Chapter 216: Epilogue, the Yokai Kamaitachi (4k)

Bai Cangshu watched Garp's movements, his pupils trembling slightly. The transcendent dynamic vision granted by his purified Perfect Individual bloodline allowed him to see every minute muscle movement of Garp's, and combined with the 【Transparent World】, he could even see the entire process of Garp exerting force with perfect clarity.

Garp's 【Moon Walk】 was much cleaner and more efficient than that of Bai Cangshu or the Moon Demon.

With just a single step into the empty air, he gained enough force to leap a distance of several hundred meters.

It was as if Bai Cangshu were watching a playback before his eyes; he realized that the moment the opponent stepped, the air beneath his feet became extremely viscous for an instant.

That posture was very close to the sonic boom cloud that appeared when he activated Instant to break the sound barrier.

Bai Cangshu was lost in thought, then the muscles in his legs shifted; the muscles in his upper body shrank slightly, while his lower body became more prominent.

Bang!

With a sudden stomp, the air emitted a sound like an explosion.

Garp looked back and saw that the new recruit had clearly grasped the trick; the speed and distance of his Moon Walk had become faster.

He knew very well that Onigumo and those guys were right; this Marine had extraordinary aptitude.

Speed, strength, and this ability to learn—the opponent might truly be the most promising new talent to grow up in the next generation of the Navy, but the only thing that made Garp hesitate was the opponent's temperament.

Rather than a Marine, this Tao Baibai was more cruel than most Pirates.

That temperament of never stopping until the target was dead made him think for a time that this guy would walk a wicked path.

But to his surprise, Tao Baibai did not kill the Monster that had seized 【Black Blade Night】, and Garp's opinion of Tao Baibai changed because of this.

When the two returned to the port of Mock Town, Onigumo, Chaton, Doberman, Brina, and the others were already waiting at the port, and the Marines from Headquarters were all fully armed.

Watching the two step through the air, especially with Bai Cangshu dragging a monster over three meters long in his hand, the visual impact made many Marines show expressions of shock.

Onigumo stepped forward proactively; just in a single encounter, five or six sword lights flashed, and the next moment, following the Moon Demon's painful roar, her joints were pierced through again by sharp blades, causing her to lose the ability to move.

He looked at Bai Cangshu and said:

"G51 Branch recruit Tao Baibai, you have performed meritorious service in pursuing the fugitive. I will report your achievements to Headquarters to request a commendation. Together with your killing of the evil god Enel in the Battle of Skuld Island, Headquarters will award you."

He spoke to define the nature of the incident, no longer pursuing why the two monsters were suddenly able to escape.

Bai Cangshu also cooperatively revealed a joyful smile and walked from behind Garp to behind Onigumo.

Garp did not care about these matters; he patted Bai Cangshu on the shoulder and returned to the tavern. Beneath his heroic posture was his strength that looked down on everything.

Onigumo shifted his gaze. He actually envied Vice Admiral Garp's strength; that was a terrifying power capable of pacifying an entire ocean, but it was a pity that Vice Admiral Garp was too restrained.

If only he could possess that kind of power...

The cruelty in Onigumo's eyes was quite similar to that of Bai Cangshu.

He looked at Bai Cangshu and felt more and more that the future of the Navy perhaps required someone with a sufficiently ruthless temperament; otherwise, how could one deal with that increasingly chaotic ocean!

Unexpectedly, Onigumo personally took Bai Cangshu to lock the Moon Demon into the dock and dispatched an entire squad of men to stand guard.

Bai Cangshu had no objections. Although the Moon Demon was now his "slave," in this world, the opponent could not shake off that erosion and would likely be of no use.

"Tao Baibai, what do you think this ocean should be like?"

Onigumo rarely asked Bai Cangshu a question. Bai Cangshu looked at Onigumo; did the opponent really think of him as a fellow traveler?

A mocking smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"That kind of thing is not something a weakling like me can decide."

"This ocean gives birth to new heroes every moment; there are always new ambitious people rushing to the sea overnight, and old guys burying their bones in foreign lands."

"Only the strong can decide what the ocean is like. As for me..."

"I am just... being myself."

Bai Cangshu was not lying. He did not have any particular stance. Whether it was the Navy, Pirates, the World Government, or the Revolutionary Army, he would kill whoever stood in his way.

Onigumo, however, seemed to have misunderstood Bai Cangshu's meaning, and he frowned.

"At your age, you can hardly be called a weakling."

Hearing this from Onigumo, Bai Cangshu's expression was somewhat strange. Perhaps it was precisely because there were too many arrogant guys like this in the Navy that it sank step by step.

