After his battle with Whitebeard, Chu Qiye keenly felt that he had reached a bottleneck.
His current strongest attack—the Fifth Layer Five Thunder Talisman—had ultimately been blocked by Whitebeard.
And five layers was the limit. There was no sixth.
He understood one thing clearly: stacking quantity and stacking effect were two completely different concepts. A hundred ants biting you versus a single dog biting you—which hurts more? The answer was obvious.
If simply increasing the number of talismans increased their power proportionally, he would've been invincible long ago. Open with twenty thunder talismans—who could withstand that?
Chu Qiye knew there were only two ways to break through this bottleneck.
The first was to continue grinding proficiency with the Tongtian Register and learn the most advanced talismans.
But as his mastery increased, improvement naturally slowed. In the short term, it wouldn't yield results.
The second option was to find a new path—stop relying solely on hand-to-hand combat and talismans, and start using a weapon.
Unfortunately, Chu Qiye was a perfectionist. If it wasn't a Supreme Grade Blade, he simply wasn't interested in using junk.
Then one day, a massive surprise fell from the sky.
After looting a merchant fleet, the Rocks Pirates discovered a famous blade aboard one of the ships.
And not just any blade—
It was one of the Twelve Supreme Grade Blades.
Raikiri.
An ancient blade said to be capable of cutting lightning itself. Even rarer, it was a one-handed sword among the Supreme Grade Blades—perfectly suited for Chu Qiye.
Rocks didn't use swords, so naturally the blade would go to someone below him.
There were quite a few swordsmen aboard—but Chu Qiye had only one real competitor.
Golden Lion Shiki.
"Black Devil, when have you ever seriously used a sword? Stop messing around. Raikiri should go to a true swordsman!"
"Golden Lion, do I need to notify you every time I draw a blade?" Chu Qiye shot back. "Besides, you already have Oto and Kogarashi. Why are you fighting for Raikiri too?"
"Who told you I'm not best with three-sword style?"
"I'm your father—I know everything!"
…
The surrounding pirates watched the two bicker like it was a stage performance, occasionally chiming in for fun.
"Stop arguing—same old rule! Fight it out. Winner takes it!"
"When in doubt, settle it with a duel!"
"Qiye, I've been wanting to see you beat Golden Lion again. You've got my support!"
…
Just as the argument showed no signs of ending, Captain Rocks stepped in.
"Here's what we'll do. The blade goes to Black Devil for now. He'll use it for three months. After that, the two of you will have a duel—pure swordsmanship. Winner keeps it."
Golden Lion's grin nearly split his face.
He felt confident—very confident.
He was an established Great Swordsman. He refused to believe Chu Qiye could surpass him in swordsmanship in just three months.
Without hesitation, Shiki declared, "I accept Captain Rocks' arrangement!"
Then he suddenly added, "We're competing in swordsmanship only. Black Devil can't use those strange abilities of his. Likewise, I won't use my Float-Float Fruit."
The deck erupted in jeers.
"Golden Lion, do you have no shame?"
"Why not just tie Qiye's hands and feet while you're at it?"
"I've never seen someone so shameless!"
…
Shiki ignored the ridicule and stared provocatively at Chu Qiye.
"Well? Do you dare?"
The provocation was obvious—but Chu Qiye ignored that part.
He had already decided.
No Tongtian Register. No other abilities. Just pure swordsmanship.
He would give himself a challenge—a breakthrough beyond his limits.
Though his sword skills were solid, they were still far from the level of a true Great Swordsman. Catching up in three months was almost impossible.
But pushing the limits—challenging the impossible—
That was the joy of being a pirate.
"Fine. I agree. Pure swordsmanship. I won't use any other abilities."
"Jihahahaha! Since you agreed, don't regret it later!"
Golden Lion danced with delight, as if victory was already his.
…
Chu Qiye accepted Raikiri from Rocks. The pirates gradually dispersed, leaving only Whitebeard behind.
"Qiye, I've seen Golden Lion's swordsmanship. He's the real deal—a genuine Great Swordsman. With your current skill, beating him is nearly impossible," Whitebeard warned.
Chu Qiye shrugged casually.
"I know. But I want to try—push my limits."
"My goal is the very summit of the world. If I can't even defeat Golden Lion, then maybe I'm not all that impressive."
Whitebeard smiled and patted his shoulder.
"If you've made up your mind, then as a friend, all I can say is—may fortune favor your blade."
"Don't worry. It's not like I have no chance. Golden Lion is too confident. And sometimes, overconfidence isn't a good thing."
Whitebeard understood.
"So what's your plan?"
Chu Qiye didn't answer directly.
He slowly drew Raikiri from its sheath.
The silver blade gleamed brilliantly under the sunlight.
"In the path of the sword, the most important word is 'comprehension.' If I just train blindly, no matter how hard I push myself, I won't defeat a Great Swordsman in three months."
He sheathed the blade again.
"So for the next three months… I'll rely on that one word—comprehension. I'll awaken a sword path that belongs to me."
…
In the days that followed, Chu Qiye locked himself inside his cabin.
He neither ate nor drank, met no one—focusing entirely on comprehending his own sword.
Meanwhile, Golden Lion went about his days as usual—eating, drinking, completely relaxed.
In his mind, defeat was impossible.
"Place your bets! Black Devil vs. Golden Lion—pure sword duel! Golden Lion pays 1-to-0.2, Black Devil 1-to-50!"
"Go Qiye! I'm betting ten million on Golden Lion!"
"Qiye, I'll always support you! Two million—on Golden Lion!"
…
Whitebeard shoved through the crowd and dropped a massive chest of treasure onto the deck.
"Fifty million Berries. On Black Devil."
Not long after, Captain Rocks himself stepped forward with a grin.
"If everyone's having fun, I'll join in too. One hundred million Berries—Black Devil."
The pirates fell silent.
No one had expected that.
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