With the talents, potential, and strength stacked on top of him from Naruto-world Chu Yang, learning anything now came far more easily to Chu Yang than it ever would for an ordinary person.
After just another four days, his mastery of Fish-Man Karate rose yet another level.
Jinbe decided it was time to evaluate Chu Yang's training results.
On the deck, the two held a unique Fish-Man Karate match.
Aside from Fish-Man Karate, neither side was allowed to use any other abilities.
At first, the Fish-Men aboard thought Jinbe was joking. How could a human who had only been on the ship for a week possibly learn Fish-Man Karate so quickly?
Even starting from the womb wouldn't be enough!
With skepticism and disbelief, the entire Sun Pirates gathered to witness the match between Chu Yang and Jinbe.
Even Arlong was present. His upper body was wrapped in bandages as he stood at the edge of the deck, his gaze never leaving Chu Yang.
"You attack first," Jinbe said openly, standing directly in front of Chu Yang without even taking a defensive stance.
"Alright." Chu Yang, always decisive, didn't hesitate. He clenched his fist near his abdomen, his body drawing slightly back like a compressed spring.
He gathered his strength into his fist and threw a powerful punch, the force tearing through the air and forming a violent shockwave.
[Fish-Man Karate · Vacuum Brick Fist]
This was a technique Chu Yang developed by modifying Jinbe's Brick Fist.
Longer range. More concentrated power.
Thanks to Wood Release, Chu Yang's cellular activity had been steadily increasing. The power of this punch was already no weaker than Jinbe's original technique—if anything, it was even stronger.
Jinbe didn't realize how terrifying the attack was until the cannonball-like shockwave was right in front of him, crushing down with immense pressure.
"Shark Brick Fist!"
Jinbe's thick blue arm bulged with frightening muscles as he slammed a punch straight into the air.
Boom!
The air seemed to be ripped apart by brute force, exploding into countless turbulent currents that surged outward, directly knocking the Fish-Men spectators off their feet.
Arlong stared in horror at the two fighters, who had exchanged only a single move—the scale of it far exceeded his imagination.
"This guy actually learned Fish-Man Karate?!"
"And he's evenly matched with Brother Jinbe!"
"Does he have Fish-Man blood or something?!"
The Fish-Men erupted into discussion, staring at Chu Yang in shock. Tiger stood there with his mouth open, completely at a loss for how to express what he was feeling.
"Well done, kid!" Jinbe grinned for the first time at Chu Yang, casting aside his earlier contempt. "In that case, I'll have to get serious with you!"
Chu Yang smiled back, excitement blazing in his eyes, tinged with that same bloodthirsty fervor from before.
Seeing this, Arlong shuddered, a chill creeping up from his spine.
The two clashed again, abandoning meaningless probing and jumping straight into the simplest, most brutal form of combat—
Close-quarters brawling.
Fist against flesh!
Yet the disparity in size between the human Chu Yang and Jinbe was enormous, making it hard to believe Chu Yang could withstand Jinbe's ferocious assault.
In his youthful body, Chu Yang was barely taller than Jinbe's waist, his thigh no thicker than Jinbe's arm.
When their fists collided, it was like two matchsticks smashing against logs thick enough to take several people to embrace.
The sheer visual contrast made the battle terrifying to behold.
Tiger was terrified that Chu Yang's small body would snap under Jinbe's blows at any moment.
And indeed—
Every exchange made Chu Yang feel as though his body was about to fall apart. The force carried in Jinbe's fists was like invisible waves, battering every muscle and bone in Chu Yang's body.
A normal person would have collapsed long ago.
But Chu Yang's regenerative ability was something others couldn't even imagine, giving him the foundation to keep standing.
Moreover, Jinbe wasn't using Haki, keeping everything within Chu Yang's tolerance.
Their battle stretched from noon until sunset—
Then from sunset until the stars filled the sky, before finally coming to an end.
Jinbe was exhausted.
He lay flat on the deck, gasping for breath, his body covered in bruises and welts—an awful sight.
Chu Yang didn't look much better, his face swollen and battered.
But there was one crucial difference.
Chu Yang was still standing.
Before everyone's eyes, Chu Yang—who had only been learning Fish-Man Karate for a single week—had actually fought Jinbe to a draw without using Wood Release.
The result shocked everyone.
Just one week!
Chu Yang had gone from a complete novice in close combat to an elite Fish-Man Karate practitioner.
Tiger stared blankly at Chu Yang, as if looking at some unknown monster.
Having already witnessed Chu Yang's abilities in Mary Geoise, Tiger never thought Chu Yang was ordinary—but even so, his talent still left Tiger stunned.
Jinbe said speechlessly, "Kid, you're ridiculously tough!"
Chu Yang grinned. "You're not as tough as I imagined!"
"Hahaha!" Jinbe laughed loudly. "This one's on me. Next time we fight again—but next time, I won't hold back."
Chu Yang snorted. "If you use Haki, I won't stand a chance. Forget it."
Jinbe replied, "You can use your Devil Fruit ability too."
Chu Yang shook his head again. "Still can't win, still can't win…"
Jinbe rubbed his temples, then came up with a compromise. "Alright then. I'll teach you Haki. After that, we'll fight again using Haki."
Chu Yang smiled in satisfaction, then slowly collapsed to the ground. He'd truly reached his limit.
From that day on, the Sun Pirates no longer had any gossip about Chu Yang.
No one dared to look at him with discriminatory hatred either.
Wherever Chu Yang went, all he felt were gazes of respect.
Respect for the strong.
Only Arlong dared not speak. Even when passing Chu Yang, he would lower his head and hurry past.
Two days after the duel, Chu Yang eagerly sought Jinbe out again to learn Haki.
He loved this state—learning everything faster than anyone else.
Every moment, his strength was visibly increasing.
It was intoxicating—impossible to pull away from.
"Truly a monster," Jinbe muttered, still covered in bruises as he looked at Chu Yang, who had already fully recovered. "Tell me honestly—are you really human?"
"Isn't that a stupid question?!" Chu Yang rolled his eyes. "Which part of me doesn't look human?"
Jinbe clicked his tongue in amazement and shook his head. "Every part of you…"
"Stop insulting me in a roundabout way!" Chu Yang laughed angrily. "Hurry up and teach me Haki!"
Left with no choice, Jinbe honestly began explaining the power of Haki to Chu Yang.
At the same time, inside the captain's cabin, Tiger's expression was extremely grim.
In his hand were the newspaper and bounty poster delivered that morning by the News Coo.
On the poster was his own face.
Bounty: 500,000,000 Beli.
(End of Chapter)
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