One Piece: Hell Pirates

Chapter 443: A Segment of Divine Bone

Just as Brook was about to leave Shikkotsu Forest and head for Mount Myōboku, the power of the Four Gods inside him suddenly stirred.

Among them, the Yama clone of the Eastern Underworld God and the Sealing Clone of the Western Underworld God reacted the most violently, as if they had sensed a target they deeply desired.

Brook's eyes lit up.

These two gods coveted the legacy of Hirasaka, the Northern Underworld God. The clones they had created existed precisely to seize that bloodline and power.

For them to react this strongly, there had to be something extraordinary here.

"Kaguya, our trip to Mount Myōboku may have to wait a little longer. It seems there are still treasures hidden inside Shikkotsu Forest."

Brook ignored the Ten-Tails Groot, who was happily running wild, and instead tried to soothe Kaguya, whose desire for revenge had been locked firmly onto the Great Toad Sage.

"Hmph. Then let that dead toad live a few more days."

Princess Kaguya spoke reluctantly, but she did not disobey Brook. She knew he must have discovered something valuable.

"There must be something here that belongs to the gods of the Underworld."

Brook's excitement grew. He immediately activated his three Rinnegan, sweeping his gaze across every inch of Shikkotsu Forest. Not even the underground escaped his inspection.

For ages, Shikkotsu Forest had been ruled by a single summoned beast, the Slug Sage.

Although the Slug Sage was gentle, kind, skilled at healing, and seemingly harmless, it had never shared this sacred land with any other summoned beast.

One beast alone had made Shikkotsu Forest one of the Three Great Holy Lands.

That was far more impressive than summoned beasts like the Monkey King, Salamander, ninja dogs, ninja hawks, and Cerberus.

There had to be a secret hidden in Shikkotsu Forest.

After all, slugs were naturally much weaker than many other beasts. Perhaps the Slug Sage had gained some great advantage by chance, allowing it to rise above all others and become one of the strongest summoned beasts in the world.

"So that's it!"

Brook suddenly shouted in excitement, nearly losing control of his expression.

Deep beneath Shikkotsu Forest, he had seen a massive bone as large as a mountain.

The power contained within it shocked even him.

It had to be a vertebra from Hirasaka, the Northern Underworld God.

Brook exclaimed inwardly. This was a section of the spine responsible for creating divine blood. No wonder it could continuously release energy and naturally gather so much natural power.

If even Shikkotsu Forest possessed such a treasure, then what about Mount Myōboku, the greatest of the Three Great Holy Lands?

Would it not possess an even more important part of the Northern Underworld God's body, or perhaps an even greater legacy?

No wonder Mount Myōboku could produce something like the Primal Sage Art. There might be an even more important inheritance hidden there.

"We've struck it rich! Kaguya, wait a few more days. We will definitely go to Mount Myōboku!"

Brook's excitement grew, and so did his greed for everything Mount Myōboku possessed.

The possible reward was far too tempting. A mere verbal promise to the Toad Sage could not bind him.

When profit exceeded imagination, who cared about laws, rules, or promises?

Without waiting for Kaguya's reply, Brook opened a black teleportation gate and entered the underground space, where he began to devour that section of divine spine.

No one could stop him from growing stronger.

Princess Kaguya had no choice but to rest inside Shikkotsu Forest. She also took the chance to deepen her bond with the Ten-Tails Groot.

Looking at it, she could not help but remember her own Ten-Tails Divine Tree. Unfortunately, it had already been devoured by Brook and turned into his power.

She wandered through Shikkotsu Forest for a while, moving aimlessly, until she suddenly sensed something that stirred her heart.

She followed that feeling to the outer edge of the forest.

There, she saw two ordinary humans sitting in meditation, seriously absorbing natural energy and training sage arts.

Yet for some reason, these two humans gave her a strangely familiar feeling.

When the Hanyu brothers, Shiroi and Kuromura, saw Kaguya Ōtsutsuki suddenly appear, their backs went cold and sweat broke out across their bodies.

They felt awkward, uneasy, and deeply worried.

Facing the mother who had given birth to them, and whom they had once sealed away together, the brothers truly did not want to confront Kaguya.

Especially now that Kaguya had become Brook's woman.

"Greetings, Lady Kaguya. We are the Black and White Impermanence under the command of Pure Land Hell. We were training here and unintentionally disturbed you. Please forgive us."

Compared with Hanyu Shiroi's conflicted silence, Hanyu Kuromura recovered faster and immediately bowed in respect.

In truth, he did not carry that much hatred toward Kaguya.

