It was just dawn on the day he left Shimotsuki Village.
A thin morning mist enveloped the sea, and the air was filled with a damp, salty smell.
Cheng Xiaoyu stood at the bow of the ship, gazing at the endless sea in the distance, his hands clasped behind his back, his black suit gently fluttering in the breeze.
He had borrowed money from Genzo to buy it when he set sail, and it certainly gave him that look.
Of course, he never intended to pay it back.
His figure appeared calm and composed, yet in this silent atmosphere, an undeniable sense of oppression emanated from him.
Kuina's Shadow stood beside him, her form still a transparent, semi-solid state, but the "wado ichimonji of Shadow" she held in her hand emitted a palpable cold gleam.
She silently watched the village gradually recede, a hint of undetectable sadness in her eyes.
That's right, Kuina's Shadow was independently separated and usually didn't need to be stored within Cheng Xiaoyu's Shadow.
It was just that she was different from other extracted shadows; she joined as a formal crew member, and Cheng Xiaoyu had high expectations for her.
"What?" Cheng Xiaoyu's voice was calm, yet it seemed to pierce through people's hearts, "Regretting it?"
"Regret?" Kuina looked up, raising an eyebrow slightly, "The only thing I regret is dying too soon."
Cheng Xiaoyu glanced at her with a half-smile, saying nothing.
He liked this kind of reaction: unwillingness, obsession, ambition!
These were all essential qualities for a "Shadow" serving as a formal crew member.
Any Shadow without hope or obsession was, in the end, nothing more than a dead thing.
Before leaving, Cheng Xiaoyu casually picked up a local newspaper.
The headline on the front page boldly read:
"Mysterious Shadow Island Appears! Marine Stands Ready!"
The accompanying picture showed an island shrouded in mist, vaguely exuding an eerie aura.
"Shadow Island? Isn't that the deserted island I just transmigrated to?" he muttered, "The Marine is quite good at naming places."
Kuina's gaze thoughtfully swept over the newspaper, "Did you do that?"
Given Cheng Xiaoyu's Devil Fruit ability, it wasn't hard to guess, but changing the entire island's topography was something she never expected.
"That's right, it happened days ago, and they're only just discovering it now."
Another news story reported on an unexplained attack in the East Blue sea area, which led to the mysterious disappearance of multiple ships, with no survivors.
It wasn't just commercial vessels; it even included many pirate ships!
Below it was a blurry sketch depicting the back of a colossal creature, its tail fin seemingly stirring endless waves.
The local Marine stationed there suspected it was related to the formation of "Shadow Island" and warned the public not to go out to sea recently.
Cheng Xiaoyu scoffed, crumpling the newspaper into a ball.
"Shadow Island? Those Marine idiots, they get startled by every little thing."
However, he was quite interested in the other news story.
The East Blue sea area isn't peaceful? He didn't do that.
It seems there are other interesting guys hidden in this sea area.
A playful smile curved Cheng Xiaoyu's lips, and instead of avoiding the so-called dangerous sea area, he made the Shadow actively wander in those areas where incidents occurred.
A high-level hunter often appears in the form of prey.
…
At night, the sea was as black as ink, with only scattered starlight dotting it.
Cheng Xiaoyu lay on the deck, letting the sea breeze ruffle his hair.
At this moment, he was still pondering who in this world was qualified to be his second formal crew member?
And they had to be deceased?
If it was to match the Straw Hat Crew…
A cook is needed, right? The Shadows don't eat, but he himself has to eat; a man is iron, food is steel, he'll be hungry if he misses a meal…
A helmsman is needed, right? It's too undignified for the Captain to steer the ship himself, and even with a system map for long journeys, it's still very tiring without a professional navigator…
A ship doctor is needed, right? As long as he doesn't die, his Shadows won't perish, so he can't kick the bucket…
A repairman…
A musician…
A navigator…
Thinking about these things made his head almost explode…
"Thump—"
Suddenly, the ship shook violently, and a deafening crash came from the stern!
"What's going on?" Kuina's Shadow instantly appeared beside Cheng Xiaoyu, the wado ichimonji of Shadow in her hand gleaming coldly.
Cheng Xiaoyu stood up and walked to the stern, and by the faint starlight, he saw a colossal creature thrashing in the sea!
It was twice the size of the Near Sea King, covered in hard scales that gleamed with a metallic luster.
Its huge eyes were filled with anger and hatred, staring intently at Cheng Xiaoyu.
Cheng Xiaoyu's pupils suddenly contracted, and the system interface flashed wildly:
"Quest: Kill the Near Sea King!"
"Target: Near Sea King (Near Sea King's father)"
"Combat Power Rating B!"
"Traits: Scale Hardening, Deep Sea Rampage"
"Quest Completion Reward: 2000 Experience Points, 20000 Points!"
Presumably, Luffy killed the Near Sea King when he set sail, which triggered his father's indiscriminate retaliation.
Cheng Xiaoyu stood with his hands in his coat pockets, showing no signs of tension, but rather like he was watching a monster show.
"Hoh, bigger than I imagined, quite interesting."
"Captain."
A calm and indifferent voice suddenly sounded, Kuina was standing on the deck, her expression wary.
Cheng Xiaoyu, with a light step, gracefully retreated half a step.
Facing Kuina's tense and vigilant gaze, he lazily said, "Kuina, I'll leave this monster to you."
"Ah?" Kuina was slightly startled, a rare hint of confusion appearing on her delicate face: "…Me?"
Cheng Xiaoyu spread his hands, "Of course you go, I'm a landlubber!"
"…"
Kuina was silent for a moment, seemingly wanting to retort, but upon seeing Cheng Xiaoyu's lazy eyes, she suddenly understood that this man was just too lazy to act.
"Alright." Taking a deep breath, she twirled her sword, her tone becoming decisive, "I'll do it."
Cheng Xiaoyu prepared to watch a good show, "Don't worry, with me here, no matter how many times you die, you can still come back, go for it!"
Ultimately, this was because Cheng Xiaoyu, having eaten the Shadow Fruit, was not good at fighting in the water.
But Shadows could; Shadows could detach from the physical body and reflect on the water's surface, and they were not affected by the Devil Fruit's curse.
Therefore, he chose to let Kuina handle it.
Kuina stomped her foot, and her figure, like a ghost, charged straight into the colossal creature in the sea.
In the sea, the Near Sea King seemed to sense the threat and suddenly slammed its tail fin fiercely, raising monstrous waves, seemingly intending to crush the Shadow, ship and crew alike, into fragments.
"Tsk, quite smart."
Cheng Xiaoyu's Shadow expanded, enveloping the entire deck, forming a thick layer of Shadow protection, as he calmly watched the seawater impact the Shadow curtain like a waterfall.
Soon, Kuina's Shadow was already entangled in a fierce battle with the giant beast.
The Shadow of wado ichimonji emitted a clear, cold sword hum, slashing horizontally and vertically!