Chapter 21: Quest Triggered

"Run!"

A void rift suddenly appeared, manifesting right beside Chu Yi and his companions.

At this moment, having just concluded a brutal battle with Kaido, none of them—neither Chu Yi, Mihawk, Gekko Moria, nor Jinbe—possessed the strength to resist the void rift. Therefore, the only viable course of action was to flee. Flee as fast as possible; save whoever could be saved.

However, as Chu Yi’s shout echoed, Mihawk and Jinbe, who were further away, had a moment to react. But Chu Yi and Gekko Moria, standing closest to the rift, were caught instantly, paralyzed by the terrifying suction pulling from within.

Chu Yi desperately wanted to unleash one last burst of power to break free, but he could not. The backlash from using the Human Path’s power to defeat Kaido had only slightly subsided, not vanished. Coupled with the strain of forcing the "Sea-Splitting" sword technique during the fight, his body was utterly exhausted. How could he possibly overcome the void’s dread gravity?

As for Gekko Moria, his condition was only marginally better. Though he hadn't engaged Kaido in direct melee, the sheer force with which Kaido shattered his Shadow-Shadow Fruit abilities had dealt him grievous injuries. Later, exhausting himself to fuel the "Shadows Asgard" technique to empower Chu Yi had only worsened his state. Even if he could briefly resist the pull, it was futile; he would eventually be dragged in.

Realizing that Moria was merely struggling in vain and that he himself had no hope of escaping, Chu Yi gritted his teeth and made a split-second decision.

"Moria, that debt I owe you... I'll pay it back in full right now!"

"Moonwalk!"

*Boom!*

The Navy's Six Styles—Moonwalk! A technique that allowed practitioners to traverse the skies. But this time, Chu Yi did not use it for aerial combat. He used the explosive momentum of the technique to propel Gekko Moria away from the rift’s reach.

The force was effective; Moria was successfully thrust clear of the danger. Yet, upon landing, there was no joy of survival in his eyes. Almost the instant he was free, Moria turned, his face contorted in shock as he watched Chu Yi being pulled deeper into the void. He let out a heart-wrenching roar:

"Chu Yi! No!"

*Hum!*

With that agonized cry, the void rift vanished in an instant.

Moria collapsed to his knees, tears streaming down his face like rain. He pounded the ground in regret, muttering to himself, "Damn it! If only I were stronger, Chu Yi would have found a way out! It’s all my fault! I’m the one who doomed my comrades! I’m the one who doomed Chu Yi!"

"Dreams, conquering the seas—it’s all a lie! A lie! If I can’t even protect my own crew, what right do I have... what right do I have to become the Pirate King!"

*Smack!*

Just as Moria was lost in self-loathing, a sharp slap echoed as Mihawk struck him across the face.

Moria touched his swollen cheek, looking at Mihawk with dazed confusion, unsure why he had been struck. Was it for Chu Yi? Yes, he deserved it. He waited, staring blankly, as if expecting another blow.

But the blow never came. Instead, the words Mihawk spoke in a calm, steady voice reignited the flickering hope in the defeated Jinbe and the despairing Moria:

"If Chu Yi didn't give up while facing a powerful enemy, why should we? Don't forget our purpose! Right now, our only goal is to go back and save Chu Yi!"

With that, Mihawk sat cross-legged, closing his eyes to recover with a grave expression. Inspired, Jinbe and Moria sat down as well, their gazes hardening with renewed determination.

"Captain," they whispered, "we will save you."

***

"Am I dying?"

His thoughts were turning brittle, his mind losing the capacity to reason.

Chu Yi had experienced this once before, when the Dark Island first revealed its mysterious power. Back then, they hadn't reached the island's center and didn't realize that the bizarre, terrifying energy was the manifestation of these void rifts. Now, he understood. But what good was knowledge?

Inside the rift, those caught lost their ability to think, slowly turning into wooden husks. Though he could clearly perceive a space devoid of time, mass, or reality, and even sense the presence of the missing fish-man crew members of the Slaughter Heaven Pirates, it didn't matter. With his mind unable to command his body, he would likely end up just like them—a mindless shell, existing in the void until his life flickered out.

"How frustrating..." he thought. "Before losing my mind, I didn't even get to see you, Tiger. It seems... it seems I really am a failure."

The only action his body could manage was a faint, bitter smile.

But just as that smile formed...

*Ding!*

Suddenly, the cold, emotionless voice of the System echoed in his mind. As Chu Yi listened, his heavy heart surged with shock. The System was not only issuing the next set of instructions for his unexpectedly triggered Special Awakening quest, but—

*Boom!*

His tightly shut Asura Eyes snapped open without warning!

As the eerie violet light projected from them and shrouded his body, the sensation of his mind stalling vanished. Though his mental exhaustion remained, Chu Yi knew one thing: he might just be the only person capable of escaping the void rift.

"Heh, they say the wicked live a thousand years. The ancients were right."

"Tiger, it seems... we shall meet again."