Mu Chen

Biodata

Power Progression

Background

Mu Chen previously lived as a corporate slave, an experience that left him deeply unwilling to trade comfort for career advancement. Stationed in East Blue as a Marine major, he rejected Garp's invitation to transfer to Marine Headquarters despite the promise of rapid promotion and a possible Devil Fruit reward. 2 3

Garp nevertheless took him to Marine Headquarters, where Mu Chen's Blood Sharingan and Genjutsu immediately drew attention from senior Marines. After defeating Tokikake in a forced evaluation match, he became Zephyr's student and entered the Marine Elite Training Camp. 3 11 14

His rapid advancement continued after graduation. Mu Chen was promoted to Vice Admiral before completing the Elite Training Camp, became an instructor despite his youth, and later joined Borsalino and Sakazuki as one of the Marines' Admiral Candidates. 136 137 287

Although he outwardly serves the Marines, Mu Chen maintains a concealed alliance with Dragon and the Revolutionary Army. Under the masked identity “Thunder,” he becomes the Revolutionary Army's second-in-command while continuing to use his Marine position to pursue his own plans against the World Government and Celestial Dragons. 155 391 599

Appearance

Mu Chen's most distinctive trait is his Blood Sharingan, which changes his eyes into an intense blood-red color.

• His activated Three-Tomoe Sharingan displays three tomoe in each pupil. 6 11
• Activating the Third Gate produces a green aura, reddened skin, and prominent veins across his face and body. 35
• His eyes are viewed by some Marines as beautiful, but also unsettling or hellish in appearance. 11
• His Mangekyō Sharingan rotates with an eerie pattern and is recognizable enough to draw Queen's interest in studying it. 106 109
• The Fourth Gate produces violent green steam around his body, while the Seventh Gate generates scorching steam and turns his skin crimson. 93 410
• His Susanoo can manifest as a colossal crimson skeletal warrior, a complete giant, or compact blood-red armor covering his body. 116 277 380
• In Gate Armor form, he wears fitted scarlet armor with two pairs of wings, scarlet lightning along their edges, and wields a scarlet Haki-coated sword. 615 616
• When operating as Thunder, Mu Chen conceals his identity with a bronze mask while leaving his scarlet eyes visible. 336 391

Personality

Mu Chen is openly lazy, practical, and resistant to conventional ambition. He repeatedly turns down promotions, Devil Fruits, recruitment offers, and unnecessary challenges when they threaten his preferred freedom or rest. He is willing to negotiate for daily slacking time even with Zephyr, and views a comfortable Marine posting as more attractive than status. 2 6 10 14

Despite this indifference to prestige, he is composed under pressure and does not pursue fights for pride. He refuses Kuzan's early challenges because he recognizes the gap created by Kuzan's Logia ability and his own lack of Haki at the time. 14 18

Mu Chen gradually develops a sense of belonging at Marineford. Concern for the Marines, trainees, civilians, and local residents makes him unwilling to see Golden Lion's attack destroy the place he has come to value. 19 45

His laziness does not extend to situations involving extreme cruelty or people he considers his own. Mu Chen acts against the West Blue human-experimentation base after witnessing imprisoned children, and he is willing to confront powerful enemies to protect Qi Yuan, his subordinates, or vulnerable civilians. 149 390 392

Mu Chen is also politically calculating. Drawing on his former corporate experience, he uses deference, misinformation, public statements, staged battles, and competing factions to survive the World Government's scrutiny while quietly advancing his anti-Celestial Dragon agenda. 189 211 594 599

Though he secretly works with revolutionaries, Mu Chen rejects piracy as an ideology. He considers Marine Headquarters and its fallen personnel his home and argues that the Marines' duty to protect ordinary families outweighs pirates' claims of personal freedom. 381

Abilities & Skills

Blood Sharingan

Mu Chen's inherited-eye cover story calls his ability the “Blood Spirit Eye,” while the Marines commonly refer to it as Blood Eyes or the Blood Sharingan. It provides enhanced perception comparable to Observation Haki and develops alongside his personal strength. 4 16

