Chapter 11: Is This How Armament Haki Awakens?
"Today, I won't leave a single one for you!" Chen Yu bared his teeth at Luffy again.
Buggy can't die yet. I don't know how Red Hair would react if I killed him, and his crew might need Buggy to draw Marine firepower in the future... After a quick calculation, Chen Yu's eyes grew sharper: Simply put, of those present, I only need to keep the swordsman, the cat-handler, and Gi Ba.
"Boom!"
Accompanying Chen Yu's movement, an endless sea of fire erupted on the spot! Today, he was testing his moves!
In the endless sea of fire, the Buggy Pirates were drenched in sweat, unsure if it was cold sweat or hot sweat.
Buggy instantly recalled the massive explosion in the sky not long ago.
He was so scared his legs trembled.
He's only not afraid of slashes!
Just as Buggy was about to speak, Chen Yu suddenly made a move.
He transformed into a fiery streak, instantly appearing behind the swordsman and kicking him towards Zoro.
Chen Yu's peripheral vision had already seen Zoro getting up.
After dividing the battlefield, Chen Yu looked around, a wide grin spreading across his lips—the Dragon King's Smile!
The Buggy Pirates were fully armed, poised for battle, but their leader, Buggy, was quietly making his exit.
Chen Yu didn't care about any of that.
He raised his hands to his chest, his left arm vertical, his right arm crossed over his left, forming a distinct cross gesture.
"Stolitz Ray!!!"
A clear shout came from Chen Yu's mouth, and a dazzling ray of light condensed on his cross gesture, "Boom!!"
In an instant, a solid cross-shaped flame ray shot forth.
Chen Yu's hand gesture remained unchanged. With a light step of his left foot, he spun around, using his right foot as the pivot.
The Stolitz Ray swung with him, instantly leveling everything in its path.
The pirates enveloped by the ray didn't even have time to scream before they dissipated into the air, drifting with the wind!
After one full sweep, everyone except the three individuals Chen Yu intentionally avoided was deleted from the game!
The surrounding ruins were a sea of fire; all the pirates' weapons were glowing red, some even melted and deformed.
It was another crushing victory, which left Chen Yu feeling rather unfulfilled.
"I only tried one move?!" Chen Yu mumbled softly.
His voice wasn't loud, but everyone still present heard it clearly.
Upon hearing this, Buggy started doing the breakdance, trembling uncontrollably.
Seeing Chen Yu look at him, Buggy instantly split into pieces, his separated body parts violently shaking!
Chen Yu strode forward, his palm forming a virtual grip, and a flaming longsword appeared in his hand.
This longsword resembled a Han sword but was longer.
The longsword had no guard, named boundless, solely for slaughter!
He raised the boundless in his hand and rested it on Buggy's head.
Buggy was already too scared to stand steady, and now he trembled like a sieve.
Chen Yu said nothing more, directly increasing the temperature of boundless, making Buggy's scalp sizzle—this was just interest for Nami!
Chen Yu hadn't forgotten the burn on Nami's hand; otherwise, how could he earn favor?
After tormenting Buggy for a while, Chen Yu's left hand conjured another boundless, placing it above Little Buggy, and spoke coldly: "I ask, you answer!"
Feeling the heat emanating from his 'little brother,' Buggy instantly stopped trembling, fearing that too much shaking would cause him to hit the longsword and regret it for life!
"I'll tell you, I'll tell you!"
"Ah! No, no, you ask, you ask!"
"Write down the method for awakening Armament Haki, right now!" Chen Yu's voice was icy, his gaze stern as he looked at Buggy.
Buggy, hearing this, was on the verge of tears. He truly didn't know! He hadn't properly trained on Roger's ship; he was only interested in treasure!
All this time, relying on his Chop-Chop Fruit ability, he had been safe and sound; even his first mate, Rayleigh, couldn't cut him.
So he never had any intention of learning Haki.
Seeing Buggy remain silent, Chen Yu's eyes hardened: "The boundless in my left hand suddenly emitted a wave of heat, directly scorching Little Buggy bald!"
"Ah!! Stop it! I really don't know Armament Haki!! If I did, I wouldn't be cowering in the East Blue..." Feeling the pain from Little Buggy, tears streamed from Buggy's eyes.
Seeing this, Chen Yu had his answer, and it was within his expectations.
Honestly, he was truly speechless about Buggy. With such a perfect start, if he had just learned one or two moves from his Captain and first mate, he wouldn't be constantly chased around!
What treasure isn't available if you have strength?
After a moment of thought, Chen Yu said indifferently, "If you don't produce something valuable today, I'll send you to meet the Pirate King!"
"You still have two subordinates. Whether the three of you live or die is entirely up to you!"
Feeling the chill in Chen Yu's tone, Buggy shivered again, his mind quickly racing.
---After a good while, Buggy felt Chen Yu was about to make a move again, so he spoke first: "I really don't know Armament Haki!!"
"But I heard our Captain say that Haki needs a special circulation method to activate."
