Chapter Twenty: Stealing the Six Techniques

The Six Styles of the Navy, a technique every transmigrator must master—these are martial arts that let one surpass the limits of the human body.

Although, at this stage, Chu Yi grew stronger mainly by relying on his awakened Devil Fruit abilities, under Tiger’s tutelage he gradually understood a crucial principle: while enhancing one’s fruit abilities is indeed important, improving one’s own combat skills is just as vital.

After all, Chu Yi couldn’t possibly become like a fragile mage in the future—able only to fight from a distance with his fruit powers, helpless the moment an enemy got close, could he?

Of course, the very foundation of Chu Yi’s fruit ability was to strengthen his physical body. Even if his future fighting style leaned toward “ranged combat,” when an enemy truly closed in, there was no way he’d be as delicate as a mage.

It was precisely because he possessed such monstrous physical prowess—and with each awakening of his fruit power, his body would become even more formidable—that Chu Yi felt it would be a waste of his natural gifts if his close-combat ability remained weak.

But to truly perfect his close-combat skills, simply training in Fishman Karate would not suffice.

Fishman Karate was undoubtedly powerful. For sustained output, it had the relentless and potent Tile Breaking Fist; for explosive bursts, there was no need to say more—Chu Yi’s Tang Grass Shock Fist was testament enough. In the world of pirates, martial arts like Fishman Karate were already among the very best.

Unfortunately, Fishman Karate was not flawless. Chu Yi wanted to master the Six Styles of the Navy precisely to complement and perfect his own abilities.

As for the shortcomings of Fishman Karate, Chu Yi felt there were only three: first, its mobility was somewhat lacking; second, its defensive capabilities left much to be desired; third, it was a bit deficient in flexibility.

Even in the original story, the master of Fishman Karate, Jinbe, exhibited these very flaws.

Who had ever seen Jinbe fight while weaving and moving? He typically stood his ground to unleash his attacks, and if that didn’t work, he relied on exhausting wide-area moves like Tang Grass Shock Fist, or ranged attacks like the Gun Wave, to deal with agile opponents.

And who had ever seen Jinbe use defensive techniques? Or witnessed him nimbly dodging enemy strikes?

None! Yet, in the Six Styles of the Navy, “Shave,” “Iron Body,” and “Paper Art” could precisely compensate for these flaws—at least, flaws as Chu Yi saw them.

Moreover, from reading pirate fan fiction in his previous life, Chu Yi had seen many claim that “Iron Body” and “Paper Art” were prototypes for Armament Haki and Observation Haki.

So, even if not for shoring up Fishman Karate’s weaknesses, Chu Yi was determined to master “Iron Body” and “Paper Art” as a foundation for cultivating Haki.

And if he wanted to secretly learn the Six Styles from someone like Lucci, Chu Yi had only one way—by relying on Shura’s extraordinary talent for imitation!

Immediately, Chu Yi released his “Gravity Field,” and watched as Lucci, freed from the crushing pressure, slowly climbed out of the deep pit with astonishing resolve.

Thinking to himself that the strongest of CP9 in the original story was indeed no ordinary man, Chu Yi felt a faint respect for Lucci’s unyielding will. Spreading his Shura Wings, he flew down to face Lucci.

Meeting Lucci’s defiant gaze, Chu Yi understood that he hadn’t truly subdued him—perhaps Lucci simply refused to submit to anyone. Smiling faintly, Chu Yi withdrew his wings, assumed the stance of Fishman Karate, and said calmly, “Just now I bullied you with my fruit power; you must be feeling pretty vexed, right? Very well, let’s have a real fight—fist to fist. As Shura, I will make the Navy’s so-called strongest rookie admit defeat!”

“You know who I am?” Lucci ignored Chu Yi’s provocation, stretching his limbs as he spoke coldly, “As expected, my superiors are fools—selling out our intel for fame and fortune. Since our information has leaked, for the sake of my mission and for information security, I’m afraid I have to apologize!”

“You…”

“You must die!”

With a furious shout, Chu Yi narrowed his eyes as Lucci’s feet nimbly tapped the ground.

