Chapter 104: Huang Rong at Full Combat Power
The ability of the Soul-Soul Fruit was far more unexpected than even Chu Yang had anticipated.
The waterfall flowing upstream lifted the Queen Mama Chanter all the way to the top of the falls, sweeping Jinbe and the Fish-Men hiding in the sea along with it.
The ship lurched violently under the impact of the water, and the Fish-Men on deck were thrown into complete chaos.
"What was that just now?"Tiger stared at Charlotte Linlin aboard the Queen Mama Chanter in shock. A Devil Fruit user should be incapable of manipulating anything related to the sea.
So how could this woman control a waterfall?
"Big Brother, it looks like our interception failed. Should we retreat first?"Arlong stood beside Tiger and asked, "Their numerical advantage is obvious. Maybe we should wait for Revolutionary Army reinforcements before fighting."
Tiger turned back and glared at Arlong. "You want to let them onto the island? Idiot! What about the civilians on the island?!"
Arlong replied indifferently, "They're just humans. There's no need to risk our brothers' lives for them."
"Shut up! I don't want to hear that again. Betraying allies is not my way."Tiger shoved Arlong aside and immediately ordered the crew to prepare for battle.
The remaining Big Mom Pirates ships were still being carried up by the waterfall, and the Queen Mama Chanter began closing in on Tiger's position.
Chu Yang slowly descended from the sky, positioning himself directly in front of the Queen Mama Chanter.
"Who is that guy?"The people aboard the ship were completely confused.
When Perospero saw Chu Yang, he suddenly felt that the young man looked familiar.
The Big Mom Pirates' intelligence network was second to none—far stronger than even Doflamingo's underworld channels. For Perospero to find someone familiar meant this person had done something truly extraordinary.
With that thought, Perospero stepped behind Charlotte Linlin and whispered a few words to her.
Charlotte Linlin nodded slightly, her gaze locking onto Chu Yang."Brat, was what happened in Wano caused by you and your companions?"
Chu Yang ignored her, instead watching the pirate ships still being carried upward by the waterfall.
"Interesting. Since you won't answer, I'll take that as a yes."Charlotte Linlin stepped on Zeus and raised Napoleon. "I hate it when people block my path!"
The thundercloud Zeus, sharing Mama's will, instantly gathered momentum and charged at Chu Yang.
"Rather than destroying them one by one, it'd be easier to wipe them out all at once."
The final Big Mom Pirates ship was lifted up by the waterfall. Chu Yang smiled and raised both hands as his pupils transformed.
On the white of his eyes, blood-red tomoe slowly began to rotate.
"That kid is strange!"Charlotte Linlin felt a sudden, intense sense of dread, as if something terrible was about to happen, and instinctively tried to stop him.
Then Chu Yang softly spoke a single phrase.
"Shinra Tensei."
A catastrophic repulsive force erupted outward from Chu Yang, the calm sea caving in as if struck by a massive meteor.
Invisible power drove the waves upward, stacking upon one another until a towering tsunami formed and crashed toward the Queen Mama Chanter.
"H-Hey, you've gotta be kidding me…"Doflamingo removed his sunglasses, staring as the wave grew so tall it blotted out the sun.
The deck was plunged into darkness.
Charlotte Linlin gripped Napoleon with both hands and began charging power, her Conqueror's Haki boiling as half the sky sank under its pressure.
"Ikoku Sovereignty!"
A terrifying slash erupted from her sword, forming a gigantic shockwave shaped like a spear. It tore through the tsunami, barely creating a gap for the Queen Mama Chanter to survive.
But the following repulsive force still overturned the ship.
The other pirate ships fared even worse—smashed straight off the waterfall, shattered beyond recognition, leaving only a few fragments floating on the sea.
With a single strike, a fleet of over a hundred ships was annihilated.
Charlotte Linlin stood frozen atop Zeus, unable to believe that her proud pirate fleet had been defeated so effortlessly.
"Damn this waterfall… damn Wano! After this, Kaido had better compensate me properly!"
If not for the terrain, the Big Mom Pirates would never have suffered such devastation—or at least, that was what she believed.
