Chapter 26: Soul-Sucking and Spirit-Snatching

"Hmm?"
"That is... that is the kid's Devil Fruit ability!"

Although the Shura Statue manifested and merged with Chu Yi’s body in less than a thousandth of a second, Fisher Tiger, being one of the top powerhouses of the seas, still sensed it clearly. Even though his Observation Haki had been weakened within the Void Rift, he felt the Shura aura erupting from Chu Yi the moment Kaido entered his "Demon God" state. It surged into Chu Yi’s body, causing his own aura to climb steadily.

What was this? Fruit fusion?

Watching Chu Yi’s second clash with Kaido, Tiger narrowed his eyes, suddenly feeling that the Devil Fruit users in the four seas were pathetic compared to the "kid" in front of him. At the very least, they did not possess the ability to fuse fruits, did they?

However, Chu Yi’s perspective as the Shura Statue merged with him was entirely different from Tiger's.

A Devil Fruit ability? No! That wasn't a Devil Fruit ability, because his own fruit powers were currently unusable! If that were the case, why did the aura of the Shura Statue appear again at a moment when his abilities were suppressed?

With his eyes slightly dazed, Chu Yi noticed the light glowing from his abdomen and instantly reached a judgment.

"Kaido was right! The core of the Void Rift I consumed truly does need a certain power to be activated! And the power capable of activating the Void Rift's core is exactly... exactly the same aura that Kaido possesses right now! The aura that threatens my life!"

With this thought, Chu Yi suddenly closed his eyes in front of the "Demon God" Kaido. He wasn't seeking death; after all, not everyone shared Kaido's masochistic hobby of savoring the taste of demise. At this moment, Chu Yi was using his "heart" to feel the changes the Void Rift core was undergoing within his body.

Just as he closed his eyes...
"Hum!"
For no apparent reason, simply by closing his eyes, Chu Yi entered the Statue Space.

And in that instant, what did he see? He saw the "ordinary battery"—the core of the Void Rift—now resting above the Shura Statue, emitting a brilliant white light. As that dazzling radiance cascaded down like a waterfall, the battered Shura Statue seemed to be infused with a brand-new form of energy. Sensing Chu Yi’s presence, the statue’s power began to merge with the Void Rift core. It slowly opened its eyes.

Then... the Eye of Shura opened!
"Boom!"

His mind felt as if it had exploded, yet through his sheer will, Chu Yi could still observe the new changes occurring as the vertical pupil at the center of the Shura Statue’s forehead opened. It was the third ripple of the Eye of Shura. Since the power of the Heavenly Dao had merged into his origin fruit, forming the first ripple, the power of the Void Rift core was now clearly causing the third ripple to gradually solidify!

Although the third ripple remained faint, the energy of the Void Rift core was vast and surging. Chu Yi was certain that, given enough time, the third ripple would successfully manifest!

Unfortunately, time was the one thing Chu Yi lacked, for his opponent in the Void Rift was Kaido.

"That feeling again... no! I should say, it is exactly that feeling!"

As the Shura Statue merged with his body, Kaido felt that life-threatening, death-tasting aura once more. A savage grin spread across his face as he let out a roar, clenching his iron fist and striking at Chu Yi!

"Shura, give me another surprise!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three explosions! Shattering the void!

What appeared to be a single punch was actually a technique; as Kaido struck, his Armament Haki-hardened fist utilized a specific martial technique to trigger three consecutive explosions before even reaching Chu Yi. Each explosion was powerful enough to shatter the void itself! Before the punch even connected, the seemingly inescapable Void Rift was forced open by Kaido, creating a miniature black hole.

There was no doubt that this was how Kaido escaped the Void Rift, and why it could never truly contain him. With his raw power, he could shatter the unique space of the Void Rift and create a black hole to return to the real world. A force that could overwhelm the Void Rift was certainly not something Chu Yi’s body could withstand—especially since this punch contained three consecutive explosions!

Seeing Chu Yi still stunned, Tiger sensed the danger and prepared to leap in to take the life-threatening blow himself. But just as he moved...

"Snap!"

Feeling the threat, Chu Yi, having returned from the Statue Space, simply extended his hand and caught Kaido’s ferocious punch. Then, as the vertical pupil on his forehead slightly opened, a faint smile played on his lips. Chu Yi countered with a punch of his own, sending Kaido’s massive frame flying!

"Wha... What?"
Witnessing such a reversal, Tiger was left completely stunned and speechless.

How was this possible? How did the kid block such a terrifying punch? Was this the power of fruit fusion?

As Tiger regained his senses, he saw that the battle had intensified. Chu Yi, bolstered by the terrifying physical stats granted by the "Statue Integration," was now engaging in close-quarters combat with the Demon God-like Kaido, who was fully hardened with Armament Haki! And the one on the defensive was none other than Kaido!

"Damn it, how did Shura suddenly get so strong? What... what monstrous physical strength!"

Facing Chu Yi’s ghostly speed and his torrential, rain-like barrage of punches, Kaido—known as the world’s strongest creature—felt immense pressure. Even with the defensive power of his hardened Armament Haki, he could not regain the upper hand.

One had to realize that Kaido’s physical specs were originally superior to Chu Yi’s, even at his eighth awakening! Furthermore, Kaido was a master of Armament Haki; even if Chu Yi had regained his fruit powers, suppressing Kaido in close-quarters combat should have been nothing more than a fantasy!

However, with the help of the Void Rift core and the "Statue Integration," the situation had changed. Combining the boosted strength with his "Gale Step" and "Tangled Grass Tile Fist," Chu Yi not only ignored Kaido’s superior physique and Haki but was actually crushing him in melee combat!

If his sub-rewards from activating the Void Rift core were this powerful, what would the true prize be capable of?

Eager to test the effects of the real prize, Chu Yi used his "Gale Step" to accelerate and create distance as Kaido began to pant, silently preparing to adjust his tactics.

Suddenly! An eerie purple light became visible, sweeping toward Kaido. As the violet glow enveloped him, Chu Yi’s voice, sounding like divine authority, echoed within Kaido’s mind:

"Human Path Secret Art... Soul Devourer!"