"Not bad, Moses."
Bogart nodded with a smile, offering his evaluation.
Moses took Cold Dew from his left hand with his right.
He shook his left hand vigorously to alleviate the slight discomfort.
Tensing the muscles in his legs, Moses charged toward Bogart once more, closing the distance in an instant. Coordinating his footwork, he unleashed a flurry of attacks with Cold Dew—thrusting, slashing diagonally, sweeping upward, and pulling downward.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Bogart parried, blocked, deflected—each of Moses' strikes was effortlessly intercepted with his short sword.
Moses wasn't surprised by this. There was no other reason—his physical stats were simply outmatched.
Dismissing unnecessary thoughts, he focused entirely on the "battle" with Bogart, his breathing steady and rhythmic.
Amid the clashing of steel and the sparks flying between them, Moses observed and learned—Bogart's sword techniques, his breathing patterns, the transitions in his footwork.
He refined his movements, honed his breath, growing stronger with each exchange.
As time passed, Moses no longer restricted himself to the short sword. He began incorporating fists and kicks, mimicking the punching style he had learned from Garp, replicating it against Bogart.
With his stamina rapidly depleting, every punch and kick Moses threw carried a gust of wind pressure. Though still unpolished, there was an undeniable, relentless momentum behind them.
Bogart continued feeding him opportunities, his surprise growing. He already knew Moses possessed Observation Haki, and earlier, he had learned the boy could sense the Breath of All Things. But now, seeing traces of Garp's influence in his strikes, and even hints of his own techniques reflected in Moses' swordplay and footwork—
This kid really is a monster.
The thought solidified in Bogart's mind, stirring a rare flicker of excitement. He wondered just what kind of man Moses would become in the future.
He knew Moses well—had known him for years—yet he had always pretended otherwise. But their time together had convinced him: at his core, Moses wasn't a bad person.
Shaking off his wandering thoughts, Bogart focused on the "assault" against Moses. No longer merely feeding him moves, he began weaving in the sharp, distinctive edge of a true swordsman.
His attacks grew fiercer.
The angles of his slashes turned more unpredictable.
Within the Celestial State, Moses was acutely sensitive to shifts in aura. The moment Bogart's demeanor changed, he became cautious.
No longer fixated solely on offense, he began incorporating defense.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Sword against sword. Fist against fist. Kick against kick.
Moses precisely read every shift in Bogart's attacks, countering and deflecting each one.
But the more he defended, the stronger and faster Bogart became—his onslaught relentless, like an unending tide.
Before long—
Just as Moses blocked a slash with his sword, Bogart's left hand deflected his punch, and a single finger tapped against Moses' forehead.
Freezing mid-swing, Moses panted heavily, his gaze calm as he stared at Bogart. The older man pressed his index finger lightly against Moses' brow and grinned.
"That's enough for today. You lose."
Moses blinked, exiting the Celestial State. He took a deep, ragged breath before realizing his entire body was drenched in sweat.
A dull ache spread through his muscles.
He had reached his limit.
But this immature body couldn't recklessly push past its limits—it would be terrible for physical growth.
Flicking the shortsword in his hand to shake off the dew that had gathered on it, Moses glanced at the patterns on the blade—still smooth and fine.
He sheathed the shortsword.
Moses smiled at him. "Uncle, I lost today. Let's continue tomorrow. I feel pretty comfortable fighting with you."
Bogart grinned. "I don't think it's comfort—you're just looking for a free punching bag, aren't you?"
"Hah, you saw right through me. You're really sharp, Uncle. I, Moses, admit defeat."
Bogart sighed in exasperation. "You think flattering me will make me agree? I'm a busy man, you know."
"No worries. It's not like you're busy all twenty-four hours. If it's not something important, you can leave it to other officers. Time can always be squeezed out. Besides, sparring with me is beneficial for you too—I know you can feel it."
Bogart narrowed his eyes and chuckled.
"You're really cunning, kid. True, sparring with you lets me better perceive the fluctuations in the Breath of all things. I really don't know how you do it."
Moses grinned. "If you don't know, then why not spar with me more? Opportunity knocks but once."
"Fair point." Bogart laughed. "You really are full of treasures, kid. Makes me want to peel you open and take a look."
"And then get punched to death by my grandpa." Moses rolled his eyes. "That description makes you sound like a creep. Have you been so deprived that even a boy like me starts looking good to you?"
As he spoke, Moses seemed startled by his own conclusion and hastily took a step back.
That step made Bogart's lips twitch violently. His face darkened as he cursed,
"Get lost! Is your mouth laced with snake venom or something?"
"Tch, first 'mouth,' then 'tongue'—sounds like you're really desperate."
"Guess I should do you a favor since you worked hard today. How about I pay for you to have some fun somewhere on the island?"
"Interested?"
Bogart rolled his eyes, refusing to engage further lest he unsheathe his sword in frustration.
Without looking back, he quickened his pace and returned to the cabin.
Moses shrugged, turned around, and headed back as well. Entering Garp's room, he slipped into the bathroom.
After washing off the sweat and changing into fresh clothes, he plopped comfortably onto the sofa.
Finally, he could catch his breath.
Just then, Perona's head popped up from the floor in front of him. Moses' eye twitched as he sighed in exasperation.
"Seriously, Perona, what kind of entrance is this?"
"Horahorahorahora~ How was it? Fun, right?"