She was nearly driven mad with rage, but Kaido was missing, King had been knocked off the cliff, and there was no one to vent her fury on.
So she fixed her gaze on Chu Yang, intending to pour all her anger onto him.
Standing in the air on threads, Doflamingo glanced uneasily at the wrecked ships.
"No wonder he dares to challenge the Emperors. That strength matches the audacity… but I wonder whether Kaido was merely defeated or actually killed. That man shouldn't be so easy to kill."
Doflamingo continued watching, choosing not to interfere.
Aside from Charlotte Linlin, who was saved by Zeus, everyone else fell into the sea as the Queen Mama Chanter overturned.
Most of them were Devil Fruit users, struggling helplessly in the water.
Charlotte Linlin looked down at them and coldly ordered Doflamingo, "Save them. I'll compensate you afterward."
Doflamingo grinned. "No problem. This is a rare business opportunity."
He waved his hand, threads wrapping around the upper bodies of the drowning pirates and pulling them out of the water.
He even used threads to flip the Queen Mama Chanter back upright, restoring it to the surface.
Some pirates were unconscious, others completely exhausted—none of them were combat-capable for the time being.
In the distance, another ship approached.
It was the Sun Pirates, led by Tiger.
Knowing they couldn't allow the enemy any time to recover, Tiger decided to lead the Fish-Men into an offensive.
"You dare look down on me, you rabble!"Prometheus flared brightly, sensing Mama's rage. Charlotte Linlin grabbed him and hurled him straight toward the Sun Pirates.
As a living flame, Prometheus could freely raise his temperature, rivaling even the Flame-Flame Fruit.
A massive pillar of fire shot forward, the intense heat nearly boiling the sea beneath it.
Seeing that the ship couldn't evade in time, Tiger closed his eyes in despair.
At that moment—
A bolt of black lightning struck Prometheus.
"AAAAH!"
He screamed, frozen in midair.
A hand seized him, and Conqueror's Haki flooded over him like a tidal wave.
Chu Yang casually toyed with Prometheus, looking down at Charlotte Linlin from above.
He suddenly found himself intrigued by the Soul-Soul Fruit.
The ability to grant souls, to create life almost unconditionally—combined with Six Paths Yin-Yang Release—could produce something truly terrifying.
Unfortunately…
"Fear of the sea is a bothersome weakness."
Chu Yang shook his head, shelving the idea for now. Killing Charlotte Linlin would only scatter the Soul-Soul Fruit somewhere in the ocean—far too troublesome to retrieve.
It would be better to imprison her and use her as a test subject.
Charlotte Linlin shuddered. The way Chu Yang looked at her felt like he was examining an interesting toy.
"Insolent brat!"She was furious, yet the fear in her heart only deepened. "Such powerful Conqueror's Haki… to grab Prometheus barehanded—only a handful of people I know could do that."
Prometheus writhed under the lash of Conqueror's lightning, crying for Mama to save him.
"So noisy. Get lost."
Chu Yang tossed him back.
Prometheus streaked back into Charlotte Linlin's hands like a child complaining of injustice.
"He just gave Prometheus back?""What is he plotting?"
Her wariness intensified. She didn't believe Chu Yang acted out of kindness.
"I'll give you one chance. Lose, and you'll stay here forever."
Chu Yang's Conqueror's Haki erupted wildly, dark clouds rolling across Wano's sky with crushing pressure.
Even standing beneath it, Charlotte Linlin felt the overwhelming force and didn't dare hold back, immediately unleashing her trump card.
Zeus, Prometheus, and Napoleon—combined as one.
Lightning and flames wrapped around the blade, reinforced by her immense Conqueror's Haki. The momentum was overwhelming.
"Tenjin!"
Their Conqueror's Haki collided violently, the sea surging into massive waves as the sky itself split in two.
Chu Yang took a deep breath. Source Breathing reached its peak—sunlight and moonlight cycling through his breath.
He donned the Tailed Beast Cloak, shining like a miniature sun.
Charlotte Linlin's body suddenly expanded, swelling into a towering giant.
