Ye Yu noticed Xia Ling suddenly blushing, looking embarrassed, and couldn't help but feel curious. He asked, "Help me with something? What is it?"
Xia Ling's face turned even redder, as if it was something too embarrassing to say. But after gritting her teeth, she made a difficult decision.
She leaned close to Ye Yu's ear, whispering softly to ensure no one else could hear, "You had that kind of dream last night, didn't you? And that... physical reaction. So, if you can safely return from the Mystic Realm, I'll... I'll help you..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but any adult would instantly understand what she meant.
After saying this, Xia Ling quickly turned around and hurried downstairs, her face as red as a ripe apple.
Ye Yu was stunned, standing still for a while before he finally processed what had just happened.
He couldn't help but smile wryly. Indeed, last time had been awkward—he'd had that kind of dream and experienced that reaction. When he went to take a shower, he ran into Xia Ling, who saw everything. He never expected that the "help" she was offering would be this.
Although he was at an age full of youthful vigor, he had always practiced self-restraint and focused on conserving his energy. But hearing Xia Ling say this, it was impossible not to feel tempted.
After the initial shock, Ye Yu smiled and declared loudly, "Everyone, don't worry! I'll definitely come back alive!"
The crew members were startled. Why was the Captain suddenly making such a loud promise? Did he know they were still worried?
Only Xia Ling, who had run back to her room and buried herself under the covers, understood that this was Ye Yu's response. Her face flushed, and her thoughts raced. When the time came, she definitely couldn't watch—it would be too embarrassing.
There were still half a day left before Ye Yu entered the Mystic Realm. The crew continued to make the most of their time, searching with all their might for powerful Ferocious Beasts.
The ship approached an island. From a distance, the island looked lush and vibrant, exuding an aura of Ferocious Beasts. The crew quickly prepared themselves and began their operations after landing.
The island was teeming with Ferocious Beasts, but none were particularly strong, and there were no treasure chests to be found. The absence of treasure chests indicated that the Ferocious Beasts wouldn't be too powerful. Still, even small gains added up over time.
The crew engaged in fierce battles with the Ferocious Beasts, bringing them to the brink of death, and Ye Yu delivered the final blow.
After dealing with the Ferocious Beasts, the crew rested and regrouped on the island.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, a massive Pirate ship was hotly pursuing a smaller Pirate vessel.
On the smaller ship, a young woman with long golden hair was frantically steering the boat, rowing with all her might.
She had a graceful figure and stunning beauty, dressed in a golden gown that shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight. However, her face was now etched with exhaustion and anxiety.
As the Pirate ship drew closer, the young woman gritted her teeth and leaped onto the island, quickly disappearing into the dense jungle as she fled for her life.
She was panting heavily, her steps slowing down, clearly worn out.
The Pirate ship soon reached the shore, and over a hundred Pirates jumped off, chasing after the direction the young woman had fled.
"Stop running, Han Ling! Come aboard our ship! We'll treat you well!"
The lead Pirate chased after her, sneering with confidence, shouting loudly.
Han Ling frowned and firmly responded, "I don't like your kind of Pirate Crew, and I won't join you! You are true villains. If I help you create illusions, you will surely commit all sorts of evil deeds!"
The Pirate Captain's expression turned extremely grim. He tightly clutched a photo in his hand, which depicted a powerful Sea Beast.
"Damn it, if you won't come aboard willingly, then we'll just have to capture you by force and control you. Your abilities are too formidable; you must become one of us and greatly enhance our strength!"
He ordered his crew, "Spread out and surround her! She's used her abilities multiple times and is heavily drained. Besides, her own strength is mediocre; she's almost done for!"
"Yes, Captain!"
The Pirates excitedly brandished their weapons, shouting, "Don't run, it's useless!"
Han Ling's heart was heavy, but she didn't give up. She ran desperately while staying alert to her surroundings.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Twenty Pirates emerged from the bushes behind her, closing in rapidly.
She pulled out a photo. It depicted a small red fire-breathing dragon Exotic Beast, which originally had considerable strength.
Han Ling focused on the photo, activated her ability, and whispered, "Illusion!"
In the next moment, the photo glowed, and a sizable illusion of the fire-breathing dragon instantly materialized, exactly like the one in the photo.
The fire-breathing dragon appeared, somewhat ethereal, but its strength was on par with the original. It opened its mouth and spewed a burst of flames at the twenty-plus Pirates.
The Pirates had no time to dodge and were blasted away by the flames, letting out screams of agony. They were set ablaze, writhing and screaming in pain on the ground.
After one attack, the fire-breathing dragon vanished.
Han Ling's face turned as pale as paper. Her physical and mental energy were nearly depleted, making it difficult to use her abilities again. But she gritted her teeth and kept running.
However, after running just a kilometer, she was attacked by a Pirate who suddenly appeared from her right.
Han Ling quickly pulled out the shield from her back, coating it with her rudimentary Armament Haki to block the attack. Despite this, she was still sent flying by the powerful impact and fell to the ground.
"Heh... still running? Now where will you go? It's been such a hassle to catch you. Your own strength is so weak, but your abilities are truly impressive. We've chased you for three days and nights, losing many of our brothers. We must capture you as compensation!"
The Pirates sneered, spreading out and slowly closing in on Han Ling.
Han Ling felt despair. Was she really destined to be captured? She was unwilling, unwilling to join this kind of Pirate Crew. She wanted to join the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew, not this one. She admired the true camaraderie and family-like atmosphere of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew, but now, there was no hope.
The Pirates prepared to tie Han Ling up with ropes when suddenly, a steady, unhurried set of footsteps approached.
Hum!!
In an instant, the world turned a dark red, and an overwhelming Haki filled the air.
Thud, thud, thud!
In a flash, the sound of bodies hitting the ground echoed as over twenty Pirates fainted, their eyes rolling back.
The other Pirates who were rushing forward suddenly froze in terror, their faces pale and drenched in cold sweat, realizing what was happening.
"This... this Conqueror's Haki... could it be...?"
They were instantly filled with dread, thinking of that man.
The sound of footsteps grew closer. Following the noise, they saw a figure approaching unhurriedly, hands in pockets, exuding an aura of cold dominance. Even without seeing his face, the moment they noticed the iconic cross-shaped Black Blade Night on his back, they instantly recognized him.
"Black Blade Night! He's the Captain of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew! The strongest Pirate currently—Ye Yu!!"
"Run!"
The Pirates screamed in terror, turning around to flee.
However, Ye Yu simply drew his blade and delivered a single, effortless slash. A verdant Slash tore through the ground, splitting it open and leaving a long trench in its wake. Piercing screams echoed as the fleeing Pirates were struck by the Slash, their bodies torn apart in an instant, all of them eliminated in a flash.
Han Ling looked at the man before her with eyes full of admiration and excitement. She never expected her idol to appear in her moment of despair.
Ye Yu, meanwhile, felt a slight tremor in his heart. He had just witnessed her ability and realized she was a Phantom Phantom Fruit Ability User.
In the world of One Piece, this ability appeared in the movie "Stampede," where it was possessed by a character named Ann. In the movie, it was thanks to Ann that Ace was able to appear as a phantom, joining Sabo to unleash the Fire Fist and help the Straw Hat Pirates block Kizaru.
Ye Yu thought to himself that this ability was quite impressive. Especially with the upcoming Purple-Black Mystic Realm, this ability might just prove to be useful to him.