Chapter 179: Rain of Life, Lord of Yomi!
As everyone knows.
A beast is most ferocious when injured and cornered.
Just like Big Mom now.
Realizing the three opponents truly posed a threat, potentially turning her hard-earned body and extended life into bubbles again.
Charlotte Carmel raised her hand without hesitation.
VMMM!
In this instant.
In the eyes of the three Zodiac members, the special "Soul Vision" appeared again.
They saw...
Big Mom's massive, monster-like mixed soul.
At this moment, it began to split.
Part of the soul was extracted by her.
"Hahaha!"
"Linlin, eat slower!"
"Hey, let us eat some too."
In this instant, their vision seemed to see memories within those souls—besides the majority black symbolizing Mother Carmel, the scattered small souls naturally belonged to...
The children of "Sheep's House".
They died at Charlotte Linlin's sixth birthday party—like Linlin, their souls stopped at that day forever.
Their souls were too weak to influence Carmel's personality.
But moments later...
The innocent laughter and memories vanished, replaced by the soul fragments in Big Mom's hand.
Those were her own "Soul" and "Lifespan".
"Little things..."
At this moment, Charlotte Carmel seemed to recall those memories by extracting souls.
And as mentioned before.
To her, that was...
"Disgusting trash."
Whispering, she swallowed her own soul without hesitation!
BOOM—!!!
Indescribable fluctuations erupted with her as the center.
Her hair moved without wind; her massive body expanded and grew visibly.
The curled wounds on her skin healed rapidly.
Scorched flesh regenerated quickly, becoming tougher.
[Fruit Awakening · Self Sacrifice]
"Lifespan Sacrifice · One Year!"
Her voice became hoarser, crimson eyes devouring.
Next moment, she raised "Cronus" again.
BANG!
Veins bulged on her arm.
Wrapped Conqueror's and Armament Haki seemed to solidify at this moment.
"Elbaf Spear · Heavenly Sovereignty!" (Ten Ikoku)
The long sword swung out boldly.
Space in front of the blade distorted and caved visibly, like a boulder thrown into a lake.
Sharp slash and violent power turned into a massive torrent over tens of meters in diameter instantly!
Earth, air, even light—everything blocking this strike was decomposed and crushed upon contact.
A huge gully was plowed out, bottomless... piercing straight to the island edge!
This power was on a completely different scale from before.
Amidst massive dust, Big Mom, having swung this strike, sheathed the long sword casually.
BOOM!
Just the sheathing motion raised a gale dispersing the smoke.
Big Mom saw the three Zodiac members within the smoke.
The three stood side by side.
Tori (Rooster) stood in the center; his fists punched out, powerful physique emitting intense golden light.
Nezumi (Rat) stood on the left; countless overlapping space doors appeared before him.
Inu (Dog) stood on the right; a massive shadow turned into a barrier blocking him.
Clearly, all three defended in time.
But...
"Haa... haa..."
The heavy panting, clearly declining aura, and dripping blood proved...
Under that strike, they, who dominated the battle throughout... were injured.
"Heh..."
Seeing this, Big Mom laughed happily.
"You are strong guys... but to ensure killing 'Linlin', you used 'Awakening' from the start, right? Mamamama!"
"Fighting me in this state... do you think you can really win?"
She was triumphant.
Although one year of lifespan loss was huge for this body.
Undoubtedly, it was worth it.
These guys were too dangerous.
Big Mom noticed too—at the start of the battle, to ensure the first strike killed "Charlotte Linlin".
Nezumi, Inu, and Tori used their strongest forms simultaneously.
To Big Mom, that was clearly their respective "Fruit Awakening".
After that, their stamina consumption was obvious.
But she was different.
Although her awakening required a price...
"Killing you is enough!"
Amidst wild laughter, her aura climbed steadily... power from sacrifice surged continuously.
"Tenman Dai-Jizai Tenjin..." (Tenjin of the Great Heaven)
Just as she planned to attack again, her movement paused instantly.
Because she clearly saw...
VMMM!
Above the heads of the Zodiac members.
Sparkling things seemed to fall.
In this deep night, they looked extremely eye-catching.
That was...
"Golden Rain?"
Big Mom reacted instinctively.
But moments later, she dismissed this thought.
Observing closely, the falling things weren't natural rain.
Strands of golden, indescribable substance... seemed liquid, yet contained golden light.
"!!!"
Big Mom recalled.
