Although the gap in strength was significant now, Lin Muxue believed that as time went on, Ye Yu would fall further behind her. This was why she hadn't completely regretted her decision or fully submitted to Ye Yu yet.
If Ye Yu were to fall behind in the later stages, she would submit without hesitation, even if it meant becoming his slave, as long as they were on the same ship. However, Lin Muxue thought this was impossible. Ye Yu's potential couldn't possibly surpass hers. She hadn't even inherited the power of the Rumble Rumble Fruit Ability User, and the fruit itself hadn't awakened yet, so her potential was still immense.
"Heh, Ye Yu, I won't regret it. The one who'll regret it is you."
The Dominant Feather Pirate Crew continued their voyage, and soon the ship docked at a small island. The crew busied themselves with replenishing supplies, loading various resources onto the ship.
Though the island was small, it was rich in resources.
Ye Yu, the vice-captain, and the executives were relaxing under a large tree, drinking.
Just then, there was movement in the distant forest, something rushing toward them, startling many birds and beasts into flight.
Soon, rapid footsteps approached, accompanied by a loud, excited shout.
"My name is Zhao Lin, a Non-Ability User, and my contracted Non-Ability User is Kozuki Oden! I'm here to join the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew, but I really want to have a serious spar with Ye Yu. Ye Yu, come out!"
Ye Yu's eyes lit up as he turned toward the voice. He saw a tall man with unruly long hair rushing toward him excitedly. In his left hand was the renowned sword Ame no Habakiri, and in his right was another gleaming blade. His fighting spirit surged like a beast ready to pounce.
Sun Long, sensing the aura of a strong swordsman, grew excited. "Captain, should I handle this?"
Ye Yu stood up and shook his head. "He's calling me out, so I'll face him first."
Ye Yu charged forward, drawing Black Blade Night.
Zhao Lin's eyes gleamed as he stopped not far from Ye Yu, standing firmly with excitement in his eyes. He gripped his two swords tightly, dark red lightning swirling around them—clearly Dominator Infusion. The flowing sakura-like energy danced around the blades as he slashed forward, roaring, "Oden Two-Sword Style: Paradise White Cascade!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he shot toward Ye Yu like an arrow, his dual blades cutting through the air with a fierce and powerful momentum.
Ye Yu's eyes flashed with interest as he swung Black Blade Night with one hand, murmuring, "Divine Departure!"
Boom!
Zhao Lin's two swords clashed with Black Blade Night from a distance, producing a deafening explosion. An invisible force seemed to tear through the air, sending sand and stones flying in all directions.
After a brief stalemate, Zhao Lin's expression changed drastically. An overwhelming force and sharpness, like a blade, struck his face. Unable to resist for even two seconds, he was sent flying backward by the immense impact, crashing through several trees and raising a cloud of dust.
Bang!
Zhao Lin slammed into a tree a hundred meters away, then slowly slid down. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes were filled with shock.
Although he had long known that Ye Yu was powerful, he never expected that a single-handed Divine Departure from Ye Yu could inflict such injuries on him. Having witnessed Ye Yu's strength before, the scene of him taking on numerous Chosen Ones single-handedly was still vivid in his mind. He had thought that even if there was a gap between him and Ye Yu, it wouldn't be too significant. He believed that even if he couldn't match Ye Yu's single-handed Divine Departure, he wouldn't be injured. But now, he realized that the gap was far greater than he had imagined.
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Zhao Lin was both shaken and excited: "Incredible! As expected of Ye Yu, the current greatest swordsman. It's good that he's so strong; now I have a worthy opponent in swordsmanship. He didn't even use his full strength, yet he sent me flying."
The crew members of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew were equally astonished.
"This Zhao Lin is impressive! Even though he was sent flying, he was alone, and his injuries aren't too severe. It's clear that the Captain didn't go all out, but he was somewhat serious."
The other crew members nodded in agreement.
"True, even though he was sent flying, it's obvious he's a strong fighter."
"Two-Sword Style, that's perfect. The Captain uses one sword, he uses two, and Sun Long uses three. And they're all incredibly strong."
"It would be great if he joined us."
"He seems like a decent guy, free-spirited and unrestrained."
...
Meanwhile, Lin Muxue's expression turned grave, and she cursed inwardly: "Damn it, another powerful Non-Ability User, and he's joining the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew. Back then, so many of us faced Ye Yu's Divine Departure and were sent flying. Yet, he was alone, and even though Ye Yu didn't go all out, he wasn't seriously injured. Just from that one clash, it's clear that this guy is strong. His current strength is on par with the top Chosen Ones."
Li Cang said solemnly: "I know him. Aside from our Chosen One Pirate Crew, which has contracted with the Non-Ability User Chinjao, he's the other one who possesses Conqueror's Haki. And like Ye Yu, he can use Dominator Infusion. Although his Conqueror's Haki isn't as terrifying as Ye Yu's, it's stronger than Qingfeng's."
Hearing this, the other slaves' expressions turned serious. They knew that Zhao Lin's joining would undoubtedly boost the strength of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew.
Sun Long, after being shaken, was excited and exclaimed: "Another swordsmanship master, and he uses Two-Sword Style. The gap between my swordsmanship and the Captain's is still huge. Having Zhao Lin as a strong sparring partner in the future will be excellent."
Zhao Yan'er said: "There's no need for a strength assessment. As for his character, he seems decent. Joining our Pirate Crew shouldn't be a problem. It's just a matter of what position the Captain will give him."
Xia Ling speculated: "Starting as an Executive is a given, and he might even be made Vice-Captain."
Hearing this, everyone was shocked. Another Non-Ability User as Vice-Captain?
Xiao Ke became Vice-Captain because of his own strength. Now, seeing Zhao Lin's strength, even though he was sent flying with a single strike, it's clear he's formidable.
But could he, like Xiao Ke, become Vice-Captain?
Ye Yu had already made up his mind. Making him Vice-Captain was acceptable. Kozuki Oden's strength in the Pirate World was naturally that of a top-tier fighter, and he could definitely be considered at the level of a top commander.
At this moment, Zhao Lin exclaimed in awe: "Truly incredible! But I want to keep fighting for a while. I'll give it my all to see just how big the gap between us is."
Although he wanted to see the gap, it was also because he encountered a strong swordsman and wanted to spar.
Ye Yu gestured, "Let's begin."
Immediately, the onlookers focused intently, eager to see just how powerful Zhao Lin was at full strength, thereby gaining a better understanding of his capabilities.
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