Gojo Satoru’s Trial

Jujutsu Kaisen world.

When Chu Yang opened his eyes again, the panic and fear on his face had long vanished.

All that remained was cold, grim killing intent.

More than half of the cursed spirit’s body on the wall was pressed against Chu Yang’s back, its hands clamped tightly around his shoulders.

"Hehehe…"

Its chilling laughter echoed throughout the stairwell.

Chu Yang reached out and grabbed the cursed spirit’s hand. The laughter stopped abruptly.

He suddenly turned around and saw an extremely ugly face.

It looked like facial features torn off four or five doll faces and crudely stitched together.

Bizarre and horrifying!

The instant Chu Yang turned around, the cursed spirit let out a brief, piercing shriek!

It opened its blood-filled maw and bit down on Chu Yang’s head!

In that split second.

Brilliant blue lightning flared around Chu Yang’s body, crackling with an equally shrill cry.

The cursed spirit bit into Chu Yang’s Lightning Release Armor.

Beneath the Lightning Release Armor was another layer of Armament Haki.

The harder it bit, the worse its injuries became!

A series of bloody bursts exploded inside the cursed spirit’s mouth as lightning continuously spread inward through its wounds.

"AAAHHHH!!!"

The cursed spirit screamed hysterically, but before long, its cries weakened.

The Lightning Release Armor around Chu Yang vanished.

He lifted the barely alive cursed spirit with one hand, intending to deliver the final blow.

"Yang-kun?"

Chu Yang looked down and found Kento Nanami gazing up at him from the stairs below.

Kento Nanami held a knife in his hand, radiating a terrifying aura.

Chu Yang scratched his head, silently considering how to explain himself.

"It was my miscalculation, Yang-kun. I thought you were an ordinary person…"

Kento Nanami adjusted his glasses, then leaped up to Chu Yang’s side and slashed the cursed spirit at the 7:3 point on its head.

The next second, the cursed spirit dissipated.

The strange aura filling the stairwell instantly disappeared, and Chu Yang could finally hear the bustling traffic outside.

Kento Nanami silently looked at Chu Yang.

"Senior, what was that thing just now?"

"You didn’t know what it was, and you still dared to attack it?"

"It attacked me, so of course I had to hit it back!"

"You brat…"

Kento Nanami was speechless. This was the first time he had ever met someone so reckless. He had known Chu Yang for quite a while, and he was certain that Chu Yang had not possessed even a trace of Cursed Energy before this.

"Did he sense the Cursed Energy within his negative emotions during a crisis and instinctively use it?"

That was the only explanation Kento Nanami could think of.

Chu Yang asked, "Senior Nanami, can you explain what exactly happened just now?"

Kento Nanami shook his head. "No. I’m off work."

"Didn’t you resign?"

"As a Jujutsu Sorcerer, I’m off work too!"

"What’s a Jujutsu Sorcerer?"

"It’s bullshit!"

"Senior, that’s not the answer I wanted."

"That’s the only answer I can give you."

Now it was Chu Yang’s turn to be speechless. He had once found Kento Nanami’s complaints about the company and his surroundings rather amusing, but now they were somewhat annoying.

Kento Nanami took a deep breath, as though he had made a decision, and asked, "Are you planning to resign?"

Chu Yang nodded and answered as though it were only natural, "That’s why I asked which massage parlor you were going to work at!"

Kento Nanami took another deep breath, so angry that his eyelids twitched.

A vein near his temple even faintly throbbed…

This kid has something wrong with his brain. The company must have worked him half to death. Don’t stoop to his level.

"Come to my place tomorrow. I’ll take you to meet someone."

After saying that, Kento Nanami left directly. No matter how Chu Yang called after him, he never looked back.

"I don’t care who you introduce me to, just don’t make me attend Jujutsu High. How old am I? Those guys would laugh me to death…"

As the only adult among all the "selves," Chu Yang of the Jujutsu Kaisen world had one absolute bottom line: he would not become a student.

Early the next morning, Chu Yang found Kento Nanami’s home.

Apparently, in order to save money as quickly as possible, Kento Nanami lived somewhere extremely cheap—a dilapidated old apartment building.

Chu Yang stood before a rusty iron door. Just as he was about to knock, there was a click, and the door opened.

"Hello!" A white-haired man wearing a blindfold poked half his body out from the other side of the door and greeted Chu Yang with a grin.