"That's it??" Chen Yu had been thoughtful when he first heard these words. But he hadn't expected this piece of junk to think for so long only to blurt out such a sentence!
His veins immediately bulged; he felt like he was being played for a fool!
The flames around Chen Yu suddenly burst forth. The ground where he and Buggy stood couldn't withstand the pressure, sinking more than ten centimeters, and the ground gradually turned red, showing signs of melting.
This instant came and went quickly.
When Buggy saw his clothes spontaneously combust with a "boom," he instinctively blurted out: "I don't know what this circulation method is! In the New World, strong individuals all have their own circulation methods, but you can also awaken Armament Haki without a circulation method!!"
"Legend has it that Garp awakened Armament Haki after punching half a mountain, and then he gradually grew stronger by relying on the Marine's special circulation method..."
In these few breaths, Buggy spoke incoherently, babbling nonstop, practically screaming! This was probably the fastest he had ever spoken in his life.
---After getting the information he wanted, Chen Yu showed a brilliant smile. Nami, standing nearby, also lost herself slightly after seeing Chen Yu's smile, looking somewhat distracted and deep in thought.
Zoro had long since dealt with his opponents; for him, such adversaries posed no challenge.
He had already noticed Chen Yu and Buggy's situation and overheard their conversation. Besides excitement, he felt more recognition for this first mate!
Of course, the desire to punch him remained unforgotten for a moment.
"Chen Yu, you motherf*****!!!" A burst of angry expletives erupted from Luffy's mouth.
Chen Yu, Zoro, and Nami all turned their heads to look at the enraged Luffy.
It seems this guy is really angry!
You can't steal his meat, and you can't steal his opponents—Chen Yu and Zoro both knew this!
But for Chen Yu, if he didn't provoke Luffy a bit, Luffy would never learn.
From today onward, their crew had an unwritten rule: Are you even capable, you skinny dog? If not, let someone else do it!
"Crack! Crack!"
Luffy actually broke free from the thick ropes binding him—they were truly very thick.
With a strong squeeze, he wriggled out of the cage.
Good heavens! When Zoro was stabbed several times in front of you in the anime, you didn't react that strongly!!!
After breaking free, Luffy, as if afflicted with mad cow disease, grabbed the stone cage and shot forward with a Rocket Headbutt. Zoro and Nami looked terrified and quickly dove to the sides, only Chen Yu looked disdainful. The flying Luffy directly crashed into Chen Yu's abdomen.
"Bang!" A dull thud of flesh colliding echoed.
Chen Yu's expression changed!
<(￣^￣)>===＞⊙＿⊙
===＞∑(?oдo?)!!===＞?(??д???)!!
===＞=????(???*)===＞(?﹏＜)
"Holy crap! Armament Haki!!" An incredulous voice came from the knocked-flying Chen Yu, fading into the distance!Chapter 12: Finally a Navigator!
"Are you for real?!"
Zoro, lying on the ground, was so shocked by this scene that his mouth hung wide open!
Luffy seemed to have realized something as well. He rubbed his head, his face full of pleasant surprise!
A moment later, Chen Yu, who had slowly walked back, also looked at Luffy with disbelief!
He never expected that the first one to master Armament Haki would be Luffy.
He had been mistaken all along. Although Luffy was currently the weakest, his talent was second to none, and his physique was no less than Chen Yu's—especially his vitality! He was definitely the strongest of the group in that regard!
"Whoa! I'm shocked too!! I just really wanted to punch Chen Yu, and I didn't expect it to actually work!!! Gah-hahahahaha..." Luffy wasn't angry at all. Holding his straw hat, he spun in circles while laughing heartily.
Chen Yu was also happy for him.
However, the top priority now was to figure out the reason so that all three of them could master it!
What Luffy just said gave Chen Yu a hypothesis.
The Three Types of Haki are all internal powers. Haoshoku can be triggered by emotions; that much was clear.
Now, Armament Haki could also be triggered by emotions. Nami could attest to this, and Luffy had proven it today.
Before today, he had always thought that one's physique had to be tempered to the limit to awaken Armament Haki.
Thinking about it now, that wasn't necessarily the case. In the New World, people who could use Armament Haki were as common as cattle hair; surely not every single one of them had tempered their bodies to the limit?
Moreover, many thin and weak people had mastered Armament Haki, such as the many beauties on Amazon Lily.
Furthermore, those with strong Haki had terrifyingly strong physiques. Combined with what Buggy said today, Chen Yu suddenly understood the logic behind it.
Thinking of this, he turned and explained it to the two of them, emphasizing: "Mastering Armament Haki is just the starting point. You must continue to temper your bodies! A strong physique determines the upper limit of your strength!"
As if worried they wouldn't understand, he added: "The stronger the body, the greater the total amount of Haki and the stronger it becomes!"
Hearing the second explanation, Zoro and Luffy both made a 'Naruhodo' gesture. Seeing this, the corners of Chen Yu's mouth and eyes twitched.
