Chapter 120: Reborn

"Whitebeard... he actually invited me to join?"

Whitebeard’s boisterous voice echoed through the silent, empty room. Yet, upon hearing this, Chu Yi felt no joy; instead, the corner of his eye twitched violently.

It was true: due to the injuries inflicted by Zephyr, Chu Yi was temporarily unable to utilize any of his Devil Fruit abilities. He could not even revert his body to its original eight or nine-year-old form; he remained in the appearance of his "Asura" avatar—save for the Asura Eye on his forehead, which remained closed, he was indistinguishable from an adult.

But... Chu Yi did not rely solely on his Devil Fruit abilities, did he?

Based on his swordsmanship and his mastery of Observation Haki alone, he might not be at the absolute pinnacle of the seas, but he certainly ranked within the top tier of the Martial Sea. Therefore, when he discovered his Devil Fruit origins were damaged and his abilities inaccessible, he attempted to push his Observation Haki—which was on the verge of breaking through to the third stage—and immediately sensed Whitebeard’s presence silently hidden in the corner of the room.

The words Chu Yi had spoken earlier were not meant for Marco. They were meant for Whitebeard.

Having temporarily lost his Devil Fruit powers, even Chu Yi could not be certain if they would ever recover—let alone anyone else. Most people who knew him believed his ability to clash with top-tier powerhouses like the Navy’s elite, Zephyr, was entirely dependent on his Fruit. Consequently, in the eyes of most, a weakened Chu Yi was nothing more than a cripple—and a liability.

He was the world’s most dangerous criminal with a bounty of eight hundred million berries. He was the target that Zephyr was determined to eliminate, and a thorn in the side of Aokiji, Kizaru, and Akainu, the three most promising candidates for Admiral. Add to that his "feat" of slaying Celestial Dragons and destroying the Holy Land of Mary Geoise... it was no exaggeration to say that, aside from a select few, no one in the seas had the courage to harbor him.

That was precisely why Chu Yi’s earlier words served as a warning, reminding Whitebeard of the danger inherent in extending such an invitation.

Who would have thought... Whitebeard was truly worthy of the name "Whitebeard," and fully deserved his title as one of the "Four Emperors"! He cared not whether Chu Yi’s strength had declined; if he valued you, he would invite you. That was the magnanimity of Whitebeard.

For a moment, listening to the invitation, Chu Yi had felt a glimmer of temptation, nearly swaying under the sheer grandeur of the man’s spirit. But just as he opened his mouth to formulate a polite refusal, a cry of surprise from Marco caused Chu Yi’s gaze to shift from hesitation to a profound, icy silence.

"Pops! You... are you sure you still want to invite Shura?"

"Hmm?"

Whitebeard narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression darkening at Marco’s exclamation. He asked in a deep voice, "Marco, what do you mean by that?"

"I... I don't mean anything by it..." Marco stammered, then glanced deeply at Chu Yi before lowering his head in shame, yet he persisted, "But Pops, if we harbor Shura, the Whitebeard Pirates will become enemies of the world! Especially the trouble with the Celestial Dragons; it is not something we can handle right now. Even if you don't think of the Whitebeard Pirates, you must think of..."

"You must think of the islands that we, the Whitebeard Pirates, protect!"

"After all... we cannot protect them every single moment! If a war breaks out, the ones who will suffer... are those innocent people!"

Had Marco been speaking only for himself or for the sake of the crew, Whitebeard would have cleared him out without hesitation. But hearing that Marco was considering the civilians—those protected by the Whitebeard Pirates—even Whitebeard fell into a temporary silence.

After a long pause, he finally said, "Marco, go outside for a moment. I have something to discuss with Shura."

"Yes, Pops."

Nodding silently, Marco gave Chu Yi an apologetic look as he left. Chu Yi, in turn, offered a faint smile. Once Marco was gone, Chu Yi said calmly, "Marco is a good man, Whitebeard. You should consider grooming him well in the future."

"Oh?" Whitebeard stared at him with interest and chuckled. "Gurararara! Don't you blame him?"