Dark purple skeletal armor formed around Chu Yang, rapidly growing into a warrior-shaped construct.
Susanoo.
The Tailed Beast Cloak enveloped it, transforming it further.
Three heads. Six arms. Wings on its back.Fully solidified armor.
Charlotte Linlin didn't dare charge further, unleashing her attack at full power.
"Tenjin—Ikoku Sovereignty!"
A shockwave nearly ten times larger than before—laced with lightning and flame—blasted toward Chu Yang, illuminating the darkened sea.
Six radiant swords formed in Susanoo's hands.
Sun and moon energies flowed between them, weaving a luminous barrier.
The shockwave struck the light curtain—and vanished, melting away like snow under the sun.
The barrier advanced, erasing everything in its path.
Zeus, Prometheus, and Napoleon—Charlotte Linlin's treasured Homies—were dissolved completely.
She tried to resist, Armament Haki surging across her body, but it was useless.
It felt as though she had fallen into a grinder—every inch of her flesh screaming in agony.
At the moment Charlotte Linlin lost consciousness, Chu Yang halted the attack. Susanoo grasped her in its hand.
He then turned his gaze toward Doflamingo, who had been watching the entire time.
Cold sweat streamed down Doflamingo's face.
He now deeply regretted getting involved in this affair. Chu Yang's combat power had completely shattered his expectations.
He had never seen Gol D. Roger fight in person, but he dared to swear that no matter how strong Roger was, he couldn't possibly be stronger than the man before him.
"I think… there may have been some misunderstanding between us! I'm not on the same side as these people!"
Doflamingo desperately tried to explain, but Chu Yang's gaze only grew colder, sending chills straight down his spine.
"I've seen many evil people, but even among them, someone as rotten as you is rare."
"Making people who genuinely love each other slaughter one another for your own amusement—such a disgusting hobby is simply unbearable."
The moment he heard this, Doflamingo turned and fled without the slightest hesitation. He pushed the power of the String-String Fruit to its absolute limit, countless threads shooting outward to connect with the clouds, forming a stairway of escape.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Wrapped in overwhelming terror, Doflamingo cursed nonstop as he fled in a mad dash.
Just as he thought he was about to escape, a dark-purple arrow formed of condensed energy pierced straight through his chest from behind, punching through his heart.
Doflamingo froze.
He lowered his head and stared at the fist-sized hole in his chest, where only a small remnant of his heart was still twitching.
Am I… going to die?
Am I really going to die like this?!
Grief and fury overwhelmed him as his consciousness rapidly faded. He no longer even had the strength to roar, sinking unwillingly into endless darkness.
As Doflamingo's corpse fell into the sea, the remaining forces aboard the Queen Mama Chanter were almost entirely locked up with Seastone shackles.
A small number chose to jump into the sea on their own, hoping to gain a slim chance at survival.
But they clearly weren't very smart.
Trying that trick right in front of Fish-Men?
Jinbe led his companions into the depths, capturing the fleeing pirates and bringing back Doflamingo's body—along with the unconscious King.
When King woke up, his limbs were already bound in Seastone shackles.
While being escorted to the quarry, he stubbornly asked Chu Yang about Kaido's whereabouts. Upon learning that Kaido was truly dead, King's face turned ashen, all light draining from his eyes in an instant.
To him, Kaido had been more than a captain—he had been like a father and an elder brother.
Having developed an interest in the Soul-Soul Fruit, Chu Yang skillfully set up an experimental laboratory within Flying Falls Pavilion and had Queen handed over by the Revolutionary Army to serve as his assistant.
Dragon did not oppose this, but he worried Chu Yang might stray onto a dangerous path. He secretly sought out Tiger, and the two had a long conversation.
Although Tiger didn't know exactly what Chu Yang planned to do, he firmly believed Chu Yang would never do evil things, nor would he become the next tyrannical Emperor of the Sea.
Perhaps influenced by Tiger's unwavering stance, Dragon temporarily set the matter aside and devoted himself fully to more pressing concerns.
