Seeing Chu Yang's bloodshot eyes, Arlong wanted to beg for mercy—but the terror of death locked his throat, leaving him unable to speak.
His mouth hung open as his entire body trembled uncontrollably.
Watching the blood continuously spilling from Arlong's body, Chu Yang suddenly recalled the agony of the Celestial Dragon's branding iron being slammed into his chest.
The fury of being trampled and butchered simply because he was weak ignited a murderous intent deep within Chu Yang's heart.
He would never allow others to trample on him again.
"Y-you… what are you trying to do?!"
On the verge of losing consciousness, Arlong was jolted awake by the chilling aura radiating from Chu Yang.
"If you kill me, you won't be able to stay on this ship! Brother Tiger will never allow someone who kills their own companions to remain!"
Arlong screamed hysterically, desperately trying to awaken Chu Yang's reason.
"Just now…" Chu Yang said coldly, "if I hadn't agreed with you, would you have let me go? Would you have spared an ordinary human?"
Arlong was instantly rendered speechless.
Just as Chu Yang had guessed, Arlong had never planned to spare him. Even if he didn't kill Chu Yang outright, he would have thrown him into the sea and let him fend for himself.
Afterward, Arlong could simply claim that Chu Yang left on his own. Even if Tiger didn't fully believe it, there would be nothing he could do.
Arlong was certain Tiger would never turn against his own people for the sake of a single human.
"You're no different from the humans you despise…" Chu Yang sneered. He abandoned the idea of killing Arlong and began loosening the vines restraining him.
It wasn't that Chu Yang had suddenly grown soft-hearted. If he killed Arlong here, there truly would be no way for him to remain on the ship.
More importantly—
Someone had arrived.
A burly, blue-skinned figure stood behind Chu Yang. Hands coated in Armament Haki rested on Chu Yang's shoulders, ready to save Arlong at any moment.
Chu Yang released Wood Release and turned to look at Jinbe, asking calmly, "How long have you been here?"
Jinbe glanced at the blood-soaked Arlong, shock flashing through his eyes.
Lowering his voice as much as possible, he replied, "When Arlong said he'd take you to rest, I felt something was off. That wasn't like him. Just in case, I followed you the whole way."
Jinbe gave a bitter smile. "I was worried he'd do something stupid. Turns out I was right—though I didn't expect…"
Chu Yang exhaled slowly, as if expelling all the pent-up resentment in his chest. "You didn't expect I'd almost kill him instead?"
Jinbe nodded, his tone suddenly enlightened. "No wonder Brother Tiger said you saved him. So you're an ability user."
Repeated use of Wood Release had drained Chu Yang's chakra completely. He was exhausted, his eyelids drooping as he spoke weakly.
"If you're not planning to throw me off the ship, then take me to rest."
"Right now, all I want is to lie down and sleep."
Before leaving the lower storage hold, Jinbe glanced helplessly at Arlong, who lay unconscious against the doorway, grievously injured. He let out a complicated sigh.
Arlong's hatred toward humans was far stronger than that of most Fish-Men on the ship. If he didn't correct his mindset, he would likely suffer an even greater loss at Chu Yang's hands in the future.
Out of consideration for Chu Yang, Jinbe arranged a private cabin for him before quietly leaving.
After settling Chu Yang in, Jinbe immediately sent the ship's doctor to treat Arlong. Soon after, news that Arlong had been severely injured and left unconscious by Chu Yang spread throughout the ship.
At first, Jinbe considered covering for Arlong—but later abandoned the idea.
There were plenty of Fish-Men aboard who shared Arlong's views.
To prevent them from doing anything foolish, proper intimidation was necessary. After thinking it through, Jinbe decided it was better to let the news spread.
—
Fast asleep on his bed, Chu Yang had no idea that because of this incident, Arlong had already become the laughingstock of the entire ship.
The next day, Chu Yang slept until noon before stepping onto the deck under the blazing sun. He immediately noticed that the Fish-Men were looking at him very differently than before.
There was far less disgust in their eyes—replaced instead by shock and fear.
A clear sense of distance separated both sides.
"So… they already know," Chu Yang glanced around, a faint smile curling at his lips. From now on, at least, the noise around him would finally quiet down.
He had no intention of bonding with the Fish-Men anyway. The Sun Pirates were nothing more than a temporary foothold.
"What happened yesterday was my responsibility," Tiger said apologetically as he walked over from the bow, his face worn with fatigue.
"I wasn't the one who got hurt. There's no need to apologize," Chu Yang replied calmly. "That guy named Arlong probably won't be getting out of bed for at least ten days or half a month."
"That's not a bad thing," Tiger said with a headache. "At least he won't be looking for trouble all the time."
Although he was a Fish-Man himself, Tiger never liked Arlong's violent, radical way of handling things.
"If you need anything, just tell me," Tiger added. Despite officially founding the Sun Pirates, he clearly didn't treat Chu Yang as a true crewmate—his attitude was exceptionally polite.
They were companions traveling the same road for a time, but not destined to walk it to the end. Both of them understood this tacitly.
After some thought, Chu Yang spoke up. "I want to learn some combat skills from Jinbe. Can you ask him to teach me?"
"Jinbe?" Tiger froze for a moment, then laughed. "Of course. You've got a good eye. That kid's strength and potential are extraordinary. In a few more years, he'll probably become one of the top figures among the Fish-Men."
Chu Yang smiled.
No kidding!
That was Jinbe—the legendary "just a Yonko" guy! The title of Seven Warlords of the Sea wasn't given for nothing!
What Chu Yang wanted from Jinbe wasn't just Fish-Man Karate—but something even more important: Haki. He'd already seen Jinbe's Armament Haki with his own eyes the day before.
Not long after, Tiger brought Jinbe over and explained that Chu Yang wanted to learn combat from him.
At this point, Jinbe still harbored deep wariness toward humans. It was only because Chu Yang had helped Tiger that he treated him as a special case.
Reluctantly, Jinbe agreed to Chu Yang's request.
That very day, Jinbe began subjecting Chu Yang to hellish training.
Whether Jinbe harbored some subtle desire for retaliation—or simply wanted to finish the task quickly—his teaching style was brutally rough.
Almost every training session ended with Chu Yang being carried back to his room.
Painful as it was, Chu Yang only needed three days to complete the basics of Fish-Man Karate, and his proficiency skyrocketed like a rocket.
The speed of his progress left Jinbe utterly dumbfounded. In Jinbe's eyes, Chu Yang was learning Fish-Man Karate faster than most Fish-Men.
Yet Chu Yang was undeniably human…
If Tiger wouldn't have forbidden it, Jinbe would've genuinely wanted to cut Chu Yang open and see whether Fish-Man organs were growing inside him.
"This is insane!"
Unwilling to accept it, Jinbe intensified Chu Yang's "torture." Unfortunately for him, Chu Yang was now like a bottomless sponge—madly absorbing everything that benefited him.
(End of Chapter)