138. The Mutation Of The Talisman

Darkness, a darkness that appears capable of engulfing everything.

There was chaos, with only six talismans of identical shape but engraved with different patterns floating silently. Standing opposite them was...

A dragon!

No, half a dragon to be precise!

One eye glowed red, devoid of expression. The head resembled a flame, with thorns on both sides akin to sword tips. The mouth resembled that of a crocodile. Sporting eight dragon horns akin to bull horns, it possessed a ferocious visage, and its body resembled that of a snake. Collectively, they presented the form of an Eastern dragon.

As for why it's referred to as half a dragon?

Only half of this entity is dark green, and the other half looms, appearing almost transparent and elusive!

And this... is Atlas's spiritual realm!

Atlas was also puzzled by this scene. This transformation happened after he activated the Tiger Talisman yesterday, and the appearance of this dragon was familiar to Atlas.

Shendu

The main antagonist in Jackie Chan's Adventures is the origin of the power of the Twelve Talismans!

This transformation had no impact on Atlas. After careful observation, he actually noticed that this entity seemed to lack consciousness, resembling a lifeless object. More precisely, it appeared like an empty space encapsulating twelve talismans.

Moreover, regarding the Tiger Talisman, Atlas always senses that it is lit but not fully illuminated. The most immediate impact it has on him is that the Horse Talisman has the ability to heal things other than itself, with the only drawback being the consumption of physical strength. This effect is more significant than its impact on Atlas himself, which is why Atlas confidently expresses such seemingly nonsensical statements to Ace and the others.

Furthermore, Atlas senses that the full potential of the Horse Talisman has not been unleashed. According to him, the Horse Talisman should have the ability to eliminate all negative effects, with its external manifestations being the power to heal and repair, encompassing the restoration of items to their original state and beyond.

For instance, if Atlas were to tear apart an island, the Horse Talisman should, in theory, be able to restore it to its original state. However, Atlas doesn't sense any such ability within him. It's more like... he's vying for control over the Horse Talisman, attempting to manipulate its 'thoughts' into becoming his own 'thoughts'!

The function of the Tiger Talisman in the original work is succinctly described as the "balance of yin and yang," and indeed, this holds true.

Firstly, the body belongs to yang, and the soul belongs to yin. The previous Atlas had some disparity between his body and soul, but the Tiger Talisman forcefully brought them to the same level. Of course, it didn't weaken one side but elevated both. On one hand, although Atlas's strength didn't see a significant boost, it made him feel much more harmonized and comfortable.

Secondly, Atlas felt that the Tiger Talisman appeared to integrate all the talismans he had activated before. This might be the reason why the shadow of the Shendu emerged. While the previous use of the talisman made him feel somewhat stagnant, the current utilization felt as if his instincts were heightened.

Furthermore, the Tiger Talisman's spell didn't appear to increase the burden on his physical body; instead, it 'expanded' his body. It was akin to the original water container being only 120 ml, but now it had expanded to 150 ml.

In other words, Atlas can continue to activate the next talisman! However, Atlas isn't in a hurry at the moment. Since the talisman won't escape, and he hasn't fully grasped the purpose of the Tiger Talisman, there's no rush.

Despite this, the effect of the Tiger Talisman did not satisfy Atlas because the most remarkable two entities of good and evil did not appear, and Atlas couldn't split the Tiger Talisman in half!

While he doesn't wish to split into two identical selves, it raises two key concerns: whether the two separate Atlas' would retain the power of other talismans, and whether Atlas himself possesses the means to control it.

Strictly speaking, the good and evil Atlas separated by the Tiger Talisman isn't entirely his own, so it's challenging to determine which one is the true subject.

As a result, he simply lost this ability.

After delving into the power of the Tiger Talisman, he discovered a very peculiar thing. It appeared that he... only activated half of the Tiger Talisman!

This led him to reconsider the status or significance of the Tiger Talisman among the twelve talismans. If his guess was correct, the next six talismans also required the other half of the Tiger Talisman to be integrated!

At that point, the abilities of good and evil would naturally manifest, but Atlas isn't sure about the specific performance effects. Regardless, Atlas is currently making bold assumptions and is cautious in verifying them.

After all, Atlas didn't know what kind of changes would occur when the rules of the One Piece world collided with the zodiac talisman.

"It looks like Ace and the others are in trouble... but I'll hurry to the top of the mountain and wait for them."

Sensing the information conveyed by Haki, Atlas got up and sprinted towards the summit of the mountain!

"The speed has actually increased a bit..."

...

It is less than a third of the way to the top of the mountain.

"Hey! Sabo, has this guy been active in this place before?"

Ace stared at the imposing figure in front of him, unable to help but tighten his grip on the water pipe in his hand, his voice a little hoarse.

The King of Mt. Colubo!

This is an adult tiger, adorned in a fine tiger skin, with a fierce gaze in its eyes and powerful limbs. The three boys look like toys in front of it.

"I don't know. The last time we spotted him, he appeared to be on the main peak."

Sabo and Ace are well acquainted with this tiger. They often encounter this fellow, but typically it's Ace and the others who end up being chased away. This is because they can't locate it anymore, so they shouldn't be able to defeat the tiger at this time. This guy is known as the King of Mt.Colubo!

I didn't expect to encounter it again in this situation.

The King of Mt.Colubo was equally vexed. It had been dozing off, minding its own business when it inexplicably encountered an individual whose scent felt familiar. Shortly after, it found itself in this location.

"It must be that scoundrel! Damn it, I'll have to teach this guy a lesson in the future!"

Ace gritted his teeth, clearly suspecting that someone had deliberately placed this tiger in this location.

.....

"Ahchoo~"

On the mountaintop, someone whom Ace was referring to suddenly sneezed. He then extended his free hand to rub the tip of his nose, muttering to himself.

"Could it be because the wind is too strong at the summit? Oh well, never mind. Those little guys should have run into it... hehehe!"

Atlas smirked maliciously and continued to rotate the barbecue in his hand.

Next to him lay animal skins and leftover internal organs...

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