• Tracks opponents' movement trajectories, allowing him to read Tokikake's Shave and evade attacks he has never formally learned. 11
• Slows his perception of fast attacks, including Shanks's Armament Haki-coated dagger strikes. 28
• Progressed from Single-Tomoe to Three-Tomoe form through the Slacking System. 3 6
• Its unusual appearance cannot be fully concealed; Marine leadership instead seeks to hide its Genjutsu function. 34
• Evolves into Mangekyō Sharingan, providing the foundations for Kamui, Reading, and Susanoo. 106 116
• Later evolves further into the Rinnegan, granting him additional spatial and gravitational techniques. 529 608

Genjutsu

Through eye contact and the Blood Sharingan, Mu Chen can trap targets in illusions, immobilize them, or make them experience scenes they most desire or dread. 13 16

• Briefly affected Garp, though Garp recovered in about one second. 3
• Incapacitated Tokikake, leaving him confused and unable to remember the end of their fight clearly. 13 14
• Defeated Kuzan by using Genjutsu to prevent him from defending himself or employing his Devil Fruit before delivering the final kick. 36 37
• Can freeze weaker targets such as Buggy in place. 28
• Is unreliable against guarded Rear Admiral-level opponents and above; even if effective, the illusion does not last long. 6
• Held an unguarded Zephyr for less than three seconds; Zephyr estimated he could break free in roughly one second if resisting at full strength. 16
• Cannot yet sustain a detailed illusion long enough to reveal hidden faces before the target wakes. 24
• His right Mangekyō ability, Reading, can inflict severe mental damage and disrupt an opponent's concentration and Haki control. 106 112
• Reading can also reshape emotional states and convictions, allowing Mu Chen to awaken genuine anger, faith, and determination in Germa clones after removing their control chips. 423

Kamui and Spatial Techniques

Mu Chen's left Mangekyō ability, Kamui, allows him to manipulate a separate pocket dimension. It becomes one of his principal defensive and mobility abilities. 106 192

• Can phase his body through physical and Haki-infused attacks, rendering direct assaults ineffective when activated. 312 411 617
• Can transfer himself and others into Kamui Space to hide, evade pursuit, imprison targets, or reposition during battle. 192 292 312
• Uses Kamui to instantly remove attacks, including Sakazuki's magma eruption. 140
• His intangibility forces opponents such as Kaido, Queen, and Douglas Bullet to confront the futility of relying solely on brute-force attacks. 312 411
• The Flying Thunder God Technique supplements Kamui by allowing marked teleportation and rapid repositioning around an opponent's blind spots. 123 140 411
• His later Rinnegan spatial techniques include Six Paths Divine Shift. 629

Susanoo

Mu Chen can manifest Susanoo, a colossal crimson spectral warrior generated through his Mangekyō Sharingan. 116 277

• Initially manifests as a skeletal giant before developing musculature, armor, and a weapon. 116
• Can compress Susanoo around himself as blood-red armor, greatly increasing his protection and physical combat ability. 116 117
• Coats Susanoo in Armament Haki, turning its crimson body black and red and allowing it to overpower Queen's Ancient Zoan form. 112
• Uses a black-armored Susanoo carrying a sword coated in both Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki against Aramaki. 277
• Its complete form can endure Whitebeard's devastating quake attacks, though the construct itself can be shattered. 380
• Gate Armor is an advanced compact form created by combining Susanoo with the Eight Gates. 615 616

Rinnegan

Mu Chen's later eye evolution grants him the Rinnegan and a range of gravitational and spatial powers. 529 608

• Banshō Ten'in — Pulls targets toward him through invisible gravitational force, used to drag Charlotte Linlin into Whitebeard. 529
• Shinra Tensei — Releases a large-scale repulsive force capable of blasting away the coordinated attacks of all Five Elders. 608
• Enhances his perception enough to read openings in simultaneous sword attacks and respond to attacks from multiple directions. 608
• The Rinnegan remains active in his Gate Armor form. 615

Eight Gates

The Eight Gates are Mu Chen's physical enhancement technique. Each opened gate increases his strength and speed, but higher gates carry increasingly dangerous consequences. 11 35 38

