"It's Chairman Lin Xuan and the others!"
The spirits of the onlookers rose instantly, their attention snapping to the screens. In the broadcast, Lin Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, suspended effortlessly in mid-air. Hovering beside him was a lineup that defied common sense: Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama, Otsutsuki Kaguya, Uchiha Obito, Uzumaki Nagato, Senju Tobirama, and Uchiha Izuna.
Looking at this assembly of titans, the hearts of the global audience raced with adrenaline. Even Whitebeard could not help but sigh, a look of profound realization on his face. "The final showdown is finally here. It looks like Chairman Lin is about to start his performance again. It's a pity... I still lack the qualifications to even stand on that stage."
"Tell me about it. They're a bunch of absolute monsters," Gol D. Roger remarked, clicking his tongue in wonder.
The others nodded in solemn agreement, though a shadow of gloom flickered in their eyes. The gap in power was simply too vast. As Whitebeard said, they didn't even have the right to intervene. In a clash of this magnitude, their presence would be meaningless; they would likely lose their lives without contributing a single thing.
Yet, knowing this didn't make the bitter pill any easier to swallow. Watching the live broadcast, many felt a pang of helplessness. In a quiet corner, Conis clenched her fists, her knuckles white. She felt the distance between herself and that man growing ever more vast, the pressure weighing heavily on her heart. Nearby, the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock let out a soft sigh, her eyes shimmering with unreadable thoughts.
While the world watched with bated breath, the site of the former World Government headquarters had been utterly transformed. The massive citadel was gone, and even the Red Line—the continent that once split the world's oceans—had been completely shattered.
At that moment, the Devil Mother Tree sensed something was amiss. It ceased its mindless thrashing, realizing its previous barrage had failed to claim a single life. This realization sent it into a frenzy. Thousands of vines and branches lashed out in every direction, churning the sea into a chaotic mess of terrifying tsunamis.
Lin Xuan had been finalizing the plan with Madara and the others, but now, the time for talk was over.
"Madara, you guys better hurry up," Lin Xuan said with a smirk. "If you're too slow, I might accidentally finish this whole thing myself, and then you won't have anything to do."
Uchiha Madara gave a cold snort, refusing to acknowledge the jab. The others exchanged looks, feeling the weight of the moment. They knew their Chairman wasn't joking—he truly possessed the power to end it all solo if he wished.
"Haha! Time for my opening act!"
With a loud laugh, Lin Xuan's silhouette blurred. Before his voice had even faded, he appeared directly in front of the Devil Mother Tree.
"Thundering Realm: 10,000 Heavenly Palms!"
Lightning snaked from his palms, coiling into the shapes of dragons that wrapped around countless palm imprints. He unleashed the strike directly at the massive trunk of the Mother Tree.
Screech!
The Devil Mother Tree let out a piercing, dissonant wail. Vines sharpened into spear-like blades, thrusting upward to meet the descending palms.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of violent explosions rocked the atmosphere. The vines—previously thought to be indestructible—shattered upon impact, while the lightning-clad palm prints dissipated into sparks.
Suddenly, a gargantuan face manifested on the black bark of the tree. It was the face of an elderly man, but twisted into a visage so hideous and terrifying that a child might have died of fright just by looking at it.
A raspy, jarring voice echoed across the battlefield: "Lin Xuan... die!"
The voice sounded like a strange fusion of a toddler's whine and the raspy croak of the ancient dead. It was physically revolting to hear. Those watching the broadcast couldn't help but shiver.
Lin Xuan dug a finger into his ear, looking thoroughly annoyed. "Your voice is hideous. Do us all a favor and shut up, will you? Who are you trying to scare? Are you trying to cringe me to death?"
"DIE!"
The voice shrieked again. The sprawling branches of the Mother Tree suddenly retracted, weaving together into thousands of massive black hands that looked as though they were forged from tempered steel.
Whish!
The hands slammed down with apocalyptic force. The sheer pressure caused the air to scream, and the surrounding space began to fracture. Void turbulence leaked out from the cracks as the fabric of reality groaned. Each of those palms packed enough power to erase an island from the map instantly.
Faced with this, Lin Xuan didn't even blink. He grinned. "Since you've brought out so many hands, it'd be embarrassing if I showed up with fewer, wouldn't it?"
"Wood Style: Hotei Technique!"
Several colossal wooden hands erupted from beneath him, curling into fists and soaring upward. Due to the sheer friction of their speed, the wooden knuckles ignited into roaring pillars of flame.
Rumble!
In the sky above the sea, countless fists and palms collided. The sound was deafening, and the shockwave alone carved a massive crater, ten thousand meters wide, into the ocean below.
Crash!
In the next second, the space between the two combatants shattered entirely. A jagged rift of black void opened up, spewing chaotic energy—gales, frost, and raw entropy.
The trunk of the Devil Mother Tree began to glow with a kaleidoscope of shifting colors. Suddenly, it unleashed a barrage of elemental attacks: searing flames, freezing ice, and jagged stone. Its bark shifted further, coating itself in a layer of crystalline diamond for defense.
"Devil Fruit abilities?" Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow, momentarily surprised.
However, he quickly realized the logic. Every Devil Fruit in existence had originally grown from this tree. These powers were its gifts to the world; it was only natural that the source itself could wield every single one of them at will.
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T/N:
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