Chapter Six: The Merman's Bare-Handed Combat

Arlong stared at Chu Yang, his eyes bloodshot, wanting to beg for mercy, but the paralyzing terror of death left him unable to utter a word. His mouth hung open, trembling uncontrollably.

As Chu Yang watched the blood continuously spilling from Arlong’s body, he was suddenly struck by the memory of the searing pain when a Celestial Dragon’s branding iron had been pressed against his chest. The fury of being treated like livestock simply because he was weak ignited a killing intent deep within him. He would never again allow himself to be trampled by others!

"What... what are you trying to do?!"

Arlong, on the verge of losing consciousness, was jolted back to clarity by the chilling aura emanating from Chu Yang. "If you kill me, you won't be able to stay on this ship! Brother Tiger will never allow someone who kills a comrade to remain!" Arlong shrieked hysterically, attempting to appeal to Chu Yang’s reason.

"Just now..." Chu Yang said coldly, "if I hadn't agreed to your demands, would you have spared me? Would you have spared an ordinary human?"

Arlong was rendered speechless. As Chu Yang suspected, he had no intention of letting him go; even if he hadn't killed him, he would have tossed him into the sea to fend for himself. Afterward, Arlong would simply lie and claim Chu Yang had left on his own. While he might not fool Tiger, Tiger wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. Arlong was certain that Tiger would not turn against his own kin over a single human.

"You are no different from the humans you despise," Chu Yang sneered. He abandoned the thought of killing Arlong and began to loosen the vines binding him. It wasn't out of kindness; if he killed Arlong here, he truly would have no place on the ship. More importantly, someone had arrived.

A sturdy, blue-skinned figure stood behind Chu Yang, his hands—coated in Armament Haki—resting firmly on Chu Yang’s shoulders, ready to intervene at any moment.

Chu Yang retracted his Wood Release, turned to face Jinbe, and asked calmly, "How long have you been here?"

Jinbe glanced at the bloodied Arlong, a flicker of shock crossing his eyes. He lowered his voice, forcing himself to remain composed. "When Arlong said he was taking you to rest, I felt something was off. It wasn't like him. To be safe, I followed you." Jinbe gave a wry smile. "I was afraid he’d do something foolish, and as it turns out, I was right. I just didn't expect..."

Chu Yang exhaled, as if trying to vent all the pent-up frustration in his heart. "Didn't expect that I almost killed him in self-defense?"

Jinbe nodded, saying with a tone of realization, "No wonder Brother Tiger said you saved him. So, you are a Devil Fruit user."

Frequent use of Wood Release had drained Chu Yang’s chakra to the bottom. Feeling utterly exhausted, he let his eyelids droop and said listlessly, "If you don't intend to kick me off the ship, then take me to rest. I just want to lie down and get some sleep."

Before leaving the storage hold, Jinbe cast a helpless glance at Arlong, who was leaning against the doorframe, unconscious and severely wounded. He sighed, his expression complex. Arlong’s hatred for humans ran deeper than most on the ship; if he didn't correct his mindset soon, he would likely suffer an even greater defeat at Chu Yang’s hands in the future.

Out of consideration for Chu Yang, Jinbe specially arranged a single room for him before quietly taking his leave. Once Chu Yang was settled, Jinbe hurriedly summoned the ship's doctor to treat Arlong. Shortly after, news of Arlong being severely wounded and left unconscious by Chu Yang spread throughout the crew.

Jinbe had initially considered covering it up, but he ultimately abandoned the idea. There were many fish-men on the ship who shared Arlong’s ideology. To keep them from doing something reckless, a necessary display of power was required; thus, Jinbe decided it was better to let the news get out.

Chu Yang, fast asleep in his bed, was unaware that because of this incident, Arlong had become the laughingstock of the entire ship.

The next day, having slept until noon, Chu Yang stepped onto the deck under the scorching sun. He noticed that the fish-men’s gazes toward him were markedly different from the day before. The overt disgust had faded, replaced by shock and fear. A distinct sense of distance had formed between them.

"It seems they already know," Chu Yang surveyed his surroundings, a faint smile playing on his lips. From now on, at least the noise around him would be quieter. Chu Yang had no intention of integrating with these fish-men; the Sun Pirates were merely a temporary stopover for him.

"It was my responsibility that things happened the way they did yesterday." Tiger walked over from the bow, his face weary as he apologized.

"I’m not the one who got hurt, so there’s no need to apologize," Chu Yang replied indifferently. "Though that guy Arlong will probably be bedridden for at least a week or two."

"That might be for the best. It’ll stop him from looking for trouble," Tiger said with a headache. Although he was a fish-man, he didn't care for Arlong’s volatile and radical methods. "If you need anything, just let me know." Even though the Sun Pirates had been established, Tiger clearly didn't view Chu Yang as a permanent member of the crew, maintaining a very polite distance.

They were merely companions walking the same path for a short while; they could not reach the end together. Both understood this implicitly.

Chu Yang pondered for a moment before saying, "I want to learn combat skills from Jinbe. Could you ask him to teach me?"

"Jinbe?" Tiger was momentarily stunned, then laughed. "Of course. You have a good eye; that kid’s strength and potential are extraordinary. In a few years, he’ll likely be one of the best among the fish-men."

Chu Yang smiled. *No kidding!* That was the "mere Warlord of the Sea" Jinbe! The title of one of the Seven Warlords wasn't given for nothing. What Chu Yang wanted to learn from Jinbe wasn't just Fish-Man Karate, but something more important: Haki. He had already witnessed the man’s Armament Haki the previous day.

Not long after, Tiger brought Jinbe over and explained that Chu Yang wished to learn combat from him. At this point, Jinbe still held deep suspicions toward humans, but because Chu Yang had done a favor for Tiger, he was willing to make an exception.

Jinbe reluctantly agreed to Chu Yang’s request. That very day, he began putting Chu Yang through hellish training. Whether it was out of a desire for retribution or a wish to finish the task quickly, his teaching method was incredibly rough and wild. Almost every time training ended, Chu Yang had to be carried back to his room.

As miserable as it was, Chu Yang mastered the basics of Fish-Man Karate in just three days, and his proficiency soared like a rocket. The speed of his progress was so fast it seemed inconceivable to Jinbe. In his view, Chu Yang’s learning speed surpassed that of most fish-men. Yet, Chu Yang was undeniably human... If he didn't know that Tiger would never allow it, Jinbe would have truly wanted to cut him open to see if he possessed fish-man organs.

"This is insane!"

Jinbe, refusing to believe his eyes, intensified the "torture." Yet, Chu Yang was like a sponge with no limit, frantically absorbing everything that could benefit him.