Chapter Seven: The Wings of the Asura

Pain!
Pain that pierced the very soul!
When Chu Yi first awakened his fruit ability, he had thought it would be a simple affair. But in the very next instant after that first awakening, the agony that shot up from his spine made him curl up right there on the deck. If he had to describe that excruciating pain in words, Chu Yi would have said it felt as if someone were forcing something into his very bones.
And as time passed, the pain did not lessen in the slightest. Instead, it grew heavier, spreading from his spine until it enveloped his entire body.
Sweat poured from his body in torrents from the torment. If it were possible, Chu Yi truly wished he could just faint, so he wouldn’t have to endure this inhuman torture.
Yet, with the willpower of an Asura coursing through him in his transformed state, even the relief of unconsciousness was denied to him!
Thus, Chu Yi could only grit his teeth and bear the suffering, each second stretching into eternity, even as the pain made it nearly impossible to breathe.
While Chu Yi lay curled in agony on the deck, enduring this inhuman ordeal, Hancock, still fast asleep, was thankfully undisturbed. Perhaps she was too exhausted, or perhaps the pain had robbed Chu Yi even of the strength to cry out or thrash about. In any case, his struggle did not wake her.
But who was Tiger?
It was no exaggeration to say that Tiger was now a formidable force on the seas, his strength on par with Jinbei in the days he was one of the Seven Warlords. Otherwise, how could he, as chronicled in the tales of pirates, have accomplished the feat of freeing thousands of slaves all on his own?
“Hm? That kid!”
Even after long hours of toil, Tiger never neglected his vigilance. Even in sleep, he instinctively employed his Observation Haki to keep watch over his surroundings, fearful that pursuers might catch them off guard and endanger Chu Yi and Hancock on deck.
So when Chu Yi collapsed in pain, the sound of his body hitting the deck immediately roused Tiger from sleep.
At first, Tiger thought it was an enemy attack and had already steeled himself for battle. But upon entering the cabin, he found only Chu Yi writhing in agony on the deck, no foe in sight. Instead, a faint blood-red glow was emanating from Chu Yi’s body!
“Hey, wake up! Tell me what that brat did! Why is he like this?”
Tiger, anxious and forgetting all gentleness, gave Hancock a hard shove, knocking the sleeping girl down onto the deck.
Groggy with pain, Hancock woke with a start. About to complain, she caught sight of Chu Yi’s contorted figure and let out a startled cry, instinctively rushing forward to help him up.
“Chu Yi, what happened to you?!”
“Idiot, don’t go near him!”
The moment Hancock tried to approach, Tiger, relying on his Observation Haki, suddenly sensed a dangerous aura radiating from Chu Yi. His pupils narrowed, and he hurriedly blocked Hancock’s way.
Together, the two of them stared in shock and awe at the bizarre transformation taking place before their very eyes.

Indeed.
In that instant, Chu Yi’s first awakening of his fruit ability was finally complete!
As the awakening finished, the blood-red glow around Chu Yi’s body began to coalesce, gathering once more at his spine. Then, with a muffled “pop,” the bloody light solidified, taking on the form of flames that slowly shaped themselves into a pair of wings on his back!
The wings unfurled, their surfaces etched with dark, mysterious patterns, giving them a sinister air.
And as the wings took shape, Chu Yi felt the pain gradually ebb away.
Summoning the formidable will of an Asura, Chu Yi forced himself to his feet as the agony faded, the sound of cracking echoing from his body.
It was the sound of his skin splitting!
As he rose from the deck, newly awakened to his fruit’s power, Chu Yi felt reborn. Impurities were forced from his body during the awakening, mingling with the fragments of skin that flaked away. To Tiger and Hancock, it looked as though a great serpent was shedding its skin.
But as Chu Yi stood and felt the tremendous surge of power coursing through him, he knew this was far more than a snake’s molt—it was a transformation as profound as a serpent turning into a dragon!
Crack!
Crack!
Just stretching his renewed body produced a series of explosive noises, like beans popping in a pan.
A torrent of energy burst forth from within him. Had Tiger not been injured, Chu Yi would have been eager to test the difference in their strength now.
But for the moment...
It was best to get accustomed to this newfound might.
Offering Tiger and Hancock an apologetic smile, Chu Yi suddenly unfurled the flame-wreathed, blood-colored wings on his back. With a few gentle flaps, he lifted himself off the deck.
Then, with a shout, he beat his wings harder; his figure shot forward like a streak of light, vanishing from Tiger and Hancock’s sight in an instant, growing smaller and smaller as he flew away.
After several minutes, having familiarized himself with his new ability to fly, Chu Yi returned. With a few powerful beats of his wings, he landed gently before Tiger and Hancock once more.
“I’m terribly sorry for disturbing your rest just now.”
“Chu Yi, are you all right now?” Hancock asked, eyes shining with tears, relief and concern mingling in her voice.

“I’m fine!”
Retracting his wings into his body, Chu Yi slowly deactivated his fruit ability and said weakly, “You see? I’m perfectly all right now!”
“That’s good... that’s good...”
Hancock repeated the words to herself, finally letting out a deep breath. It was clear that, in the short time they’d known each other, Chu Yi had already come to mean something to her.
Tiger, meanwhile, looked Chu Yi up and down, recalling the transformation he had just witnessed. With his vast knowledge, he seemed to have an inkling of what had happened.
Stepping forward, Tiger narrowed his eyes and said, “Kid, get as much rest as you can now.”
“Starting tomorrow, I suspect...”
“You won’t have any time to rest!”
With that, Tiger leapt into the sea and began, through sheer strength, to push the massive ship forward.
Pondering the deeper meaning in Tiger’s words, Chu Yi couldn’t help but smile wryly.
Just then, Hancock, curiosity brimming in her eyes, came up to him and asked, “Chu Yi, just now... did you really grow wings?”
“That’s right!”
Chu Yi grinned. “I’m a user of the Human-Human Fruit, Asura form. The ability to fly is a power of my fruit. As for the wings...”
Oh no, I haven’t even named this newly awakened ability yet!
His smile froze for a second, but then Chu Yi quickly improvised and declared with confidence, “Those are the Wings of Asura. With them, I can protect you even better, and it’ll be much easier to rescue your sisters in the future!”
“Mm!”
Hancock nodded vigorously, her cheeks flushed with excitement and shyness, while in her heart a thought bloomed—
Did Chu Yi mean...
Did he want to be her guardian angel?