Chapter 10: Unexplained Assistance

"Trouble... big trouble!"

An eerie power emerged suddenly, followed immediately by an infinite suction force.

In the very instant that infinite suction appeared, Chu Yi actually had a chance to escape. At first, the force was only capable of pulling at him, attempting to draw him in. With his formidable physical constitution, Chu Yi could have easily broken free with a sudden burst of power, just as Gekko Moriah, Mihawk, or Jinbe might have done, and escaped without issue.

But who could have guessed...

Just as Chu Yi was about to unleash his immense physical strength to break free, a cold, ruthless voice echoed in his mind.

*Ding!*

"Host, you have triggered a Special Awakening Mission. Do you accept?"

Huh?

A Special Awakening Mission!

Undoubtedly, had the system not issued this mission so suddenly, Chu Yi would never have missed his window to escape. After all, the power creating this infinite suction was truly bizarre. Even top-tier powerhouses like Chu Yi and Mihawk felt a faint sense of trepidation from it, which was enough to prove that being drawn into it would have terrifying consequences.

But as fate would have it, the timing of the mission was incredibly unfortunate.

One must understand that for Chu Yi, Special Awakening Missions were of vital importance. It was by completing his first one that he had mastered the powers of the Heavenly Dao. Whether it was "Shinra Tensei," "Bansho Ten'in," or the "Gravitational Domain," these were all indispensable, frequently used techniques from back when he could still utilize his Devil Fruit abilities.

Furthermore... the power of nothingness derived from the Heavenly Dao was a capability unmatched by ordinary men. If he could successfully master that power, then high-ranking Marine officers like Zeff or even the world-dominating Whitebeard would be nothing but trifles before him!

It was precisely because he recalled the benefits gained from completing that first mission that Chu Yi hesitated for half a second when the system issued this new one.

And that half-second was all it took...

*Whoosh!*

A gale erupted, and the heavens shifted!

On Dark Island, where it was always night, the ground began to tremble faintly, and the clouds in the sky were completely scattered by an inexplicable force. It felt as if the island, trapped in eternal darkness, was finally about to see its first dawn. Yet, at the same time, the power contained within the infinite suction force holding Chu Yi suddenly surged several times over, leaving him no time to "admire" the strange phenomena occurring on the island!

*Must not be sucked in!*

At that moment, this was the only thought in Chu Yi's mind!

Because of this, when the suction force surged and began to slowly pull part of his body into its vortex, a sharp glint flashed in Chu Yi's eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, he used his free right arm as a blade and unleashed his strongest strike!

"Gale Style!"

"Sky Breaker!"

*Rumble!*

As the blade descended, another violent wind appeared in an instant!

It was Chu Yi's wind! It was also Chu Yi's sword intent!

The perfect fusion of swordsmanship and intent, combined with his peak physical condition—this was Chu Yi's ultimate strike!

Known as... Sky Breaker!

As the "Sky Breaker" sword momentum successfully slashed down, aimed directly at the force that sought to pull him in...

*Crack... crack!*

The sound of shattering echoed in Chu Yi's ears.

The next second, Chu Yi felt the suction behind him weaken slightly and prepared to seize the opportunity to use "Gale Step" to escape.

But what he never expected was...

Before he could even execute "Gale Step," accompanied by one final *crack*, the terrifying suction of that eerie power actually intensified several times over!

"What is this?"

"Is this... getting stronger as it gets hurt?"

He had clearly felt the core of that power suffer damage, and the strength of the suction had undeniably weakened. Chu Yi had thought it was a perfect chance to escape; how could he have imagined that the bizarre force, upon having its core injured, would surge with even more power after a brief moment of decline?

Moreover, the renewed intensity of the suction made his situation infinitely more dangerous!

His "Sky Breaker" strike was the only trump card he had while his Devil Fruit abilities were unusable. But such a trump card could not be used lightly; if it didn't defeat the enemy, Chu Yi would need a long period of rest to recover his peak strength!

Now, things had gone wrong.

"Sky Breaker" had failed to achieve its intended effect, and now Chu Yi, unable to maintain his peak state, had to face an even stronger suction force.

Without even a microsecond to spare, the infinite suction swallowed half of his body!

And as he was pulled in, a bizarre sensation washed over him!

In an instant, Chu Yi could no longer maintain his state of clarity, focus, or "returning to simplicity." Under the shroud of that strange power, it was as if he had lost the ability to think. His eyes became dull, and his Shura pupils, which he could no longer keep open, slowly drifted apart, yet the gaze reflected within them was equally lifeless!

At this point, it was clear: if he were fully sucked in, having lost the ability to think, there would be no possibility of escaping that infinite void.

However, at this critical juncture, Chu Yi unexpectedly received help!

The person was not Mihawk, nor was it Jinbe, who had been looking after Arlong!

That person was... Gekko Moriah!

"Shadow Revolution!"

*Whoosh!*

As Chu Yi faced his dire predicament, Moriah suddenly acted. The shadow beneath his feet seemed to hear a summons, darting forward with incredible speed. Before Chu Yi was completely consumed, the shadow tightly coiled around his body.

Remaining in a place untouched by the strange power, Moriah used his shadow to bind Chu Yi, engaging in a tug-of-war to prevent him from being pulled in.

But the strength of a single Gekko Moriah was clearly insufficient to contend with that eerie power.

However, do not forget...

Chu Yi had that great master, "Hawk-Eyes," by his side!

Initially, Mihawk might have been caught off guard, not realizing just how critical Chu Yi's situation was. But once Moriah had made his move to save him, how could Mihawk sit idly by?

Immediately...

*Whoosh!*

Wielding his wooden sword with focused intensity, Mihawk unleashed a strike. That blow, rivaling Chu Yi's "Sky Breaker," finally checked the infinite suction, allowing Moriah to successfully "pull" Chu Yi out.

Then, as Chu Yi's safety was secured, the strange phenomena on Dark Island began to fade, and that eerie, terrifying power gradually dissipated as well.

Gasping for air, Chu Yi felt cold sweat bead on his forehead whenever he recalled the sensation of being controlled by that power.

However, before pondering the nature of that strange force, Chu Yi had something more important to attend to than checking the details of the Special Awakening Mission. As his stiffened thoughts slowly returned to normal, he turned directly toward Gekko Moriah, furrowed his brows, and asked the question everyone present wanted to know.

"Gekko Moriah, you..."

"Why did you save me?"