It turns out both of them are idiots! If he hadn't added that second sentence, these two really wouldn't have understood!! He immediately rolled his eyes again.
Chen Yu wanted to say more, but out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Nami and swallowed his words.
—Nami was more important right now!
He walked slowly toward Nami, staring straight at her with an expression as tender as could be! Ugh...
Being stared at like that, Nami felt a bit embarrassed. Her gaze shifted slightly, not daring to look directly at Chen Yu. She awkwardly hugged herself, one hand tightly gripping the upper arm of the other.
Nami also felt that she was being very strange today. She should have been doing what she always did: use these pirates and then leave as quickly as possible.
But today, she didn't really want to leave like that. She truly felt that this group was different from other pirates.
"Oh no!! I can't escape now!!" Nami, suddenly realizing this, panicked a bit and muttered to herself.
"Nami, join us! That way, you won't have to live in hiding anymore. Whatever difficulties you have, we'll solve them together!" Chen Yu coaxed her in a gentle tone.
Before Nami could even respond, Luffy jumped in with an assist.
"Yeah, exactly!! Join us! Let's go on an adventure together! Let's travel the world together!!" Luffy was sincere yet excited, his excitement mixed with a bit of a shameless, pestering attitude!
Seeing that Nami still hadn't responded, Chen Yu just looked at her with an eager gaze.
Meanwhile, Luffy started acting like a complete rogue. He used every trick in the book, being as sincere as possible while also being as shameless as possible!
"I've decided, Nami! You are my Navigator!!"
—Perhaps because the strength of this group was different from the original story, Nami's reaction was also completely different. She was actually thinking it over seriously.
And with Chen Yu around, Nami didn't think Arlong could do anything to this group of monsters!
Seeing that it wasn't quite enough and Nami still hadn't responded, Chen Yu frowned slightly and quickly glanced at Zoro. His sharp gaze seemed to say: "If she refuses, you're dead!"
Zoro saw that look and immediately looked like he'd lost all hope in life!
?_? He barely even knew Nami!!
Seeing Zoro's reaction, Chen Yu stopped wasting time on him. Just as he was about to look away, he caught sight of Zoro's wado ichimonji. His eyes lit up, and his expression became a bit excited.
He knew what was missing!
When Zoro saw Chen Yu staring intently at his wado ichimonji, he immediately became wary. This was a memento from his late wife! Even if it killed him, he wouldn't give it to Nami!
Clearly, Zoro had misunderstood something, but Chen Yu didn't notice at all.
However, he suddenly vanished and returned moments later carrying several bags of Buggy's gold, as well as his somewhat useless Gold Staff. This was the final remedy he had prepared for Nami!
"Nami! Don't you really need gold?"
"We'll give all our gold to you. See if it's enough. If not, we'll find a way together!" Chen Yu said softly as he walked toward Nami, carrying the bags of gold.
He placed the bags of gold in front of Nami. After a moment's thought, he pulled out the Gold Staff he had intentionally slung behind his back. He didn't speak, but stared intently at the Gold Staff in his hand as if looking at a comrade-in-arms he was about to part with.
After a moment, he let out a fake sigh of reluctance, then looked back at Nami. This time, however, his gaze had become exceptionally firm!
"This weapon of mine is also pure gold; it should be worth something! You take it too!!"
"If it's still not enough, we'll just go rob other pirates!"
Luffy chimed in at this point: "Right, right! Take it all!"
He then raised a clenched fist, looking righteously indignant as he growled, "We'll rob other pirates!!"
Before Luffy or Chen Yu could speak again, Nami suddenly lunged into Chen Yu's arms. She hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her face, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Enough, it's enough! It's already enough!"
Who was Chen Yu? Brother Pig! Feeling the warmth and softness in his arms, Chen Yu quickly opened his arms and embraced Nami tightly.
After hugging for a while, Chen Yu felt Nami still trembling. He paused, his gaze instantly turning cold as ice, and said firmly, "Nami, your enemies are our enemies—they are my enemies!"
At the same time, he made up his mind: Arlong was a dead man!
Nami had been on her own for many years. She could no longer remember how many lonely nights she had spent with no one to rely on. Constantly stealing money from pirates and accumulating wealth had become an obsession. In her eyes, only money was reliable, and only money could save her and her people.
Hearing Chen Yu's words, Nami's body stiffened for a moment, followed by even more violent trembling. Soon, she began to wail.
How long had it been? Today, not only had she gathered the 100 million Berries, but she also felt a level of care she hadn't experienced in a long time.
And all of this came from a pirate crew called the Straw Hat.
She thought this group was so foolish, so incredibly foolish. She had clearly tricked them so many times... In this world where life was cheap, there weren't as many tests as in her past life. Perhaps in Nami's eyes, if Chen Yu and the others had wanted to harm her, they would have done so long ago! They certainly had the strength.
Looking at Luffy, who still had a face full of question marks, Chen Yu was speechless!
And Luffy was the type of person who wouldn't let it go until he heard a clear answer.