Chu Yang asked, "I don’t think I came to the wrong place. May I ask who you are?"

The white-haired man said solemnly, "Hello, I’m Nanami’s boyfriend!"

Chu Yang fell silent for a moment, then shook his head regretfully. "I never thought Senior Nanami was that kind of person…"

"You’re both idiots!" Kento Nanami suddenly appeared, yanked the door open, and looked disdainfully at Chu Yang and the white-haired man.

"This is the person you’re meeting today. His name is Gojo Satoru. He’s a Jujutsu Sorcerer like me, only slightly better than dog shit."

Kento Nanami adjusted his glasses, then looked at Chu Yang. "Come in. Ask whatever questions you have. He’ll answer them."

Chu Yang nodded and entered. Meanwhile, Gojo Satoru silently observed him from the side, seemingly very interested.

"The scent of Cursed Energy is incredibly dense, and it’s still continuously growing stronger. Nanami, was he really just an ordinary person before this?"

As the Jujutsu Sorcerer possessing the Gojo Clan’s once-in-a-century Six Eyes, Gojo Satoru could directly discern the state of another person’s Cursed Energy.

This special ability was like a combination of the Sharingan and Byakugan from the Naruto world.

"Until yesterday, he was still working overtime at the company. No one understands his situation better than I do. He used to be an ordinary human."

Kento Nanami’s tone was firm and decisive.

"Since you say so…"

Before Gojo Satoru could finish speaking, he suddenly attacked Chu Yang, throwing a punch straight at his head.

Chu Yang shot him a cold glance and raised a hand to block Gojo Satoru’s fist.

The exchange between the two ended in less than a second.

Kento Nanami’s expression changed.

The smile on Gojo Satoru’s face faded, replaced by a look of surprise.

To test Chu Yang’s physical abilities, he had deliberately deactivated the stopping power around himself just now. Yet he had never expected Chu Yang to truly be able to block his attack.

Gojo Satoru was intrigued.

After blocking Gojo Satoru’s fist, Chu Yang immediately counterattacked with Fish-Man Karate. He tried to grab the other man’s wrist, only to find that he simply could not touch him.

A tremendous rebounding force suddenly appeared, catching Chu Yang off guard and sending him flying.

In midair, he sharply twisted his waist, using his powerful core strength to right himself. His feet landed on the ceiling, and with a hard kick, he flipped again and landed steadily on the floor.

"Wow, excellent physical ability," Gojo Satoru exclaimed in an exaggerated tone.

Although Chu Yang had not touched him just now, the feedback from the stopping power had already allowed Gojo Satoru to sense the terrifying strength within him.

"What incredible reaction speed. Among the humans I’ve met, there’s probably only one who could compare to you."

Gojo Satoru clicked his tongue in amazement. "That person died many years ago. His physical strength came at the price of having absolutely zero Cursed Energy, but you…"

"This is the first time I’ve seen someone with both extremely powerful Cursed Energy and such a powerful body."

Gojo Satoru turned to Kento Nanami and teased him cheerfully, "How did you manage to run into a monster like this while working for an ordinary company?"

Kento Nanami had not expected to hear such an assessment from Gojo Satoru. The way he looked at Chu Yang was completely different from before.

That was Gojo Satoru!

The Jujutsu world’s acknowledged strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer!

When he called someone strong, that person’s strength belonged to an entirely different dimension from everyone else’s.

"From that exchange just now, I can already confirm that you’re human." Gojo Satoru tilted his head, his entire demeanor constantly radiating frivolousness as he grinned. "Now I can teach you some common sense without worrying."

Chu Yang nodded and sat down naturally on the old sofa in the living room.

Kento Nanami adjusted his glasses again. "You really make yourself at home."

Chu Yang curled his lip. "Senior, stop acting so stingy all the time. At this rate, it’ll be hard for you to save enough money to go abroad before you turn forty."

Kento Nanami’s eyebrow twitched violently.

Seeing that, Gojo Satoru burst out laughing. "I wanted to say this earlier, Nanami. Talent aside, your junior is really quite interesting!"

Kento Nanami looked at Gojo Satoru and said flatly, "From a certain perspective, the two of you do have something in common personality-wise. Sometimes, you’re both as disgusting as dog shit."

