"That's right, the guardian deity of our Bion Kingdom, the legendary creature—Mushussu!!!"
The Mushussu raised its head, elegantly pacing before the trio, speaking in a clear voice. Its head was snake-like, adorned with horns and a crown, its forked tongue flicking out like a serpent's. Its neck was long, its head and body covered in fine snake scales. Its forelimbs were lion's paws, its hindlimbs eagle's talons, and its tail was long and slender, ending in a scorpion's stinger. Its entire body was gleaming gold, as if cast from the precious metal.
If Cross and the others weren't blind, and hadn't fallen victim to illusions or hypnosis, Marquis Mankervis's current appearance was almost identical to the Mushussu statue previously in the open-air garden. However, the Mushussu transformed by Mankervis was even more radiant, more beautiful, more elegant, and more imposing than the bronze Mushussu statue.
"Mushussu... such a creature doesn't exist in reality!" Cross eyed the Mushussu before him with a serious expression, speculating in a low voice, "Could it be a Zoan-type Mythical Zoan ability user?!"
"Good eye, it's indeed a Zoan-type Snake-Snake Fruit, Mythical Zoan - Mushussu Model!" Marquis Mankervis nodded, speaking without hesitation. "Now you understand my trump card, don't you? Give up, you can't possibly defeat me!"
"No wonder... no wonder..."
Instantly, Duke Attawa seemed to understand, constantly backing away, muttering to himself, "No wonder he favored you... no wonder he wanted to pass the throne to you... no wonder Viscount Solmen and the noble faction bet on you... no wonder..."
At this moment, Duke Attawa was utterly dispirited, as if he'd lost all his spirit and fight. Countess Shanna beside him also had a pale face, muttering to herself, "Legend says that our ancestor, Doma I, possessed the ability to transform into the divine beast Mushussu, thereby defeating the tyrannical World Government and Marines! So that's how it is... I finally understand why Father King, despite disliking the nobles' desire to open a second port, still wanted to pass the throne to Mankervis. It turns out he knew about his ability to transform into the Mushussu!"
"Mythical Zoan - Mushussu... so that's it!" Cross scratched his head, also understanding a few things.
Before this, when the bronze Mushussu statue was enlivened, while it was troublesome and even deadly for ordinary people, for someone like Viscount Solmen, he should have been able to shatter it in just a few hits. Yet, Viscount Solmen struggled for quite some time before finally breaking the Mushussu statue completely. This had led Cross to initially believe that the Viscount was all show, wasting a rare Zoan-type Ancient Zoan ability.
Now it seemed that Viscount Solmen knew Marquis Mankervis could transform into a Mushussu. Thus, he had been somewhat constrained, not daring to destroy the Mushussu statue, fearing that his actions would offend the future king he supported.
Most importantly, the Mushussu held a revered status in the Bion Kingdom. Once Marquis Mankervis revealed his ability to transform into a Mushussu, the tide in the Bion Kingdom would immediately turn, and even many military generals would side with him.
Cross guessed that the reason this guy hadn't revealed his ability until now was likely because General Hebrass and Prince Lavishur were fiercely loyal to Duke Attawa. Coupled with the fact that these two controlled most of the military's power, which made Marquis Mankervis quite wary, he had prepared to use his ability at the decisive moment or to turn the tables at a critical juncture.
Thinking this, Cross couldn't help but look at this guy with a bit more respect. So young, yet so cunning!
Boom—!
At this moment, Viscount Solmen, in his human-beast form, leaped over ten meters high, like a heavy cannonball. He jumped directly from the open-air garden onto the castle rooftop, leaving two deep claw prints with a heavy landing.
"Marine, if Duke had not stopped me yesterday, I would have torn you to shreds long ago!" Viscount Solmen glared fiercely at Cross, a fishy stench emanating from between his bared teeth.
"Less talk, you idiot who's neither a cow nor a dinosaur!" Cross scoffed, intentionally pinching his nose. "And don't you know? Your breath stinks! Don't you brush your teeth normally?"
