Chapter Thirty-Two: The Demon-Slaying Decree

Conqueror’s Haki!

That newcomer… is not simple!

At this very moment, the Conqueror’s Haki radiating from Shanks is not especially strong—merely on par with Hancock’s first awakening of the same power. Yet the qualification to be a “King” is no jest! The aura of the Conqueror pressed forward, and all the Marines present—save for Aokiji—including up-and-coming officers like Tina and Smoker, were affected to some degree, suppressed by Shanks’s overwhelming spirit.

Shanks’s display of Conqueror’s Haki, his kingly bearing, was undoubtedly the last straw that crushed Aokiji’s resolve.

One Chu Yi was trouble enough. Add to that “Dark King” Rayleigh, and the situation was already dire. Now, with a formidable newcomer like Shanks also bearing the Conqueror’s Haki…

Aokiji sighed once more. Wounded deeply by the Asura Golem, he knew he couldn’t even stop Rayleigh alone, let alone Rayleigh with the astonishing Chu Yi and this newly revealed Shanks. So, after a silent sigh, Aokiji stepped aside, clearing a path for Chu Yi and the others.

As for Chu Yi...

He was utterly dumbfounded!

Damn it! Is this the true power of the Face-Face Fruit?

So Shanks was merely the inheritor of the Face-Face Fruit—“Dark King” Rayleigh was the original holder!

Basking in the aura of the Face-Face Fruit, still not understanding Rayleigh, Shanks quietly followed behind, determined to help Chu Yi. In this way, with Rayleigh leading and Shanks at his side, Chu Yi stepped out of the Marines’ encirclement, one step at a time.

Only when passing by Aokiji did Chu Yi sense the murderous intent seeping from him. Yet Aokiji did not act; he simply watched as the three figures faded from view.

It was only after Chu Yi and the others had disappeared that Tina, finally freed from the suffocating pressure of the Conqueror’s Haki, hurried to Aokiji’s side, unwilling to let it go. She demanded,

“Vice Admiral Kuzan, are we really just going to let them go?”

“If we don’t, our troubles will only grow,” Aokiji replied, offering little explanation. He lay back on the ground, relaxing in his own languid way.

Smoker and Tina, gazing at the battered Aokiji, burned with frustration. Part of them wanted to chase after Chu Yi and give him a lesson, but the sight of Aokiji’s bloodied form, the memory of the Haki’s paralyzing terror, and the weight of Rayleigh’s name, held them back. All they could do was clench their fists and stand in silence at Aokiji’s side.

In their hearts, Tina and Smoker—still rookies at heart—each made their own silent vow:

“One day, I’ll capture all of you myself!” Tina swore.

“I’m still too weak! For the sake of justice, I, Smoker, swear to train even harder once I return, to embody true justice!” Smoker resolved.

Elsewhere—

Following quietly behind Rayleigh and Shanks, Chu Yi felt immense pressure. It wasn’t just because of their reputations, present or future; the very auras they unconsciously emitted made him feel a constant sense of danger.

Rayleigh, the “Dark King,” needed no further mention—one of the most unfathomable men in the pirate world, as enigmatic as the Marine hero Garp, his true strength shrouded in mystery.

Shanks, the “Red-Haired,” might not yet be the overbearing figure of pirate legend, instead trailing behind Rayleigh with a cheerful, almost servile demeanor. Yet “Red-Haired” would always be “Red-Haired”—ever since leaving the Pirate King’s ship, he was a man with the potential of an Emperor!

Having slain two Celestial Dragons, Chu Yi had made his true debut, branded as a pirate. Shanks, too, though out at sea for only a few years, had just arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago. In some ways, Chu Yi and Shanks were contemporaries—newcomers of the same era. Even though Shanks had come to Chu Yi’s aid, bringing Rayleigh along, in his subconscious, he still saw Chu Yi as a rival. The aura he gave off, seemingly casual, was in fact deliberate, and it made Chu Yi wary.

Finally...

After a long walk, Rayleigh came to a halt.

Chu Yi, trailing behind, had countless questions, but Rayleigh did not give him the chance to ask. Smiling, he said, “Little one, we’ve been through a lot together, yet you don’t know our names, nor we yours. Let’s introduce ourselves now.”

“My name is Rayleigh. I used to be a pirate, but now I’m just an ordinary shipwright.”

“As for him…”

Rayleigh gestured at Shanks and smiled, “He’s Shanks, a newcomer like you, just recently out to sea. You two should get to know each other!”

“Hello, my name is Chris D. Chu Yi.”

“Hahaha, no need to be so formal! Just call me Shanks!” Shanks replied, slapping Chu Yi heartily on the shoulder, his friendliness boundless.

Throwing an arm around Chu Yi’s shoulders, Shanks laughed even louder, “Out on the street just now, I was scared out of my wits. Never thought there’d be anyone bold enough to challenge the Celestial Dragons! But what you said was spot on—they have no right to see themselves as superior, at least not in front of free pirates!”

“Your words really struck me. Looking back, my own adventures seemed childish in comparison. That’s why, before I return home and set out on the Grand Line again, I asked Big Bro Rayleigh to help you out. After all, if an interesting guy like you died now, the seas ahead would be so dull! Hahahaha!”

So that’s it…

You borrowed the “Dark King’s” Face-Face Fruit just because you were bored…

Chu Yi’s lips twitched. He could barely keep up with Shanks’s thought process, the atmosphere awkward.

Still, the two had just saved him. After Shanks finished speaking, Chu Yi sincerely thanked them both. Knowing the incident with the Celestial Dragons would continue to escalate, Chu Yi felt he had to hurry to Tiger and Hancock’s side. So, after giving thanks, he spoke seriously, “Regardless of whether you expect my gratitude, Shanks, Rayleigh—if you ever find yourselves in trouble, and I hear of it, I’ll go through fire and water to help you, no matter the cost.”

“My own danger is over for now, but my companions are still in trouble. Forgive me, I must go to them at once.”

“Oh! You mean the fish-man, the little girl, and… was there a Marine too?”

“Uncle Rayleigh, you know about them?” Chu Yi asked in surprise.

“Well, you’ll have to ask Shanks about that!” Rayleigh replied.

“Oh, it's nothing big,” Shanks waved it off. “I saw you all together earlier, so before helping you out, I brought your friends back to your ship. With things so urgent, I didn’t have time to throw a party for you. So, Chu Yi, hurry and come with me—we’ll get you all off the Sabaody Archipelago first!”

“Shanks, I can’t thank you enough!”

“No need for thanks—let’s move!”

“Right!”

Nodding vigorously, Chu Yi, Rayleigh, Shanks, and the rest hurried toward the Red-Haired Pirates’ ship. There, seeing Tiger and Hancock safe and sound—and even Lucci unable to escape in the chaos—Chu Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief. But as Shanks had said, their troubles were far from over.

Soon, with the help of the Red-Haired Pirates and Rayleigh, the plan for Chu Yi and his companions to fully evacuate the Sabaody Archipelago was set in motion.

Yet none of them—Chu Yi, Tiger, Shanks, or Rayleigh—could have anticipated the next calamity awaiting them: the Marine’s ultimate weapon!

Its name—

The Buster Call!