Back then, Kaguya had sacrificed Hagoromo's lover to the Divine Tree, allowing Hagoromo to discover its secrets. Later, under the banner of saving humanity, Hagoromo had dragged his younger brother into sealing their mother.

"Are you priests like the ghost generals from the Training Hall? Why do you have living bodies?"

Princess Kaguya asked in confusion.

Since they were Brook's subordinates, she resisted the urge to investigate that familiar feeling by force.

"We are priests personally resurrected by Lord Brook. We serve as soul reapers who walk between Pure Land Hell and the mortal world."

Hanyu Kuromura answered respectfully again, pulling Hanyu Shiroi down with him. Neither dared to look directly into Kaguya's eyes, afraid that the smallest flaw might expose them.

"Is that so?"

Princess Kaguya spoke calmly.

She still did not understand the source of that familiarity, but once she knew they were Brook's subordinates, she no longer bothered to pursue the matter.

"We dare not disturb your rest any longer. Please allow us to withdraw."

Seeing that Kaguya had not seen through them, Hanyu Kuromura wanted to leave as quickly as possible. The more they spoke, the easier it would be to reveal something.

"Go."

Princess Kaguya waved casually and returned toward the heart of Shikkotsu Forest.

The Hanyu brothers immediately fled the area.

Only after running hundreds of kilometers did they finally dare to stop and breathe out in relief.

"Brook is about to move against the Three Great Holy Lands."

Hanyu Shiroi's tone was solemn.

"The fact that Kaguya Ōtsutsuki has appeared in Shikkotsu Forest proves everything."

"What can we do? We can't resist him. As long as Brook doesn't destroy the world, that is enough."

After being reborn, Hanyu Kuromura had grown indifferent toward the summoned beasts and descendants of the Three Great Holy Lands.

Now that he had obtained the Primal Sage Art that could lead to immortality, all he wanted was to rely on Brook and Pure Land Hell to train himself into a true immortal being.

"Sigh..."

Hanyu Shiroi did not know what to say.

Their strength could not compare to Brook's. They were already working under him, with no power to resist.

"Since Lord Brook is about to attack the Three Great Holy Lands, let's suspend our sage art training for now. Once Brook subdues them, perhaps we will be allowed to enter the core areas of those holy lands to cultivate. That would give us twice the result with half the effort."

Hanyu Kuromura spoke earnestly.

The core of a sacred land contained far richer natural energy. For them, it was the ideal place to train the Primal Sage Art.

------------

Deep underground, at the heart of Shikkotsu Forest.

Brook stood atop a mountain of bones, devouring energy surging around him as he frantically absorbed and fused with the power and divinity hidden inside the divine bone.

Within it were traces of divine authority, primordial power, inherited laws, and immortal divinity left behind by Hirasaka, the Northern Underworld God.

"This is incredible! We've struck it rich!"

Brook devoured the vertebra with open excitement, while the power of the Four Gods inside him surged wildly.

Countless clones.

Healing divinity.

Immortal blood.

One ability after another flowed into him.

It was hard to imagine how the Northern Underworld God, who possessed so many terrifying powers, had still managed to perish together with the Otsutsuki God.

That only proved how overwhelming the Otsutsuki God must have been.

And then Otsutsuki Shibai had obtained the legacies of those two dead gods, broken through the limits of godhood, achieved soul ascension, and successfully left this world.

His strength may have already surpassed both fallen gods.

One week later.

Brook was overjoyed. His strength had multiplied several times over. He stored the divine vertebra, now nearly drained of energy, inside his alternate dimension.

This divine bone might still have other uses.

Even without much power left, its remaining toughness and divine nature made it a priceless treasure for any ninja.

With the disappearance of the divine bone, the concentration of natural energy in Shikkotsu Forest dropped sharply. Without the bone's power to attract, gather, and release natural energy, this sacred land would slowly decline into an ordinary gathering place for spirit beasts.

"You finally came out. You've become even stronger."

Princess Kaguya stepped out from a treehouse, her voice carrying a trace of envy.

"I got along quite well with the Ten-Tails Groot these past few days. This treehouse is a little gift it made for me."

"Not bad. Then let's go to Mount Myōboku."

Brook smiled and looked toward the Ten-Tails Groot.

"Groot, stay here for the next few days."

Brook was eager to discover what secrets and treasures were hidden in Mount Myōboku.

Since Shikkotsu Forest still had plenty of natural energy left, Brook, who never wasted anything edible, left the Ten-Tails Groot behind to squeeze out every last drop.

"Yes, Master!"