In desperation, Chen Yu spoke up to tell Luffy and Zoro, "Nami has agreed to join us!"
After saying that, he ignored the two idiots and focused on the beauty in his arms, holding Nami even tighter...Chapter 13: Devotion!
Chen Yu gently patted Nami's back, slowly comforting her.
Luffy watched Nami and Chen Yu quietly from the side. Even as dense as he was, he could tell something was wrong with Nami.
Meanwhile, Zoro held his sword and herded Buggy, Cabaji, and Mohji to the side, silently keeping watch over them.
Chen Yu took all of this in.
Indeed, if Zoro wasn't directionally challenged, he really was a very qualified first mate.
As for the Captain? He was only the Captain when it came time to fight.
What about normally? He'd just go wherever it was cool! Who would even ask such a question?
After standing for a while, Luffy pressed his palm against the top of his head, lowering the brim of his hat, and stared quietly into the distance of the sea.
He might be a bit of a goof, but he wasn't stupid!
He could smell that something was unusual.
He was also curious why Nami hated pirates so much. Why was Nami crying so sadly now? Why did Nami need so much money?
But he wouldn't ask.
He knew Chen Yu was on the ship; Chen Yu would say what needed to be said. Whatever needed to be done, Chen Yu would call on him to do it. With Chen Yu arranging everything, he was at ease!
Luffy was that kind of person; his fooling around was always when it was okay to fool around, but on major issues, he was crystal clear.
And this time, he could keenly perceive that Chen Yu was angry.
Chen Yu had been on the ship for a while now, but Luffy had never seen him show that kind of look in his eyes!
Zoro's thoughts were even simpler; his mind was only on becoming stronger, constantly growing stronger until he surpassed everyone, until his name resounded through the heavens!
If Chen Yu told him to cut someone, he would swing his sword without hesitation, never asking why. He trusted this first mate.
At the same time, Zoro was a very responsible person—or rather, the entire Straw Hat crew was incredibly devoted to their group.
Whether it was the later parting of ways between Luffy and Usopp, or Zoro standing his ground against everyone to prevent Luffy from going to bring Usopp back, everyone did it for the sake of the crew.
The only difference was that Zoro had a great sense of the big picture, which was one of the reasons why, in his previous life, Zoro was the universally acknowledged 'Right Hand of the Emperor' in everyone's hearts. Meanwhile, Usopp cherished the present more; he couldn't abandon the going merry, or rather, he couldn't abandon any companion at all, even if he had to... Chen Yu's palm continued to comfort Nami. He wouldn't ask her anything either; he wanted Nami to say it herself. He wanted Nami to truly integrate into this collective, and he wanted Nami to be able to turn to their crew for help the moment she encountered difficulties.
No one knew how much time had passed, nor did anyone care; they only knew that Nami was doing better now.
Her body stopped trembling, and Nami slowly released her tight grip on Chen Yu. Using her palms, which were slightly purple from the prolonged exertion, she gently wiped her eyes.
Chen Yu noticed Nami's movement. He didn't continue to take advantage of the situation, but simply rubbed Nami's head gently with his palm, leaning down slightly to say to her, "Go rest for a bit first. We have some things to handle."
Looking at her tear-streaked face, Chen Yu couldn't help but feel moved.
The moment he turned to walk toward Zoro, he added in a low voice, "You must remember, if there's trouble, we'll face it together. We're very strong, after all!"
After saying that, he extended his right arm and made a forceful muscle-flexing gesture before slowly walking toward Zoro.
Luffy also gave Nami a bright smile, then made the same strong gesture as Chen Yu before following behind him toward Zoro.
Zoro gripped the wado ichimonji tightly, his gaze becoming even more determined.
I have completely fallen in love with this group! A qualitative change was quietly occurring within Chen Yu's heart.
--- "Buggy!" Chen Yu called out neither warmly nor coldly, his gaze very calm as he looked at Buggy and the others.
"Ah~ hi?~~~ Hi!" Hearing Chen Yu's call, Buggy immediately became nervous and blurted out a response.
"The next time you see us, remember to come over and say hello, otherwise we'll be the ones looking for you to have a 'chat'!" Chen Yu's tone returned to being icy.
He didn't look at Buggy's group again, gesturing for Luffy and Zoro to carry several bags of gold and treasure back to the ship. Meanwhile, he walked toward Nami and, regardless of whether she was willing or not, picked her up in a bridal carry, walking toward their ship as if he were carrying his own wife.
Nami, who had regained her composure, was naturally not very pleased. She kept hitting him, stating clearly that she could walk on her own and telling Chen Yu to put her down.
As a youth from the twenty-first century, Chen Yu naturally knew not to be too hasty; the heat wasn't quite there yet!
He only carried Nami onto the ship and then set her down.
Without looking at Nami's blushing face, he turned around and began arranging the preparations for departure.
"Set sail!" Luffy stood at the bow, giving the command!
Chen Yu wouldn't steal the spotlight when it was time for Luffy to shine. Luffy trusted him implicitly, and he, of course, had to get things done properly so that everyone was happy!