The Revolutionary Army's bounties on the World Government and the Marines, combined with the earthshaking news of Kaido and Charlotte Linlin's defeat, swept across the entire world like a storm!
Wano Country, Flying Falls Pavilion.
Standing on the top floor of the tower, Chu Yang gazed at the laboratory being aggressively remodeled below, lost in thought.
In recent years, humanity's greatest achievement in Devil Fruit research had been artificial Devil Fruits.
The creator of the world's first artificial Devil Fruit was Dr. Vegapunk of the former government science division.
Queen, Judge, and Caesar represented three different research branches, all stemming from Vegapunk's lineage factor theory.
If possible, Chu Yang would have preferred to capture Vegapunk directly and force him to assist with the research.
Unfortunately, Vegapunk's whereabouts were unknown, leaving Chu Yang no choice but to settle for gathering Judge and Caesar instead.
With all three working together, there might be real progress.
Chu Yang himself would also participate—after all, behind him were Mage Chu Yang and Marvel Chu Yang. Their research capabilities were no weaker than those three.
Caesar was stationed at Punk Hazard.
After the clash between the Vinsmoke Family and the Donquixote Family ended in failure, Judge led the mobile Germa Kingdom away from the North Blue, roaming the seas. Tracking his movements would take time.
These matters could be entrusted to the Revolutionary Army.
Chu Yang had already secured such an excellent base for them; as allies, it was only right they returned the favor. One-sided freeloading wasn't good etiquette.
Dragon cooperated readily.
Whether he truly trusted Chu Yang or not didn't matter—basic give-and-take was the foundation of any proper partnership.
With the support of Kozuki Hiyori and the samurai, the Revolutionary Army no longer needed to dedicate excessive manpower to guarding the base.
As for external threats, they weren't worried at all—no enemy could even make it past Chu Yang's Flying Falls Pavilion.
Thus, their freed manpower could fully focus on Chu Yang's affairs.
Half a month later, Chu Yang successively received intelligence on Caesar and Judge.
The former was still at Punk Hazard, guarded by a large contingent of Marines. The latter had returned to the North Blue.
With the destruction of the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates, news of Doflamingo's death also spread rapidly.
For the world, this was yet another massive earthquake.
The Donquixote Family teetered on the brink of collapse, their influence in the North Blue falling apart. Judge emerged as the greatest beneficiary.
The Germa Kingdom once again became the overlord of the North Blue, reclaiming its former territory.
Along with the intelligence, the Revolutionary Army provided Chu Yang with two permanent Log Poses—one pointing to Punk Hazard, the other to the Germa Kingdom.
Interestingly enough, Chu Yang had once visited the land-based Germa Kingdom before—that was where he had stolen lineage factor technology.
It really did feel like he kept shearing the same sheep over and over.
Before departing, Chu Yang visited the laboratory once more. Queen, wearing Seastone shackles, was obediently working away.
Another All-Star, King, was diligently mining in the quarry.
As Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit users, their physiques were outstandingly durable—perfect for enduring the customized 007 "benefits package" Chu Yang had prepared for them.
Even Dragon couldn't help but call Chu Yang a "devil" when he saw it.
After briefing Queen on several construction standards for the lab, Chu Yang thoughtfully left behind a shadow clone to supervise his work.
This was partly to ensure progress, and partly to prevent any disturbances while Chu Yang was away.
With everything arranged, Chu Yang activated Earth Release and soared into the sky, disappearing in moments—so quietly that no one even noticed he had left Wano.
A permanent Log Pose was a truly convenient tool. It spared Chu Yang the effort of surveying terrain from above; he only needed to lock onto the direction and fly straight ahead.
The shortest distance between two points was a straight line. Journeys that would normally take days—or even a month—by ship took Chu Yang only a few hours.
The Log Pose needle suddenly swung sharply downward, signaling his arrival.
Punk Hazard.
Aokiji and Akainu had yet to wage their decisive battle here for the position of Fleet Admiral. The island remained peaceful, with beautiful scenery.
Punk Hazard didn't have many creatures, but the variety was astonishing—some native to the island, others brought by scientists for experimentation.
Just by casually circling the island once, Chu Yang spotted no fewer than a hundred different species.