The Ten-Tails Groot shouted excitedly. As long as it was not locked back inside that empty alternate dimension, it was happy. It instantly transformed into a giant tree, its ten tails rooting themselves into Shikkotsu Forest like the mangroves of the Sabaody Archipelago.

"Shouldn't you digest your new power first?"

Princess Kaguya looked at Brook.

"Your strength has risen several times over. You should take some time to process it."

"No need. I want to see whether that slug and those toads are still in Mount Myōboku."

Brook activated his divine art, Space-Time Vision, and quickly discovered that neither the Slug Sage nor the Toad Sage could be found inside Mount Myōboku.

"What? They really escaped? Can you still find them?"

Seeing Brook's expression shift slightly, Princess Kaguya immediately asked. She had no intention of letting that dead toad escape.

"Let me take another look."

Brook continued using his divine art, peering into the recent past of Mount Myōboku.

The day before he attacked Ryūchi Cave, the Toad Sage had mysteriously disappeared along with the Slug Sage and the other toads, leaving no trace behind.

Brook was surprised.

Was there really a place capable of blocking the sight of Space-Time Vision?

But once he realized that possibility, his excitement only grew stronger.

This meant there had to be something in Mount Myōboku that surpassed even this divine art.

The Toad Sage had to be hiding a great secret and an even greater treasure.

"They vanished. There must be something beyond expectation waiting for us there!"

Brook licked his lips, excitement burning in his eyes. He grabbed Kaguya, opened a black portal, and rushed in.

The next moment, they appeared in Mount Myōboku.

The natural energy there was still incredibly rich, which meant the Toad Sage had not been able to move the true treasure of this land.

Based on his experience in Shikkotsu Forest, Brook knew there had to be an important part of Hirasaka, the Northern Underworld God, hidden somewhere in Mount Myōboku.

He immediately activated his Rinnegan and began searching the entire mountain.

As for Princess Kaguya, she had already started destroying the toad structures of Mount Myōboku, venting every bit of resentment she held toward the Great Toad Sage.

"No. Not in the mountains. Not underground either."

Brook's expression darkened. He had searched the entire area, but there was nothing unusual in Mount Myōboku.

"It must be in another dimension!"

Brook's six-tomoe Sharingan shifted into Kamui form, and he also activated Yomotsu Hirasaka, searching for any alternate dimension hidden within Mount Myōboku.

"Yo ho ho! Found it!"

Brook finally sensed an alternate dimension.

But this dimension was extremely solid, and it was layered with sealing spells.

These barrier runes were not the mysterious talismans commonly seen in the ninja world. They were clearly high-level techniques, most likely ancient sage art barriers.

"Even Kamui can't open it?"

Brook was genuinely surprised.

Even the supposedly invincible Kamui could not tear open this dimension. Its level had already exceeded the upper limit of Kamui's spacetime ability, not to mention the ancient barriers reinforcing it.

"Kaguya! Use Yomotsu Hirasaka with me and force open this alternate dimension!"

Seeing that he could not handle the dimension alone, Brook immediately pulled Kaguya over.

"So they were hiding inside all along?"

Princess Kaguya also activated Yomotsu Hirasaka. A black portal opened, and the two of them used their combined spacetime power to pierce through the barriers of that solid alternate dimension, trying to enter the space within.

Inside that alternate dimension, the land was blood-red, yet full of life.

At the center of the space lay an enormous mountain of flesh covered in runes. The space around that fleshy sphere was also filled with countless runes, sealing and protecting it.

"Damn it! Brook and Kaguya Otsutsuki found us! They're attacking this alternate dimension!"

The Toad Sage's expression turned grave.

"The barrier of this alternate dimension has a flaw. That was how our toad clan entered this place in the first place."

Although the toad clan had spent thousands of years reinforcing and modifying that flaw, turning this place into their own private domain, they had never truly become the masters of this space.

They were only its occupants.

"Can we stop them?"

The Slug Sage spoke with concern.

After receiving part of the divine bone's inheritance, it had maintained a close relationship with Mount Myōboku, which was also an inheritor.

Brook had most likely coveted its power as well. That was why it had been persuaded by the Toad Sage to come here and avoid disaster for the time being, rather than submit to Brook.

"Sigh. This is fate."

A phantom figure appeared.

His words made even the Toad Sage frown.

This figure was the master of this space.

Originally, he had been a newly formed consciousness. After entering the outside world, he fused with a vast amount of the planet's natural energy and became a completely new natural consciousness.

The Toad Sage's power of prophecy had also come from this harmless figure.

.....

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