From the initial era when top-tier combatants like Garp and Zhan Guo chased Roger, Whitebeard, and Jin Shizi everywhere to a stalemate, to the stage where the three Admirals—Red, Yellow, and Blue—sat in Marine Headquarters, suppressing the first half of the Grand Line and deterring the Four Emperors;

And then later, when Aokiji and Akainu parted ways, the replacement Admirals even lost their nerve in front of the Conqueror's Haki of the Four Emperors, Hongfa.

The problem of the lack of successors within the Navy was particularly serious.

"When fighting, I won't ask the opponent's age. Would you, Vice Admiral Onigumo?"

When Bai Cangshu asked this, his smile was cruel, and the meaning in his words was self-evident. Onigumo looked at the expression of this young Marine, stunned for a moment, and then laughed out loud.

It was precisely this cruelty that was the reason he appreciated Tao Baibai.

【Your behavior has gained the appreciation of Headquarters Vice Admiral Onigumo. Your Reputation with Onigumo has increased. Current: Friendly (94/100)】

"Vice Admiral Onigumo, can you spar with me?"

Onigumo felt slightly surprised as he looked at Tao Baibai, but the opponent still wore that same smile.

"I want to personally experience the power of the Navy Six Styles and 【Life Return】."

Bai Cangshu realized that this world was likely coming to an end and prepared to use Onigumo's favorability to start a round of cultivation in the plot world.

Onigumo hesitated; he still had injuries on his body at this moment.

But in the end, he nodded and agreed. Just as the two were about to spar, a hurried sound of footsteps rang out.

Bai Cangshu frowned; the person who arrived was a Headquarters Captain.

"Vice Admiral, Headquarters has just been attacked. The attacker might be that mysterious person we encountered earlier. Marshal Zhan Guo is summoning us to return immediately!"

Onigumo's expression changed. In Onigumo's view, the strength of that mysterious person was so great that neither the Headquarters Admirals nor those Sea Emperors in the New World were as terrifying as the opponent.

He could not care about sparring with Bai Cangshu, put on his hat, and only left behind one sentence.

"Wait for the summons from Headquarters."

Then he instantly activated Shave and left.

Just in that instant of 【Shave】, a shadow remained in Bai Cangshu's pupils; the frequency of the opponent's muscle tremors and the timing of the footwork transition were all branded into his eyes.

Bai Cangshu ignored the Headquarters Marines who were quickly evacuating and just controlled his leg muscles on his own.

The next moment.

Whoosh!

Bai Cangshu's feet blurred for an instant like a phantom, and his entire person vanished in an instant; when he reappeared, he was already twenty meters away.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Bai Cangshu practiced continuously, his proficiency growing higher and higher; the muscle lines in his legs were still constantly shifting as he searched for the method most suitable for himself.

This was the first high-speed movement footwork he had learned properly after 【Fire Kata: Raging Fire】 and 【Thunder Breathing】.

This type of physical-technique high-speed movement, which relied entirely on the user's physical abilities, would become even more terrifying as Bai Cangshu's physical capabilities continued to improve.

【The last Reincarnator not of the same faction has left this world.】

【Main Mission: Team Battle, has ended. Final score: -2.】

【Main Mission completion rating: D-】

【Calculating penalty...】

【Penalty: Empty】 (Due to the intervention of the Black King Society, there is no penalty for this Main Mission.)

【Do you wish to leave this world?】

Standing in Mock Town, shortly after Onigumo left, Bai Cangshu indeed saw the familiar prompt.

This was the first time he had received such a low Main Mission rating.

Too many unexpected situations had occurred during this mission, whether it was that Reincarnator on the beach who disrupted the rhythm by prematurely triggering infighting, or the powerful entrance of Enel, whose strength had become even more terrifying in this timeline, instantly killing a crowd of Reincarnators.

All of this made Bai Cangshu's start very unfavorable.

The subsequent entry of a large number of Reincarnators, combined with the appearance of God's Hand Roland, meant Bai Cangshu did not have many good opportunities for hunting.

Although the appearance of the Black King Luffy meant that this mission did not require a penalty, the other party had actually also caused Bai Cangshu to fail to hunt more Reincarnators.

According to Bai Cangshu's own expectations, he could have hunted at least 3-4 more Reincarnators in this world.

Aside from that Reincarnator team with over-the-horizon sniping capabilities, other team members exposed before Bai Cangshu, who was filled with Conqueror's Haki at the time, would almost certainly have faced instant death or attrition.

But at the same time, Bai Cangshu's harvest in this world was quite bountiful.