The laboratory was built near the island's central mountain range, with parts of the structure embedded directly into the rock.
At this point in time, the lab's location differed from where it would be more than a decade later.
Caesar's future explosion would destroy this facility; the laboratory Luffy would later encounter was a rebuilt one.
Using Observation Haki to envelop all nearby structures, Chu Yang quickly located Caesar through the sounds of conversation.
He landed directly on the roof of that building and punched a hole straight through the ceiling.
"Wuwuwu~~~"
The shrill alarm blared, followed by a rush of hurried footsteps. Chu Yang leapt down through the opening, his eyes transforming into the Rinnegan.
The Marine guards who rushed over according to orders froze the moment they met his gaze. Their expressions turned vacant and numb as they instantly fell into an inescapable illusion.
The illusion continuously rewrote their memories. By the time Chu Yang left this place, not a single trace of him would remain in their minds.
He pursued Caesar straight ahead. Along the way, every guard and researcher who made eye contact with him was dragged into the illusionary world he created.
Moments later, almost everyone in the laboratory had lost the ability to resist—leaving only Caesar to face Chu Yang alone.
Seeing the strange state of his companions, Caesar felt a chill crawl up his spine. Without a second thought, he prepared to elementalize and escape.
At that moment, a wooden staff wrapped in Armament Haki shot out like lightning, piercing Caesar's shoulder and pinning him firmly to the wall.
More wooden stakes followed, nailing his limbs in place, each one sinking deep into the wall behind him.
Bright red blood flowed slowly as Caesar screamed in agony.
"I have no intention of taking your life, Mr. Caesar," Chu Yang said with a smile that made Caesar shudder. "I just want you to help me with a small task. Is that all right?"
With such ruthless methods, claiming he didn't intend to kill anyone was clearly a joke.
Caesar wore a miserable expression. "You can just tell me what you want. There's really no need to do this."
Chu Yang liked Caesar's attitude. Smart people were always easier to talk to.
He flicked his finger, and the wooden stakes pinning Caesar's feet immediately withdrew.
Caesar let out a muffled groan of pain, yet still managed to nod gratefully toward Chu Yang.
"I'm very interested in lineage factor research," Chu Yang said. "I hope you can help me. By the way, your former colleague Queen is also on my team."
Caesar froze.
He recalled the news he'd seen not long ago—the Beasts Pirates Queen belonged to had already been wiped out. Could it be that this man before him was the one who killed Kaido and destroyed the Beasts Pirates?
Caesar shuddered violently. Any lingering schemes in his mind vanished completely.
"No problem! Whatever you ask, I'll do it!" he blurted out eagerly. "Being able to offer even a little help to you would be my honor!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the remaining wooden stakes fell away. Caesar collapsed to the floor and immediately knelt down.
Chu Yang nodded in satisfaction.
With Caesar's assistance, Chu Yang used a space created by the Extension Charm to relocate all the useful equipment and data from the laboratory.
Several weeks later, when the World Government sent inspectors to Punk Hazard, all that greeted them was an empty laboratory.
After leaving Punk Hazard, Chu Yang took Caesar with him toward the North Blue.
"Boss… where exactly are you taking me?" Caesar asked cautiously. "Could you at least tell me our destination?"
He didn't know Chu Yang's name and didn't dare ask, so he simply called him "Boss." From this day on, he was working under Chu Yang anyway.
Chu Yang liked the title. His tone softened. "We're going to find your old colleague."
Excluding Queen, whom the Boss had already mentioned, Caesar immediately thought of another former colleague with whom he'd often argued.
Vinsmoke Judge.
"I never thought we'd reunite like this…" Caesar sighed.
"Since it's been so long," Chu Yang said with a chuckle, "you'll have plenty of chances to catch up later—after the work is done."
Caesar was left speechless, forcing a smile that looked worse than crying.
At high speed, Chu Yang streaked across the pitch-black night sky like a meteor tearing through the North Blue.
After driving off the remnants of the Donquixote Family, Judge sat upon his throne, savoring the joy of victory.