At the start of the battle, she noticed the blue brilliance shed by the giant tree on Neverland was similar to this golden brilliance.
But in the subsequent battle, since Hitsujii (Sheep) didn't act, she almost ignored those things... judging Hitsujii was tasked with dealing with Homies.
But now...
She looked up instinctively.
Sure enough—the source of the golden rain was Neverland.
Drops of seven-colored dew, merging with golden brilliance, turned into this "Golden Rain".
[Fountain of Youth Water].
[High-Level Vitality Essence].
Combined...
[Dream Creation · Rain of Life]
VMMM!
In front of Big Mom.
Tori, Nezumi, Inu's originally weak auras began to strengthen at an exaggerated speed.
Weak—Semi-Weak—Peak, and finally...
BOOM!
The aura on the three was clearly stronger than their initial peak state.
"Hitsujii..."
Big Mom looked at Neverland above, murmuring solemnly.
Then, she opened her mouth without hesitation, inhaling deeply!
WHOOSH!
The "Rain of Life" falling from the sky was swallowed into her belly on the spot.
Yes—her reaction was fast.
This Rain of Life clearly had exaggerated recovery ability, so...
"If you can use it, I can too. Just right to compensate for my lost lifespan with the Fountain of Youth... hm!?"
But while thinking this.
She clearly sensed...
The "Rain of Life" swallowed into her belly began to undergo a fundamental change the next moment.
The originally nourishing Rain of Life containing endless vitality.
At this moment, seemed to turn into some incredible substance of destruction.
Big Mom felt she swallowed "Death" directly!
Even her extremely tough evil god body turned green visibly; her life aura declined rapidly.
[Reversal · Poison of Death]
"Ma... Mama!"
Cronus, linked to Big Mom's soul, naturally noticed her rapidly declining aura.
But it didn't have time to care for its mother.
Because...
"Mama, careful—they are coming!"
Amidst the shout.
BOOM! (x3)
Big Mom indeed sensed three terrifying auras appearing beside her.
"!!!"
Her pupils dilated abruptly; peripheral vision caught the figure in shining brilliance.
Wings spread, surrounded by solar light, body like the "Sun"—Tori.
[Winged Dragon of Ra Form · Winged Dragon Strike]
Before Big Mom, a space door opened abruptly.
Nezumi, wearing the Giant Warrior's Hand, raised his hand slightly, aiming at her.
In the air, invisible space cracks gathered and overlapped constantly.
[Space Slash · Grand Secret Technique · Space Severance]
Finally, behind Big Mom...
BOOM!
Aura and violent slash appeared with the blue-white haired figure.
[Mirage Shadow · Rocks · Curse of the Abyss]
Correct—at this moment, the three powered by "Rain of Life"... liberated their strongest forms again.
"Will die!"
"Will die!"
"Will die!"
At this moment, Charlotte Carmel was certain.
Taking these three hits like this—she would definitely die completely.
"NO!"
Next moment, she let out a miserable roar.
"Lifespan Sacrifice · Thirty Years!"
BOOM!
In this instant, soul fluctuations tens of times stronger than before erupted.
She felt her soul torn apart; a massive "Soul Fragment" appeared in her hand.
Also in this instant, her massive body seemed drained of all moisture.
Skin lost elasticity completely, pink hair turned snow-white instantly, wrinkles covered her face.
At this moment, she seemed closer to herself—Mother Carmel!
Yes.
Regardless of the soul inside, Big Mom's body was solidly over sixty.
Sacrificing thirty years of lifespan now.
Even she faced the ultimate aging of all creatures.
But even so.
Big Mom swallowed it without hesitation!
Then...
BOOM!
Her power skyrocketed again, forcibly raised to an incredible height instantly!
"Eternal · Tenman Dai-Jizai Tenjin · Thunder Fire God!" (Indra God of Fire and Thunder)
With her as the center, destructive purple-black thunder pillars mixed with a tsunami of flames erupted outward violently.
BANG! (x3)
Under her desperate strike, Tori's fist hit fire and thunder instantly; Nezumi's space cut was blocked by sweeping thunder; Inu's slash collided with thunder fire.
Their power was still pushing, but clearly blocked.
For Big Mom... this was enough!
"Cronus, Run!"
She roared!
"Yes! Mama!"
In this instant, the equally weak Cronus executed Mama's order without hesitation.
