Chapter 469: The Value of Magic Weapons, The Devil Awakens
Rumble!
The sea surged with sapphire waves, mingled with shards of ice.
The dazzling golden light of the cross slowly faded.
People at the scene and those watching the live broadcast stared intently at the unfolding events.
The scene gradually became clear.
A faint sea mist drifted around the massive figure.
That giant was the Water Crocodile.
A cross-shaped scar, over two meters long, marred its abdomen.
Bright red blood flowed, slowly staining the seawater.
The upright body of the Treasure Water Crocodile staggered and collapsed into the sea.
The water spear in its claw dissolved, splashing onto the sea's surface.
Though the Water Crocodile's standing form was imposing, it had a weakness.
Its softer belly was exposed, unlike its tough back.
Tesoro's strike had seized this opportunity, hitting the crocodile squarely in the abdomen.
"Is this victory?" someone wondered.
This was the first thought that crossed the minds of onlookers.
"Could they kill the Treasure Water Crocodile today?"
This second thought carried resentment and anger.
The Treasure Water Crocodile was now highly coveted.
Its immeasurable value made people revere it.
And Tesoro had struck so fiercely.
This seemed like a crime against wealth itself!
Tesoro, at the scene, did not dwell on such thoughts.
He landed on a cracked stone ball.
Then he gazed at his hands.
More precisely, he examined the rings on his ten fingers.
From his view, the once-shiny, flawless rings were now dull and fragmented.
Indeed, the rings were ruined.
This brought attention to the nature of magic weapons.
Magic weapons, crafted from magic ore, amplified a magic pattern user's abilities.
This amplification relied on the user injecting matching magic power into the weapon, triggering and unleashing its potential.
Using a magic weapon this way consumed its inherent power.
In plain terms, magic weapons were consumables.
Frequent users might need to replace them within a month.
This made magic weapons a major market in the magic ore industry.
Even a standard saber made from low-grade magic ore cost millions of Berries.
Tesoro's ring-shaped magic weapons, though small, were forged from the essence of high-grade magic ore.
Each was worth tens of millions of Berries; ten rings totaled hundreds of millions.
His earlier attack had relied heavily on these rings.
Without them, Tesoro could not have unleashed such a grand move, and its power would have been much weaker.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The stone ball beneath Tesoro shattered, and he stepped onto the ice.
The presidents hiding within emerged.
They saw the Treasure Water Crocodile lying on the sea, sinking.
"Tch, tch, tch, that crocodile fell so quickly." Badisha remarked.
"Hahaha, it seems President Tesoro's strength is remarkable!" he added, laughing heartily.
Badisha now addressed Tesoro as "President" instead of by name.
The seriousness in his smiling eyes betrayed his lack of genuine joy.
Others offered brief compliments.
Tesoro remained focused, not overly courteous.
The priority was capturing the Lucky Cat.
He ignored the Treasure Water Crocodile for now.
His attack, costing hundreds of millions of Berries, should have incapacitated it.
Even if it survived, it likely could not stop them.
Truthfully, they could pack up the crocodile and take it too.
But something felt off.
Beyond Morgans' possible traps and the looming major forces, the crocodile's value itself was a concern.
Tesoro sensed that if he tried, the sinking beast might suddenly rise and bite.
Its gaze had been terrifying.
It might be an illusion, but Tesoro was unwilling to gamble.
The Lucky Cat was the priority.
At some point, Thunder Ray stood among the presidents.
No one paid him much attention.
All eyes were on the Lucky Cat.
Their fiery gazes gave the Lucky Cat goosebumps, its dull eyes suddenly shifting.
Its golden eyes glanced downward.
It stared at the Treasure Water Crocodile, its head sinking into the sea.
"Meow!" it cried loudly.
In human terms, it might mean: "Damn fool, die already!"
The Lucky Cat saw through the crocodile's plan to play dead and escape.
This creature had shone beside it for so long, only to collapse after one move.
What was it trying to do?
The Lucky Cat felt furious.
It was reluctant to leave Mythical Beast Island.
But it could not resist the stronger forces.
If it had to find a new home, it wanted a worthy one.
The humans before it were strong, but compared to those coming later, they were lacking.
Unless it was brainless, why would it choose them?
It appeared dull, but its mind was sharp.
It sought a home with strength and resources to sustain it daily.
Otherwise, why leave?
The Lucky Cat's sudden meow startled many.
The Treasure Water Crocodile, clever as it was, sat up from its feigned death.
Its body rose halfway upright.
It made sense.
The Yamata Sect had taught it many stories, giving it high human-like intelligence.
This also led to its many crocodile tears.
Thus, it was not an emotionless beast.
Coming to its senses, it prepared to fight again, though reluctantly.
"How is this possible?" Tesoro exclaimed.
He was shocked to see the Water Crocodile rise as if unharmed.
His move had cost hundreds of millions of Berries!
Yet this creature seemed fine.
What in the world?
In truth, the crocodile was not unscathed.
As a mythical beast, its vitality and recovery were exceptional.
Lying briefly, many wounds had healed.
Another simple reason: its massive size.
Tesoro's strike had not hit a vital spot like the heart.
Thus, it was not a major issue for the crocodile.
The magic power lingering in the wound had forced the crocodile to expend much energy to dispel it.
That had a greater impact.
But it stood in the sea.
The crocodile looked down on these humans.
Fighting it in its domain?
They would need years to defeat it!
Ding!
A clear bell rang.
Golden armor gradually covered the Treasure Water Crocodile's massive body.
What was this?
Seeing this, Tesoro and the others' pupils shrank.
They focused on the Lucky Cat, shaking the bell in its paw.
The seemingly harmless Lucky Cat had acted.
Tesoro and the others felt troubled.
They had overlooked the mascot-like Lucky Cat, not expecting it to join forces with the Water Crocodile.
How frustrating!
Why could they not just take this mythical beast?
"This will be difficult. These mythical beasts are not easy to handle." Fisherman said.
He tugged his hat lower.
His gaze shifted slightly to another direction.
Time was running out.
Someone was approaching.
And it was a troublesome figure—the Marines.
(End of Chapter)