After saying that, Kento Nanami gave Gojo Satoru no chance to retort. He pushed open the door and left the room, departing the apartment shortly afterward.

Chu Yang and Gojo Satoru were left staring at each other.

"Ahem." Gojo Satoru coughed awkwardly a few times before asking, "How much do you know about Jujutsu Sorcerers?"

Chu Yang shook his head blankly.

"Looks like I’ll have to start from the beginning." Gojo Satoru scratched his head. "You still remember that thing that attacked you yesterday, right?"

Chu Yang nodded. "I remember you guys called it a Cursed Spirit, right?"

"That’s right!" Gojo Satoru said. "Most ordinary people’s negative emotions release Cursed Energy. When a large amount of Cursed Energy gathers together, it turns into a Cursed Spirit."

"Negative emotions directed at specific targets produce specific Cursed Spirits."

"Under normal circumstances, ordinary people can’t see Cursed Spirits, and physical attacks are ineffective against them. Only Cursed Energy works."

"Cursed Spirits and Cursed Energy are both forms of curses. There are also cursed techniques, Cursed Tools, cursed objects, and so on."

"Jujutsu Sorcerers are professionals responsible for dealing with curses—exorcising Cursed Spirits or destroying cursed objects that have a massive impact on an area."

Gojo Satoru began explaining everything about this world to Chu Yang in detail. His tireless manner really did make him seem like a schoolteacher.

After listening for half the day, Chu Yang was nearly dozing off. He looked up and asked, "How are the salary and benefits in this line of work?"

Gojo Satoru immediately fell silent. He felt that Chu Yang hadn’t taken any of what he had said earlier to heart…

This was the only question he truly cared about.

But when Gojo Satoru remembered that Chu Yang had come from the same company as Nanami, he quickly understood.

"Is this question… very sensitive?" Seeing that Gojo Satoru had not spoken for a while, Chu Yang gave an embarrassed dry laugh.

He couldn’t help it. He had spent too long as a corporate slave after transmigrating into this world, and it had left him with lingering trauma. He simply didn’t want anything to do with a job that offered no financial security.

In that regard, he and Kento Nanami were exactly the same kind of person.

"After a Jujutsu Sorcerer is assigned a rank, they receive a base salary. The base pay for the lowest-ranked Jujutsu Sorcerer is roughly on par with that of an ordinary civil servant."

"But every time they complete a mission, Jujutsu Sorcerers receive bonuses worth several times, or even dozens of times, their base pay."

"So, Jujutsu Sorcerers who are alive basically never lack money."

Chu Yang’s expression turned solemn. "Out of everything you just said, it sounds like staying alive is the key point…"

"Bingo!" Gojo Satoru pointed both hands at Chu Yang and laughed. "Congratulations, you got it right!"

"Of course, you can also choose not to become a Jujutsu Sorcerer. Not everyone who awakens Cursed Energy has to become one."

Gojo Satoru said gravely, "But after you awaken Cursed Energy, Cursed Spirits will be drawn to the Cursed Energy on your body. No matter where you go, cursed incidents around you will become more and more frequent."

"At first, you’ll probably be able to deal with them easily. But as the days pass, unimaginable curses will definitely appear."

"To be honest," Chu Yang said, "I haven’t heard even the slightest room to refuse in your explanation. Why not just tell me where I need to clock in for work…"

"Before becoming a professional Jujutsu Sorcerer, I recommend that someone with Cursed Energy like you attend Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School for further training…"

"Go to school? I’m not going!"

"Uh… is it just me, or do you seem really opposed to going to school?"

"Obviously. You never took the college entrance exam. Do you know how I survived three years of high school and four years of college? If it were you, would you want to go back to school?"

"I understand, but I still recommend—"

"Then I quit. Who cares whether curses come for me or not? Even if I die in the end, you Jujutsu Sorcerers will still have to come clean up my mess."

Chu Yang’s resolute attitude made Gojo Satoru change tack. "Actually, attending Jujutsu High for further training isn’t necessary. As long as you pass my trial, I’ll let you intern under Nanami."

Chu Yang frowned. "A trial?"

Gojo Satoru spread his hands. "If you won’t even agree to that, then there’s nothing left to discuss. If it weren’t for your rare talent, I wouldn’t give you this much room to negotiate."

"Of course, I also really appreciate your personality. There isn’t a second guy as interesting as you at Jujutsu High."