• Opening Gate — Raises his overall physical abilities severalfold, allowing him to match Tokikake's speed. 11
• Gate of Healing — Eliminates lower-gate fatigue and battle exhaustion, effectively restoring his stamina. 12 13
• Life Gate — The final safe gate; more than doubles his Second Gate strength and speed. 35
• Higher gates — The Fourth Gate begins the exchange of injury for power; the Eighth Gate grants near-invincible strength at the cost of the user's life. 32 38
• Gate of Pain — Produces bulging muscles, a violent aura, and boiling green steam, raising him to Vice Admiral-level power. 90 93
• Gate of Limit — Acquired through the system after his confrontation with Bullet and Crocodile. 192
• Gate of Shock — The Seventh Gate releases scorching steam, turns his skin crimson, and grants extreme speed and striking power. 410 411
• Gate Armor — By combining the Eight Gates with Susanoo, Mu Chen creates scarlet winged armor that amplifies him enough to defeat multiple Five Elders in seconds. 615 616
• He has not opened the Eighth Gate; Zephyr confirms that its immense power would place an unbearable burden on Mu Chen's body. 615 616

Armament Haki

Mu Chen awakens Beginner Armament Haki after Zephyr repeatedly forces him to sense and concentrate his internal energy. 20 32

• Coats his arms in a glossy black layer that reduces the pain from Zephyr's attacks. 32
• Allows him to physically strike Kuzan despite the latter's Logia Ice-Ice Fruit. 35
• Uses it alongside the Third Gate to trade blows with Kuzan's ice blade and ultimately overpower him. 35 36
• Can coat his entire body and combine Armament Haki with Conqueror's Haki, creating dark-red flowing patterns across his Seventh Gate form. 410
• Extends Armament Haki to Susanoo, strengthening the giant's defensive and offensive power against Calamity-class and Admiral-level opponents. 112 277 380

Observation and Conqueror's Haki

Mu Chen later gains Observation Haki and Conqueror's Haki, complementing the enhanced perception of his Blood Sharingan. 102 218

• His Conqueror's Haki was unknown even to most Marines until he used it against Spandine and CP9. 135
• Its pressure is powerful enough to suppress nearby Marines and establish him as a future Admiral candidate in Kong's eyes. 135
• He eventually learns Conqueror's Coating, wrapping his attacks and weapons in scarlet-black Haki powerful enough to clash with top-tier fighters. 409 529 608
• His Conqueror's Haki reaches a level superior to Douglas Bullet's and is described as having reached its peak. 409
• Observation Haki assists his sea travel and is used alongside his eye abilities in high-level combat. 218 608

Rumble-Rumble Powers

Under the masked identity Thunder, Mu Chen uses lightning abilities publicly associated with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. 391 599

• Produces lightning whips, lightning vortex attacks, Raiden Armor, and a Thunder Domain that converts surrounding conductive material into a weapon against opponents. 391 392
• Defeats God's Knight Somazisheng with One Hundred Million Volt: Lightning Dragon. 392
• Can use lightning in conjunction with Armament Haki to bypass or neutralize Seastone-based defenses. 391
• His system-granted powers are unaffected by Seastone suppression, despite being mistaken for Devil Fruit abilities. 392
• Thunder God Form creates lightning armor, wings, and a massive lightning sword capable of meeting Borsalino's serious light-based attacks. 572
• The Revolutionary Army publicly recognizes Thunder as its second-in-command, with a 2-billion-Beli bounty. 391

Regeneration and Life Return

Mu Chen possesses high-speed regeneration and has studied Life Return as a means of mitigating the bodily cost of the Eight Gates. 20 192

• His system panel lists High-Speed Regeneration and Life Return among his abilities. 192
• Fully regenerates after Weevil appears to injure him with a Haki-infused blow. 376
• He considers Life Return particularly valuable because it may help him survive the backlash of progressively higher Eight Gates. 20 93

Navy Six Powers

Zephyr trains Mu Chen in Marine combat techniques rather than allowing him to rely solely on his inherited abilities. 20

• Tekkai — Hardens his body enough to endure several Armament Haki attacks from Shanks. 20 28
• Paper Pistol — Learnt alongside Tekkai in seven days. 20
• Shave — Listed among his learned skills after he reaches Rear Admiral level. 32
• Geppo — Enables aerial movement; learned after his duel with Kuzan. 39
• Kami-e, Rankyaku, and Life Return — Added to his repertoire as his mastery of the Navy Six Powers advances. 90 192
• Blue Walk — Mu Chen's Rankyaku-style slashes become powerful enough to neutralize Ivankov's enhanced Death Wink and threaten high-level opponents. 189
• His system later lists his Navy Six Powers as Ultimate Navy Six Styles. 208