The only regret was that when he had left earlier, he hadn't managed to take all the laboratory equipment and data with him. Upon returning, the lab was in shambles. Not only was a large amount of precious data lost, the facility itself was so badly damaged that it was unusable.
It wasn't just the lab—the entire palace had been ravaged by the Donquixote Family, scorch marks everywhere.
Judge had been furious at first, but once he remembered that Doflamingo was already dead, his anger quickly turned into smug satisfaction.
What was lost could always be reclaimed later. There was no need to get angry over trivial matters.
Wasn't that right?
Riding high on his success, Judge rose from the throne, preparing to retire to his chambers—when a sudden sense of dread seized his heart.
A chill ran down his spine as he scanned the palace. The empty hall suddenly felt dark and oppressive.
"Who's there?" Judge called out.
He never ignored such premonitions. In truth, instincts like this had saved his life more than once.
His voice echoed through the palace. No one answered. The silence seemed to mock his overreaction.
Yet the unease only intensified.
At that moment, Judge noticed the shadows in the palace silently spreading. The darkness in the corners writhed like living things, baring their fangs as they crept toward him.
Judge immediately launched an attack, raising his high-tech spear and firing a powerful electrical discharge straight ahead.
But the shadows were just shadows—not the monsters he imagined.
When he tried to attack again, the surroundings had already returned to normal.
The palace floor lay shattered, revealing a crater several meters wide.
"Am I just too tired lately?" Judge muttered, rubbing his forehead as he tried to assess his condition. The hallucination had felt far too real.
Suddenly—
The shadow behind him sprang to life again, lunging at him. In a flash, Judge's sharp instincts saved him once more, allowing him to evade by a hair's breadth.
But when he turned around, everything was quiet again.
The silence was thick with indescribable eeriness.
"No… I need to get out of here first!"
Judge looked toward the palace exit—only to find it swallowed by pitch-black darkness.
Unbeknownst to him, the palace had already been completely consumed by shadow.
Darkness surged like a tide from all directions, instantly engulfing Judge.
Reality.
Judge sat motionless on his throne, eyes dull and unfocused. Standing before him were Chu Yang and Caesar.
Watching Judge fall helplessly into an illusion, Caesar felt his scalp tingle.
Hearing a ghost story was one thing—seeing one play out in front of you was something else entirely.
By now, Chu Yang had displayed so many abilities before Caesar that he could no longer tell which ones were Devil Fruit powers and which weren't.
With every new display, Caesar's fear of Chu Yang deepened.
Chu Yang had originally planned to use the Imperius Curse on him—but judging by the situation, that was unnecessary.
Caesar's fear was steadily transforming into loyalty.
To maximize the effect, Chu Yang allowed Caesar to witness the entire process of Judge being tortured within the illusion.
By the time it ended, and Chu Yang used the Imperius Curse to seize control of Judge's mind, Caesar was already trembling.
He dropped to his knees, forehead pressed firmly against the floor.
His devotion resembled that of a fanatical believer.
At this point, Chu Yang's objectives for this journey had all been achieved.
He had obtained both Caesar and Judge—and with them, the once-dominant Germa Kingdom of the North Blue.
Judge's four children themselves were immensely valuable.
Cloned soldiers were ultimately optional. These people lacked independent thinking and had only average combat power—at best, they were moving toys, nowhere near comparable to the Shadow Clone Technique.
It would take over a month for the Germa Kingdom to travel from the North Blue back to the Grand Line. Chu Yang had no time to wait, so he took Caesar with him and returned to Wano first.
Reunions with old acquaintances were always pleasant—especially when Caesar saw the massive Seastone shackles around Queen's neck. He immediately looked much happier.
"Well, well, isn't this Queen?" Caesar mocked with exaggerated expressions. "Long time no see—how did you end up like this?"
"You're still not dead?" Queen scoffed, puffing on a cigar he'd somehow gotten his hands on.
"You'll die before I do," Caesar shot back with a cold laugh.
Chu Yang walked in from outside, glanced at the two who were glaring daggers at each other, and chuckled. "Enough arguing. You'll be seeing each other every day from now on. Just focus on finishing the tasks I give you."
