One Piece: Power-Power Fruit

Chapter 19: Apprentice Navigator

Chapter Nineteen: Apprentice Navigator

After that, Mu Chong stopped paying attention to the sky island, which was 10,000 meters above the ground. In fact, he later thought about asking Yi Xiao to take him up there, but he immediately rejected the idea, because what could he do up there?

Let Yixiao conquer that so-called god? And then take over the Sky Island? Don't be ridiculous, Yixiao would never do that; it doesn't align with his sense of justice.

……

Mu Chong pulled himself out of his thoughts and looked at the smiling face that had come all this way to see him off at sea. He felt incredibly happy and just smiled foolishly, momentarily speechless.

"Brother Mu, let me introduce you to two friends!"

Yi Xiao ignored Mu Chong's silly grin, said something, and then reached out to pull him to the other two people, pointing to one of them, an elderly man with a full head of white hair.

"Brother Mu, this is a friend I made during my travels. Today, Brother Mu is setting sail, so I specially invited them to come and help out!"

After Yixiao's introduction, Mu Chong felt a warm glow in his heart, because he could feel Yixiao's genuine care.

The elderly man with a full head of white hair was named Skodek, a very skilled shipbuilder and a like-minded friend whom Yixiao had made during his travels. He was now sixty years old, but looked very energetic.

Beside him stood a young man who looked quite young, yet was over two meters tall. His name was Slad, the grandson of Schidek. He had black hair styled in dreadlocks, and his handsome face, framed by bronze skin, displayed an air of pride. He wore a white outfit and carried a thick, silver-white staff of some unknown material on his back. Slad stood with his arms crossed, sizing up Mu Chong.

"You're Mu Chong, the very powerful Mu Xiao Ge that Grandpa Yi Xiao mentioned?"

Just as Mu Chong was about to step forward and greet the old man, Slad suddenly spoke up, his tone full of doubt and dissatisfaction.

"Huh? Grandpa Yixiao? Pfft... Oh, sorry... Hahaha!!!"

Mu Chong paid no attention to Slad's defiant attitude, but the way Slad addressed Yi Xiao instantly broke Mu Chong's guard.

Grandpa Yixiao? Then, does that mean you have to call me Uncle? *cough cough*

This was, of course, Mu Chong's inner monologue, which he didn't voice, but Mu Chong's sudden laughter successfully ignited the burning anger and resentment within Slad.

"Hey, I challenge you!!!"

Slard loosened his arms, clenched his fists, and shouted angrily at Mu Chong. His handsome face, even when angry, was still quite handsome.

"Oh? A challenge?"

"Meow……"

Mu Chong was taken aback upon hearing this, then turned to look at the two old men beside him, Yi Xiao and Si Qideke, his eyes full of questioning: Aren't you two going to do anything about it?

The two elderly people, whose combined age was over a hundred, instantly understood Mu Chong's meaning. However, they looked left and right, then took several steps back, adopting a spectator-like expression.

"Holy crap, awesome!!"

Mu Chong's lips twitched, and he secretly gave the two old men a thumbs up for their actions. Then he turned to look at the furious Slad.

"A challenge? Let's go! I'm going out to sea today, a perfect warm-up!"

As Mu Chong spoke, he put down the package on his back, then reached out and patted the white cat Mu Mu, who looked at him with a puzzled expression, gesturing for him to go stand aside.

When the white cat Mumu walked up to Yixiao, Muchong and Slad were already standing face to face, their eyes locked, one brimming with fighting spirit, the other lacking interest.

"Defeat me, and I'll become your navigator!!"

boom……

Slad drew his silver staff from his back, gripped it with one hand, and held it upright in front of him with a thud. His gaze fixed on Mu Chong, he coldly said...

In Mu Chong's eyes, this silver stick must have been two meters long, because the upright tip of the stick was exactly at the same height as Slad's eyebrows—a stick that reached his eyebrows.

"Hmm? Become the navigator on my ship? We'll have to see if you have the qualifications and the ability!"

Upon hearing this, Mu Chong's expression turned serious, a thought flashing through his mind: Was this the navigator Yi Xiao had chosen for him? Then…

With his thoughts settled, Mu Chong took a step forward unhurriedly.

Upon seeing this, Slad immediately gripped his staff in both hands and assumed a fighting stance. However, what greeted him was not Mu Chong's attack, but a terrifying, domineering aura.

hum...

Unreservedly unleashing his Conqueror's Haki, Mu Chong instantly unleashed a fierce storm on the once calm coastline. This powerful and awe-inspiring energy wave rapidly surged outwards, causing the sea to boil and the waves to churn.

The moment they made contact, everyone's expression changed, their faces filled with astonishment.

"Brother Mu, you went a bit too far with that!"

Yixiao quickly closed his eyes, unable to see anything, his hands, gripping the cane and sword, trembled slightly.

"This, this, this could be... the aura of a king, Conqueror's Haki? This kid, so young, yet he possesses such a powerful aura, impressive!!"

When Schidek first sensed Mukō's Conqueror's Haki, he was initially filled with surprise, but his expression quickly turned to appreciation, and finally to satisfaction.

"Meow meow meow……"

The white cat Mumu meowed a few times with a proud expression.

Slade, who felt the impact most keenly, was currently struggling to resist this momentum.

He gripped the silver staff tightly with both hands, struggling to control his kneeling legs. His face was pale, his teeth clenched, and he desperately tried to prevent his body from bending or bowing even slightly.

"How...how is this possible? Just one aura was enough to render me completely powerless. How could this be?!"

Slad stared at Mu Chong ahead with bloodshot eyes, his heart filled with resentment and frustration.

"Not bad!"

call……

Mu Chong looked at Slad, who remained conscious even after he had fully unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, and a look of delight flashed in his eyes. He then stopped releasing his Conqueror's Haki.

boom……

As Mu Chong abruptly withdrew his imposing aura, the surroundings returned to calm. Slad suddenly collapsed, but Mu Chong swiftly rushed forward, firmly grabbing his arm and lifting him up to prevent his knees from hitting the ground.

This action prompted Schidek, who had been watching closely, to nod in approval.

"Thanks!!"

Slad looked at the boy, shorter than himself, who was smiling at him. He had so much to say, but in the end, he only managed to utter "thank you."

"You're welcome! A man's knees are worth their weight in gold, and I don't want my future navigator to kneel down for no reason!"

Once the other person had regained their footing, Mu Chong released their arm and slowly said...

"Hmm? The future?"

Slad was taken aback by his words, then frowned deeply, lowered his head again, and looked angry. What did the future mean? Did he look down on me because I was too weak? Damn it!!

"Hahaha!!! The navigator on my ship must not only have outstanding strength, but also the spirit of a strongman. Most importantly, he must have real seafaring ability, because I am entrusting the lives of everyone on board to him. How can I make such a casual decision?"

Mu Chong, sensing Slad's emotional shift with his Observation Haki, burst into laughter and then said unhurriedly...

"However, I have high hopes for you because you were able to remain unyielding even when I unleashed my full Conqueror's Haki. So, welcome aboard! Let's work hard together in the future! Apprentice navigator of the Freedom!"

After saying that, Mu Chong extended his hand to Slad, a gesture of formal invitation.