Clouds rose from Big Mom's feet; her figure flew into the sky instantly like a cannonball toward the distant sea.
Yes.
In this instant... the Emperor of the Sea chose to Run!
No, to be precise.
Charlotte Carmel chose to run!
She could feel the weakness in her body, the flowing away of vitality, the aging.
But...
"I must live, I can't die here!"
Yes—living was enough.
She finally took control of this body after years of suppression, finally occupied the dominance as "Big Mom".
She could cooperate with the World Government again, rebuild Totto Land elsewhere. As long as she lived... her ambition had hope.
She still had power, could gain everything.
Even if this body died, experienced as she was, she could find a gifted child and take their body the same way.
"As long as I escape, as long as..."
She looked far at Totto Land's horizon.
She couldn't help looking back at the receding Whole Cake Island.
Then, she saw the three figures on the island.
Tori, Inu, Nezumi... their auras remained strong.
But unexpectedly, they didn't chase.
"..."
Big Mom had a very bad premonition suddenly.
Thinking carefully, she realized many strange things about this battle.
That "Rain of Life" could have fallen earlier—falling earlier would have forced her to run sooner.
Her Homies' souls couldn't be summoned after death.
And... since the start of the battle, the occasional thunder-like roar from the sky.
BOOM!
Yes—this sound.
"!!!"
Big Mom looked up at the sky instinctively.
Then, her pupils shrank abruptly.
Because she could see above the dark sky...
Above the seven-colored Neverland, a figure stood.
Someone who hadn't appeared in the battle from beginning to end.
Wearing a Pig Mask.
[The Zodiac — Hitsujii (Pig)]
But what shocked Big Mom was...
Hitsujii's figure was clearly semi-transparent—another transparent "Him" seemed to overlap with him.
Big Mom recognized at a glance...
That was his Soul.
But what truly terrified Big Mom most... was beside Hitsujii.
"Mama!" "Mama!" "Mama!"
Souls of Homies.
They circled and gathered around Hitsujii... at this moment, a phantom beast just jumped out of the Mirror of Dreams, throwing a soul beside Hitsujii.
They seemed to struggle but couldn't move.
Looking closely...
Whether on them or those phantom beasts.
Invisible but dense aura suppressed them.
That aura was the strange coldness that penetrated "Cronus" easily, giving Big Mom a headache during the battle.
[Revive-Revive Fruit LV5]
[LV4: Deep-Dive Development. Borrow Underworld Cold from Yomi via soul, causing damage and suppression to soul creatures.]
[Munch-Munch Fruit LV4]
[赋予生物一种特殊事物的性质" - Can grant a creature the nature of a special substance via devouring.]
Combined...
[Nature Endowment · Underworld Cold]
Of course, this wasn't the key.
The true key was...
"Mm, this amount of souls, compressed so many times—should be enough."
Hitsujii tilted his Sea Beast Mask slightly, then...
He opened his mouth.
So, that batch of Homie souls around him... was swallowed into his belly under Big Mom's widening eyes.
[LV5: Fruit Awakening · Lord of Yomi. Own soul can affect surroundings. All nearby incorporeal soul bodies are devoured and sent to Yomi. Devouring each soul grants all energy contained within for a short time, massively strengthening self. Next attack deals massive damage to soul bodies.]
At this moment...
BOOM!
After swallowing those souls, Big Mom heard... that strange, piercing thunder again.
But this time, she finally understood what it was.
"From the start..."
Yes—from the start, the opponent's goal was simple.
If assassination failed, a "Frontal Confrontation" was inevitable.
Was killing an Emperor in frontal confrontation hard?
Yes and no.
Not hard if the Emperor fought to the death; defeating "Him" would kill him.
Hard if an Emperor insisted on running... almost no way to kill "Her" inevitably.
Charlotte Linlin might be the former.
Undoubtedly—
Charlotte Carmel was the latter.
So, this scene occurred.
The seemingly important battle on Whole Cake Island was essentially a "Feint".
The seemingly unimportant killing of Homies in Totto Land to collect souls... was the true goal—the truly fatal, long-prepared strike.
At this moment, fangs were bared.
"Sorry, I..."
Just then, Hitsujii looked at Big Mom.
A mark appeared on Big Mom.
"Caught you... Emperor!"
[Mark-Mark Fruit · Mark]
He opened his mouth.
"Five hundred times limit compression..."
"Lord of Yomi · Soul Cannon!"
☆☆☆
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