Three days after the execution day, at the former Hachinosu Island, now Marine Branch 179.
Late at night, all personnel constructing the base were dispersed.
Bang—bang—bang!!
Griffin's body slammed against the rocky walls before crashing violently onto the ground.
"Ah… ah…"
Griffin, who could endure mental scorching without flinching, now groaned in agony.
He knelt on the ground, his hands clawing desperately into the earth, every muscle spasming intensely, his bones emitting a grating sound that set teeth on edge.
Under his skin, something seemed to be wildly writhing and expanding, threatening to tear through flesh and emerge.
Thump—!
A thunderous heartbeat echoed, Griffin's back swelling abnormally, bursting his shirt open.
His originally handsome, fair face was now twisted with crimson hues and ashen decay.
…
His spine bulged unnaturally, sharp gray-white spikes pierced through flesh, emerging briefly with bloody threads before eerily retracting.
If anyone saw Griffin at this moment…
He was a complete monster!!
…
He could clearly feel…
That ferocious monster rampaging wildly inside him, each collision bringing excruciating pain like his soul being torn apart.
The source that generates all phenomena, the aberration announcing the end's arrival.
The Divine Tree Seed, the Ten-Tails!!
—
In the consciousness space, a monster with a crimson single eye and a mouth full of fangs roared.
Its back covered with jagged spikes, ten twisted tails flailing wildly, surrounded by crimson Chakra flames.
Around this monster were Griffin's consciousness manifested as a white giant wolf and flowing golden flames.
Using Fruit Awakening, Mangekyō Pupil Power, and Final Embers, Griffin barely suppressed its violent outburst.
He was about to lose control.
…
According to the information provided by the panel, this was the original form of the Divine Tree.
Unlike the various forms Griffin remembered from the final battles—the Outer Path Statue and the Divine Tree, among others.
No risk, excellent crop—that was the panel's evaluation of it.
Provided…
You don't shove this thing into your body!
…
As a planted entity, the correct way to use the Divine Tree Seed was to plant it in the earth, feed it sufficiently powerful lifeforms to promote its growth, allowing it to mature into a Divine Tree absorbing Natural Energy.
Before Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, there was even no concept of "Tailed Beasts"; the Ten-Tails was merely a more vivid designation.
The Divine Tree only had two modes: seedling and mature plant.
It was Kaguya Ōtsutsuki merging with the Divine Tree that became the so-called apocalyptic "Celestial Eye Singular God, Land-Creating God."
The Ten-Tails was the product of the Divine Tree combined with Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's mutation.
And the first Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, strictly speaking, was the Sage of Six Paths.
…
The Sage of Six Paths essentially first stripped his mother's consciousness, sealing it on the moon, then sealed her physical shell within himself.
Upon his death, he further divided…
Going further would be too brutal.
In summary, the Ōtsutsuki Clan didn't have many applications for the Divine Tree; they simply sought to obtain Chakra Fruits. Jinchuriki were unique products of the ninja world.
Back when Momoshiki saw the Nine-Tails, he marveled at the ninja world's rustic yet ingenious manipulations.
—
The panel's extraction function didn't have a delayed delivery option; Griffin's prize was immediately cashed in.
The first Final Ember inherently needed to inhabit a living being and could not exist independently, but the Divine Tree Seed was different.
The system originally intended to deliver it as a physical object, but Griffin insisted on having it placed directly inside his body.
There was no other choice...
In that situation at the time, if a monstrous creature like the Ten-Tails appeared, regardless of others, Garp would undoubtedly be the first to take action!
Sakazuki would follow suit as soon as the fight started.
...
Even Sengoku and Rayleigh, who had been fighting each other to the death earlier, would join forces to eliminate the Ten-Tails first!
Anyone with a sound mind could see the immense threat it posed.
It was the natural enemy of all life!!
...
This Ten-Tails was completely incomparable to the one that had devoured the ninja world. Even if released, it would only be about the size of an ordinary Tailed Beast.
Its exact destructive power had no reference point, but in short...
It definitely wouldn't withstand the combined assault of everyone present at the time.
...
——
If not for the need to suppress the Ten-Tails within him, Griffin would not have let Shanks go.
He could afford to speak lightly of Shanks, but given a real opportunity, he had no intention of making the foolish mistake of releasing a tiger back into the mountains.
However...
Looking at it from another angle.
If Shanks returned to Mary Geoise to become a God's Knight...
Would killing him next time yield some kind of reward?
These were matters to consider later...
If he didn't find a way to quell the Ten-Tails' rampage soon, he would be the one to explode first!
...
Griffin's entire body now resembled a volcano on the verge of eruption—parts of his physique were grotesquely swollen, while others were withered to skin and bones.
