Chapter Two: The X Factor

That line...
Shouldn’t it have been mine?
My heart... it aches so deeply!

At this very moment, watching Tiger raise his arm in a rallying call, the fishman crew aboard the ship responded with joyous shouts. Chu Yi first thought, what kind of “Kill Heaven” pirate crew is this? It’s completely like the Sun Pirates that Tiger formed in the original pirate tale!

Then another thought struck him...
Chu Yi realized that Tiger seemed more suited to be captain than himself, so he quietly retreated to a corner to keep to himself.

Of course, these feelings were only temporary.

Though Tiger usually acted carelessly and casually, he was actually meticulous beneath his rough exterior.

The “Kill Heaven” pirate crew had so many fishmen because, firstly, the crew was just newly formed and needed enough manpower. Like the original Straw Hat Pirates, elite crews were rare; most newly formed pirate crews often numbered over a hundred. A crew of just a few dozen like “Kill Heaven” was merely a small pirate band in the vast seas.

If the newly formed “Kill Heaven” crew only had Chu Yi, Mihawk, Tiger, and Jinbei...
Even Tiger could hardly imagine whether it was a pirate crew or some kind of sightseeing tour.

Secondly, it was Tiger’s own influence.

On Fishman Island, Tiger’s reputation was unquestionable, as was Jinbei’s prestige.

When word spread that Tiger and Jinbei intended to join “Kill Heaven” on their voyage, countless fishmen eager to follow these legends and see the outside world flocked to join.

It was hard to refuse such enthusiasm.

Moreover, the island’s King Neptune and Queen Otohime hoped more people would venture beyond their shores. After carefully selecting members over several days, Tiger and Jinbei finalized the initial roster for the “Kill Heaven” crew.

But...
Having so many people also brought trouble!

Especially with Chu Yi, a human, as the captain.

The conflicts among humans, merfolk, and fishmen need no elaboration; simply put, with Chu Yi as captain, at least eight out of every ten fishmen aboard were dissatisfied.

Jinbei respected Chu Yi because of the strength he had demonstrated.

Now that Chu Yi’s Devil Fruit powers were unusable, even Tiger subconsciously thought Chu Yi was about as weak as an ordinary man.

Therefore, Tiger’s current “usurpation” was really just buying time for Chu Yi.

Once Chu Yi’s Devil Fruit powers returned, would Tiger still fear that Chu Yi couldn’t command respect?
What a joke!

Don’t forget, Chu Yi was a Shura—
An eight hundred million bounty, the world’s most notorious criminal Shura!

However, Tiger’s true thoughts remained unspoken to Chu Yi, fearing it might wound his pride through misguided worry.

As Chu Yi hid in the corner doodling absentmindedly, he noticed many fishmen casting strange glances at him, and he subtly understood Tiger’s intentions.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he wondered if he was a fallen tiger being bullied by dogs.

He quickly dismissed such needless thoughts and casually greeted Tiger and Mihawk before heading to the captain’s quarters to...
Delve deeper into how to restore his Devil Fruit powers.

“Let’s begin.”

Seated cross-legged on the soft bed, Chu Yi closed his eyes, savoring the sensation from when he first awoke. Suddenly, a strange violet light ignited, tracing down from his brow where the Shura’s eye—a purple streak—abruptly opened!

A low hum filled the air.

Following the gleam of the Shura’s eye, Chu Yi felt weightlessness as he slowly opened his eyes to find himself inside the Shura Golem’s space.

But in the pitch black, the once clearly visible Shura Golem had vanished!

What remained...
Was only the fragmented husk of the Shura Golem.

Just one glance revealed several damaged spots on the dim, lifeless form—wounds caused by Chu Yi’s original Devil Fruit power, which had substituted to absorb the blow from Zeff’s punch!

“Obviously, to restore the use of my Devil Fruit powers, I must first repair the Shura Golem. There are at least a hundred wounds on it. Given the Golem’s self-healing ability, it might take centuries to recover. But if I use external forces...”

“What kind of power can mend the Shura Golem’s wounds?”

“Is it the resurrection of the Blue Flame? Or perhaps...”

Lost in thought, Chu Yi’s eyes narrowed slightly as a possibility suddenly occurred to him.

He still remembered when forging the Shura Blade, any damage to the blade could be repaired by channeling the eerie energy absorbed from the slain enemies’ corpses.

Could the same method be used to repair the Shura Golem?

Resolving to test this idea thoroughly in future battles, Chu Yi’s spirits lifted with the hope of regaining his Devil Fruit powers. Even as he exited the Shura Golem space, a smile lingered upon his face.

Unexpectedly, just as he emerged...

“Kid, judging by your look, your Devil Fruit powers might have a chance to recover?”

“Mm!”

Startled by Tiger’s unannounced arrival, Chu Yi, given their relationship, had no qualms and smiled, replying, “Yes, there’s hope for restoring my powers. Now it’s just a matter of whether my guess is correct.”

“But Tiger...”

Chu Yi’s tone shifted, a sly smile playing on his lips, “You didn’t come just to check on my injuries, did you?”

“Hmm, I have something to discuss with you.”

Tiger’s expression grew serious. He inhaled deeply, extending his wrist toward Chu Yi.

“This is a Log Pose, an essential tool for navigating the Grand Line. But I won’t bore you with the details—you wouldn’t understand its importance. Kid, I just want to ask for your opinion. We have three options for our next destination. Take a look and see which is best.”

As he spoke, Tiger briefly outlined the three choices ahead.

First, Thunder Island.

This island was known for sudden thunder strikes, seemingly dangerous but actually harmless to Chu Yi and the others. Apart from ordinary crew members needing to dodge the lightning, Chu Yi’s constant use of Observation Haki would nullify any threat from the thunder.

According to Tiger, Thunder Island was their best option.

When they left Fishman Island to explore, Tiger saw Thunder Island as a challenge and chose it for their route. Besides some dangers on the island itself, the route beyond was relatively simpler, allowing Chu Yi and his crew to visit several islands with ease—perfect for Chu Yi to regain his powers.

The other two routes were Dark Island and Light Island.

Tiger spoke little about these, only that Dark Island had no daytime, and Light Island had no night.

More importantly...

Choosing these two routes meant their journey would be filled with countless unknowns!

They might face unfamiliar environments, and even more likely...

Unknown enemies!

Originally, Chu Yi and his crew ventured into the New World because Chu Yi’s Devil Fruit powers were temporarily unusable, and he needed to avoid clashing with the Navy again, which prevented him from rescuing Hancock and the others.

Thus, Thunder Island was their safest choice.

Yet, to Tiger’s chagrin, after hearing the eerie tales of Dark Island and Light Island, Chu Yi hesitated only briefly before decisively making his choice.

“Tiger, I’ve decided—let’s go to Dark Island.”

“Don’t worry about my wounds. Since we’re out here for adventure, a journey with more unknowns is more exciting, isn’t it?”

With that, ignoring Tiger’s grim expression, Chu Yi patted his shoulder and headed to the deck for the first dinner since forming the “Kill Heaven” crew.

But at that moment...

Neither the cheerful Chu Yi nor the subtly worried Tiger noticed that the unknown factors in their journey were not just outside...

They had also begun to penetrate their very ranks!

“Heh heh heh, is the Shura hurt?”

“Big brother! The opportunity you wanted has arrived!”