The Six Styles of the Navy—Shave!

With a “whoosh,” Lucci shot toward Chu Yi at lightning speed. Even Chu Yi was startled by such velocity, unable to comprehend how someone whose physique was inferior to his own could achieve such swift movement just by mastering “Shave.”

But with Shura’s keen perception, Chu Yi suddenly realized that the “whoosh” was not the key—it was merely the sound of air friction as Lucci accelerated.

The real secret lay in the “boom” of compressed air beneath Lucci’s feet just before he moved!

That “boom,” observed by Chu Yi’s acute senses, was the essence of “Shave.”

“So that’s it—the core of ‘Shave’ lies in rapidly tapping the toes against the ground, focusing force at a single point for an explosive burst of propulsion!”

“I understand now!”

Having grasped the principle of “Shave,” Chu Yi’s eyes sharpened. Before Lucci could raise his leg to unleash a Tempest Kick, Chu Yi struck first.

“Pa! Pa! Pa!”

In an instant, he unleashed all the power within his Shura body, his form flashing with a dark crimson light.

Don’t underestimate Chu Yi’s three quick punches—they came at a speed like a machine gun. From a distance, his fists became a blur, enveloping Lucci’s massive frame in a storm of afterimages.

Yet, even as he punched, Chu Yi knew his blows would not land.

The outcome was exactly as he expected—Lucci, employing the Six Styles’ “Paper Art,” dodged every shadowy fist. What’s more, as he weaved through the barrage, Chu Yi was startled to see Lucci slowly close his eyes. With his eyes shut, Lucci’s evasions only grew faster!

“Could it be that ‘Paper Art’ isn’t about using your eyes, but…”

“Is it the body?”

A question flashed in Chu Yi’s mind. While maintaining his furious barrage, he kept observing Lucci’s body. The secret of “Paper Art” unfolded before his eyes.

It was the muscles, the nerves, or perhaps the body’s subconscious reactions.

Or, perhaps—

A kind of instinct!

Whenever Chu Yi’s fist was about to strike, the muscles in the area blanketed by his fist wind would contract ever so slightly, letting Lucci anticipate the direction of the attack and dodge accordingly. This was the so-called “Paper Art” among the Six Styles.

It wasn’t just a simple evasion technique—it was about sensing, perceiving, and then reacting, all on a primal level. This—

Was practically a simplified form of Observation Haki!

So, when he understood the essence of “Paper Art,” Chu Yi began to believe what he had read in those fan novels.

The “Paper Art” of the Six Styles was indeed a rudimentary form of Observation Haki—a foundational exercise, even. Once you could expand this instinctual perception, or transform it into a qualitative change, that would be the moment of true Haki awakening!

Sensing that the awakening of Observation Haki was close at hand, Chu Yi’s excitement surged. The power within him seemed inexhaustible, making his punches fly even faster.

What he didn’t expect was that his own exhilaration was Lucci’s nightmare.

Lucci had already suffered numerous injuries, and after enduring the crushing torment of Chu Yi’s “Gravity Zone,” his body was nearing its limits when he crawled out of the pit.

Now, having dodged Chu Yi’s storm of fists for so long with “Paper Art,” as Chu Yi’s speed increased once again, the exhausted Lucci finally made a small mistake.

And that minor mistake, in Chu Yi’s fervor, proved fatal.

In the next moment—

“Boom!”

A three-thousand-tile-breaking punch landed squarely on Lucci’s chest. Lucci didn’t even have time to use “Iron Body” before Chu Yi’s fist sent him flying.

This time, no matter how he tried, Lucci could not rise.

As Chu Yi’s figure slowly approached, Lucci squeezed his eyes shut, clearly unwilling to see either ridicule or pity in Chu Yi’s gaze at the moment of his death.

Yet, contrary to expectation, as soon as he closed his eyes, Lucci felt a sudden sense of weightlessness.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself being held by Chu Yi, who had unfurled his Shura Wings and soared into the sky.

“You…”

“You’re not going to kill me?”