From Gojo Satoru’s tone, Chu Yang could tell that this was likely the other man’s final bottom line, so he nodded in agreement.

It was still difficult for him to give up such a dangerous yet equally rewarding profession.

Half an hour later.

Gojo Satoru brought Chu Yang to an abandoned development zone, where rows of unfinished buildings stood before him.

Though it was early in the morning, Chu Yang could feel a bone-piercing chill standing there.

"As a corporate slave who’s struggled in society for several years, you should understand how much blood and tears from ordinary people are buried behind unfinished buildings like these."

Gojo Satoru looked around with deep emotion. Because of his profession as a Jujutsu Sorcerer, he often faced the ugliness and darkness of human nature head-on, witnessing countless tragedies.

"Hatred, anger, regret, greed… Even without seeing it, I can feel the negative emotions filling this place."

"Places like this are the most likely to produce curses, right?" Chu Yang asked.

Gojo Satoru gave a self-deprecating smile. "That’s right. Ordinary people’s suffering is the best nourishment for curses."

Chu Yang sighed softly. "What do you need me to do?"

Gojo Satoru explained, "The plan was to have the Jujutsu High students clear out this area, but now the mission is yours. If you complete it successfully, the bonus is yours too."

Chu Yang nodded without saying much. After warming up for a while, he walked into the ruins hidden within the city.

Watching his retreating figure, Gojo Satoru felt somewhat expectant.

Since this had originally been intended as a mission for Jujutsu High students, its difficulty level would not be too high.

The rankings of curses and cursed spirits matched those of Jujutsu Sorcerers, usually starting from the lowest Grade 4 and rising in order.

Grade 4, Grade 3, Grade 2, Grade 1, Special Grade.

Before advancing to Grade 2 or Grade 1, there were also Semi-Grade 2 and Semi-Grade 1.

Though there seemed to be only five grades, there were actually seven ranks for Jujutsu Sorcerers.

This unfinished-building district had been assessed, and no cursed spirits above Grade 4 were supposed to appear here. That was why Gojo Satoru had chosen it to test Chu Yang’s combat ability.

Besides, with Gojo Satoru here, no matter what grade of cursed spirit appeared, Chu Yang’s safety would not be threatened.

The Cursed Energy in this area was like a hazy fog that scattered in every direction with a gust of wind. Yet because of that, Chu Yang had difficulty using Cursed Energy to pinpoint the curse’s location.

He could only wander around inside at random.

Most of the buildings ahead still had intact structures, the sort that only needed a little renovation before they could be occupied.

But the farther in he went, the more damaged concrete, exposed rebar, and collapsed roofs he saw everywhere.

An aura of decay rushed over him.

Clang, clang, clang~~~

A length of steel pipe suddenly fell from above Chu Yang’s head. He grabbed it in one hand, kneaded it in his palm, and forcibly crushed it into an irregular metal ball.

Then Chu Yang tossed it away as though he were throwing a crumpled ball of waste paper.

Thud!!!

The instant the steel ball hit the ground, Chu Yang looked up at the third-floor window of the unfinished building beside him. A gray, hazy figure stood there.

"A ghost? I thought it was a curse…"

"Looks like he was driven into a corner and jumped to his death. He can’t even resist, so all he can do is make a little noise to scare people. Should I call him pitiful or tragic?"

Chu Yang let out a long sigh, shook his head, and quickly left the area. A ghost he could eliminate with a single punch would find it difficult to grow into a curse even if left alone.

There were few people in the vicinity, so it could not continuously generate negative emotions and provide the Cursed Energy needed for its growth.

In the distance, Gojo Satoru, who had witnessed this, suddenly smiled. Unlike his usual flippant grin, his smile now was warm.

"He’s got a good heart. No wonder Nanami takes such good care of him."

Gojo Satoru stretched lazily and muttered, "I hope he can keep protecting the kindness in his heart from now on. Don’t end up like that guy…"

Before he knew it, Chu Yang had reached the final section of the unfinished-building district.

Chu Yang looked around. There were no unfinished buildings left nearby, only a dilapidated construction site.

The abandoned construction spoke of the miserable state of a completely broken funding chain.

At the center of the construction site, a cursed spirit that constantly radiated an ominous aura paced back and forth. It held a set of construction blueprints in its hands, its mouth muttering nonstop.

