"How strong is Rocks, exactly?" Chu Qiye suddenly asked.
Edward paused slightly before replying in a deep voice, "He's very strong. His Armament Haki and Observation Haki are both top-tier. His swordsmanship and physical combat skills are also above mine."
Rocks carried a bounty of 2.1 billion Beli—the highest in the New World at present, and the only pirate whose bounty had surpassed 2 billion.
In terms of strength and influence, he was the undisputed overlord of the seas—a Pirate King in all but name. As for Roger, his current bounty wasn't even as high as Chu Qiye's.
"He's a Devil Fruit user too, right? Have you seen his ability?" Chu Qiye asked.
Edward shook his head. "No. He's too strong. Even when I used the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, I couldn't force him to reveal his power."
There was a clear trace of frustration in Edward's voice.
Patting Edward's arm, Chu Qiye comforted him, "Don't be too discouraged. The Tremor-Tremor Fruit is the strongest Paramecia-type Devil Fruit. Once you fully develop it, you'll definitely be able to stand toe-to-toe with Rocks."
"I hope so."
In the future, Whitebeard would shatter entire islands with a single quake-infused punch.
But right now, Edward had only possessed the Tremor-Tremor Fruit for two or three years. He hadn't even tapped into a tenth of its potential.
Edward looked at Chu Qiye with a teasing expression. "Now that you know how strong Rocks is, are you still planning to fight him?"
The two were so alike in temperament that Edward could easily guess Chu Qiye's intentions. Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked about Rocks' strength in the first place.
"Why wouldn't I?"
A sharp gleam flashed in Chu Qiye's eyes as he clenched his fists unconsciously. "The chance to face the strongest pirate in the New World—I'm really looking forward to it."
"Gurararara…"
Edward drank and laughed. "Qiye, if you were a Devil Fruit user, maybe you'd stand a chance."
The two had sparred many times before—they knew each other's strengths well.
Edward admitted that Chu Qiye's physical combat was slightly superior to his own. But with the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, he could easily defeat Chu Qiye.
"Heh…"
Looking down at his own hands, Chu Qiye murmured softly, "Or perhaps… I can give it a try."
…
They drank until nightfall before Edward finally staggered away, leaving behind a floor full of empty barrels.
Chu Qiye slowly extended both palms. One glowed blue, the other red—two clusters of qi rising simultaneously.
"Even if I know I can't win, I still want to see exactly how much I'm worth."
The next day, Chu Qiye hung up a sign in front of his cabin:
[Free All Day]
As soon as the notice went up, a swarm of pirates flooded toward his door.
Black Devil's medical skills were extraordinary—capable of bringing the dead back to life and restoring flesh to bone. But his fees were exorbitant, beyond what most could afford. Now that it was suddenly free, how could they possibly miss the opportunity?
Chu Qiye also shed his usual lazy attitude. He devoted himself entirely to healing, working without pause—only resting briefly when exhaustion overtook him.
After each patient, he would glance at his system panel.
[Dual Fulfillment Hands (Major Mastery), Proficiency 98.6%]
[Dual Fulfillment Hands (Major Mastery), Proficiency 98.9%]
…
[Dual Fulfillment Hands (Complete), Proficiency 100%]
[Ding! Dual Fulfillment Hands proficiency has reached 100%. The third of the Eight Extraordinary Skills—Tongtian Talisman—has been unlocked!]
"Nice! Finally unlocked Tongtian Talisman!"
Hearing the system notification, Chu Qiye nearly jumped with excitement.
Unlike Dual Fulfillment Hands and Six Treasury Immortals, Tongtian Talisman could be fully applied in actual combat.
Its various applications were no less formidable than any Devil Fruit ability.
Tongtian Talisman represented the pinnacle of talisman arts. Ordinary talismans required hours to complete, but with Tongtian Talisman, one could draw them barehanded, ignoring all conventional restrictions.
If Chu Qiye previously stood at the level of a 500-million-Beli pirate, then with Tongtian Talisman added to the mix, he could now contend against billion-Beli monsters.
[Tongtian Talisman (Beginner), Proficiency 1%]
"It won't be long before Rocks comes knocking. I need to practice Tongtian Talisman as quickly as possible and raise my proficiency," Chu Qiye thought to himself.
From that day on, his clinic never reopened—and he had no plans to open it again. He didn't care about money; the clinic had only existed to grind proficiency for Dual Fulfillment Hands.
Now that it was maxed out, there was no reason to waste time. The sea was what Chu Qiye truly yearned for.
Seven days later, on the other side of Hachinosu, Chu Qiye stood calmly in an open clearing, hands in his pockets.
Before him stood a massive lion over five meters tall, baring its fangs viciously.
Chu Qiye pulled one hand from his pocket and crooked his finger at it. "Come on, kitty. It's lunchtime."
"Roar!"
With a deafening roar, the giant lion charged.
Chu Qiye raised a finger faintly glowing with blue light and began tracing a talisman in midair. In the blink of an eye, a complex sigil was complete.
"Five Thunder Talisman—First Layer!"
A bolt of blue lightning as thick as an arm shot from the talisman and struck the lion dead center.
"Raaaugh—!"
After a pained howl, the lion collapsed, smoke rising from its charred body, as though perfectly roasted—crispy on the outside, tender within.
"Don't misunderstand. It's just my lunchtime."
Walking over, Chu Qiye tore off a hind leg and began gnawing on it directly.
"Texture's decent. Medium-rare."
In just two hours, the five-meter-tall lion was reduced to nothing but a skeleton.
As for Chu Qiye, despite eating so much, his stomach showed no sign of bulging. Such was the wonder of Six Treasury Immortals.
If there was one drawback to Six Treasury Immortals, it was that its growth was painfully slow.
After eating his fill, Chu Qiye opened his Eight Extraordinary Skills panel.
[Tongtian Talisman (Minor Mastery), Proficiency 26%]
Raising proficiency was like leveling up in a game—progress came quickly at first, but the higher the level, the slower it became.
After unlocking Dual Fulfillment Hands, it had taken him only two months to reach 70% proficiency. But the remaining 30% had required a year and a half.
Muttering to himself, Chu Qiye said, "I've mastered four talismans now. The Five Thunder Talisman is up to the Third Layer. Even if I can't beat Rocks, I shouldn't lose too badly."
"The beasts here are too weak. Fighting them doesn't give me any pressure. Better head back."
"Divine Movement Talisman."
As he ran, Chu Qiye added two Divine Movement Talismans to his legs. Instantly, his body grew light as a feather, his speed soaring.