Chapter 51: The Direction of the Future

At night, Chu Yang was exercising alone on the deck. A moment later, a figure walked out of the cabin and came to Chu Yang's side.

"Why not accept Brother Tiger's invitation?" Jinbe looked at Chu Yang in confusion. He had originally thought that after experiencing so many battles, everyone had long since become companions.

Chu Yang stopped his movements, sat down slowly, and explained, "If it were the Tiger who planned to travel around the world before, I would have joined him without hesitation. But now, all his energy is focused on liberating slaves. That is his ideal, not mine."

Jinbe fell into silence. Indeed, as Chu Yang said, everyone's ideals are different. Using one's own ideals to kidnap the freedom of others, no matter how great and just one's own ideals are, is it right to do so? After thinking for a long time, Jinbe sighed up at the sky, his face full of regret. In his eyes, Chu Yang was a junior with a bright future. It was a pity for such a person to leave the Sun Pirates!

Jinbe, full of regret, sat down on the deck and asked, "Then is your ideal the same as Brother Tiger's before, to travel around the world?"

Chu Yang laughed, "Something like that. I want to walk around and see, fight with some strong people, hone myself, and also want to see the scenery all over the world. Since I've come to this world, I can't let the Navy chase me like a dog forever, right?"

Jinbe reminded, "Based on your previous performance, I'm afraid you've already attracted the attention of the Navy. You will still be wanted after you get off the ship."

Chu Yang replied firmly, "Wanted is wanted. At least I can freely decide where I want to go."

Jinbe sighed, "You really look like a real pirate now."

"I already am..." Chu Yang also felt a bit emotional, then he patted Jinbe on the shoulder and laughed, "Don't be discouraged, I'm not leaving immediately. I still have to stay for a while."

Jinbe showed a rare smile.

Chu Yang looked at the moon hanging high on the horizon and began to think about what the *Magic* Chu Yang had said to him in the Soul Palace.

There are many people proficient in Haki in the *One Piece* world, but those who possess Conqueror's Haki are rare. Currently, there are only a dozen or so known people. Except for Boa Hancock, who has not yet grown up, and the late Pirate King Roger and Kozuki Oden, almost all the others are famous big pirates.

The Navy also has strong people who understand Conqueror's Haki, but Chu Yang, who was a slave to the Celestial Dragons and boarded a pirate ship, could not possibly join the Navy.

Therefore, if Chu Yang's Haki wants to become stronger, he still has to find a way on the pirate side.

There are only a few candidates that can be locked on the pirate side.

First is the Four Emperors.

At the current timeline, Kaido has been operating in Wano Country for nearly 12 years, and the weapon trade in the underground black market is in full swing. Even the World Government is involved, which can be described as having monstrous power.

"Big Mom" Charlotte Linlin has completely occupied a territory by relying on Whole Cake Island. As she has more and more children, the number of pirate groups under her command has surged, and her Totto Land has also gradually taken shape.

It was in this year that the calls for both of them to become "Emperors of the Sea" became louder and louder.

Eventually, they formed a pincer movement with the world's strongest man, Whitebeard.

And at this time, although Red-Haired Shanks is also famous, compared with the momentum of the other three, he is not a little bit inferior.

The formation of the Four Emperors pattern will have to wait another 6 years.

After thinking about it, Chu Yang still chose to give up learning Conqueror's Haki from Kaido and Big Mom.

Not to mention that both of their locations are very far away, in the second half of the Grand Line, just their style of conduct is incompatible with Chu Yang.

Both of them are a bit neurotic, and what Chu Yang dislikes most is neuroticism.

The Whitebeard Pirates are a good place to go, but you have to call someone "Dad." Chu Yang shuddered at the thought of himself calling Whitebeard "Old Man."

Although Chu Yang admires Whitebeard, he refuses to acknowledge a father. Among the Four Emperors, Shanks has the worst strength now, and the difficulty of joining is also the lowest.

But the problem is that Chu Yang cannot confirm the level of Shanks' Conqueror's Haki at this stage. You know, it will be a full 6 years before he becomes one of the Four Emperors.

The remaining Dark King Rayleigh is very easy to contact; he is on the Sabaody Archipelago.

But as a pirate who has lived in seclusion for many years, the probability of Rayleigh being willing to come out of retirement to teach Chu Yang is not very high.

Protagonist halo is not something everyone has.

Others like Doflamingo and the leader of the Happo Navy, Chinjao, are even worse choices among the worst.

After counting around, Shanks is the most reliable.

Thinking of this, Chu Yang was shocked. This year, besides being the year of the rise of Kaido and Big Mom, it is also the year Shanks meets Luffy in Foosha Village! The Gum-Gum Fruit!

The real name after awakening is the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Type, Model: Nika! Shanks snatched the Gum-Gum Fruit from Who's-Who, originally intending to give it to Ace, the posthumous child of Pirate King Roger, but it was accidentally eaten by Luffy! If Shanks didn't know the secret of the Gum-Gum Fruit at all, Chu Yang wouldn't believe it.

It's not strange for a pirate of his level to snatch a Devil Fruit from the World Government.

What's strange is that he happened to come to Foosha Village, where Ace was, with this fruit.

Obviously, Shanks hoped that Ace would become the Child of Destiny, but the result was that destiny chose Luffy, and Shanks himself saw the shadow of his captain Roger in Luffy.

Therefore, he respects the choice of destiny and bets everything on Luffy.

Now, as long as Chu Yang is willing to pay the price and bear Shanks' anger, he can move the wheel of destiny and turn it in an unknown direction.

The protagonist doesn't have to be Luffy; it can be anyone, including Chu Yang himself.

Is Chu Yang willing? Of course not! The success rate is too low, and the price to be paid is unimaginable!

Is it easy to do these little tricks under Shanks' nose?

Not to mention how strong Shanks' own Observation Haki is, Usopp's father, Yasopp, possesses the top-level Observation Haki. Chu Yang would probably be headshot by the other party before he could get close to the Gum-Gum Fruit.

Luffy was young, and everyone had no guard against him, which is why the accident happened. Chu Yang is obviously not the kind of person who can make the entire Red-Haired Pirates let down their guard, even if he could successfully join them.

The only result Chu Yang can influence...

It's probably just preventing Luffy from eating the Gum-Gum Fruit.

But what's the point of that?

The next day, Chu Yang found Tiger and told him his idea of going to the East Blue.

Tiger was surprised. He had expected Chu Yang to get off the ship at any stop on the Grand Line, but he never thought that Chu Yang would go to the East Blue.

However, despite his surprise, Tiger still respected Chu Yang's decision and decided to take the Sun Pirates to escort him back all the way.

Their current location, the fastest route to the East Blue, is to break into the Calm Belt.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 52 =====