"Why should I?" Chu Yi countered. "I never had any intention of joining in the first place. Do you think I am the type of person who would rely on your protection? If I truly were that kind of person..."

"Would you still be willing to invite me?"

"Gurararara! Truly an interesting brat. I wasn't wrong about you!"

With a roar of laughter, Whitebeard raised his hand and patted Chu Yi heavily on the shoulder. Afterward, his expression turned grave. "Brat, your injuries... is there any way to resolve them?"

"None..." Chu Yi sighed deeply and shook his head. "Whitebeard, my injuries... do you have a solution?"

"Naturally, I do not." Whitebeard sat cross-legged behind him, his tone turning incomparably serious. "Brat, for a Devil Fruit ability to take damage in place of its user is unheard of. The fact that your powers have vanished suggests the damage is severe. It clearly shows one thing!"

"The Haki of that old soldier Zephyr has reached a level where it can touch the 'Rules'!"

"'Rules'?" Hearing this term from Whitebeard once more, Chu Yi temporarily forgot about his lost powers and asked curiously, "Whitebeard, can you tell me exactly what these 'Rules' are?"

"Hmm... 'Rules'... how should I put this?"

It was the first time he had seen Whitebeard struggle to articulate something. After much thought, he explained as concisely as he could: "Simply put, 'Rules' are a form of power. They cannot be seen or touched by conventional means. Only when one’s Observation Haki reaches a certain level can one perceive their existence."

"However, to master these 'Rules,' one does not rely on Observation Haki, but on Armament Haki."

"That fellow Zephyr has clearly pushed his Haki to an extreme, combining Observation and Armament Haki to achieve a preliminary grasp of these 'Rules'."

"Unfortunately..."

"Both you and I are Devil Fruit users. It is extremely difficult for us to comprehend 'Rules' through Haki alone, the way Zephyr or Garp do!"

Oh? So it wasn't just Zephyr who had comprehended these "Rules," but also the Marine Hero Garp—the grandfather of the original protagonist, Luffy? This intelligence, revealed inadvertently by Whitebeard, plunged Chu Yi into deep contemplation.

After a moment of silence, Chu Yi asked again, "Then Whitebeard, why is it so difficult for Devil Fruit users to comprehend 'Rules' through Haki?"

"The reason?"

"Gurararara! If I knew the reason, I would have mastered the 'Rules' long ago, brat!"

"However... I do have a bold hypothesis. You might want to give it a try!"

"What hypothesis?" Chu Yi pressed.

"The hypothesis is..."

"That Devil Fruit abilities are, in themselves, a form of 'Rule'!"

What... what a bold hypothesis!

But... it actually made a lot of sense!

Listening to his wisdom was worth ten years of study. Having received Whitebeard’s guidance, Chu Yi sat cross-legged just as the older man had. He thought deeply, his brow furrowing and relaxing in turns. Through this continuous process of contemplation, Chu Yi’s very temperament seemed to undergo a subtle shift!

Whitebeard hadn't expected his casual advice to benefit Chu Yi so greatly, which only served to further solidify his desire to recruit the boy.

Unfortunately... Whitebeard’s hopes were destined to be dashed.

For just as Chu Yi had been deep in thought for half the day—to the point where Whitebeard’s legs had gone numb—he suddenly grasped a key insight. Chu Yi stood up abruptly and smiled at Whitebeard.

"Thank you, Whitebeard. You have helped me find a new path!"

"For now... I have no intention of joining any pirate crew. I want to form my own and venture through the Four Seas!"

"But I will remember this favor. In the future, if you are ever in trouble, I, Chu Yi..."

"Will be the first to arrive!"

"Hahahaha!"

As soon as Chu Yi finished speaking, he moved.

*Whoosh!*

Shifting like a streak of light, Chu Yi vanished from the Moby Dick before Whitebeard could offer a word of persuasion. Watching him leave, Whitebeard hesitated, wondering whether he should force the boy to stay.

However, after a brief moment, he withdrew his Observation Haki, which had been locked onto Chu Yi’s presence. He scratched his head and let out a laugh full of anticipation.

"Gurararara!"

"Brat, I will be waiting for you... in the New World!"