Now that their group had a proper Navigator, they naturally didn't have to sail by feeling anymore.
The three men looked at Nami with faces full of smiles, waiting for her to direct the course.
Nami wasn't one to be fussy and immediately settled into her role. After determining the direction, she picked a room right away. Coincidentally, the one she took a fancy to was Chen Yu's room. Chen Yu got excited for a moment, taking small steps and saying enthusiastically, "Nami! I'm willing to share a room with you!"
However, the reality that responded to him was Nami's angry Iron Fist. With two loud thuds, she threw Chen Yu out of the room, accompanied by Chen Yu's personal belongings.
Seeing Chen Yu's plight, Luffy and Zoro both showed expressions of schadenfreude, covering their mouths and snickering, not showing Chen Yu any respect at all!
They were getting cocky!
One hadn't awakened Armament Haki yet, and the other had awakened it but couldn't use it at will at all.
What would happen once they mastered it in the future?
At that thought, Chen Yu rose elegantly. After slightly straightening his handsome suit, his killing intent suddenly flared out, and he lunged at the two of them. Taking advantage of his ability to elementalize, he ruthlessly thrashed them until their heads were covered in bumps. He then pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped his palms, and left unscathed.
He lightly tidied up the things that had been thrown out, then turned and walked toward Luffy's room. Mimicking Nami's move, he officially took over Luffy's room.
Luffy could only obediently nurse his large bumps and find another room to settle in, looking like the foolish son of a wealthy landlord.
In an instant! As if they were of one mind, the three of them suddenly poked their heads out of their rooms and looked at each other!!
Only then did Chen Yu realize that he had accidentally triggered his own Armament Haki!
No wonder Luffy was suddenly so obedient; it turned out the beating really hurt.
After returning to his room, Chen Yu let out a long breath of relief, settling his restless heart. He carefully summarized the feeling of using Armament Haki just now. Currently, he could only rely on his own exploration, but fortunately, he had successfully activated Armament Haki, providing a clear direction for his research.
As for the other two? Expecting them to summarize the 'hows' and 'whys'? Heh!
He had originally planned to ask Luffy.
It's a good thing he activated it himself! Otherwise, if he really went to ask Luffy what it felt like, that guy would definitely be like an idiot and wouldn't be able to squeeze out a single word!
Zoro leaned against the side of the ship, looking at the wado ichimonji in his hand, seriously pondering how to awaken Haki.
And Luffy? He was already back to full health! He was excitedly holding a fishing rod, fishingChapter 14: Protective Favoritism from the first mate
Setting sail is always beautiful, especially on a sunny morning!
"Creak~"
The sound of a door opening rang out abruptly, breaking the tranquility of this sea area.
Chen Yu, who had been thinking in his room all night, stepped out slowly. His lazy gaze looked out across the ocean, seemingly easing the fatigue accumulated during this time.
He had shed the handsome suit he usually never took off, replaced by a green beach set printed with coconut tree patterns that flapped in the sea breeze. His long hair had been cut, replaced by a head of finger-length messy hair, thick and full of spirit!
"Chen Yu! Come down and eat!"
Hearing the shout, Chen Yu looked down toward the deck.
He saw a figure in a white short-sleeved shirt, simple denim shorts showing off long legs, waving at him.
This immediately made Chen Yu feel refreshed and full of joy!
Usually, he wouldn't use his Devil Fruit Ability unless necessary. With a smile in his eyes, he gave Nami a warm look before walking down to the deck.
The three of them had been waiting at the table for a long time!
Since Chen Yu had told them last night not to disturb him until he came out, everyone waited patiently even when it was mealtime.
Except for a certain someone, of course—Monkey D. Getting-Beaten.
Seeing Luffy with a large bump on his head, Chen Yu was already used to it. Who on this ship didn't carry a bit of Haki when they lost their temper?
While eating, he shared the insights he had summarized the previous night with everyone.
He told Zoro what it felt like to use Haki and explained to Luffy how to master the small amount of Haki he had currently awakened.
According to Chen Yu's estimation, Zoro should be able to preliminarily mobilize Haki within a few days.
The physical fitness of the three of them was the strong type. Chen Yu guessed that the Haki they used was the excess part that overflowed when the body produced Haki—when the vessel is full, it overflows!
As for Luffy, one could guess with their toes that what Chen Yu just said was way beyond his level!
Chen Yu planned to beat him up a few more times later; that should pretty much do it.
But for Nami, he currently had no solution.
The Haki in Nami's body seemed easy to mobilize with her emotions, but her physical fitness hadn't reached the level of 'overflowing.' Chen Yu's theory couldn't play its role for her.
As for letting Nami train her muscles? He wasn't crazy!
After the meal, having beaten Luffy several times in a row, Chen Yu felt the Haki on his fists and felt a surge of frustration.
Currently, his Haki was only enough to cover the knuckles of his fists. It simply wasn't enough!!
Moreover, if his flames were to truly crush Akainu, he would need a sufficient amount of Haki.
