Chapter Nineteen: The Path of Humanity

The fierce battle continued.

A mere fall meant nothing to Kaido, whose physical constitution was monstrously resilient. In his eyes, stumbling had only granted Chu Yi a few extra moments of life. After quickly scrambling to his feet, Kaido ignored the dust and minor abrasions on his body, let out a savage grin, and charged at Chu Yi once more.

However, Kaido was completely oblivious to the current state of play. To Chu Yi, Kaido’s grinning charge made him look like a total fool.

"Kaido, you won't be happy for much longer. Because that fall of yours didn't just give me a few seconds to recover; it allowed me to understand the true wrath of the Asura Demon Statue."

Chu Yi mused silently, his gaze fixed on the approaching Kaido with a faint smile. He utilized the Soul Eye—the third ripple manifested within his Asura Eyes. By peering into the depths of Kaido’s soul and coordinating the Soul Eye with his Observation Haki, Chu Yi instantly grasped the enemy’s every thought.

This was the first ability of the Soul Eye, awakened by the fury of the Asura Demon Statue: Soul Insight, the power to read the thoughts of others. By focusing his gaze on a target, Chu Yi could see every strategy or contingency plan forming in the opponent's mind as clearly as if they were laid bare before him.

Take Kaido, for example. As he charged, his combat habits dictated that he would be formulating a series of offensive patterns. With the Soul Eye and Observation Haki combined, Chu Yi could hear every one of those thoughts. It was a power far more terrifying than simple foresight; it was the ability to listen to the inner voice of another.

Knowing every maneuver Kaido intended to execute before he even arrived, Chu Yi felt no trace of panic. As Kaido reached him and pulled back a fist to strike, Chu Yi smiled, unhurriedly tapping into his recovered strength to execute a "Flash Step."

"Kaido, your Armament Haki hardening is troublesome, but your attack patterns are truly too simple. You want to charge in and use brute force for a straight punch? And then follow up with a rain of blows to crush me? What a joke!"

At that thought, *whoosh!*

Chu Yi stepped out with his Flash Step. Kaido, as if choreographed to play along with Chu Yi’s performance, punched into thin air—the very spot where Chu Yi had been standing just a moment before.

"How is it possible... that punch was so fast, yet he... he dodged it in advance?"

Witnessing this, even Gecko Moria, whose Observation Haki had yet to awaken, felt a chill. Meanwhile, Mihawk and Jinbe, who had collapsed nearby and possessed a high level of mastery in Observation Haki, stared with wide eyes at the unbelievable scene, their sense of reality shaken.

What baffled them was precisely Chu Yi’s ability to peer into the soul and listen to inner thoughts. They knew that such a feat required an incredibly high level of mastery in Observation Haki. When they first met Chu Yi, his Haki had only just awakened or was barely at the entry level. How much time had passed since then? His Haki had risen like a rocket, and now, it seemed to be approaching the pinnacle of mastery.

It was impossible. Yet, just as humans instinctively deny what they cannot fathom, they doubted their own eyes. But just as a genius in a sports manga proves his worth by continuously scoring, Chu Yi did the same. While Mihawk and Jinbe tried to rationalize it as a lucky coincidence, Kaido launched into a storm of attacks.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

Chu Yi moved with fluid ease, using only the "Paper Art" technique to evade every strike. Before each of Kaido’s iron fists could land, Chu Yi dodged with agile precision. The reality of the situation silenced the doubts of Mihawk and Jinbe. As they stood in silent awe of his rapid growth, Chu Yi let out a cold hum.

Having evaded the barrage, Chu Yi seized his moment. He unleashed the second ability of the Soul Eye: Thought Control.

*Boom!*

As Kaido’s flurry ended, Chu Yi’s left arm transformed into a blade. Catching the momentary opening, he unleashed a "Sea-Splitting" sword strike. A gale erupted, the blade energy locking onto Kaido’s body. Kaido relied on his Armament Haki hardening, believing it was impenetrable, and made no effort to dodge.

*Hum!*

The Soul Eye flared with mystical power. A violet light radiated from Chu Yi’s eyes, enveloping the milky-white aura of Kaido’s soul. Through this ethereal channel, Chu Yi’s own soul energy surged into Kaido’s body, catching him completely off guard and seizing control of his mind.

In an instant, Kaido’s Armament Haki dissipated. Almost simultaneously, the "Sea-Splitting" strike descended, Chu Yi’s blade piercing through Kaido’s chest and shattering his heart.

"Concentration of the spirit is the soul. The condensation of the soul is my Soul Eye. It is also known as... the Human Path."