Chapter 115: The Animal Realm

What was the cyan flame permeating the Shura Susanoo?

Without a doubt, it was the Resurrection Blue Flame!

The Phoenix Fruit material had been utilized!

When the sturdy ribs of the first-form Susanoo began to show faint cracks under the iron fists of Zephyr, Chu Yi did not hesitate for a moment. He retrieved the Phoenix Fruit awakening material from his inventory and instantly completed his eighth awakening!

Following this, the ability accompanying the Phoenix Fruit manifested: the very Resurrection Blue Flame that Chu Yi had long dreamed of.

Resurrection Blue Flame.

It could instantly heal any wounds on the body. As of now, there appeared to be no limitations on the types of injuries it could mend. Whether he might encounter wounds that even the Resurrection Blue Flame could not heal in the future was something Chu Yi could not be certain of.

The only thing Chu Yi was sure of was...

The terrifying self-healing ability of the Resurrection Blue Flame was still not his limit!

Because, as Chu Yi used the Phoenix Fruit material for the awakening...

"Hum!"

A phantom of a phoenix, shrouded in cyan flames, suddenly appeared above Chu Yi's head.

Immediately after, the cyan phoenix phantom soared through the sky for a few circles before quickly merging into the Shura Susanoo surrounding Chu Yi, completing a perfect integration.

Inside the Shura Eyes, the second purple ripple gradually began to glow.

Soon, as the light from the second ripple in the Shura Eyes slowly faded, and the moment he mastered the Resurrection Blue Flame that came with the Phoenix Fruit, Chu Yi saw that several bright cyan markings had appeared on the ribs and hand bones of the Shura Susanoo!

"I never imagined the compatibility between the Phoenix Fruit material and the Shura Statue would be so high. I have only just completed the eighth awakening, yet the Phoenix Fruit material has already fused into my origin fruit."

"The cyan markings now etched onto the Shura Susanoo are clearly manifestations of the Phoenix Fruit’s power, allowing me to use its accompanying ability—the Resurrection Blue Flame with its terrifying self-healing power—with much greater ease."

"But why..."

"Do I have such a peculiar feeling?"

"It feels as if..."

"The Shura Susanoo I am using now is still not the absolute peak of what I can achieve?"

Thinking to himself, Chu Yi suddenly raised his eyebrows, and a bold conjecture formed in his mind.

Hadn't Chu Yi previously speculated that the six ripples in the Shura Eyes were like the Rinnegan in Naruto, representing the Six Paths of Reincarnation?

If that were truly the case, the ability he used for his third awakening was the power of the Deva Path from the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

And the Cat-Cat Fruit, Leopard Model, which he used for his awakening, along with the Phoenix Fruit he had just used for the eighth awakening, were they not...

Both belonging to the Animal Path?

The Animal Path!

The source of all Zoan-type Devil Fruits!

Since that was the case...

"Ha!"

Disregarding the shock Zephyr felt as the Resurrection Blue Flame manifested and instantly repaired the cracks on the sturdy ribs of the Shura Susanoo, Chu Yi had a preliminary idea for a more perfect form of the Shura Susanoo. Without a moment's hesitation, he utilized the ability of the Cat-Cat Fruit, Leopard Model!

The next second!

"Roar!"

A golden leopard phantom appeared!

It was a golden leopard phantom that even Zephyr, and Kizaru watching from the sidelines, could see clearly!

As soon as the golden leopard phantom appeared, it roared toward the sky, faintly suppressing even the rich, domineering aura emanating from Zephyr.

Then, as the proud head of the golden leopard phantom slowly lowered before the Shura Susanoo...

"Whoosh!"

The golden leopard phantom suddenly turned into a streak of light, instantly covering the hand bones of Chu Yi’s Shura Susanoo.

Followed by a series of "clacking" sounds...

The golden leopard phantom transformed into golden armor, tightly wrapping around the hand bones of the Shura Susanoo!

"That's right!"

"Exactly like this!"

A gleam of light flashed in his eyes. As the ability of the Cat-Cat Fruit, Leopard Model, successfully merged with his own origin fruit ability, Chu Yi felt his body surging with power. He immediately controlled the fully armed golden arm of the Shura Susanoo and threw a punch in Zephyr's direction!

"Roar!"

Tiger Quake!

Without needing much control from Chu Yi, the arm of the Shura Susanoo, amplified by the Cat-Cat Fruit, Leopard Model, unleashed a "Tiger Quake" with a simple punch!

The golden leopard phantom appeared once more, but this time, it was no longer just a phantom; it was a terrifying attack with real lethality.

It was fortunate that Zephyr had cultivated his Observation Haki to such a high level.

Otherwise, the "Tiger Quake" that Chu Yi unleashed with the Shura Susanoo might have truly slammed him directly into the ground ahead.

But Zephyr...

He was simply too confident!

Facing the "Tiger Quake," he still trusted in his own fists!

So...

"Boom!"

As the Shura Susanoo’s "Tiger Quake" was unleashed, even though Zephyr had predicted the direction of Chu Yi's attack with his Observation Haki, he still chose to meet it head-on with his Armament Haki-hardened fist.

However, the result this time did not satisfy Zephyr.

Because his fist, which seemed capable of crushing everything, collided with the Shura Susanoo’s "Tiger Quake" and actually...

Actually canceled each other out!

Neither side had gained the slightest advantage!

"How is this possible? How is it possible!"

"He is clearly just a brat who hasn't even grasped the rules, so how could he take my punch head-on?"

"Could it be..."

"The Shura phantom covering me is... the rule that this brat has mastered himself?"

"That brat can actually... actually manifest a rule?"

Cold sweat slowly dripped down his forehead. For the first time, facing Chu Yi, Zephyr found that the Shura before him had become somewhat unfathomable.

At the same time...

Various legends regarding the "Chris" family, where Chu Yi originated, slowly surfaced in Zephyr’s memory, causing a flicker of trepidation in the eyes of the Marine Admiral.

But Chu Yi, who clearly felt his own progress during the clash with Zephyr, how could he want to miss the opportunity to continue improving while fighting such an opponent?

If it could be said that Chu Yi was a dull blade and Kizaru had been the whetstone that made him sharper...

Then Zephyr, standing before him, was an even better whetstone!

Therefore, when a look of trepidation suddenly appeared in Zephyr's eyes, the gleam in Chu Yi’s eyes brightened once more. He controlled the six arms of the Shura Susanoo to clench into fists, and then, shouting sternly at the slightly dazed Zephyr, he roared:

"Zephyr, do you feel that you're getting old and useless?"

"If you truly feel that you're old and past your prime, then let me, Shura..."

"Send you on your way!"