Haven't you seen Admiral Kizaru taking out a Supernovas with one kick while shouting 'How scary!'?
Then he turns around to fence with Rayleigh using a longsword condensed from light elements. Do you think that 'kindergarten principal' didn't have Haki infused in his sword?
Those three Admirals are all old foxes.
They have been famous for a long time and definitely have unique insights into the development of their fruits. Otherwise, why do you think Aokiji dares to go on a killing spree with an ice sword made from grass? Because he's strong enough and confident enough!
There are only two paths left for Haki training methods now: Hawkeye and Garp~
---Luffy: "Yosh! Off to the Grand Line!"
Nami: "No, no. Whether it's the current number of crew members or the ship's configuration, it's not enough for us to enter the Grand Line!"
Luffy: "Ah~! As expected, we're missing a cook and a musician!"
Zoro: "A musician? Ahahahaha..."
Nami: (╬☉д⊙)
Nami: (╬◣д◢)!!
She turned around and delivered two punches, leaving Luffy and Zoro twitching on the ground.
Chen Yu watched quietly from the side. Although he didn't know why Zoro was getting beaten too, he didn't ask. It definitely wasn't because he was afraid of getting hit too!!
Seeing that the Captain was unreliable, Nami ran over to discuss with Chen Yu.
Chen Yu: --- Nami: --- After some planning, Chen Yu felt confident again. He suddenly reached out and grabbed Nami's soft, delicate hand.
"Chen Yu, let go of my hand," Nami said with a flat tone, her eyes squinting into a smile as she felt Chen Yu's movement.
Anyone who knew Nami knew she was about to get angry!
But who was Chen Yu? He immediately assumed Nami wasn't resisting and decided to push his luck and charge ahead!
After standing up, he suddenly opened his arms, intending to give Nami a hug of love.
Heh!! What a scene!
After several loud thuds, another person was lying on the ground. Suddenly, it became a twitching trio!
The ship sailed very fast. During the trip, Chen Yu accelerated it several times, and it didn't take long to reach the destination—the hometown of 'God' Usopp.
---"Rustle, rustle~"
The surrounding bushes rustled, and dozens of pirate flags were suddenly raised around them.
A long-nosed man suddenly jumped out, bragging and bluffing Luffy until his head spun. But Luffy also immediately recognized Usopp's identity—Yasopp's son.
As Usopp pulled out his slingshot and aimed it at their group, Luffy's expression changed instantly.
"Since you've drawn your weapon, you'd better be prepared to bet your life on it!" Luffy's face suddenly turned dark as he lowered his hat, speaking in a grim tone.
Zoro also got into character instantly! He pushed the wado ichimonji out two fingers' width with his thumb, looking ready for battle.
Seeing this, Chen Yu naturally didn't want to be left behind and went even harder: "Since you've decided to make a move, you'd better be able to keep all four of us here! Otherwise, we will slaughter everyone on this entire island!"
Before he even finished speaking, Chen Yu drew the long sword he had taken from Morgan and swung it fiercely toward Usopp's direction.
Usopp trembled all over in fear!
∑(?д?)!!
Nami also stood by with her arms crossed, leaning to the side and looking at Usopp with a wicked smile.
Seeing the four of them in this stance and the aura they emitted, it didn't seem like a joke. Usopp's fighting spirit vanished instantly. He knelt on the ground, gasping for breath, with tears flowing from fear.
The four of them couldn't hold it anymore and burst out laughing!
It was their first time doing something like this, and they all called it thrilling!
Relying on Luffy's connection with the Red Hair Pirates, after a brief conversation, Chen Yu proposed to buy a ship instead of eating with Usopp.
Luffy, of course, disagreed! He shouted that he was the Captain and what he said was final!!
But in times of peace, the Captain's words were total nonsense!
Buying a few large pieces of meat on the roadside to appease Luffy, the matter was considered settled.
Chen Yu didn't plan to waste too much time here; having the entire crew master Haki as soon as possible was the most important thing.
He had no interest in competing with Kid and the others to be a Supernovas.
If those Supernovass were sensible, they wouldn't cross each other. Otherwise? Heh! He'd turn them into ashes!
That's right, Chen Yu was already planning to take on two of the Four Emperors simultaneously.
He would handle Big Mom, leave Kaido to Luffy, and let Zoro pick his own opponent.
For Chen Yu, whether it was Big Mom's Prometheus, Kaido's Bolo Breath, or King's innate flames, he wanted them all!
As Chen Yu further developed his Mera Mera no Mi abilities, he found he could completely analyze certain flames, though he couldn't create new ones yet—otherwise, he'd want to create Heavenly Flames!
---While Nami and the others were talking with Kaya, the butler Kuro approached, claiming he would kick this group out, specifically hurling insults at Usopp.
This made Chen Yu's face suddenly turn dark!
Although Kuro was telling the truth—Usopp really was as pathetic as he said.
But! Usopp joining their ship was a set-in-stone fact! Luffy had already decided to invite Usopp aboard.
