Epilogue: The Monster Kama Itachi (4K)

Bai Cangshu watched Garp’s movements, his pupils trembling slightly. The extraordinary dynamic vision granted by the purified Perfect Individual bloodline allowed him to see every minute movement of Garp’s muscles. Combined with the Transparent World, he could even clearly see the entire process of Garp exerting force.

Garp’s Moonwalk was far cleaner and more efficient than Bai Cangshu’s or Moon Demon’s.

With just one kick through the air, he gained enough force to leap hundreds of meters.

It was as though everything before Bai Cangshu’s eyes were playing in reverse. He realized that the instant Garp stomped, the air beneath his foot became extraordinarily viscous.

That posture was extremely similar to the sonic boom cloud that appeared when he activated Instant Breakthrough to surpass the speed of sound.

Bai Cangshu fell into thought. Then, the muscles in his legs shifted. The muscles of his upper body contracted slightly, while his lower body became even more pronounced.

Bang!

As he stomped down violently, the air erupted with an explosive roar.

Garp turned around and saw that the recruit had clearly grasped the trick. His Moonwalk had become faster, and the distance he could cover had increased as well.

He knew very well that Onigumo and the others had been right. This marine soldier possessed extraordinary talent.

Speed, strength, and this ability to learn—perhaps this man was the rising talent most likely to grow into the next generation of the Marines. Yet the one thing that made Garp hesitate was his temperament.

Rather than a marine, this Mercenary Tao was more brutal than most One Piece pirates.

That air of refusing to stop until his target was dead had once made Garp feel that this man would eventually walk the path of evil.

But to Garp’s surprise, Mercenary Tao had not killed the monster that had seized Black Blade: Yoru. Because of that, Garp’s opinion of him improved somewhat.

When the two returned to the port of Mock Town, Onigumo, Chaton, Doberman, Brina, and the others were already waiting there. The Marine Soldiers from headquarters were fully armed as well.

Watching the two walk through the air, especially with Bai Cangshu carrying a three-meter-tall monster in one hand, many Marine Soldiers wore shocked expressions at the sheer visual impact.

Onigumo stepped forward on his own initiative. In a single exchange, five or six flashes of sword light lit up. The next moment, amid Moon Demon’s agonized howl, her joints were pierced through by blades once more, robbing her of all mobility.

He looked at Bai Cangshu and said,

"G51 Branch recruit Mercenary Tao, you have rendered merit in pursuing a fugitive. I will report your achievements to headquarters. Together with your slaying of the evil god Enel in the battle of Skuld Island, headquarters will award you a medal."

With those words, he defined the nature of the incident and no longer pursued the question of why the two monsters had suddenly escaped.

Bai Cangshu cooperatively revealed a delighted smile and moved from behind Garp to behind Onigumo.

Garp did not care about such matters. He patted Bai Cangshu on the shoulder and returned to the tavern. Beneath his bold manner lay strength that regarded all else with contempt.

Onigumo looked away. He truly envied Vice Admiral Garp’s strength—a terrifying power capable of pacifying an entire sea. But unfortunately, Vice Admiral Garp was far too restrained.

If he possessed that kind of power…

The cruelty in Onigumo’s eyes was rather similar to Bai Cangshu’s.

Looking at Bai Cangshu, he increasingly felt that the future of the Marines might still require people with sufficiently ruthless temperaments. Otherwise, how could they face that increasingly chaotic sea?

To Bai Cangshu’s surprise, Onigumo personally led him to imprison Moon Demon in the shipyard and assigned an entire squad to guard her.

Bai Cangshu had no objections. Although Moon Demon was now his "slave," she could not escape that corruption in this world, so she most likely would be of no use.

"Mercenary Tao, what do you think this sea should be like?"

Onigumo rarely asked Bai Cangshu such a question. Bai Cangshu looked at him. Did this man truly see him as a fellow traveler?

A strangely mocking smile hung on his lips.

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

"This sea gives birth to new heroes every moment. New ambitionists always rush toward the sea overnight, while old men bury their bones in foreign lands."

"Only the strong can decide what the sea should be like. As for me…"

"I’m merely… being myself."

Bai Cangshu was not lying. He had no particular stance. Whether it was the Marines, One Piece, the World Government, or the Revolutionary Army, whoever stood in his way would die.

Yet Onigumo seemed to misunderstand Bai Cangshu’s meaning. He frowned.

"At your age, you can hardly call yourself weak."

