Chapter Thirty-Nine: Drawing Lots Once More

Failing to teach Chu Yi a lesson and instead being taught himself, Rayleigh’s mood was understandably one of deep resentment. Yet, gazing at Shanks, who now stood before him as a frozen sculpture, Rayleigh’s frustration melted away, and a broad smile once again spread across his face.

Indeed—every person must walk their own path, and another’s journey may not suit oneself. Masters of haki like Rayleigh and Shanks could certainly roam the seas with impunity, but could they truly defeat fruit ability users like Whitebeard, Kuzan, Kizaru, or Akainu with ease? Certainly not!

Moreover, just as Chu Yi had said, if one could wield a Devil Fruit’s power to its utmost, dominating the seas, then what matter if they relied on that ability? Even if they never awakened haki in their entire lives—so what?

Letting go of his grievances, Rayleigh’s spirits lifted, and a sense of anticipation quietly welled up within him. Just how far could this little fellow, who had managed to humble Shanks, ultimately grow?

But before that…

He needed to thaw Shanks out first!

Infusing his palm with haki, Rayleigh’s hand became like a rasp, quickly scraping away the ice covering Shanks’ body. Yet, as the ice diminished, Rayleigh’s expression grew increasingly grave. When Shanks was finally freed from the last of the frost, but still showed no sign of regaining consciousness, Rayleigh’s pupils contracted sharply. Staring at Shanks, still locked in icy slumber, Rayleigh muttered to himself:

“The chill has seeped into his body…”

“How is it that little Chu Yi’s freezing ability seems even stronger than Kuzan’s?”

The next day.

Having defeated Shanks and spent a blissful night holding Hancock’s soft, delicate form, Chu Yi awoke refreshed, his eyes immediately falling upon the graceful figure nestled against his chest.

“Hancock, you’ve been awake for a while, haven’t you?”

“Mhm…” Blushing, Hancock nodded shyly. “I was afraid of waking you, so… so…”

“So you went back to sleep for another nap?” Chu Yi teased, amused.

“Mhm…” That flush crept from her cheeks down to her neck, making the already beautiful Hancock, with her budding potential, utterly enchanting.

At such a perfect moment, how could Chu Yi resist another delightful experience? He lowered his head and gently kissed Hancock’s soft lips. At first, Hancock was stiff with surprise, unsure of what to do, but with Chu Yi’s guidance, she gradually responded, eventually becoming the initiator herself. In the end, it was Chu Yi who felt a touch of regret.

“If only we were adults… We could do the things grown-ups do.” He sighed inwardly. “But alas, we’re only eight.”

With a soft sigh, Chu Yi continued his “movements” until both were nearly breathless, finally breaking apart in satisfaction.

Nestled quietly in Chu Yi’s arms, Hancock savored the sensation—the feeling of having someone to rely on.

And with a beauty in his embrace, Chu Yi too felt completely at ease.

Yet both knew such carefree days could not last.

Even though Chu Yi’s bounty had been set at only twenty million Berries, anyone could guess that after destroying a Buster Call and killing two Celestial Dragons, Chu Yi would be a prime target of the Navy.

The Navy’s power needed no further explanation, but the terrifying might of the Celestial Dragons was what truly mattered. Without sufficient strength, Chu Yi’s future would be fraught with peril, unable to take a single step in the seas. Even with the power gained from his four previous awakenings, under the relentless pursuit of the Celestial Dragons and the Navy, he might yet fall.

Now, however…

After five awakenings, using both platinum awakening material and the Ice-Ice Fruit, Chu Yi’s physique had steadily improved, and—most importantly—he had gained Kuzan’s freezing ability!

The “elementalization” of a Logia Devil Fruit was self-explanatory. Almost immediately upon his fifth awakening, Chu Yi could wield it. He hadn’t shown it during his fight with Shanks because Shanks’ fists were imbued with Armament Haki, rendering elementalization ineffective.

Against Armament Haki, elementalization was useless.

As for the other powers of the Ice-Ice Fruit, one need only look at Kuzan’s usage to understand.

What truly surprised Chu Yi, however, was combining his Karakusa Shock Fist with the Ice-Ice Fruit. Harnessing the punch’s unique effects and the biting cold of the fruit, Chu Yi unexpectedly invented a terrifying move that could drive icy energy directly into his opponent’s body.

He called it “Ice Fist”—a name both simple and brutal.

As he replayed the use of “Ice Fist” in his mind, simulating every aspect until he had mastered its essence, Chu Yi opened the system’s lottery interface, still holding Hancock in his arms, his anticipation quietly building.

“The first time I drew, I got my original fruit—the Human-Human Fruit, Asura form.”

“I wonder what surprise the system will give me this time?”

With anticipation rising, Chu Yi focused his gaze on the slot machine that appeared before him—only to notice that the prizes had changed dramatically.

He remembered that the first time, all the rewards were Devil Fruits: Ace’s Flame-Flame Fruit, the Dark-Dark Fruit that Blackbeard would one day claim, Luffy’s Gum-Gum Fruit, and so on.

But this time, as he browsed the prizes, Chu Yi suddenly realized that among them were rare materials of extraordinary value!

These precious materials spanned all reality and fiction, not limited to the world of pirates.

There was Wolverine material from X-Men, granting regenerative healing and eternal youth after awakening.

There was Sharingan material from Naruto, which, upon awakening, would bestow the Uchiha clan’s legendary eyes.

There were Sword Soul, Asura, and Berserker materials from “Dungeon Fighter Online,” a game Chu Yi had loved before crossing over, and also Frost Archer and Exile Blade materials from the globally popular “League of Legends.”

Gazing at the wealth of options on the slot machine, Chu Yi swallowed in amazement, silently marveling at the system’s boundless capabilities. As he sighed inwardly, he closed his eyes, and the cursor on the slot machine began to spin. Only when the system’s chime echoed in his mind did Chu Yi, full of anticipation, open his eyes and look at the reward floating in the void.

“It’s actually…”

“It’s actually a diamond-grade awakening material?!”