Chapter Forty-Six: The Sixth District

Releasing the fury in his heart, Akainu brought down his fist, sending searing, crimson magma surging skyward. The force of it was so immense that even Chu Yi and Tiger, far atop the Red Line, could feel it clearly. Especially Tiger, adept in Observation Haki, who felt that violent aura and his pupils contracted slightly as he murmured, "That is..."

"That's the power of the Magma Fruit," Chu Yi replied quietly, taking a deep breath. He thought to himself, "So the pursuer behind us is Akainu. This won't do, we must hurry—if we really have to face Akainu, our plan might be doomed!"

At that thought, Chu Yi ceased his climbing, pressed his palms together, and began using his "Anti-Gravity Field" to support himself and propel Tiger and the others forward. Clearly, Chu Yi had been training as he climbed the Red Line, pushing himself to the limit by scaling it with his bare hands, hoping to break through once more before arriving at the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.

But upon realizing the pursuer was the one he least wanted to face—Akainu—Chu Yi abandoned thoughts of training. For Akainu was not only the Navy's supreme force in the early days of the pirate saga, later promoted to Fleet Admiral, but also an extremist obsessed with his own brand of "justice." For this so-called justice, Akainu would hide in the shadows, resort to any means. When confronting enemies, he never showed mercy—one second you might be his comrade, the next, if he felt you betrayed his justice, you became his foe.

In Chu Yi's eyes, Akainu was far more threatening than Aokiji or Kizaru. Just like Straw Hat Luffy in the original tale—he twice encountered Navy Admirals, but was fortunate to meet Aokiji, who had ties to Garp, and the easy-going Kizaru. Had he crossed paths with Akainu instead, the pirate story might have ended long ago!

Thus, giving up on training, Chu Yi expertly used the "Anti-Gravity Field" to assist the others. Soon, the cliffs before him vanished, signaling that they had reached the top of the Red Line. Yet, scaling the summit was merely the beginning. As Chu Yi reached the peak and saw the Navy's rigorous defenses, he glanced at Tiger in surprise, genuinely curious how Tiger originally infiltrated Mary Geoise in the pirate saga.

At that moment, what did Chu Yi see atop the Red Line? He saw fortress-like structures, as impenetrable as steel beasts, guarding Mary Geoise. With a single glance, thousands of elite Navy soldiers entered his view, among them dozens who posed a genuine threat.

"This... This is the formidable guard of Mary Geoise? Truly impressive!" Chu Yi sighed inwardly, fully aware that such terrifying defenses existed partly because the Celestial Dragons resided here, and partly because it was the seat of the World Government. This was the highest center of power, home to the world's aristocrats—the Celestial Dragons. If anything happened here, it would be a slap in the face to the World Government. Their dignity could not be sullied; thus, even in peacetime, sneaking into Mary Geoise was nearly impossible.

Yet Tiger, in the original saga, was the one who caused havoc in Mary Geoise. With such daunting defenses, surely Tiger had some special means of getting in. Chu Yi's curiosity fell upon Tiger, who met his gaze and sighed deeply, saying, "Kid, keep your prisoners in check and follow me. I have a way to sneak you all inside."

"But remember, kid, whatever happens, don't be surprised, and—"

"Don't let anger cloud your mind and forget our purpose here, alright?"

"No problem!" Chu Yi nodded vigorously. Though Tiger spoke with utmost seriousness, Chu Yi initially paid little heed. In his mind, he’d weathered countless storms, fought Admirals and Vice-Admirals—what could possibly cause him to lose control?

Soon, under Tiger's guidance, Chu Yi and his companions crawled into a tunnel. The passage was long and cramped—Chu Yi and Hancock managed better, as their bodies were still growing, but Tiger and Lucci struggled with their size. Despite the difficulty, Tiger remained silent, which puzzled Chu Yi about what the tunnel meant to him.

Sensing Tiger's abnormal mood, Chu Yi suppressed his questions, keeping his confusion to himself. The tunnel seemed endless, and their slow progress delayed the group. Chu Yi worried that lingering too long would allow Akainu to catch up, but finally, a sliver of light appeared, lifting his spirits.

Yet, as Chu Yi stepped from the darkness into the passage, expecting to see the splendor of the Holy Land, he was shocked to find himself in a scene akin to a hellish purgatory. On the tattered streets, bones lay everywhere, and people—crippled, diseased, filthy with blood and pus—wailed in agony.

What... What was this? Mary Geoise, the seat of the World Government, home to privileged Celestial Dragons, could such filth exist here?

He wanted to question Tiger if this truly was Mary Geoise.

But recalling Tiger's earlier warning, Chu Yi silently drew Hancock close, keeping her at his side, and escorted Lucci in silence, following Tiger deeper in.

Yet, just as Chu Yi thought what he'd seen so far was enough to shatter his worldview, venturing further revealed he was wrong. In this street, the wounded and the elderly killed each other for scraps of food—food that, shockingly, was the corpses of the dead.

No wonder the bones bore bite marks! At first, Chu Yi thought beasts had made them, never imagining they were human in origin. No, those living here were no longer human—they were like demons from hell.

Here, anything Chu Yi could imagine happened, nothing was impossible. He saw people who had just died, their flesh immediately torn apart in a frenzy, leaving only bones. He saw a woman, freshly delivered of a child, beaten to death, and her newborn consumed as food.

Suppressing his rage, Chu Yi found himself at a loss for words to describe his fury. After ten minutes of witnessing these horrors, his patience finally reached its limit.

So, as they exited that street of demons and entered a slightly cleaner one, Chu Yi stopped and forcefully patted Tiger’s shoulder, demanding, "Tiger, can you explain what that street was about?"

"Kid, your privileges are truly different from ours—you don't even know about 'Sector Six,'" Tiger replied, turning and pointing to Hancock. "Little girl, you explain to the kid what 'Sector Six' is."

"Mm..." Hancock nodded, her spirits low. Facing Chu Yi, she forced a weak smile and explained in the calmest voice she could manage, "Chu Yi, this is 'Sector Six.' It's where the Celestial Dragons dump their garbage—"

"The filthiest place in Mary Geoise!"