Slacking System

Mu Chen possesses a system that awards Slacking Points for idle time and lets him exchange them for abilities and identities. 6 14

• Spent 15,000 Slacking Points each on Three-Tomoe Sharingan and the Eight Gates' Third Gate. 6
• Received the identity of Zephyr's student and Elite Training Camp trainee, which included three hours of designated slacking time—an arrangement Zephyr immediately attempted to revoke. 14
• Unlocks Advanced Slacking Mode at Sabaody Archipelago, doubling his Slacking Point gains. 25
• Uses accumulated points to acquire the Fourth and Fifth Gates, Conqueror's Haki, Mangekyō Sharingan, Observation Haki, and further advanced abilities. 90 102 106 192 218
• The system contains a hidden function whose progress rises through battles against powerful opponents. 163 208

Equipment / Assets

• Kuzan's warship — Wagered in Mu Chen's duel against Kuzan; Mu Chen later uses it to travel to Sabaody Archipelago. 33 39
• Marine uniform and facilities — Receives improved dormitory accommodations after joining Zephyr as a student. 15
• Personal warship — Commands a warship staffed by Kong Ming and Marine personnel during his Vice Admiral and Admiral service. 147 218 403
• Bronze mask — Used to conceal his Marine identity while operating as Thunder, though it leaves his Blood Sharingan visible. 336 391
• Little Crayfish — A massive Super Fast Shrimp marked with Mu Chen's Sharingan pattern, used as a mount on Sky Island. 324

Relationships

• Garp — Recruiter, protector, and informal mentor. Garp forcibly brings Mu Chen to Headquarters, praises his talent, and warns others against threatening him. 2 3 17
• Zephyr — Teacher at the Elite Training Camp. Zephyr is frustrated by Mu Chen's laziness but personally trains him in Haki and the Navy Six Powers. 14 16 20
• Kuzan — Competitive rival. Mu Chen initially refuses his challenges, later defeats him in a wagered duel using Armament Haki, the Third Gate, and Genjutsu. 14 33 36 37
• Tokikake — Senior trainee, rival, drinking companion, and self-proclaimed “big brother.” Mu Chen defeats him upon arriving at camp, after which Tokikake tries to claim him as a subordinate. 11 18 19
• Qi Yuan — Fellow trainee who supports Mu Chen with a major bet during his duel with Kuzan, then challenges him herself after his victory. 34 37
• Gion — Mu Chen is immediately struck by her appearance when he first sees her training at Headquarters. 8
• Rayleigh — Meets Mu Chen after the latter defeats Shanks and Buggy. Their confrontation remains tense but nonviolent. 29 30
• Shanks and Buggy — Young Roger Pirates members defeated by Mu Chen at Sabaody Archipelago. 28 29
• Borsalino and Sakazuki — Both seek to recruit Mu Chen as an adjutant after graduation; Mu Chen declines to remain at the Elite Training Camp. 43
• Qi Yuan / Gion — His trusted confidante and romantic partner. Mu Chen shares his secrets and political plans with her, vows to help her obtain revenge against the Celestial Dragons, and repeatedly protects her while encouraging her growth. 149 155 224 264 |
• Kong Ming — His loyal adjutant and one of the few Marines Mu Chen trusts deeply. Kong Ming notices the connection between Mu Chen's eyes and his unexplained abilities but chooses not to expose him. 133 147 403 |
• Dragon — Secret ally and Revolutionary Army leader. Mu Chen refuses formal membership at first, but later acts publicly as Thunder, the Revolutionary Army's second-in-command. 155 391 599 |
• Sakazuki — A recurring rival whom Mu Chen defeats during their early confrontation. Sakazuki later becomes disillusioned with the World Government after learning its role in Zephyr's tragedy. 140 599 |
• Douglas Bullet — Powerful rival and occasional political asset. Their repeated clashes push both fighters to develop stronger forms and Haki. 192 216 410 411 |
• Kaido and Queen — Major Beasts Pirates adversaries. Mu Chen defeats Queen, clashes with Kaido, and later demonstrates that even Kaido cannot strike him through Kamui. 109 123 312 |
• Whitebeard — Respected enemy. After fighting Mu Chen, Whitebeard offers to make him his son, but Mu Chen firmly rejects piracy and declares Marine Headquarters his home. 380 381 |
• Boa Hancock — A politically useful but possessive ally whose acceptance of a Seven Warlords position comes with the condition that Mu Chen personally visit Amazon Lily each month. 361 386 |
• Five Elders — Political enemies who attempt to test, control, and eventually remove Mu Chen. Their conflict escalates into Mu Chen's direct battle against all five. 175 594 608 617 |
• Imu — The hidden ruler behind the Five Elders' empowerment and Mu Chen's current larger conflict with the World Government. 616 617 629 |