The others had no objections either.
In that case, don't blame him, the first mate, for being protective!Chapter 15: Straw Hat vs. Kuro's Crew
Looking at Kuro, who was still rambling on beside Kaya, a cold sneer appeared at the corner of Chen Yu's mouth!
It was just a pity for Kaya, that poor girl, who had been kept in the dark by Kuro all this time.
"To hell with it! Anyway, Kaya has Usopp to comfort her." With that thought, Chen Yu no longer hesitated. He gave Kuro a meaningful look, then reached into his pocket and, amidst Kuro's bewildered expression, pulled out a piece of old, yellowed folded paper and handed it to Kaya.
Seeing this, how could Kuro not know what that paper was? His face, once filled with confusion, was instantly clouded with gloom! He shot Chen Yu a resentful look and, without a word, leaped out the window and left.
Kuro's sudden action left everyone baffled for a moment, and Kaya, her face etched with worry, couldn't help but shout in the direction Kuro had gone: "Klahadore? Where are you going?"
Receiving no response, Kaya could only give the group a sheepish smile. "I'm so sorry! I don't know why Butler Klahadore suddenly acted like this today; he's usually not like this!"
Nami and Usopp turned to look at Chen Yu, then glanced at the yellowed paper in Kaya's hand.
By then, Kaya had also come to her senses and hurriedly unfolded the paper that had caused Kuro's strange behavior.
*Shhh! Shhh!*
Kaya unfolded the paper in a few quick movements. However, when she saw the contents, she was instantly struck with panic, her face turning pale with shock!
Seeing this, Usopp also jumped up in anxiety and exclaimed, "What happened, Kaya?"
"What exactly is written on it?"
Even the members of the Straw Hat were piqued with curiosity.
"It's a bounty poster!"
"I found it in Buggy's lair. A stranger—Captain Kuro of a Thousand Plans, with a bounty of 16,000,000 Berries!"
"I kept it in mind back then, but I never expected to run into the man himself here."
Chen Yu told a lie, his expression calm.
Buying a ship was out of the question; they wanted Kuro's head, and they wanted the ship too!
Everyone's a decent person here; if I dare to pay, would you dare to accept?
Kaya found it hard to accept for a moment, even suspecting at one point that this was Chen Yu's conspiracy.
However, once she regained her composure, she immediately recognized the authenticity of the bounty. No matter how much she didn't want to believe it, she had to accept the truth!
Although Kaya looked like a naive, sweet girl, she wasn't stupid.
She quickly analyzed the situation.
The first reaction of Captain Kuro of a Thousand Plans, with a 16-million bounty, after his identity was exposed, wasn't to silence them, but to flee in panic.
And this group of people didn't seem to fear Kuro in the slightest.
In just a few seconds, she had already figured out what to do next!
"Usopp-san! If Kuro attacks again, our village..." Kaya covered her mouth as tears fell from her eyes. At this point, let alone Usopp, even Chen Yu's heart was starting to soften.
She's got some skills! Chen Yu thought to himself.
He didn't dislike Kaya's approach; on the contrary, he thought this young girl was quite remarkable.
The initial sadness was real, the quick choice she made was the most logical one under the circumstances, and even the method she used made Chen Yu sigh in admiration!
As a master of expression management, Chen Yu could tell at a glance that Kaya's final worry for the village was also genuine!
Well, that's it; even if he hadn't planned on helping before, he had to now!
Everyone else was filled with righteous indignation, wishing they could slaughter Kuro and feast on his flesh!
Just as Chen Yu expected, Usopp pleaded with Luffy to take action, even going so far as to kneel. Luffy, who had long since considered Usopp a companion, agreed without any hesitation.
Even Nami didn't object, only shooting a glance at Chen Yu.
Chen Yu responded to Nami with only a helpless nod.
What else could he do? The Captain had already promised. As for his helplessness, it was because he hadn't even set any conditions yet! He was a pirate; since joining the crew, he hadn't planned on just being a good guy.
If they were given gifts afterward, that would be a gesture of gratitude, but it didn't stop him from making demands.
Originally, for Usopp's sake, he only intended to ask for a few million in reward. Before leaving, he'd have Luffy complain to Usopp about the ship being broken and unable to move—then he'd see if Merry and Kaya would just give them the ship.
All his calculations turned into autumn leaves, drifting away with the wind!
Leaving Chen Yu all alone to sigh! If you're not the one in charge, how would you know how expensive basic necessities are!
---For this battle, Luffy sternly warned Chen Yu not to steal his opponent!
Zoro, acting cool, unsheathed an inch of his blade and gave him a meaningful look.
Great! This habitual poser is at it again!
Chen Yu didn't refuse their requests. He silently pulled out a cigar, took a deep puff, and exhaled a long trail of smoke before responding in a low voice: "If you don't seize the opportunity yourselves, don't blame me!"
Tsk! It's just acting cool; as if I don't know how!