Caesar immediately dropped to his knees. "As you wish, Boss."
"Boss?" Queen looked at Caesar in surprise, then turned to Chu Yang and quickly followed suit. "Boss, once the lab is finished, shouldn't we add more manpower?"
Chu Yang snapped his fingers.
Behind him, a figure identical to himself appeared.
Then another.
And another.
Queen and Caesar stared in shock as the laboratory was rapidly filled with Chu Yang's shadow clones.
"Is that enough?" Chu Yang asked.
Queen and Caesar looked at each other.
"More than enough! Way more than enough!"
Chu Yang nodded, then reminded them, "From today onward, no outsiders are allowed into the laboratory. That includes the fish-men and the Revolutionary Army. I want my secrets to stay secret as long as possible."
Caesar thumped his chest confidently. "Boss, don't worry. As long as I'm here, no one's getting in."
Chu Yang praised Caesar a few times verbally, then walked into the deepest room.
When he opened the door, the half-dead "Big Mom," Charlotte Linlin, was hanging in the center of the room, suspended by Seastone chains.
"Kid, there's no deep hatred between us," she rasped. "Why torture me like this?"
Her tattered clothes and filthy hair made the former Emperor of the Sea look utterly miserable.
Coupled with the venomous hatred in her eyes, Charlotte Linlin looked like a demon from hell—
One personally sent there by Chu Yang.
"Just like you said, there's no personal grudge between us," Chu Yang replied calmly. "I'm simply interested in your Devil Fruit ability."
He waved his hand, forming a wooden chair, and sat down in front of her.
"You won't get the Soul-Soul Fruit's power like this," Linlin said desperately. "You might as well kill me. In a few years, a new fruit will appear. You're young—this bit of time means nothing to you, doesn't it?"
Charlotte Linlin was extremely agitated, begging Chu Yang to kill her. In just a few short weeks, she had endured years inside Chu Yang's illusionary space, her mind on the brink of collapse.
Even so, the Imperius Curse still failed on her—whether due to the willpower of a top-tier powerhouse, or the influence of the Soul-Soul Fruit itself.
"To be honest, I'm searching for the essence of Devil Fruits," Chu Yang said gently, "not a fruit with obvious side effects. I'm sorry, but you'll have to endure a little longer."
He smiled kindly, stood up, and left the room, completely ignoring Charlotte Linlin's hysterical curses behind him.
Meanwhile, the World Government was in chaos over the bounty orders.
Pirates across the seas, tempted by massive rewards, began banding together to assault Marine branch bases.
Four Marine branches were destroyed in succession. Officers below the rank of Rear Admiral were wiped out, and countless soldiers were injured.
This had never happened before.
Marine Headquarters finally realized that these sweeping bounty orders would cause upheaval even more violent than the Great Pirate Era.
…
The Martial Arts World.
Past Mount Zhongnan lay the border between the Southern Song and the Northern Song.
As the carriage crossed the boundary between the two states, Chu Yang stood by the boundary stone in a daze. After spending so long in this world, he still couldn't get used to treating the Southern and Northern Song as separate countries.
Thinking that beyond the Northern Song lay the Ming Dynasty, Chu Yang felt a strange sense of dissonance.
"What a mess…"
Huang Rong and Mu Nianci were nearby preparing a meal. Hearing Chu Yang mutter to himself, Mu Nianci looked at Huang Rong in confusion.
"What's wrong with Brother Chu?"
"Don't mind him," Huang Rong said dismissively. "He's always been like this, spouting nonsense out of nowhere. Probably a side effect of cultivation. Honestly, it's a good thing he didn't succeed—at least his brain didn't completely break."
"Rong'er, Brother Chu isn't that bad, is he?" Mu Nianci said softly.
"Hmph! You've only known him a few days. Just wait—when he really goes crazy, see if you can still call him 'Brother Chu' so sweetly."
Mu Nianci blushed and said nothing more, lowering her head to help with the cooking.