"Why did it fail?"

"How could such a good project fail?"

"Impossible…"

Seeing this, Chu Yang immediately thought of the gaunt manager at his company, his eyes filling with sympathy.

The boss took all the money, while the workers bore all the suffering.

"Rest in peace."

Chu Yang slowly walked forward.

The cursed spirit suddenly stopped, and its mouth ceased its incessant muttering.

It whirled around, its hollow eyes staring fixedly at Chu Yang. Black mist continuously billowed from the depths of its eye sockets.

As if it were crying.

The next second, the cursed spirit charged at Chu Yang like a madman. With every step it took, its body swelled dramatically larger.

In the blink of an eye, the man who resembled a manager had turned into a massive monster!

Several bloody holes suddenly burst open across the cursed spirit’s broad shoulder blades. Flesh and tissue extended from within them, rapidly growing into four thick arms.

Chu Yang stopped walking. The sympathy on his face vanished without a trace as he said irritably, "Can’t you just obediently wait to die?"

With Gojo Satoru watching, Chu Yang could not go all out. At the very least, Ninjutsu like Wood Release was not suitable for use against an enemy here.

That was why Chu Yang was impatient. It meant he would have to fight the cursed spirit hand-to-hand.

With its six arms, the cursed spirit looked as overwhelmingly imposing as the Hulk.

It reached Chu Yang in only a few strides, raising one of its arms and smashing it down at him.

Chu Yang wrapped his fist in Cursed Energy and threw a punch in return.

Two fists of vastly different sizes collided!

The instant Chu Yang traded blows with the cursed spirit, Gojo Satoru suddenly had the illusion of an egg striking a meteorite.

The cursed spirit was the egg, and Chu Yang was the meteorite.

The second their fists collided, terrifying force whipped up a hurricane. The cursed spirit’s arm exploded like a lump of rotten tofu.

Refusing to accept it, the cursed spirit let out an enraged howl and continued throwing punches at Chu Yang.

In the blink of an eye, the cursed spirit had thrown three punches.

Then…

Three arms exploded.

The six arms that had looked so imposing were reduced to two in an instant.

The cursed spirit froze.

It began to tremble violently.

Belated terror filled its heart.

It wanted to turn and flee, but its feet felt filled with lead, rooted to the spot. It did not dare move.

An indescribable aura hung over the cursed spirit like a mountain.

In the end… it could only watch helplessly as Chu Yang’s fist struck its body.

BANG!!!

The fist landing on the cursed spirit’s abdomen was like setting off a bomb, directly blasting apart its upper body!

Gojo Satoru, who had been half-leaning against the railing, suddenly straightened up. He even lifted his blindfold, staring at Chu Yang with those outrageously beautiful eyes.

"He only used a tiny amount of Cursed Energy to wrap his fist. That power came entirely from his body."

"That’s truly terrifying."

"If he had a Heavenly Restriction, his physical strength might even surpass Toji Fushiguro’s. A body with zero Cursed Energy could also gain a natural resistance to Cursed Energy."

"Yet the Cursed Energy throughout his body is no weaker than his physique, allowing him to eliminate curses without relying on the power of Cursed Tools at all."

"Looking at it this way, he could at the very least grow into a Heavenly Restriction with no weaknesses in the future."

At the same time, the mist-like Cursed Energy around the unfinished building rapidly dispersed, and Chu Yang emerged from the rubble.

Gojo Satoru pulled his blindfold back down and smiled. "I’m really looking forward to it…"

The next day, a large sum of money appeared in Chu Yang’s bank account—ten times his previous monthly salary.

Having worked as an office drone in this world for years, Chu Yang immediately grinned from ear to ear.

"Jujutsu Sorcerer really is a pretty good profession."

One Piece world.

Standing on the deck with the sea breeze blowing against him, Chu Yang’s brow remained tightly furrowed.

His mind was filled with thoughts of Vinsmoke Judge’s Lineage Factor technology.

Other than him, only Vegapunk met the requirements.

That idiot Caesar was only a half-baked amateur.

"Where the hell am I supposed to find the Germa Kingdom?"

As the world’s only seaborne kingdom without a fixed residence, it could split apart into dozens of large ships and roam the seas no differently from pirates traveling all over the world.

For Chu Yang to find them would be like searching for a needle in the ocean.

