Lin Xuan's words left the Demon Mother Tree momentarily stunned.
Uchiha Madara, however, understood the implication instantly. His hand thrust deep into the Mother Tree's trunk, and a violent, surging suction erupted from his palm.
"Damn you! How dare you!"
Sensing something was horribly wrong, the Demon Mother Tree let out a panicked, world-shaking roar. It thrashed, desperate to retaliate, but it quickly realized its resistance was futile. Against the current Uchiha Madara, it was being suppressed so ruthlessly it couldn't even budge, reduced to nothing more than a common sapling pinned to a chopping block.
Suddenly, a flare of chakra exploded from Madara's hand. The force shattered the massive trunk into splinters, revealing a pale green crystal shimmering within.
This was the core of the Demon Mother Tree—the nexus where all its power was concentrated. Normally, even if the tree's physical form were blown to bits, the core could hide its presence. But the strange energy radiating from Madara felt as if it originated from the same source as the tree itself, allowing him to pinpoint the core's location with ease.
Total terror gripped the Demon Mother Tree. It could feel its life force being drained away at an agonizing speed.
"No! Stop! Spare me!" it shrieked, its voice trembling. It didn't want to die—certainly not like this, stripped of its very essence. But stripped of its strength, it could only watch helplessly as its power was plundered.
After what felt like an eternity, the Mother Tree's screams grew faint before falling into a deathly silence.
Crack!
A crisp sound echoed as the core fractured. The golden light flowing through the blackened bark dimmed and vanished. With a final poof, the remains crumbled into ash, scattered by the wind.
The Demon Mother Tree, which had reigned over the world for eight hundred years, was finally dead.
Across the world, those watching the broadcast stared with bulging eyes, their faces frozen in shock. It took several minutes for the adrenaline of the battle to fade, leaving them feeling as if they were trapped in a dream.
"Rayleigh, hit me," Roger suddenly said to his first mate.
Boom!
Rayleigh gave him a strange look before wordlessly launching a kick that sent Roger flying.
"Bastard! You actually did it!" Roger grumbled as he scrambled back.
Rayleigh shrugged, his expression saying, You're the one who asked. It was only then that Roger remembered he was currently a reanimated corpse; he couldn't feel pain. He still wasn't entirely sure if this was real.
"Gurarara! It looks like the battle is over. We've won!" Whitebeard let out a booming laugh. At his feet, Marco was face-down on the ground, questioning his life choices—why had Pops suddenly used him as a footstool?
"We won! We actually won!"
"The Demon Mother Tree is dead! The war is over!"
"Chairman Lin and the others are too strong! Is there anything they can't do?"
The world erupted. Cheers broke out everywhere as the realization sank in: the nightmare was over. The Demon Mother Tree, a being of such overwhelming power it had driven them to despair, was gone.
On the side of the World Government, Kong and the remaining officials fell into a heavy silence. They didn't know how to feel. The government they had spent their lives protecting had nearly brought about the end of the world, while their sworn enemies had stepped forward as its saviors. With the World Government effectively dismantled, they knew their future likely held nothing but a lifetime behind bars.
While everyone else was immersed in the joy of victory, Uchiha Madara was focused inward, sensing the power coursing through his veins. It was far greater than before. Moreover, he realized he now possessed the bizarre abilities of the various Devil Fruits the Mother Tree had hoarded.
"Interesting," Madara remarked, a smirk playing on his lips.
He was well aware that this power had been funneled into him through the God Tree. Since he was still a reanimated vessel, he would lose these extra abilities once he detached himself from the tree. But that didn't matter. For now, the power was his to command.
His gaze shifted toward Lin Xuan. "Lin Xuan... do you dare to go another round with me?"
"Oh? Feeling a bit full of yourself, are we?" Lin Xuan laughed heartily. "As you wish. Let's take it up there!"
Lin Xuan shot into the sky like a streak of light. Madara let out a cold snort and followed immediately. They ascended tens of thousands of feet into the air, reaching an altitude where their clash wouldn't annihilate the islands below.
The audience, realizing a duel between the two strongest beings was about to happen, instantly forgot their celebrations. Every eye was glued back to the screens. Madara had just slain the Demon Mother Tree—his power was indisputable. Yet, Lin Xuan had always remained an enigma, a man whose true limits no one had ever seen.
In the Dimensional Hokage Chat Group, the discussion reached a fever pitch.
Konan: "Tsk, Madara is looking for another beating. He loses every time he challenges the Chairman, yet he never learns."
Deidara: "I wouldn't be so sure this time. Madara is in peak condition and just absorbed the Mother Tree. Maybe he actually has a shot, hm!"
Kushina: "But the Chairman's strength is bottomless. Who knows how this ends?"
Kakuzu: "We've all seen how strong Madara is now. It's truly terrifying. Therefore... I bet on the Chairman."
Kisame: "Madara is incredibly strong. That's why I think the Chairman wins."
Minato: "Madara is strong. So, the Chairman wins."
Hashirama: "I agree!"
Watching the chat logs, Madara's face turned pitch black. Seeing Hashirama's comment in particular made his eye twitch; he briefly considered ripping Hashirama's cells out of his own body just to give his old rival a piece of his mind.
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T/N:
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