Before long, the meal was ready. Huang Rong was deft and clever, and with the carriage stocked full of supplies, the spread included chicken, fish, vegetables, and meat—far too lavish for a journey, more like a countryside outing.
"Little Chu, when we were in town earlier, I heard the Northern Song is holding some kind of gathering," Huang Rong said, her eyes darting around. At fifteen, she was exceptionally mischievous. "How about we go take a look?"
Chu Yang rolled his eyes. "So that's why you cooked so much—you had an ulterior motive."
Huang Rong put her hands on her hips. "Hey! I cook this much every day, okay? Look at you—you're practically getting fat!"
Chu Yang found it amusing. Getting fat was impossible; the energy from food wasn't even enough to fuel his body's circulation.
"Fine, fine. Let's go."
After rushing through the wilderness for so long, he felt a bit apologetic toward them.
Even though the carriage was spacious and well-equipped, it lacked human warmth. After a while, anyone would miss the bustle of civilization.
Not just them—even Chu Yang himself wanted to stroll through a city again.
After spending so long as a teacher, he missed the noisy chaos of children running around him.
Huang Rong and Mu Nianci held hands and cheered.
After lunch, the carriage continued onward, this time toward a populated area. Asking around, Huang Rong finally learned the name of the place.
Juxian Manor.
They stored the carriage at an inn and followed the surging crowd through the streets. Without even asking for directions, they soon arrived at Juxian Manor.
Today, heroes from all sides had gathered, calling themselves righteous men, to discuss how to deal with Qiao Feng—who had now been labeled a Khitan.
"A righteous group beating," Chu Yang smacked his lips mockingly.
"My father has always looked down on so-called great heroes," Huang Rong said, "but he alone held Qiao Feng in high regard. I doubt he was a man of empty reputation."
Hearing of Qiao Feng's fall—from legendary hero to hunted enemy in just months—left her deeply moved.
"Qiao Feng's crimes are undeniable," a cold voice said from afar. "Killing so many senior figures of the martial world is an ironclad fact. Your esteemed father seems rather blind."
Huang Rong instantly turned, furious that someone dared insult her father.
The speaker was dressed like a beggar, though his clothes were spotless. His eyes slanted upward, giving him a sinister look as he continued to sneer at her.
"So it's just a little yellow-haired girl. No wonder you speak without thinking."
Before the words even finished, Huang Rong flashed forward and slapped him several times, sending him flying.
"Ow!"
The beggar crashed heavily to the ground. A group of beggars rushed out from the crowd, surrounding and helping him up.
"Elder Quan, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," the man called Elder Quan said through gritted teeth, glaring at Huang Rong. "That wretched girl strikes viciously—she's no righteous sort."
Another beggar stepped forward, cupping his hands toward Huang Rong indignantly. "Miss, Elder Quan misspoke, but you didn't need to strike so harshly."
Huang Rong sneered. "He insulted my father. He deserved it."
Several beggar elders shot Elder Quan disdainful looks. In this era, filial piety was paramount—insulting someone's father was a grave offense.
But Huang Rong's next words offended them all.
"Judging by your clothes, you're all members of the Beggars' Sect. Qiao Feng was your leader—former leader at least—and treated you generously, perhaps even saving your lives."
"Yet here you are today, attending this gathering. That's ingratitude—heartless and shameless. And you still dare call yourselves heroes? I say this is a dog-bear convention!"
The elders' faces darkened. Her words struck straight at their weak point. To say they felt no shame would be a lie.
Chu Yang finally burst out laughing.
As expected of my Sister Huang—sharp tongue, decisive strikes. Wonderful.
Already humiliated, Quan Guoqing heard Chu Yang's laughter and flew into a rage, pulling three poisoned darts from his sleeve and hurling them at Chu Yang.
Hearing the whistling air, several elders tried to stop him—but it was too late.
In a flash, Chu Yang casually reached out and caught all three darts in his hand—completely unharmed.
Quan Guoqing's pupils shrank. Realizing he'd provoked the wrong person, he was about to find an excuse—
When he heard the same whistling sound again.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The three poisoned darts shot back, piercing straight through Quan Guoqing's body.
(End of Chapter)