"Other than knowing that the Germa Kingdom is in the North Sea, I don’t have any more intelligence."

Just as Chu Yang was thinking himself into a headache, the cry of a seagull suddenly came from overhead.

A newspaper fell onto Chu Yang’s head. Without even thinking, he reached up and tossed it aside.

The newspaper happened to land in Yasopp’s arms.

"Today’s news?" Yasopp grinned, then unfolded the paper and began reading it carefully. Normally, aside from holding banquets, there were not many forms of entertainment.

Newspapers were great for relieving boredom.

"Recent news has been pretty dull…" Yasopp’s gaze moved constantly over the paper, trying to find something amusing to pass the time.

Heaven did not disappoint those who persevered. When Yasopp turned the page, he finally saw a piece of news that made his eyes light up.

"The Vinsmoke Family and the Donquixote Family in the North Sea are at war again?"

"They’re fighting pretty fiercely."

"What a pity. When we left Foosha Village last time, we should’ve taken the North Sea route back to the New World. Then we could’ve joined in the fun."

Yasopp’s face was full of regret.

The Red Hair Pirates were now famous far and wide, and the number of people who dared challenge them had plummeted. Even when they wanted to fight, they often had no opportunity.

As Yasopp complained, Chu Yang’s expression changed.

He suddenly remembered something.

The reason the Vinsmoke Family wandered throughout the New World was that they had lost the struggle for power in the North Sea to the Donquixote Family. They should originally have been the rulers of the North Sea!

And right now, the Vinsmoke Family was still fighting the Donquixote Family for the North Sea!

"Thanks, Yasopp!"

Excited, Chu Yang gave Yasopp a heavy pat on the shoulder before diving into the cabin!

He was going to the North Sea!

At the moment, everyone was eating in the first-floor dining hall.

Shanks and Beckman gnawed on meat while discussing their next route.

Chu Yang walked up to them and said solemnly, "Captain! I need to head out for a while."

Shanks looked at him in surprise. After sailing together for so long, this was the first time Chu Yang had made such a request.

In truth, it was not uncommon for crew members to ask to leave midway through a voyage, especially when large pirate crews spent long periods at sea.

For example, the famed Whitebeard Pirates would not forcibly restrict their crew members’ movements.

As long as they returned by the appointed time, it was fine.

However, considering Chu Yang’s age, Shanks still specifically asked why he wanted to leave.

"I want to go back to Fish-Man Island and see my friend."

"You mean the adventurer, Mr. Tiger?"

"Yes."

"They’re sailing too. You might not find them if you go back now."

"I’ll try my luck. If they aren’t there, I’ll come back."

Shanks pondered for a while before finally nodding in agreement. He then turned to look at Beckman.

Beckman smiled knowingly. "Yang, when you return from Fish-Man Island, go straight to Water 7. We’ll wait for you there."

Chu Yang asked curiously, "What are we going to Water 7 for?"

Beckman stroked the mast beside him and said softly, "The Red Force has been sailing for quite a long time. We need to make some modifications to her, or this old companion won’t be able to keep traveling with us."

Chu Yang’s eyes lit up. He said excitedly, "We’re expanding the ship, right? I heard you talking about it last time! Let me make this clear first—you have to leave me a room. I want to sleep by myself!"

Shanks and Beckman exchanged looks, then burst out laughing together.

Unable to wait until the next day, Chu Yang left the Red Force by boat.

A moment later.

Once the Red Force had vanished from his sight, Chu Yang abandoned the small boat, used the Super-Lightened Boulder Technique, and shot into the sky, flying directly toward the North Sea.

"This feels amazing!"

Chu Yang shouted excitedly in midair.

The freedom of flight was the ultimate dream buried deep within humanity’s genes.

With Chu Yang’s abundant Chakra, he would not be exhausted even if he flew all the way from the New World to the North Sea.

As the sky gradually darkened and stars began appearing one by one across the heavens, Chu Yang had already successfully flown past Reverse Mountain.

He took out a map and began searching for the location of the Germa Kingdom.

Not the seafaring kingdom made up of dozens of large ships in the future, but a genuine island.

From high in the sky, Chu Yang could easily match the features of the different islands to their locations on the map.

Finding the Germa Kingdom took only a few minutes.

After confirming the direction, Chu Yang continued flying and reached his destination half an hour later.

But when he looked down, he was greatly shocked.