Story Role

• Transfer to Marine Headquarters — Garp identifies Mu Chen's potential and forcibly removes him from his comfortable East Blue posting. 2 3
• Elite Training Camp — Becomes Zephyr's student after defeating Tokikake, then develops Haki and Navy Six Powers under brutal training. 11 14 20 32
• Sabaody Archipelago incident — Travels with Tokikake, confronts Shanks and Buggy, and defuses Rayleigh's response through calm negotiation. 25 28 29
• Duel with Kuzan — Challenges Kuzan for the use of his warship, wins the public duel, and earns one million Beli along with widespread recognition. 33 37
• Flying Fleet crisis — Rejects Borsalino and Sakazuki's recruitment overtures, then resolves to protect Marineford after recognizing his attachment to its people. 43 45
• Giant beast battle — Sends a giant beast flying into the sea with a powerful kick. 49
• Vice Admiral promotion and Beasts Pirates conflict — Reaches Vice Admiral level, defeats Queen, confronts Kaido, and earns widespread notoriety as Blood Eyes. 90 109 123 136 |
• Ohara Buster Call — Appointed by the Five Elders as Supreme Commander of the Buster Call against Ohara, Mu Chen outwardly obeys while secretly coordinating with Dragon's forces to save people and preserve his cover. 175 178 189 |
• Seven Warlords project — Helps establish the Seven Warlords system and uses it to cultivate strategic relationships with figures such as Crocodile, Fisher Tiger, Moria, and Boa Hancock. 214 216 312 361 |
• Admiral Candidate — Is named an Admiral Candidate at only 21, formally recognizing a strength already acknowledged by Borsalino and Sakazuki. 287 |
• Thunder identity — Operates in secret as Thunder, the Revolutionary Army's second-in-command, and destroys a West Blue World Government laboratory conducting experiments on children. 390 391 392 |
• Emperor-level battles — Fights Whitebeard, confronts Charlotte Linlin, and later defeats the two Emperors without allowing either to land a successful attack. 380 381 529 |
• Break with the World Government — Uses an attempted assassination and public propaganda to undermine the Five Elders' credibility, after which his dual position as Marine leader and Revolutionary Army second-in-command is revealed to his senior allies. 594 599 |
• Devil's Canyon battle — Faces the Five Elders alone during a worldwide broadcast, uses Rinnegan, Susanoo, and Gate Armor to defeat and repeatedly overpower them, and becomes a worldwide symbol of resistance to the Celestial Dragons. 608 612 615 616 617 |

Notable Quotes

“Sorry, I'm not fighting. I've already won, right, Teacher Zephyr?”
— Mu Chen 14

“It means I'm a Marine for now, but not necessarily in the future.”
— Mu Chen 29

“You can't kill me today.”
— Mu Chen, to Kaido 312

“My home is Marine Headquarters, and my family is the comrades who fell for it.”
— Mu Chen 381

Trivia

• Mu Chen often steals Garp's senbei, treating the rice crackers as an easy way to provoke him without risking a real fight. 4 7
• He presents the Sharingan as a family inheritance because explaining its real origin would be too troublesome. 4
• Marine leadership fears that the Celestial Dragons could target him for Genjutsu research or force him into a CP organization. 17 35 39
• Mu Chen is highly concerned that his eventual Marine title might be changed from “Blood Eyes” into an animal-themed designation like those of Borsalino and Sakazuki. 292 293
• His preference for avoiding work is so notorious that Kong Ming considers himself accustomed to Mu Chen disappearing for extended periods without notice. 324 403
• Despite publicly being a Marine leader, the Revolutionary Army knows him as Thunder and assigns him a 2-billion-Beli bounty. 391