Chapter 495: Inheritance, The Remnants of the Era
Soon after, Tamago and Chicken Phoenix concluded their quick negotiation.
Tamago cleared his throat and took two steps forward.
"Whitebeard-sama, I believe you have heard our discussion."
"If you have no objections, let us have a showdown!"
Hearing Tamago's words, Whitebeard let out a hearty laugh.
"Gurararara! It seems I have been underestimated!"
"In that case, let me test your strength!"
Whitebeard spoke and raised a hand to stop his sons, who were about to move forward from a distance.
"Marco, you all just watch from the side. Let me compete with this young one for the treasure this time."
Hearing Whitebeard's command, Marco nodded in response.
He understood this was the best approach.
With their current strength, they could fight, but after facing Fūki Aigolu earlier, they might not provide effective support to their pops.
If they opposed the Yamata Sect, the Mythical Beast, clearly close to Kaki Tamago, might intervene.
That would be disadvantageous.
Most importantly, Whitebeard didn't want them injured or killed.
Marco sighed inwardly. He hadn't expected that, even with their increased strength, they'd still burden their pops.
When would they truly stand on their own?
Perhaps they needed to become even stronger.
Clang!
At that moment, Tamago, standing opposite Whitebeard, drew his cane sword, its blade glowing fiery red.
The sword was crafted from red stone ore found in the Immortal Volcano Group of Mythical Beast Island.
On the island, the environment was infused with Mythical Beast particles due to Orochimaru's influence.
These particles produced unique items in different areas. In the Immortal Volcano Group, red fire minerals formed.
In essence, Tamago's sword was akin to magical weapons in the outside world, amplifying the abilities of those with Mythical powers.
It simply used different minerals than typical magic ore.
"Whitebeard-sama, let me see what the peak of the old era can do!" Tamago shouted.
He charged forward with a rapid burst.
The sword in his hand grew even more fiery, flames swirling around the blade in a dazzling display.
Facing Tamago's sudden attack, Whitebeard responded with ferocity.
His large hand swung the supreme blade Murakumogiri in a wide arc, then slammed it toward the oncoming Tamago.
Boom!
The atmosphere shattered like glass.
Tamago was struck directly at the waist.
Crack! Crack! Rip!
In an instant, the world seemed to turn upside down.
The surrounding land rolled like waves, and magma from nearby volcanoes erupted again.
Thick black smoke rose like signal flares.
The cracked, red earth, gray sky, and spreading magma created an apocalyptic scene.
Crunch! Snap!
Amid this chaos, Tamago was solidly hit by Whitebeard's earth-shaking strike.
The half-eggshell encasing his waist split in two.
He collapsed to the ground.
Was that it?
Due to Whitebeard's attack, the other Whitebeard Pirates retreated further to avoid the impact.
Now, looking back at the scene, many were puzzled.
That man had boasted so boldly, yet he couldn't withstand a single blow from their pops. Was it all just bravado?
"It's not that simple!" Marco said.
His expression was grave, as he had heard rumors about Kaki Tamago.
It was said the man could transform and grow stronger through death in battle.
Even if he seemed weak despite his reputation, he wouldn't be finished after one strike from Whitebeard.
Whitebeard shared Marco's considerations.
He observed the egg liquid spilling from Tamago's broken shell.
The liquid rapidly solidified, accompanied by flames and intense heat, making it impossible to approach.
However, as a seasoned warrior, Whitebeard wouldn't allow Tamago to recover unchallenged.
The protective flames' high temperature posed no obstacle to him.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Bang!
The atmosphere tore and shattered again.
Whitebeard delivered another blow.
Before Tamago could fully reform, Whitebeard's follow-up attack smashed the fragile form into a pulp.
Not stopping there, a flash of sword light gleamed.
Whoosh!
Murakumogiri sliced the mass into countless fragments.
Clang!
Whitebeard slammed Murakumogiri into the ground, his eyes narrowing slightly.
He wanted to see what other tricks this young man had.
"Tch, tch, so pathetic, Brother Tamago." Aigolu remarked.
He hadn't moved from his spot and looked at the fragmented liquid with a speechless expression.
He knew this ability was troublesome.
With such a power, Tamago could be defeated before completing his transformation.
Yet, Aigolu wasn't worried.
If Tamago could die so easily, Aigolu could simply claim his inheritance.
But that was unrealistic.
Tamago knew his ability's drawbacks best.
Normally, he avoided transforming if possible.
However, facing Whitebeard, transformation was the quickest way to compete or even surpass him.
For this, Tamago paid a steep price.
Buzz!
Quietly, under Whitebeard's intense gaze, a blazing flame ignited.
It erupted from the scattered egg liquid, merging together.
Tamago's new form emerged—the Viscount was born.
"You scoundrel! Couldn't you wait until I finished transforming?" Tamago said angrily.
To transform successfully, he had used an Immortal Flame stored in his body.
The Immortal Flame, more aptly called the Flame of Rebirth, originated from the Immortal Volcano Group, centered on Chicken Phoenix.
Per the Yamata Sect's design, the volcano group acted as a formation, with Chicken Phoenix as its core, producing four Immortal Flames monthly.
This was Orochimaru's utilization of Mythical Beasts.
Chicken Phoenix itself could also generate one Immortal Flame per month.
The flame's effect was remarkable.
As long as consciousness remained, one could be reborn, with all negative conditions like injuries or diseases erased, restoring a perfect state.
Of course, this perfection had limits, depending on the situation, and wasn't absolute.
But for Tamago, it sufficed.
Using one flame caused him distress.
Its effects indicated immense value.
Currently, Immortal Flames aren't for sale.
As life-saving treasures, no one could have too many, but Tamago would demand 10 billion berries if sold externally.
Boom!
In pain, Tamago used the flames in his hand to retrieve his cane sword and charged at Whitebeard again.
Rip! Rip! Rip!
Facing Tamago's renewed attack, Whitebeard infused Murakumogiri with Conqueror's Haki and struck.
As Tamago approached, he felt his soul shaken by a terrifying will.
He lost focus for a moment.
Clang!
As Murakumogiri's blade neared, Tamago snapped awake at the critical moment.
His flame-wrapped cane sword blocked Murakumogiri in time.
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard laughed.
"Kid, you're still far behind!"
Tamago, slightly shaken, felt the pressure intensify in his hands.
Whitebeard's contemptuous look ignited his anger.
"You're just a relic of the old era! Why so arrogant?" Tamago shouted.
Echoing Aigolu's earlier words, he abandoned his initial politeness.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
His cane sword erupted in fierce flames.
The overwhelming fire enveloped Tamago's body, propelling him toward Whitebeard like a rocket.
The sky on his side glowed with firelight.
"Gurararara! So young and spirited, kid!" Whitebeard said.
Watching Tamago's fiery charge, he laughed boldly.
With his laughter, white light flashed, and the atmosphere shattered.
"Then let me see if your strength matches your words!"
( End of this chapter)