Chapter Twenty: Void Rift

The Human Path!

This was the new name Chu Yi had given to the "Pupil of the Soul," the third ability awakened by the Asura Pupil, following the Heaven Path and the Animal Path. Unlike the previously awakened Heaven and Animal Paths, the Human Path required no cultivation or enlightenment. It was an ability that could be used perfectly the moment the third ripple within the Asura Pupil solidified, driven by the emanations of the Asura Demon Statue.

This was undoubtedly the greatest advantage of the Human Path.

Take the Heaven Path’s power, for instance. It required incremental cultivation and repeated refinement. Only after Chu Yi had fully explored all the mysteries of the Heaven Path could he unleash its true potential. Even then, once he achieved some level of understanding, the Heaven Path still demanded constant training. The "Force of Nothingness" contained within the ultimate form of the Heaven Path was the goal of Chu Yi’s progress and the mark of mastering the power to its zenith.

As for the Animal Path... Chu Yi could at most claim a slight grasp of it. Unlike the Heaven Path, which had perfectly integrated into his own origin fruit, allowing him to discern a clear path for future growth, his understanding of the Animal Path was merely at the introductory stage. Improving it was incredibly difficult, and for now, he could only utilize a few of its minor functions.

As for the Heaven and Animal Paths, while they were indeed powerful, they were also maddeningly tedious to cultivate and progress in.

But look at the Human Path!

It contained only two abilities: first, to peer into the soul and listen to the heart’s voice; second, to grasp the soul and control thoughts. Without question, these were incredibly potent abilities. One only had to look at how Chu Yi used the Human Path to turn the tide against Kaido and secure his final victory to see their miraculous utility in battle.

So, when the blade formed from his left arm pierced through Kaido’s chest, destroying the very heart that sustained the monster's life, Chu Yi had been utterly enamored with this power—a power he had awakened even while the Asura Demon Statue remained unrecovered and he was unable to use his own fruit abilities.

But just as Chu Yi was basking in his love for this newly awakened power...

"Hum!"

The eerie purple light that had been shining on Kaido through the Asura Pupil suddenly vanished.

Immediately after, Chu Yi felt a wave of dizziness. He collapsed onto one knee, his stomach churning with violent spasms, and he began to dry-heave.

"This is..."

"Aren't these the symptoms of extreme mental exhaustion?"

"Could it be that when I used the Human Path to eavesdrop on hearts and control thoughts... I was consuming my own spirit, overdrawing my own soul?"

Well, that was that. One moment he was praising how useful the Human Path was, and the next, the backlash arrived. As a cold sweat broke out along his spine, Chu Yi couldn't help but feel a lingering fear.

A person’s spirit, when concentrated, is their soul. And the soul... was precisely the most mysterious thing in the world. Even in a world as filled with wonders as the Grand Line, there was no one who had truly mastered the study of the soul. Furthermore, if the soul or spirit were to be damaged, the consequences would be catastrophic, and recovery would be a monumental problem.

At this moment, Chu Yi felt a sense of relief. He was fortunate that the backlash from using the Human Path was merely mental exhaustion and had not caused actual damage to his spirit or soul.

But the fear was real. What if Kaido had held on just a little longer? What if overusing the Human Path had truly injured his spirit or damaged his soul?

As his body trembled slightly, Chu Yi forgot the joy of victory. In an instant, he reclassified this secret weapon that had defeated Kaido as a "nuclear option"—something never to be used unless absolutely necessary.

Relying on his own excellent recovery abilities, Chu Yi knelt there, panting heavily and dry-heaving for a long time until the symptoms of the backlash finally faded. He did not immediately check on Mihawk, Jinbe, or Gecko Moria. Instead, he stood before Kaido’s corpse, carefully observing for a long while to ensure that the future "Yonko" was truly dead. Only when the body turned from warm to cold, and he felt a secret sigh of relief at the death of such a formidable foe, did he walk over to Mihawk and the others. He helped them up one by one and said with a wry smile, "It seems we need to take a good rest before we can think about... rescuing our companions."

"Mm."

Jinbe nodded heavily, his gaze falling on Arlong in the distance. He asked, "Chu Yi, is Arlong... is he alright?"

"You still have the time to worry about others? Worry about yourself first!"

Chu Yi retorted, then turned to Mihawk. "Mihawk, how are you?"

"I'm fine. A few days of rest will be enough."

Chu Yi sighed deeply. Though he said nothing, Mihawk had undoubtedly been struck by his defeat at the hands of Kaido. However, a man like Mihawk did not need comfort; he could adjust his own mindset. Besides, a little setback was good for him. Seeing that neither Mihawk nor Jinbe needed his help, Chu Yi thought of the other person he had to deal with, and a few black lines appeared on his forehead.

Clearly, Chu Yi felt he would rather fight Kaido again than have to talk much longer to that "King of Philosophy," the chuunibyou Gecko Moria.

What a pity! After all, Moria had assisted him several times; if not for that, the Human Path might not have awakened, and he would have died at Kaido’s hands. So, dragging his heavy feet, Chu Yi walked toward Moria, silently preparing his lines, hoping to end the conversation as quickly as possible to avoid becoming a chuunibyou himself through prolonged exposure.

But just as he reached Moria and reached out to pat his shoulder to express his gratitude...

"Oh no!"

"Something's wrong!"

Moria’s exclamation suddenly put Chu Yi on high alert!

At the same time, it wasn’t just Chu Yi who went on guard; Mihawk and Jinbe nearby also assumed a defensive posture, fearing that an unexpected situation might catch them off guard. However, they had not anticipated that even with their preparations, they would be utterly helpless when the crisis finally revealed itself.

Because, just as Moria’s exclamation died away...

"Crack!"

Suddenly!

Space itself shattered!

At that moment, the entire Dark Island was enveloped in a mysterious force, and void fissures erupted across the island due to the spatial fracturing.

And one of those fissures appeared... precisely right beside Chu Yi and his companions!