Chapter 27: The Arrival of Qingzhi

"Bang!"

As soon as the words left his lips, Chu Yi squeezed with one hand, snapping Riyasmo Palace's neck before anyone could react, freezing the entire atmosphere of the auction house in that instant.

Another Celestial Dragon was dead...

Even though no one knew that Chu Yi had already killed a Celestial Dragon earlier, Riyasmo Palace was slain right in front of everyone, leaving the entire auction house in utter shock.

How could Chu Yi let such a perfect opportunity slip by?

Immediately—

Shinra Tensei!

He had been preparing to unleash his ultimate move. Taking advantage of the brief moment when everyone around him was stunned, Chu Yi shot a glance at Tiger, then unleashed the mighty "Shinra Tensei." Whether it was the guards of the auction house or those nobles who cared nothing for human life, all were swept up in the force.

As for the merfolk Tiger had rescued and the remaining slaves within the auction house, Chu Yi didn’t need to worry. Over their recent time together, he and Tiger had developed a tacit understanding. Almost simultaneously with Chu Yi's glance, Tiger unleashed a powerful Karakusa Wari Punch, its strength enough to counteract the force of "Shinra Tensei," successfully shielding all the slaves behind him.

Then, as the shockwaves of "Shinra Tensei" finally faded, half the auction house was already destroyed by Chu Yi's hand. Those who deserved death, now lying in pools of blood, stained the filthy ground red.

"Huff... Huff..."

After consecutively using the "Gravity Domain" and the large-scale "Shinra Tensei," even having taken on the mantle of an asura, Chu Yi was nearing his limits. Lest it be forgotten, before arriving here, he had already unleashed "Shinra Tensei" once, annihilating several pirate crews.

His energy hadn’t fully recovered from the previous expenditure, and now he was squeezing himself to the extreme again. In truth, the only reason Chu Yi could still stand was the adrenaline rushing through his veins.

So, the subsequent rescue of slaves was left to Tiger.

In the original story, Silvers Rayleigh had used his own Armament Haki to encase the slave collars and safely remove them. Tiger’s Armament Haki wasn’t on par with Rayleigh’s, but it was by no means weak. The only problem was the sheer number of slaves at this auction; by the time Tiger had freed them all, even he was left gasping for breath.

Watching the rescued slaves come forward one by one to offer their thanks, then flee, hearts full of gratitude, Chu Yi and Tiger exchanged a satisfied smile as they slumped onto the ruins.

But the joy didn’t last long—Tiger’s expression soon grew grave.

"Kid, have you considered the consequences? It’s been centuries since anyone killed a Celestial Dragon—and now you’ve killed two. The Admirals from Navy Headquarters will arrive soon. They are the true force behind the Celestial Dragons’ protection, and once they hear of this, they’ll come at once. So..."

"Do you have an escape plan? Or do you intend to fight to the death and break through the encirclement?"

"Of course I have a plan. Remember the specialty of the Sabaody Archipelago?"

Hearing the worry in Tiger’s voice, Chu Yi smiled confidently. "Other than a few Devil Fruit users who can fight in the air, most don’t have any means to pursue us overhead. So, Tiger, as long as you and Hancock’s group hide inside a bubble, I can use my Asura Wings to carry you all away through the sky. Even if an Admiral and the Navy’s main force show up, what does it matter? By the time they arrive, we’ll already be gone!"

"You brat—if you had a plan, why didn’t you mention it earlier!"

Damn it, I was so terrified after that rush, I nearly wet myself—did you know that?

Relieved of his burdens, Tiger suddenly realized that ever since Chu Yi revealed his Devil Fruit powers, it was always Chu Yi taking the lead, with himself following the youngster’s orders. Still, having someone trustworthy in charge was a good feeling.

Grinning, Tiger quite enjoyed this sensation; all he had to do was follow in Chu Yi’s footsteps without a care in the world.

Moreover, from Chu Yi’s earlier words, Tiger was certain he’d made the right choice in following him.

At the very least, with Chu Yi, he could reclaim his dignity and wash away the humiliation he’d once suffered!

Closing his eyes, Tiger did his best to recover his strength, shoulders finally unburdened, feeling the lightness of true relief. They rested back to back in silence—but only a few minutes passed before Chu Yi saw Tiger stand, his gaze suddenly sharp.

"Tiger, what’s wrong?"

"Kid, you should run—now!"

"Why?" Chu Yi asked, surprised.

"Because our enemy... is strong!"

Following Tiger’s line of sight, even Chu Yi, who had just killed Celestial Dragons without a second thought, felt his whole body tense.

Who was it?

Of course—it was Aokiji, the former Admiral from the original story.

He wore a dark blue shirt beneath a white waistcoat, but unlike his usual lazy demeanor, the Aokiji who stepped into the ruins of the auction house radiated a chilling aura. As his eyes fell upon the bloodstained floor, his Ice-Ice Fruit powers activated subconsciously, sending a shudder through Chu Yi.

"So this is the strength of a future Admiral? Tiger doesn’t stand a chance! We need to retreat!"

With that thought, Chu Yi spread his Asura Wings.

"Whoosh!"

Without hesitation, he grabbed Tiger’s shoulder, launched a "Soru" from the Navy’s Six Powers, using its reverse propulsion to leap skyward. Asura Wings beat furiously as Chu Yi clutched Tiger, racing to reunite with Hancock and the others, desperate to escape.

But just as Chu Yi’s wings had carried them less than ten meters, Aokiji suddenly moved.

"Trying to escape? You think you can?"

"Geppo!"

Bang! Bang!

The air beneath Aokiji’s feet erupted. In an instant, he employed "Moonwalk," one of the Navy’s Six Powers, stepping through the sky. In the time it took Chu Yi to fly ten meters, Aokiji was already there, blocking their path. With a single kick, a crescent-shaped air blade swept straight for Chu Yi.

Navy Six Powers—Rankyaku!

His pupils contracted. It wasn’t that Chu Yi didn’t want to dodge—he simply didn’t have time in midair! If he were on the ground, with his rudimentary mastery of "Paper Art," he might have barely dodged Aokiji’s Rankyaku on instinct. But in the air, controlling the Asura Wings with such agility was impossible for him. Taking the full force of Aokiji’s Rankyaku, Chu Yi, clutching Tiger, plummeted toward the ground like a severed kite.

But just before they hit the ground—

He extended his palm.

Shinra Tensei!

Using the repulsive force of Shinra Tensei, Chu Yi barely managed to steady himself, avoiding a crash landing with Tiger.

But Aokiji pressed too hard!

No sooner had Chu Yi steadied himself than Aokiji appeared before them once again.

"Kid, if I hold him off, you have a chance to escape. He can’t stop the both of us, right?"

Hmm?

Tiger’s words made sense!

When Chu Yi nodded calmly, Tiger assumed he meant to leave him behind for a desperate fight. But as soon as Chu Yi nodded, Tiger suddenly felt himself growing lighter.

"Reverse Gravity Domain!"

In an instant, Chu Yi shifted the gravity around Tiger into the negatives—a technique he’d mastered after further honing the Gravity Domain.

As Tiger’s figure shot away into the sky, Aokiji’s gaze toward Chu Yi shifted. Now wasn’t the time to admire Chu Yi’s courage; seeing Tiger escaping his range, Aokiji narrowed his eyes, preparing to give chase with "Moonwalk."

But there was someone faster than Aokiji.

That someone was Chu Yi!

"Your opponent is me. If you want to capture my companion, you’ll have to get past me first!"