He had obtained the red-quality 【King's Left Arm】, the 【Thunder Emperor Heart】 produced by Enel, a Devil Fruit of unknown ability, a 【Dragon-Slaying Sword】 that had acquired the Black Blade characteristic of the Pirate World, plus several Scarlet Drop Cards, including one from the Flame Demon, one of the East District Four Devils.

At the same time, Bai Cangshu's own talent had further manifested, and he had mastered physical-technique abilities such as Haki, Moon Walk, Shave, and Life Return.

Additionally, Bai Cangshu had also taken the Moon Demon, who was also one of the East District Four Devils, as a slave.

It could be said that, without considering the mission rating, Bai Cangshu's harvest in this world far exceeded his previous mission worlds.

Of course, he had also been implanted with the 【Killing Intent Wave】, a temporary hidden danger.

At this very moment, Bai Cangshu could still feel the influence of the 【Killing Intent Wave】, and this negative influence would become increasingly obvious as the Conqueror's Haki within the King's Left Arm was consumed.

Bai Cangshu urgently needed to significantly increase his Spirit strength, or...

A 【Card】 glowing with white light appeared in Bai Cangshu's hand.

Generally speaking, after a Reincarnator dies, a 【Card】 will randomly appear in other places, or even wait in other mission worlds, the real world, or the space.

But this 【Card】 had condensed directly in front of Bai Cangshu after Roland's Soul dissipated.

Combining Roland's special abilities and experiences, it was difficult for Bai Cangshu not to associate it with something involving Causality and Shuming.

Was this so-called law of Causality intended to make him use 【Virtue】 to suppress his killing intent and maintain his sanity, so as to ultimately reach a predetermined ending?

Or was this just a hope that Roland had given him?

Bai Cangshu would not spend too much mental energy on such uncertain matters, nor would he give up using the power in his hands because of such speculation.

Bai Cangshu checked his gains and the Moon Demon's gains one last time, and suddenly, he changed his mind.

"No."

【Attention, Reincarnator ex051, after the Main Mission ends, you may stay in this world for a maximum of 2 hours. Exceeding this time will result in the forfeiture of Singularity and Dimension Points.】

A crystal appeared in Bai Cangshu's hand.

【Corpse Body Zhaohuan Kamaitachi】

【Rating: Rare and Peerless】

【Description: A special crystal sealed with the Ghost Kamaitachi; it will be unsealed upon absorbing enough blood.】

【Usage Requirement: Spirit > 10】

【Effect: Absorb the blood volume of 3 adults to release the Ghost Kamaitachi; in this state, the summoned Kamaitachi can be contracted and summoned as a Corpse Body.】

This was probably a very good item for Reincarnators who specialized in Yin-Yang Arts, but Bai Cangshu had other ideas and uses for it; catching it to be a Corpse Body? It was better to kill it and let it become a part of his own power.

Bai Cangshu immediately turned around, his gaze shifting; Mock Town had regained some "vitality" because the main force of the Navy had begun to withdraw, and those hidden bandit members and Pirates were all waiting to reclaim their territory.

Bai Cangshu walked toward a group of people with a smile.

Not far away, Cindy and Orgins stood on Brina's warship; the G51 Branch had taken over the work of handling the aftermath for the survivors of Skuld Island.

Cindy watched the big guy grab a few people and walk toward the distant shipyard; she subconsciously covered her eyes, but soon shook her head and continued to watch that side. They were waiting for Tao Baibai to leave together.

"You can be afraid of him, little girl."

"Humans should all be afraid of beasts."

Brina's expression was complex as she exhaled smoke.

Cindy shook her head, her braids swaying.

"The big guy is a very fierce person, but... the bad guys are all afraid of him!"

"Cindy isn't afraid of someone who can make bad guys afraid."

Pfft~

Bai Cangshu, who was not considered a bad person in Cindy's mouth, casually tore open the necks of several people, fresh blood spraying out; he held the three by their feet, letting the blood pour into that crystal.

Soon, a foul, fishy aura appeared; the kind of smell that made humans feel uncomfortable just by breathing it was probably what was called Demon Qi.

A rat demon wrapped in a pale cyan whirlwind appeared in the dock, its scarlet eyes sizing up Bai Cangshu, frowning.

"With spiritual power so turbid, you still want to command me as a shikigami?!"

Bai Cangshu shook his head, the smile on his face somewhat twisted; having just killed three people, the thick scent of blood made it difficult for him to suppress the desire for slaughter in his heart, his eyes shimmering with a purple hue, he shook his head, his voice rising.

"Shikigami?"

"I just want to slaughter you... ha."

Swish!

Bai Cangshu's figure vanished in an instant, golden Ripple like flowing light, carving a trajectory through the air; the next moment, the golden Magic Spear had already pierced through the whirlwind, striking the demon's true body.

(End of this chapter)