Chapter Sixty: The Greatest in the World

“Hm?”
“That intense heat... what could it be?”
The figure was already fading above the sacred land of Mariejois. Chu Yi, assured of the safety of himself, Hancock, and the others, suddenly lowered his gaze, his sharp senses locking onto the presence that made him feel as if he were sitting on needles.
Separated by thousands of meters, Chu Yi and Akainu exchanged their auras, clashing in spirit, neither willing to yield.
Yet this contest did not last long. As the distance grew, Akainu could still sense Chu Yi, but Chu Yi found himself unable to feel Akainu’s presence any longer.
The reason was clear—Chu Yi’s Observation Haki was still not as strong as Akainu’s!
Indeed.
After recalling his Shadow Clones from their battles with the elite naval officers, and turning his focus to the destruction of half of Mariejois, the “experience points” returned from the clones began to accumulate. Chu Yi’s “Paper Art” instinct underwent a new transformation, evolving from the basics of Observation Haki to its true awakening.
With Observation Haki truly awakened, it was undeniably much stronger than the “Paper Art” instinct.
One could say that Chu Yi’s powers of perception, after awakening his Observation Haki, were worlds apart from what they had been.
But...
Chu Yi’s Observation Haki had merely reached the stage of awakening—it was not fully awakened, nor had he mastered it. Simply put, Chu Yi could instinctively use Observation Haki in battle, but how to employ it skillfully, or how to train it deeply, was still a mystery to him.
He planned to seek guidance from Tiger when free.
But thinking of Tiger teaching him Fishman Karate...
Alright, perhaps it was better to ask Rayleigh!
Chu Yi did not dwell on the fact that he was somewhat inferior to Akainu in their aura clash. He never liked comparing his weaknesses to others’ strengths. Soon, he stopped thinking about the threat from Akainu, focusing instead on restoring his stamina and energy, while leading Hancock, Tiger, and the others towards the island.
The Sabaody Archipelago!
...
One day later.
Traveling day and night did not leave Chu Yi more exhausted; on the contrary, relying on his fruit abilities, the weary Chu Yi became spirited and lively.
Thus, not long after arriving at Sabaody, with Tiger’s help, Chu Yi and his group successfully infiltrated the heavily guarded archipelago. Especially when Chu Yi tried to control his Observation Haki to sense and observe the island, he vaguely felt a cold, terrifying presence. Knowing Aokiji was on this fortified island, Chu Yi grew ever more cautious.
Led by Tiger, Chu Yi and his companions finally slipped into a bar in Area 13. When they saw Shakky, who was likely Rayleigh’s “friend,” Chu Yi hadn’t yet introduced himself when Shakky, two fingers pinching her cigarette, stared at him in surprise. After a long moment, she exclaimed,
“Ray... Rayleigh! Look who’s back!”
“Who is it?”
Annoyed, Rayleigh, still hungover and sleepy, shuffled out. At a glance, he saw Chu Yi, and his drowsy eyes instantly grew alert.
“Little Chu Yi? You... how did you get here?”
“Uncle Rayleigh, aren’t you happy to see me?” Chu Yi replied with a smile.
“Of course I’m happy!”
Rayleigh chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head. “I just didn’t expect to see you again on Sabaody so soon after we parted. To tell the truth, because of you, security here has gotten much tighter lately. You managed to sneak in, and even found where I was hiding. Whose credit is that?”
“The kid said you were here, so I brought him along.”
Tiger explained gruffly, clearly uncomfortable around humans other than Chu Yi, Hancock, and the others.
After saying this, Tiger went off to one side, silently guarding Smoker and Lucci, who were captives.
Rayleigh was used to Tiger’s oddities. After Tiger’s explanation and sensing the aura emanating from Chu Yi, Rayleigh didn’t press further about how Chu Yi had found his hideout. Instead, he poured drinks for Chu Yi and Hancock’s three sisters, then poured himself a glass of wine, waiting quietly for Chu Yi to state his purpose.
Only Shakky seemed unsettled.
As a master of intelligence gathering, she had heard Rayleigh mention Lucci, but never Smoker. Just one glance at Smoker, Shakky’s feminine intuition told her that Chu Yi’s arrival surely brought trouble.
Just then...
“Coo...”
“Coo...”
The newspaper-delivering seagull flew into Shakky’s bar.
The seagull, wearing its postman’s cap, expertly placed the newspaper on Shakky’s table, drank some water from the dish prepared for it, and then hurriedly flew off.
As usual, Shakky picked up the newspaper. Distracted, she had little interest in reading it, and seeing Chu Yi and the others enjoying their juice and not speaking, she took a deep drag of her cigarette, smiled at Chu Yi, and said, “You’re Chu Yi, right? I heard about you from Rayleigh. Since you managed to find this place, you must know who I am, so there’s no need for introductions.”
“Rayleigh said you went to rescue someone. Now...”
She glanced at Sanda and Mary, smiling as she continued, “I suppose you’ve succeeded in your rescue? So, is there another reason you’ve come to see Rayleigh?”
“Well, actually I wanted to ask, but felt too embarrassed.”
Seeing Shakky’s subtle challenge to Chu Yi, Rayleigh laughed awkwardly and said, “Little Chu Yi, there are no outsiders here—just speak your mind.”
“Alright, I’ll be direct.”
Chu Yi nodded. “Uncle Rayleigh, I actually have no other reason but to ask you how to train Haki. With your strength, I’m sure you’ve already sensed my Observation Haki awakening. So, if you have time, could you teach me how to train it? Because I’m in some trouble lately, I fear...”
“I fear I can’t stay long on Sabaody!”
Chu Yi scratched his head in embarrassment, knowing he was causing Rayleigh more trouble.
He hadn’t paid back his previous debts, and now he was asking Rayleigh to teach him Observation Haki—it was indeed shameful.
But Rayleigh was not the sort to hold grudges. After listening, he silently praised Chu Yi for stepping onto the right path and finally recognizing the importance of Haki.
With a gentle smile, Rayleigh said, “Training Haki isn’t accomplished overnight. You’re a bit impatient, little Chu Yi, but even with the methods, it takes days to master. So...”
“So, little Chu Yi, just stay here for a while. Wait until you’ve grasped the basics of Observation Haki before you leave!”
“I’m not sure that’s wise...”
Chu Yi glanced at Shakky, embarrassed. “The ‘little trouble’ I mentioned... is actually quite troublesome!”
“What are you afraid of?”
Rayleigh patted his chest proudly. “With me here, no matter how big or small the trouble, it’s not trouble at all!”
“Right, Shakky?”
Rayleigh looked confidently at Shakky, clearly hoping for her support.
In the past, Shakky would certainly have backed Rayleigh up—she had that confidence, believing Rayleigh could handle any trouble in the world.
But this time, as Chu Yi and Rayleigh spoke, Shakky’s gaze fell on the newspaper in her hand. Just seeing the headline on the front page made her eye twitch fiercely.
After comparing the photo in the newspaper to Chu Yi for a long time, she realized that Rayleigh’s “little brother Chu Yi” was the same person as the one featured on the front page’s wanted poster.
She sighed deeply, covered her forehead with her hand, and said wearily, “Rayleigh, I’m afraid Chu Yi’s trouble is beyond your abilities.”
“Because right now...”
“He’s officially recognized by the World Government as the most dangerous criminal in the world!”