Griffin's face was pale, his body emaciated to skin and bones as he slumped beneath the Golden Tree.
He turned his head to gaze at the Golden Tree, burning silently.
It was the fusion of the Divine Tree Seed and the Final Embers.
…
The Ten-Tails was the origin of Chakra, possessing an instinct to devour life. The Truth-Seeking Orbs of the End used by Kaguya Otsutsuki represented the most fundamental desire of the Divine Tree—to annihilate both soul and matter, returning the world to a state of nothingness.
The Final Embers came from the end of civilization, the manifestation of the conclusion of all things.
The two forces shared the same essence: both craved to possess life, only to bring about its end.
…
But it wasn't as simple as placing the Final Embers into the Ten-Tails.
Two good people might unite for a common purpose, but when two beings with equally destructive intentions met, only one would survive.
Either the Final Embers would burn the Divine Tree Seed to ashes, or the seed would devour the embers entirely.
The key lay in—
Heavenly Jar Star!
These were eyes born for "ultimate creation," not destruction. They acted as a heavenly forge, reforging all of one's power into the mythic armaments of legend.
They represented the domineering path Griffin had chosen—to "forge himself" and reach the realm of the gods!
The Mangekyou Sharingan found a strange resonance between the two forces.
Driven by Griffin's will, they no longer canceled each other out but instead intertwined and restructured into an entirely new form.
…
This forging consumed a vast amount of his Eye Power, but compared to the gains, the loss was entirely worth it…
"God-Forged Armament—Golden Tree."
Upon closer inspection, its trunk and branches were composed of an amber-like substance glowing with warm golden light. The dancing gilded flames seemed to follow some ancient, rhythmic cadence.
Orderly, sacred, perfect.
These were the thoughts that would naturally arise in anyone who beheld it.
Only those truly buried within it could deeply perceive its terror.
—
Primary Abilities, Operating Mechanism—
Root Anchoring - Canopy Absorption.
[Those pierced by the Golden Tree's roots do not die immediately. Instead, they experience a moment of immense defeat or glorious victory within the mind's domain—commonly known as the "life flashback."
When emotions reach their peak, they are converted into highly refined energy, absorbed by the canopy.]
The Trunk's "Storage and Refinement."
[The Golden Tree's trunk contains a vast internal space capable of storing the extracted high-purity energy and further refining it into high-purity Energy Pills.]
In short…
Except for the inability to cover an entire planet like the Divine Tree, the Golden Tree possessed all the characteristics of the Divine Tree.
Moreover, its efficiency in utilizing life was even higher than the Divine Tree's—truly squeezing every last drop from body to soul before stopping.
The Golden Tree inherited the Ten-Tails' greedy instincts and the Ember's impulse for termination, optimizing the method of consumption with ruthless efficiency.
Once it grew large enough to cover a planet…
It would act even more thoroughly than the Divine Tree.
—
The issue of the Divine Tree Seed's centuries-long growth period was resolved. By neutralizing the characteristics of the Final Embers, the Golden Tree would not become as restless as the Ten-Tails and was willing to remain quietly in one place.
So...
What were the benefits for Griffin?
...
He spread open his palm, revealing a golden pill the size of a grain of rice.
This was the purified product obtained after several hundred pirates underwent a series of steps that night.
...
If I eat this... does it count as cannibalism?
Hmm... probably not.
When people die, they become fertilizer that nourishes the earth, and the earth bears fruit. I'm just eating the fruit.
It's just that this process is too fast, making me feel a bit uncomfortable...
The hesitation lasted only two seconds.
Griffin flicked the small golden pill into his mouth, where it instantly transformed into a faint light and seeped down his throat.
...
Really, I'm clearly a normal person, so why are the things I do becoming more and more like those of a legendary devil?
Buzz—
A gentle warmth spread from his stomach, quickly flowing to every limb and bone.
His withered flesh visibly plumped up at a rapid pace.
Griffin had mastered Life Return, and based on his estimation, this rice-sized pill provided energy equivalent to several hundred-meter-long Sea Kings!!
Not only that...
Griffin's eyes, which had become dim and painful from overuse, actually felt a slight relief!
A purer stream of energy than that in other parts of his body flowed along the optic nerve, injecting deep into his pupils.
Though minuscule...
Griffin clearly sensed that his Eye Power had recovered a bit!!
The Mangekyo's curse, which inevitably leads to blindness once activated...
had been reversed!!
...
Griffin couldn't conceal his joy, realizing it belatedly.
The power of the Sharingan originally stemmed from the Divine Tree, a bloodline mutation of Kaguya Otsutsuki's descendants.
The reason the Mangekyo requires fusion with another pair is likely due to a genetic defect.
Two pairs of Mangekyo with the same bloodline can possess recoverable Eye Power.
But this isn't the only method.
Obito, whose body was half White Zetsu, clearly used his Mangekyo far beyond normal limits, yet his restrictions weren't as severe as other Mangekyo users.
That White Zetsu body was created by Uchiha Madara using the Outer Path Statue and the First Hokage's Chakra, perhaps in some way supplementing Obito's Mangekyo.
...
If fusing Mangekyo is a process of tracing back the bloodline, then...
The source of that bloodline, the Divine Tree, is now in my hands!!
Griffin looked at the Golden Tree with immense fervor.
Just moments ago, he was still thinking about how to conserve his Eye Power, unaware that the source of that power was right before him!
As long as I devour enough people and refine sufficient pills, I will definitely break through the limits of the Mangekyo!!
Capture everyone I see!!
Griffin immediately stood up to seize people to feed the tree, then paused mid-step...
He turned his head to look at the Golden Tree, his voice icy.
"You... dare to interfere with my will?!"
The tree crown rustled, as if in response.
...
A cruel smile curled at the corner of Griffin's lips.
"What I give you is yours."
"Do you think I'm the kind of trash driven by desire..."
Crackle—
Frost spread from Griffin's feet, slowly creeping up the roots of the Golden Tree. The tree crown shook even more violently.
"I can create you, and I can destroy you."
"Get this straight..."
"I am the master!!"
Under his cold gaze, the Golden Tree quieted down.
—
Ice crystals completely covered the Golden Tree, adding a touch of dreamlike beauty.
Griffin let out a long sigh of relief.
He began to understand why the Sage of Six Paths said that Kaguya Otsutsuki had lost herself in power, falling from the Rabbit Goddess who pacified a chaotic world into the evil deity who sought to destroy it.
If power is obtained too easily, human nature simply cannot withstand it.
Those who have become wealthy overnight can never return to ordinary life.
It's hard to say how much of the later Kaguya Otsutsuki was truly herself, and how much was the Divine Tree...
...
"Interesting..."
Griffin murmured softly.
He stood beneath the Golden Tree for a long time before suddenly bursting into hearty laughter.
"Hahahahaha!!"
"Hahahahahahahaha!!"
"So that's it!"
"Is this also a trial to become a god?!"
"I accept your challenge!"
Boom!!
Unmatched Conqueror's Haki tore through the sky!!