The island that should have been the Germa Kingdom below was now engulfed in an endless sea of flames.

The raging fire illuminated the night as brightly as day.

Chu Yang suddenly recalled what Yasopp had said during the day—the war between the Vinsmoke Family and the Donquixote Family was still ongoing!

Given the scene before him, Doflamingo was most likely leading his family members in an attack on the Germa Kingdom.

"I didn’t expect to arrive at exactly the right time."

Chu Yang wanted to steal Judge’s Lineage Factor technology amid the chaos. Judge was surely fighting Doflamingo right now and would have no attention to spare for anything else.

With that thought, Chu Yang immediately descended and flew straight toward Germa’s royal palace.

With the world below consumed by flames, who would pay attention to the pitch-black night sky?

The fierce fighting nearby provided him with the perfect cover.

Just like that, he smoothly flew deep into the palace.

Listening to the shouts of battle outside, Chu Yang kept his Observation Haki active at all times, avoiding the soldiers constantly rushing out to reinforce the fight.

The Germa Kingdom had an enormous number of troops, but its weakness was the lack of top-tier combat power.

Numbers alone could never defeat Doflamingo.

Because Doflamingo’s String-String Fruit allowed him to manipulate others at will, making it the perfect counter to swarm tactics.

More conveniently, Chu Yang’s Puppet Jutsu countered the String-String Fruit’s ability to control others.

If the plan to steal the Lineage Factor technology went smoothly, Chu Yang would not mind causing Doflamingo a little trouble before leaving.

As he ventured deeper inside, Chu Yang found a room resembling a laboratory. Pushing open the door, he saw that it was filled with incubation chambers.

Countless identical-looking Germa soldiers lay sleeping peacefully within.

"Let’s start searching from here!"

Chu Yang used Wood Clones.

Before long, the room was packed to the brim with Wood Clones.

Chu Yang immediately directed the Wood Clones to search everywhere for documents related to the Lineage Factor.

Second by second, time passed, yet the Wood Clones still failed to find their target.

The laboratory contained only experimental records regarding cloned humans.

Although Chu Yang could infer some information from those records, he had no interest in doing something so time-consuming and laborious.

Using Sealing Jutsu, Chu Yang sealed the lengthy experimental records into a scroll to take with him, then continued searching for the next laboratory.

The sounds of artillery fire and earth-shaking battle cries outside faintly carried inside.

Chu Yang had no choice but to speed up. He searched three more nearly identical laboratories in succession.

The results were all the same. Apart from experimental records, he found nothing else.

"At this rate, I’m going to have to search Judge’s bedside table!" Chu Yang muttered a few curses under his breath, then lowered his head and entered the final laboratory. He searched relentlessly with the Wood Clones, but still found nothing.

Just as Chu Yang was preparing to actually search Judge’s bedside table, the corner of his eye caught sight of a small room within the laboratory.

It looked like an independent archive room.

Chu Yang walked in.

And then…

He finally found the documents related to Lineage Factor technology!

Meanwhile, the battle outside was in full swing.

Germa unleashed fierce firepower upon the Donquixote Family with its advanced weapons and equipment.

For a time, it held an absolute advantage on the battlefield.

But as Doflamingo took control of more and more Germa soldiers, the situation of the war changed drastically.

Judge was extremely anxious and had already realized that he might lose.

He had even considered deploying his four children, who had yet to fully mature.

But in the end, reason prevailed.

Reiju and the others were still too young to perfectly control their abilities. Without their combat suits as well, forcing them into battle would be meaningless.

"Retreat!"

Judge gritted his teeth as he gave the order. No matter how unwilling he was, he had to abandon the Germa Kingdom’s land-based stronghold.

At the same time the order was issued, countless clones poured out of the castle and launched a suicidal charge at the Donquixote Family.

The young Doflamingo had just been about to mock Judge’s actions when he suddenly discovered that the cloned soldiers under his control had also joined the charge.

Doflamingo’s expression changed abruptly.

The Donquixote Family officers around him were instantly stunned.

"Young Master, don’t joke around. This is really terrifying."

Trebol was so frightened that snot ran everywhere as he looked at Doflamingo in a panic.

"It seems my ability has malfunctioned." Doflamingo grinned viciously. "That bastard Judge actually managed to screw me over even while running away."

"Once I catch him, I’ll kill him!"