Dark red Chakra Veins crawled across his skin, with violent energy leaking out and forming distorted halos of light.
This won't do...
Without the Rinnegan, relying solely on the Eye Power of the Mangekyo was utterly insufficient to tame it. Fantasizing about becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki in one leap was impossible!
His willpower wasn't the issue, but...
His physical strength was nearly depleted!
Griffin's crimson eyes turned toward the cross-shaped ice structure by the shore.
Sealed within it was Kari.
...
He had rushed here after hastily handling matters at Marine Headquarters, partly to attempt subduing the Ten-Tails in a secluded location.
He also hoped to potentially seek Kari's assistance if necessary.
But now...
Griffin's mind raced frantically, arriving at a conclusion.
Kari couldn't help him, even if he immediately self-destructed four times and channeled all his accumulated power into him.
At best, it would only prolong the suppression—utterly meaningless.
Think fast...
Was releasing the Ten-Tails the only option...? But he had no means to seal it again. If left to run wild, it would undoubtedly be hunted down and destroyed by the powerful forces of this world!
Planting it directly wasn't feasible either—where would he find an Otsutsuki to feed it?
According to the system's item description, for the Divine Tree Seed to naturally grow into a full Divine Tree would take at least a century!
...
Two High-Level Option hits—were they both just useless items?!
Wait... two!!
A gleam flashed in Griffin's eyes as the chaotic thoughts in his mind connected into a coherent line.
The Ten-Tails was a living being, and the Final Ember could only exist by inhabiting a living being...
He had sensed it earlier...
Would this approach be too risky? What if... No what-ifs!
With the one-in-a-million chance of consecutively hitting High-Level Options, he was absolutely destined by fate!
In the darkness, his crimson eyes grew solemn.
...
——
On the other side of the island.
Several Pirate ships docked under the cover of night, and a group of Pirates gathered around a tall man as they disembarked.
"Boss! We've confirmed it—the Marines stationed here all withdrew at noon. Something must have happened nearby."
"Good..."
The man in the lead had short red hair and a ferocious expression as he grinned. "Damn Marines, how dare they kill the great Red Hair, the man I admired!"
"Talking about building a naval base here to commemorate that guy... What a joke!!"
"Hachinosu Island is a paradise for Pirates! Since when do the Marines get to set up shop here!"
...
"Enough talk, Redbone."
A group disembarked from another pirate ship, their leader speaking up. "Don't forget our objective."
"We're just here to see if there's any usable equipment left behind after the Marines pulled out, and to sabotage their construction while we're at it."
"If you're really that brave, go seek revenge at Marine Headquarters, just like Shiki."
...
"Let's just forget about that and get moving!"
...
The group of nearly a hundred men ventured deeper into the island, but all they saw along the way were square, empty pits, leaving them utterly disappointed.
"There's nothing usable here... These guys only dug the foundations. How big of a base are they planning to build, digging such huge, deep holes!"
"Boss, how are we supposed to sabotage this? My stomach hurts a bit, maybe I could just—"
"Shut up, idiot!"
"Keep moving. There seems to be some activity over there. I have a feeling we might find some secret Marine weaponry there!"
"Really? The boss's intuition is always spot on!"
...
"Boss... This pit looks different, like something smashed into it!"
"That's it! This must be where the Marines test their weapons! This pit was definitely made by a high-powered artillery shell!"
"As expected of the boss! Following such a brilliant man is truly an honor!!"
...
They continued onward.
Scattered pits were everywhere, but no weapons were in sight. As the group's excitement began to fade...
"Boss... Are there really any secret weapons here?"
"When have I ever been wrong? Keep going!"
...
...
After a while longer, just as one of the crew members was about to speak, a strange light flickered ahead.
That light...
It was like a crimson flame igniting the color of gold.
Eerie yet beautiful.
"There really is something there!!"
"Hurry! Whoever grabs it first gets it!"
"Bastard! We only found this thanks to our boss's intuition! You're breaking the rules!!"
"What nonsense are you spouting? We're Pirates! And I'm talking about pirate rules!"
...
The entire group charged frantically toward the light—
Until—
Skreech!!
The sound of something sharp piercing flesh echoed, accompanied by agonized screams!
"Aaaaaaaah!!"
"What's happening!! Aaaah!!"
"No!!"
"Monster! There's a monster!!"
...
Swish—swish—
In the darkness, something like a twisted monster seemed to lurk, shooting out tendrils of death that indiscriminately harvested lives!
When Redbone caught a glimpse of it in the faint light...
Before he could even scream, a grayish-white, gold-tinged sharp root crushed his skull.
The next moment...
Even his bones turned to dust, scattering without a trace in the wind.
.