It was at this moment that Cheng Xiaoyu, who had been anxiously waiting, finally received the long-awaited system notification.
"Ding—
[Shadow Fruit awakened, becoming Human-Human Fruit: Mythical Zoan: Shadow Monarch Form!]
[The number of extractable shadows has greatly increased, and the current limit has been raised to 10,000.]"
As this message popped up, another exciting piece of information immediately followed.
[Congratulations! You have obtained the exclusive skill: Evernight.]
Seeing this, Cheng Xiaoyu quickly checked the detailed description of this new skill.
[Evernight]Effect Description: Can form a large-scale shadow-covered area. Shadows within this area will receive comprehensive enhancement, with all attributes increasing by 60%. Furthermore, when your own and your shadows' HP drops below 30%, this skill can immediately remove all negative statuses and instantly restore them to full health. However, please note that this skill has a 24-hour cooldown period, so please use it cautiously.
Cheng Xiaoyu looked at these descriptions and couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Is that all? It seems pretty straightforward..."
But then he realized that although it looked simple, it was actually an extremely powerful ability.
First, it's important to know that the number of extractable shadows had instantly increased tenfold!
Moreover, the combat power of all shadows had received a significant 60% enhancement.
This was undoubtedly equivalent to adding an extremely powerful buff to the entire team, causing their strength to undergo a qualitative leap. Especially for Cheng Xiaoyu, who was already very strong, the impact of this improvement would be even greater.
Thinking of this, a flicker of excitement flashed in Cheng Xiaoyu's eyes, and he shouted, "Arise!"
As his command was issued, the hundreds of pirate corpses, which had originally fallen in a pool of blood and were personally slain by him, began to slowly stir.
In no time, these deceased pirates all transformed into black shadows, quickly gathering beside Cheng Xiaoyu, becoming his loyal shadow soldiers.
Upon closer inspection, it could be seen that these pirates were all burly and muscular, clearly not ordinary individuals before they were captured, merely emaciated by the Hunger Hell.
After all, without excellent physical fitness and combat ability, they wouldn't have had such enormous bounties of over 50 million Berries.
But now, these once arrogant pirates could only obediently follow Cheng Xiaoyu's command, becoming a powerful force in his hands.
[Current Extracted Shadows: 259 / 10000]
As Cheng Xiaoyu's level continuously climbed, coupled with the intense practical combat encounters he and his shadow crew members had experienced over these past days, the shadows' strength soared like a rocket.
Among these shadows, Guina's progress was undoubtedly the most significant.
Her combat power rating had now reached an astonishing S-rank!
At the same time, through long periods of diligent training and practical combat refinement, she had also successfully comprehended and mastered many astonishingly powerful One-Sword Style techniques.
For instance, "Dark Moon: Swallow Return," as elusive and ever-changing as a cold moon in the dark night; "Fleeting Bloom," which blossoms instantly yet can take an enemy's life in a blink of an eye; and "Yaksha," filled with murderous aura, terrifying as if a Yaksha had descended…
However, the fly in the ointment was that despite Guina's rapid progress in strength, as of now, she still hadn't acquired her second blade.
This was also because Cheng Xiaoyu didn't have enough points.
Just then, Cheng Xiaoyu's heart suddenly tightened, and a strong sense of crisis surged within him without warning.
His Observation Haki allowed him to perceive an extremely dangerous and powerful aura, like a surging tide, rapidly sweeping towards his location, covering everything.
Undoubtedly, this was the powerful and suffocating force.
It was Magellan, who had come to suppress Cheng Xiaoyu, followed by Hannibal and a group of guards.
Magellan stood in front of Cheng Xiaoyu with a serious expression, his eyes filled with shock and anger: "Did you really do all this?"
Cheng Xiaoyu crossed his arms, his expression calm: "Is there anyone else here?"
Magellan clenched his fist: "Do you have any idea how much chaos you've caused?"
Cheng Xiaoyu shrugged: "I'm just doing what I have to do. Even if I didn't kill them, you would have starved them to death here."
Magellan snorted coldly: "These are regulations! They committed crimes and deserve this punishment! This is not an excuse for you to act so recklessly."
Cheng Xiaoyu's lips curved into a smile: "I don't think so, but it seems you can't stop me either."
Magellan took a step forward, his poison seemingly about to erupt: "Then let's see."
The shadow soldiers behind Cheng Xiaoyu stirred restlessly, and Guina's shadow appeared beside him, long sword in hand, ready for battle.
Magellan, his name alone was enough to strike fear into the hearts of prisoners who wished to escape Impel Down.
As a Paramecia-type Venom-Venom Fruit user, his strength within Impel Down was considered absolutely ruthless, with some even believing he possessed the power to become an Admiral.
Any opponent who touched the lethal venom flowing from his body would inevitably fall into a desperate state of poisoning.
The symptoms after poisoning varied, but without exception, they were all extremely severe.
Minor cases would instantly fall unconscious, losing awareness and mobility; while severe cases could fall into an eternal slumber, never to awaken again.
This terrifying toxicity made many opponents who wished to engage Magellan in close combat wary, as a slight misstep could lead to death.
Unfortunately, the side effects of his Devil Fruit caused him to suffer from diarrhea for at least ten hours a day, leading to his low attendance rate, making him only suitable for guarding this undersea great prison.
However, such a formidable figure, who struck fear into criminals, was for the current Cheng Xiaoyu…
Average.
Truly average.
Because Cheng Xiaoyu's offensive methods were not limited to close-quarters combat; his long-range attacks were also very proficient.
Therefore, facing Magellan's powerful Venom-Venom Fruit ability, Cheng Xiaoyu remained exceptionally calm and composed.
After all, he had already clashed with top-tier powerhouses like Garp, so how could he feel fear towards Magellan?
This was the benefit of fighting Garp; by using Garp as a benchmark, he could better gauge his own strength level and estimate the strength of others.
"Since you want to fight, then of course I'll see it through to the end. It's a good opportunity to test the effects on you."
Cheng Xiaoyu's lips curved slightly upward as he said this with an air of nonchalance.
At the same time, Cheng Xiaoyu released his Conqueror's Haki, instantly sweeping across the entire area.
Ordinary guards fell one after another, and even Hannibal struggled to keep his eyes open, barely holding on…
Seeing such a situation, even Magellan couldn't help but frown.
"A bunch of fools! This isn't a pirate with a 60 million Berry bounty; a guy like this should be locked in Level 6!"
However, Cheng Xiaoyu's prelude was far from over.
The next second, he murmured:
"Evernight descends."