Diamante drew his sword and said coldly, "Protect the Young Master!"

At his command, all the officers formed a circle around Doflamingo, shielding him within it.

"Hey, hey, hey, doesn’t this make me look completely useless?" Doflamingo sneered, then roared, "Get out of my way!"

The others opened up a path.

Doflamingo stomped his foot hard, and the ground immediately turned into a vast expanse of white.

Upon closer inspection, it was all made of fine threads.

White threads turned into towering waves that swept through the surroundings. Whether smoke and flames or clone soldiers, all were utterly obliterated by Doflamingo’s ability.

Chu Yang stood atop the highest point of the castle palace, silently watching the scene unfold.

He had originally been considering whether to take Doflamingo out while he was at it, but he immediately dismissed the idea.

Doflamingo’s Devil Fruit ability had already awakened, and with all those officers at his side, fighting him would be extremely troublesome and offer little benefit.

Now that he had obtained the Lineage Factor technology, there was no need to do something so thankless and exhausting.

After enjoying the grand baptism of flames for a while, Chu Yang left in satisfaction. Next, he would begin properly researching the extraction technology for Lineage Factors.

Naruto world.

Chu Yang on this side was also beginning preparations to obtain Six Paths Sage Mode.

Besides researching the Sage of Six Paths’ power through bloodlines, he also needed to acquire Sage Mode.

Ryuchi Cave, Mount Myoboku, and Shikkotsu Forest—the three great places of sage training. What conditions had to be met to enter and train there?

Chu Yang did not know, but the only thing he could do was pull some strings.

Through Hashirama Senju.

So during this time, Chu Yang had kept his eyes on Hashirama Senju, trying not to leave his side twenty-four hours a day, all to find out when he had learned Sage Mode.

The price was a vicious beating.

Hashirama Senju had nearly mistaken him for a pervert.

Thinking about it, Hashirama Senju had just gotten married, while Chu Yang had been glued to him every step of the way. Anyone would have beaten him up.

Still, the beating had not been for nothing.

Chu Yang finally saw Hashirama Senju use Sage Mode while training.

He looked somewhat unfamiliar with it, so he had probably only learned it recently.

But Chu Yang did not care about that. He immediately scampered over.

"Teacher, I want to learn that!"

Hashirama Senju had long grown accustomed to Chu Yang suddenly appearing. He had been like this lately.

"What did you say you wanted to learn?" Hashirama Senju froze for a moment.

Chu Yang poked his face several times. "I want to learn that flashy thing."

"Flashy…" Hashirama Senju instinctively touched his face a few times, then realized what he meant. "Sage Mode? That isn’t easy to learn."

Chu Yang grinned.

As his only Direct Disciple, Hashirama Senju was quite indulgent toward Chu Yang. After all, it was practically certain that Chu Yang would become the next clan leader.

Hashirama Senju thought for a moment.

Then he explained in meticulous detail the entire process of learning Sage Mode.

The specifics were largely similar to Jiraiya’s experience.

The only difference was that Jiraiya trained at Mount Myoboku, while Hashirama Senju trained in Shikkotsu Forest.

Shikkotsu Forest was the training ground of the Slug Sage.

Compared with Mount Myoboku and Ryuchi Cave, Shikkotsu Forest was more proficient in healing.

In Sage Mode, that effect was multiplied severalfold.

That was why Hashirama Senju’s healing ability was so terrifying after entering Sage Mode.

After explaining the general situation in Shikkotsu Forest, Hashirama Senju said solemnly, "I can teach you how to form a contract with the Slug Sage, but remember this: once you train in Shikkotsu Forest, you cannot switch to either of the other two training grounds."

Chu Yang nodded.

Then, Hashirama Senju took out the summoning scroll and slowly unrolled it. It was covered in densely packed names.

On the final page of the scroll, Chu Yang saw Hashirama Senju’s name. Under Hashirama Senju’s guidance, he used Chakra to leave his own name beside it.

After finishing this, Hashirama Senju performed the Summoning Technique. When the smoke cleared, a basketball-sized slug was resting on his shoulder.

I recommend a friend’s new NBA novel. Interested readers can check it out: NBA: Leveling Up by Tormenting Jordan, by an author who writes like he has tentacles. It goes live on the 1st, and apparently he plans to release even more chapters on the first day than I do?