"Sharp-tongued!" Marquis Mankervis snorted coldly, then commanded, "Let's go together! First, take down this Marine brat!"
With that, Marquis Mankervis, in his Mushussu form, moved his four legs, charging towards Cross like a golden lightning bolt.
"So fast!"
Cross's expression changed slightly in surprise. He instinctively raised his arm, blocking with Shusui in front of him.
Clang—!
A deafening metallic clang. A powerful shockwave spread in a ring, knocking over the nearby Duke Attawa and Countess Shanna. Cross also recoiled, sliding backward a good distance as if gliding, his feet carving two distinct trails on the ground.
"Die!"
At the same time, Viscount Solmen attacked from behind Cross, his two thick dinosaur legs running like a cheetah's. Cross's Observation Haki detected the enemy's movement. Before he could even stabilize himself, he twisted his waist, spinning like a top. The Shusui in his hand followed suit, slashing out.
Clang—!
Sharp claws and a sharp katana collided, also producing a crisp metallic ringing sound. A visible, distorted ripple spread out, followed by a violent burst of wind pressure that stirred up a pervasive pressure. Both men disengaged after one clash, then simultaneously stepped forward, attacking each other again.
Clang, clang, clang, clang—!
Shusui and the sharp claws met repeatedly, sparks flying in the air.
"Hundred-Strike Claws!!!"
Suddenly, Viscount Solmen's aura changed abruptly. He growled deeply, and the speed at which he swung his hands suddenly increased several times over, leaving clear afterimages. There was even a strange howling sound, as if the air itself was being torn. For a moment, the airflow was chaotic, and visible gusts of wind, like sharp blades, carved marks into the ground.
"Kami-e: Willow Dance!"
Cross's expression remained unchanged. His body naturally dodged repeatedly, dangerously yet smoothly avoiding each of Viscount Solmen's claw strikes, like a willow branch dancing in the wind, or a strange yet graceful dance.
"Your strength is clearly no less than Reepel's; you were holding back last night after all!" Cross looked surprised, but his movements weren't slow in the slightest. He immediately stepped forward, the Shusui in his hand transforming into a sharp gleam, slashing upwards from below towards the opponent's chest.
"One-Sword Style: Kagen no Tsuki!" (Waning Moon)
Clang—!
At the critical moment, Viscount Solmen lowered his head, opened his gaping maw, and bit down quickly and precisely on Shusui's blade. Between the two of them, a visible shockwave rippled out.
"Hiss—"
Suddenly, Marquis Mankervis let out a snake-like hiss, flying towards Cross's back like a golden lightning bolt.
"Look out—!"
Countess Shanna cried out a warning.
"Scáthach!"
"Leave it to me, Father!"
In an instant, a woman revealing a faint purple glow within her black form appeared on the ground behind Cross, perfectly blocking Marquis Mankervis's path.
"What is this?"
Marquis Mankervis was very surprised, but he didn't slow down, biting directly towards the woman's head. However, Scáthach extended her hands, seemingly unremarkable, yet she firmly gripped Marquis Mankervis's upper and lower jaws, preventing him from closing his mouth.
Seeing this, Countess Shanna was slightly relieved and continued to warn, "Be careful! The Mushussu possesses extreme destructive power, a flexible and sturdy body, and the ability to move freely in the air and in the sea!"
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In Babylonian mythology, the Mushussu appears in the creation myth as one of the monsters created by the Chaos Mother Goddess Tiamat to fight the God of Justice Marduk.
The Chaos Mother Goddess Tiamat: in Babylonian mythology, she is the deity who created all things, and also the embodiment of primeval chaos. She is the goddess of the ocean and the goddess of destruction.
However, the Mushussu she created was subdued by the Chief God Marduk and became his pet. Therefore, the Mushussu became one of the Chief God Marduk's symbols, and there are reliefs of the Mushussu on the walls of Babylon.
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