrounding steam, and the sea itself was split in two, the waters refusing to merge again for a long time.
"So strong! Uchiha Madara is actually this powerful!"
"Everyone in the Ninja Guild is a monster among monsters. We must never provoke them in the future, or we won't even know how we died."
"I'm more curious about who is stronger right now: Uchiha Madara, or Guild Master Lin Xuan?"
The viewers watching the live stream were all astounded, their eyes nearly popping out of their heads as they witnessed Uchiha Madara in action.
The combat power Madara was displaying was truly staggering. Every move he made contained unparalleled, overwhelming force. Some even worried he might end up destroying the ocean itself!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The battle raged on. The two combatants fought until the heavens darkened and the earth quaked, the surrounding seas suffering the catastrophic fallout.
At this point, Lin Xuan swiftly intervened, protecting the distant islands threatened by the colossal waves.
"Hmph, before me, Uchiha Madara, you stand no chance of victory!" Madara declared, watching the Devil Fruit Mother Tree get sent flying once more by his punch. His laughter was filled with confidence and arrogance.
The Mother Tree was a far cry from its former majestic self. Its body was now covered in wounds, making it look utterly wretched. The most critical issue was that these injuries were proving extremely difficult to heal.
Furious, the Devil Fruit Mother Tree erupted with a dark light, channeling all of it into the Ancient Weapon, Uranus. With a final, desperate effort, it unleashed a sword slash.
This slash altered the very heavens and earth, causing day and night to chaotically flicker!
A violent energy wildly swept forth. Even space itself shattered like a mirror in an instant as the terrifying attack shot toward Uchiha Madara.
Instead of fear, a look of excitement spread across Uchiha Madara's face. He laughed heartily, "Perfect timing! Let me see just how strong this last-ditch effort of yours really is!"
As he spoke, he shot forward, actively meeting the (terrifying attack) head-on in the sky.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
The sea surface instantly exploded. Marine life in the vicinity that hadn't managed to flee in time burst apart, dyeing the surrounding waters red...
High in the sky, the Mother Tree's attack resembled a black sun, endlessly devouring everything around it.
But at that very moment, a hand suddenly reached out from within the darkness, tearing the surrounding blackness apart.
A terrifying and violent force swept out in all directions. Several small islands nearby instantly crumbled. Fortunately, Lin Xuan had evacuated the people on them beforehand, or they would have been completely annihilated.
"It seems... you have lost!"
Uchiha Madara's triumphant laughter echoed as he descended from the sky, his hand reaching out to grasp the now visibly weakened and wilted Devil Fruit Mother Tree.
Terror finally gripped the Mother Tree completely. It hurriedly cried out, "Spare me, great one! I am willing to submit to you!"
Hearing its plea, Uchiha Madara halted his attack, though his hand remained firmly on the tree's trunk, chakra pulsating, ready to tear it to shreds at any moment. Madara's gaze turned toward Lin Xuan; he wouldn't make this decision on his own.
Lin Xuan had also heard the plea. Frowning, he said, "Devil Fruits are a mainstream source of power in this world. If we simply kill it, won't that mean no more Devil Fruits will be born in the future? That would be a bit of a pity."
Hearing this, the Devil Fruit Mother Tree grew excited. "As long as you don't kill me, I will provide you with a continuous, endless supply of Devil Fruits! You can build powerful forces and rule this world with ease!"
"You have a point," Lin Xuan nodded, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.
The Mother Tree's heart swelled with excitement, believing Lin Xuan was prepared to let it live.
Simultaneously, it began scheming in its mind, plotting how it might use the Devil Fruits in the future to turn the tables once again.
But then, it heard Lin Xuan suddenly say, "Madara... eat it."
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T/N:
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