Bai Cangshu’s expression became somewhat strange upon hearing that. Perhaps it was precisely because there were too many arrogant people like this in the Marines that they had sunk step by step into decline.

From the era when Garp and Sengoku chased Roger, Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and other top fighters across the seas, when their strengths were evenly matched, to the period when the Three Admirals guarded Marine Headquarters, suppressing the first half of the Grand Line and deterring the Four Emperors;

Then came the time when Aokiji and Akainu parted ways. The replacement Marine Admirals who emerged afterward even lost their nerve before the Conqueror’s Haki of Red-Hair, one of the Four Emperors.

The problem of the Marines lacking successors was particularly severe.

"When I fight, I do not ask my opponent’s age. Would you, Vice Admiral Onigumo?"

As Bai Cangshu asked this, his smile was cruel, and the meaning behind his words was obvious. Onigumo stared blankly at the young marine soldier’s expression for a moment before bursting into laughter.

It was precisely this ruthlessness that made him appreciate Mercenary Tao.

Your actions have earned the appreciation of Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral Onigumo. Your reputation with Onigumo has increased. Current: Friendly (94/100)

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

Onigumo was slightly surprised. He looked at Mercenary Tao, who still wore that same smile.

"I want to personally experience the power of the Six Powers and Life Return."

Bai Cangshu realized that this world would likely end soon. He intended to use Onigumo’s favorability to begin a round of training in the Plot World.

Onigumo hesitated. He was still injured at the moment.

But in the end, he nodded in agreement. Just as the two were about to spar, hurried footsteps sounded.

Bai Cangshu frowned. The newcomer was a headquarters captain.

"Vice Admiral, headquarters has just come under attack. The attacker may be that mysterious person we encountered before. Fleet Admiral Sengoku has ordered us to return immediately!"

Onigumo’s expression changed. In his eyes, that mysterious person was so powerful that neither the headquarters admirals nor those sea emperors of the New World were anywhere near as terrifying.

He could no longer spare time to spar with Bai Cangshu. He put on his hat and left only one sentence behind.

"Wait for headquarters to summon you."

Then he instantly activated Soru and departed.

From that single instant of Soru, an afterimage remained in Bai Cangshu’s pupils. The frequency of the man’s muscle tremors, the timing of his shifts in footing—everything was etched into his eyes.

Bai Cangshu ignored the headquarters Marines rapidly withdrawing around him and simply controlled the muscles of his legs.

The next moment.

Whoosh!

Bai Cangshu’s feet blurred like phantoms for an instant, and his entire body vanished. When he reappeared, he was already twenty meters away.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…

Bai Cangshu continued to use it, his proficiency growing higher and higher. The muscle lines in his legs kept shifting as he searched for the method best suited to himself.

After Fire Heaven Form: Raging Fire and Thunder Breathing, this was the first time he had properly learned a high-speed movement technique.

This Martial Arts Type of high-speed movement, which relied entirely on the user’s physical capabilities, would grow increasingly terrifying as Bai Cangshu’s body became stronger.

The last Reincarnator from a different faction has left this world.

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

Main Mission completion rating: D-.

Calculating punishment...

Punishment: None. Due to the Black King Society's intervention, this Main Mission carries no punishment.

Leave this world?

Bai Cangshu stood in Mock Town. Not long after Onigumo left, he indeed saw the familiar prompt.

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

Too many unexpected things had happened during this mission. Whether it was the Reincarnator on the beach disrupting the rhythm by prematurely detonating the internal conflict, or Enel’s forceful arrival on this timeline with vastly more terrifying strength, instantly killing a group of Reincarnators.

All of it had made Bai Cangshu’s opening extremely unfavorable.

The later arrival of large numbers of Reincarnators had also left Bai Cangshu with few good opportunities to hunt because of God Hand: Roland’s appearance.

Although the arrival of Black King Luffy meant that this mission would not carry a punishment, he had in reality also prevented Bai Cangshu from hunting more Reincarnators.

By Bai Cangshu’s own estimate, he could have killed at least three or four more Reincarnators in this world.

Aside from the Reincarnator team with the beyond-visual-range sniper, the members of the other teams had almost all been exposed before Bai Cangshu while he was brimming with Conqueror’s Haki. They could easily have suffered instant kills and casualties.

But likewise, Bai Cangshu’s gains in this world had been quite substantial.

He had obtained the Red Quality Left Arm of the King, the Heart of the Thunder Emperor dropped by Enel, a Devil Fruit of unknown ability, a Dragon Slayer that had acquired the black blade characteristics of the One Piece World, and several Scarlet Drop Cards, including the Drop Card of Flame Demon, one of the Four Demons of the East District.