Chen Yu: (￣_,￣)
But Chen Yu thought, last time he stole a kill, Luffy awakened Armament Haki. If he did it again, would Luffy awaken Haoshoku too?
"Hiss! No, no, I'm the first mate after all; I shouldn't be so wicked!" Chen Yu, who was dazing off, suddenly muttered to himself.
This earned him a look of disgust from Nami beside him.
After Chen Yu's previous kill-stealing incident, both Luffy and Zoro were on their guard.
They knew all too well what "not seizing the opportunity" meant!
---Walking all the way to the coast, the group didn't encounter a single karamai.
It was Usopp who suddenly remembered that there was another coast on the other side of the island, which immediately made him jump in anxiety.
Chen Yu stopped playing dead at this point. He lightly stomped his right foot, and a sea of fire emerged from around him, carrying everyone toward the other coast. The fire wasn't hot; touching the flames only felt like a wave of warmth, but it still gave Usopp, Kaya, and the others a big fright!
"Impressive, right? Our ship's first mate!" Seeing their shock, Luffy happily jumped out to show off his first mate.
Chen Yu didn't feel much, but he was a bit dejected because he didn't see any admiration in Nami's eyes!
e(┬┬﹏┬┬)3
With the help of Chen Yu's Flame Cloud, they reached the target coast in just a few breaths.
What met their eyes was a cat-shaped pirate ship and a dense crowd of pirates.
The group's reactions varied.
Luffy and Zoro looked excited, while Usopp's legs were already trembling—he was probably thinking about what kind of "disease" he should catch at a time like this!
Kaya and Nami looked tense.
As for Chen Yu, he didn't even blink.
This time, he figured he'd just play the role of clearing out the small fries. Under Chen Yu's intentional guidance, Luffy and Zoro's strength had already increased several times over.
Armament Haki alone was enough to make them invincible.
He just hoped Jango would be more capable and ideally hypnotize both of them, so he could test his moves again!
As Luffy and the others joined the fray, Kuro couldn't sit still either.
He wasn't wary of the Straw Hat as Kaya had thought! On the contrary, he didn't take them seriously at all; in his eyes, they were just nobodies, not worth worrying about.
When he jumped out the window and fled earlier, it was purely to avoid exposing his identity, planning to find the Black Cat Pirates first to deal with everyone before coming back to take over.
Unfortunately, reality is often harsher than ideals.
He was destined not to see tomorrow's sun!
Luffy, eager to send Kuro flying, didn't pay any attention to Jango this time and charged straight at Kuro with a "Rocket."
He was afraid! Afraid that Chen Yu would steal his kill again!
This left Jango standing there all by himself, feeling quite awkward.
Chen Yu was ready to clear the small fries! He first asked Nami if she wanted to take part.
Why would she want to fight? Was that even a question Chen Yu should ask?
She immediately slapped Chen Yu on the back of the head and said irritably, "Just go already!!"
What could Chen Yu do? He felt so wronged!
He clearly wanted Nami to have a sense of involvement, but instead, he got a slap on the head.
Did she know how much psychological trauma a slap like that caused a child like him—one who was over two hundred months old?
A wronged Chen Yu could only vent his frustration on those karamai!
"Scattered formation, is it?" Chen Yu muttered, flying in mid-air atop a Flame Cloud.
In the sky, Chen Yu spread his feet slightly and slowly raised his hands, bringing his open palms closer together while softly calling out, "Tiny Sparks!"
As soon as he spoke, dense clusters of light spheres appeared in Chen Yu's palms—some bright yellow, some pale green, like a multitude of stars.
With a wave of Chen Yu's hands, these light spheres flew toward the pirates below at an incredible speed.
Commendably, the trajectories of these light spheres were random and chaotic, yet they never collided with each other, making them impossible to guard against!
"Tiny Sparks! Prairie Fire!" Chen Yu's cold voice echoed from the air.
The pirates, who were initially confused, began to wail incessantly after the Tiny Sparks erupted!
They tried to extinguish the flames by rolling on the ground, and some even ran toward the sea, hoping to put them out.
But was the fire Chen Yu called "Tiny Sparks, Prairie Fire" really that simple?
Rolling didn't put out the fire, and the pirates soaked in water continued to wail! This fire was like a bone-deep poison—unavoidable and inextinguishable, following them to the very end of the Yellow Springs!
"Done!"
Having finished his task, Chen Yu returned to Nami's side and, catching her off guard, reached out his right hand to tightly grasp her left. He just held it firmly like that!
Nami initially struggled fiercely, but when she turned to see Chen Yu's expectant and pitiful expression, she could only give up and let him have his way.
Having succeeded in his scheme, Chen Yu's heart was far from calm, thumping wildly. Feeling the small hand he held no longer struggling, the joy in his heart was irrepressible!
And Nami, whose hand was being held, seemed equally restless inside!
Though both could control their expressions, they couldn't control the adrenaline coursing through their bodies. Anyone watching closely would notice that while the two stood expressionless with their hands joined, their ears were irrepressibly flushed with a deep red...