Chapter Thirteen: Born for Battle
The Divine Beast, Black Tortoise!
So that’s Hammock’s Devil Fruit ability! A Zoan-type, Mythical Beast Fruit?
No wonder... even the system refers to Hammock’s defensive power as absolute defense!
Narrowing his eyes, as Chu Yi saw the colossal, illusory form of the Black Tortoise with its turtle body and serpent tail materialize behind Hammock, his astonishment at Hammock’s fruit ability quickly gave way to a surge of fighting spirit—especially after being wounded by the serpent tail under Hammock’s control.
To defeat a mere rookie marine and gain some awakening material—what joy is there in that? How could that compare to the satisfaction of vanquishing a true foe and seizing their spoils?
As his fighting spirit soared, even Chu Yi himself failed to notice that, at the peak of his battle fervor, the vertical pupil tightly shut at his brow seemed on the verge of opening.
His battle intent reached its zenith!
In a sudden burst, his eyes widened, knees bent, and with explosive power, Chu Yi shot toward Hammock like a cannonball!
Ultimate Burst!
Ten Thousand Volt Punch!
A thunderous crash resounded.
Chu Yi paid no heed to the strain of having already unleashed an ultimate burst once before. At this moment, there was only the word “battle” in his mind—nothing else.
Hammock, in contrast, merely smiled and shook his head as he watched Chu Yi recklessly charge in with a double ultimate burst, as if mocking his overconfidence.
Indeed— even the now-famous Sakazuki, on track to become an admiral, had to go to great lengths to break my absolute defense without using Haki.
Who do you think you are? You think a double burst will shatter my absolute defense? What a fantasy!
But underestimating an enemy’s strength is not the same as taking them lightly in combat—a lesson hard-won from previous clashes with CP9.
So, as Chu Yi’s double burst completed and his figure flashed before Hammock, Hammock condensed the Black Tortoise’s illusory form, shrinking and simplifying it into a layer of sturdy armor enveloping his body.
With a resounding impact, Chu Yi’s Ten Thousand Volt Punch landed squarely on Hammock’s chest, striking his defenses dead-on.
Yet absolute defense was not so easily broken—Chu Yi understood this simple truth as well. That’s why, even though his punch failed to shatter the formidable armor on Hammock’s chest, Chu Yi’s expression showed not a hint of panic. Swiftly sidestepping to evade the serpent tail’s strike, he twisted his body mid-motion, his fist transforming into a hammer as it smashed down once more, landing on the exact same spot on Hammock’s chest as before!
A triple burst!
Another impact rang out, each of the last two punches hitting precisely the same place.
Pushing his body to the edge with a triple burst—three consecutive Ten Thousand Volt Punches—even as the recoil left him so unsteady his very steps faltered, when Chu Yi saw the “tortoise shell” on Hammock finally begin to show faint signs of trembling, he gritted his teeth and slid forward, closing in on Hammock once again!
The pain in his right arm’s muscles did nothing to blunt his power.
And then—
A fourth impact!
Quadruple burst!
His fist landed yet again on that same spot, and Chu Yi could feel a faint sensation of fracturing in his knuckles, as if the hope of breaking through the absolute defense was at last within reach!
But as he looked up, Chu Yi’s heart sank.
For he was met once more by Hammock’s mocking gaze.
“You’re using Fish-Man Karate, aren’t you? How odd—whether you’re a Devil Fruit user or an Angel from Skypiea, you don’t seem like someone who would have learned Fish-Man Karate.”
“Judging by the strength of your punches, each must be at least ten thousand volts. To unleash such a punch four times in succession—anywhere in the weaker Four Seas, you’d be a formidable power.”
“It’s a pity, though. The one you encountered is me—so you’re destined to be nothing but my prey.”
“I’ve had my fun. Now die.”
As Hammock finished speaking, a chilling aura enveloped Chu Yi from head to toe.
The Black Tortoise—turtle for defense, serpent for offense!
In a flash, armored by the “tortoise shell,” Hammock summoned forth the serpent tail for attack. Even with Chu Yi’s Asura-like talent allowing his gaze to barely follow the serpent tail’s speed, this strike was meant to end the fight.
So even as Chu Yi rapidly unfolded his Asura Wings for defense, the serpent tail struck with such force that it pierced clear through the wings, driving straight into Chu Yi’s chest cavity!
Blood sprayed.
Hammock, his face spattered with Chu Yi’s blood, wiped it off with a hand. Watching Chu Yi collapse slowly, he murmured, “It’s over,” and turned to leave.
But as he turned, what did he see?
He saw Chu Yi, fist raised, preparing to strike!
Another thunderous Ten Thousand Volt Punch!
Chu Yi’s quintuple burst!
Even as Hammock’s serpent tail tore open his chest—grazing, perhaps even piercing his heart—Chu Yi felt as if he’d walked through the gates of hell itself.
But don’t forget the essence of the Asura!
Born to fight, to battle unto death!
As searing pain radiated from his chest and his body began to chill from blood loss, Chu Yi suddenly felt the same awakening he’d once felt when first able to manifest his Asura Wings in a normal state.
It was the sensation of something in his bloodline awakening—of his body becoming even more attuned to his Devil Fruit!
A body pushed to the limit suddenly surging with new strength!
Leaping up, Chu Yi appeared before Hammock once more. Under Hammock’s slightly astonished gaze, Chu Yi unleashed the fifth Ten Thousand Volt Punch of his quintuple burst, again hitting that armored spot on Hammock’s chest. Then, both fists flew:
Sixth burst, seventh, eighth, ninth...
Tenfold burst!
With the final punch of the tenfold burst landing precisely on the same spot, cracks finally began to spiderweb across the “tortoise shell” armor on Hammock’s chest—a sight that brought a flicker of satisfaction to Chu Yi’s eyes.
But his body...
It had truly reached its limits.
With a heavy thud, Chu Yi collapsed, having spent even the last reserves of strength that had just surged within him. At last, after ten consecutive bursts, he had shattered Hammock’s absolute defense. Such terrifying ferocity finally erased the contempt from Hammock’s eyes, now replaced by a trace of respect.
“You are a worthy foe. Can you tell me your name?”
“Me?” Chu Yi gave a self-mocking smile. “Just call me Asura.”
“Asura, is it?” Hammock repeated softly, taking a deep breath. “I don’t know if that’s your real name, but on your grave, I will have the word ‘Asura’ carved into your tombstone.”
With that, he raised his right hand, preparing to deliver the final blow.
Yet even Hammock did not expect that as he raised his hand, Chu Yi, who had been kneeling, would struggle to his feet!
“How do you know the one to fall will be me and not you?”
Me?
What a joke! Me, lose?
At Chu Yi’s words, Hammock sneered, utterly dismissive.
But just as his hand was about to come down and sever Chu Yi’s neck, a sudden, searing pain erupted in Hammock’s chest.
Instinctively lowering his gaze, he saw—reflected in his slightly contracted pupils—a gaping, bloody hole.
At that very moment, the system’s melodious prompt echoed in Chu Yi’s mind:
“Ding!”
“Mission complete. Awakening material successfully collected!”