At the same time, Bai Cangshu’s own talent had manifested further. He had mastered Martial Arts Type abilities such as Haki, Moonwalk, Soru, and Life Return.

Furthermore, Bai Cangshu had taken Moon Demon, also one of the Four Demons of the East District, as a slave.

It could be said that, without considering the mission rating, Bai Cangshu’s gains in this world far surpassed those from his previous mission worlds.

Of course, Satsui no Hado had also been planted within him as a temporary hidden danger.

At this very moment, Bai Cangshu could still feel the influence of Satsui no Hado. Moreover, this negative effect would become increasingly apparent as the Conqueror’s Haki within the Left Arm of the King was consumed.

Bai Cangshu urgently needed to greatly increase his mental strength, or…

A card glowing with white light appeared in Bai Cangshu’s hand.

Normally, after a Reincarnator died, their cards would randomly appear elsewhere—perhaps in another mission world, the real world, or the space between worlds.

But this card had condensed directly before Bai Cangshu after Roland’s soul dissipated.

Considering Roland’s unusual abilities and experiences, it was difficult for Bai Cangshu not to think of some matter tied to Causality Law and destiny behind it.

Was this so-called Causality Law trying to make him use virtue to suppress his killing intent and preserve his sanity, ultimately leading him toward a predetermined ending?

Or was this merely a hope Roland had given him?

Bai Cangshu would not waste too much mental energy on such uncertain matters. Nor would he abandon power already in his hands because of such speculation.

Bai Cangshu inspected his gains and Moon Demon’s gains one final time. Then, suddenly, he changed his mind.

"No."

Warning, Reincarnator EX051. After the Main Mission ends, you may remain in this world for a maximum of 2 hours. Exceeding the time limit will result in the confiscation of Singularity and Dimensional Points.

A crystal appeared in Bai Cangshu’s hand.

Shikigami Summoning: Kama Itachi

Quality: Extremely Rare

Description: A special crystal sealing the monster Kama Itachi. It will be unsealed after absorbing enough blood.

Usage Requirement: Spirit >10

Effect: Absorb the blood volume of 3 adults to release the monster Kama Itachi. A Kama Itachi summoned in this state can be contracted and summoned as a Shikigami.

This was probably an excellent item for Reincarnators specializing in things like Onmyōdō, but Bai Cangshu had another thought and use for it. Capture it as a Shikigami? It would be better to kill it and turn it into part of his own power.

Bai Cangshu immediately turned around. His gaze swept across the area. As the headquarters Marines began withdrawing, Mock Town gradually regained some of its "vitality." The hidden gang members and One Piece were all waiting to reclaim their territory.

Smiling, Bai Cangshu walked toward a group of people.

Not far away, Cindy and Olgins stood aboard Brina’s warship. The G51 Branch had taken responsibility for handling the aftermath involving the survivors of Skuld Island.

Cindy watched the big man seize several people and head toward the distant shipyard. She instinctively covered her eyes, but quickly shook her head and continued watching that direction. They were waiting to leave together with Mercenary Tao.

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

"Humans should all fear beasts."

Brina’s expression was complicated as she exhaled smoke.

Cindy shook her head, her braids swaying.

"The big guy is a very fierce person, but… bad people are all afraid of him!"

"Anyone who can make bad people afraid won’t scare Cindy."

Pshht!

Bai Cangshu, whom Cindy did not consider a bad person, casually tore open several people’s necks. Blood sprayed everywhere. He held the three by their legs, allowing their blood to pour over the crystal.

Soon, a foul stench appeared. The sort of smell that made humans uncomfortable merely by breathing it was likely the so-called Demonic Qi.

A rat monster enveloped in a pale cyan whirlwind appeared within the shipyard. Its scarlet eyes examined Bai Cangshu as it frowned.

"With spiritual power this impure, you still wish to command me as a Shikigami?!"

Bai Cangshu shook his head. The smile on his face was somewhat twisted. Having just killed three people, the thick bloody aura made it difficult for him to suppress the desire to kill in his heart. Purple light flickered in his eyes as he shook his head, his voice rising.

"Shikigami?"

"I merely want to butcher you… ha."

Whoosh!

Bai Cangshu’s figure instantly vanished. Golden Ripples streaked through the air like flowing light, tracing a path. The next moment, the golden Magic Spear had pierced through the whirlwind and struck the monster’s true body.