The Spirit Body Perona floated fully out of the floor, then shrank to palm-size before drifting up and landing on Moses' shoulder.
She plopped down.
Moses tilted his head, amused, and reached out with his right hand, thumb and middle finger pinching—only to pass straight through Perona's head.
"I wonder if Armament Haki can touch your Spirit Body. Probably, right?"
"Hey, Perona, when your Spirit Body passes through people, can it inflict negative effects on them?"
Moses released his fingers.
Perona fell into thought for a moment before replying, "Yes, it's possible."
As she spoke, her tiny Spirit Body directly submerged into Moses' body. Instantly, Moses' Breath fluctuated as he entered the State of Oneness, simultaneously sensing a wave of intense negative emotions emerging in his heart.
However, in the Celestial State, it didn't affect him much.
Through his Observation Haki's internal vision, he could "see" Perona's small Spirit Body now sitting cross-legged on his heart.
An extraordinarily peculiar sensation arose within him.
His heart gave a sudden twitch.
Then, Perona's cheerful laughter echoed from his chest:
"Horo horo horo~ Moses, your heart is quite cute, isn't it? I want to take a bite."
She bit at empty air as her Spirit Body's head plunged into Moses' heart, then her entire form began weaving in and out.
Moments later, only her head remained visible outside while her body took root in Moses' abdomen. Perona giggled:
"Moses, you're pregnant! You're going to have a baby. Horo horo horo~"
Moses' face turned green as he stared at Perona's head protruding from his stomach. Grinding his teeth, he said helplessly:
"Yeah yeah, I'm giving birth—to you. So shouldn't you call me Daddy now, Pepe?"
"Daddy's sweet little girl~"
Perona emerged completely, floating midair with hands on hips as she glared at Moses. "Why are you taking advantage of me?"
Hmph!
Her body then enlarged as she dove back into Moses, until finally their Spirit and physical forms completely overlapped.
Moses' mouth emitted a girl's laughter, "Horo horo~ I'm Moses, I'm a girl, I'm so adorable, puhehe!"
His expression stiffened. "Do you want a spanking, Pepe?" Moses warned.
"Don't forget—your physical body is still with Crow Dabao."
Suddenly, Moses saw a pale, delicate little hand extend from his own mouth, a single index finger wagging before his face.
"No! You can't hit me! Otherwise, I'll possess you every day from now on—talking in front of others, or growing limbs like this."
As she spoke, two tiny white arms sprouted from Moses' eye sockets, their splayed fingers rotating like eyeballs.
Moses' vision was obstructed.
Yet within the State of Oneness...
A peculiar realization dawned on Moses. Perona's shrunken Spirit Body was now coiled within his head.
Though spectral, it still emitted a unique Breath frequency. Intrigued, Moses began attuning to this Spirit Body-specific vibrational pattern.
An entirely novel experience.
One brimming with infinite wonder within the unknown.
Unlike nature, unlike living beings or matter.
A perspective entirely its own.
In the State of Oneness, Moses curiously attempted mimicking the Spirit Body's distinctive Breath frequency.
Seeing Moses fall silent, Perona assumed victory. Her tiny Spirit Body celebrated by bouncing jubilantly throughout his form.
Time became irrelevant.
Eventually, Moses successfully replicated that unique vibrational frequency.
A groundbreaking sensation emerged.
A new dimension of perception.
His Observation Haki activated instinctively, revealing an unprecedented level of refined awareness within him.
A certain "perception" seemed to have gained some kind of enhancement.
Moses sensed the tiny Spirit Body within him when suddenly, Perona's spirit abruptly shot out from his body.
Her face flushed red as she glared at Moses with wide eyes: "How did you do that? I suddenly felt like I was being touched inside and out just now. Can you actually touch my Spirit Body?"
Moses tilted his head slightly, enveloping the spirit before him with Observation Haki. Instantly, Perona's spirit shivered.
"Eek~ It feels like ants are crawling all over me. You can really touch me now?" Perona exclaimed in shock and disbelief. "How is this possible? There's actually someone in this world who can touch a Spirit Body?"
Moses frowned slightly and glanced at Perona:
"Your statement is inherently flawed. It's not that people can't touch Spirit Bodies—you just haven't met someone who can. And I'm not exactly 'touching' you either. It's more like... our gazes collided. Sometimes when our perceptions meet, it creates the illusion that we're physically touching.
In other words, while I can't actually touch you, our senses are deceiving us into thinking we can."
Perona's eyes widened as she frantically ruffled her hair: "That makes no sense! I don't get it. Can you explain it simpler?"
Moses stroked his chin and looked at her: "Hmm, to put it plainly—let me use an analogy.
Humans can be divided into two parts: the physical body and the Spirit Body. The physical body carries a positive charge, allowing normal touch between bodies. The Spirit Body carries a negative charge, meaning Spirit Bodies can touch each other. Normally, I shouldn't be able to touch you, but just now, my Observation Haki briefly synchronized with the breathing frequency fluctuations of your Spirit Body—essentially adopting a negative charge. So, negative meets negative, creating a positive interaction.
It's like we just... sparked."
The more Perona listened, the more confused she became, her eyes spinning in circles as she stared blankly at Moses.
Seeing this, Moses sighed helplessly.
"Never mind. Let's drop this for now and talk about something else."
"Perona, since we've finished with earlier matters, how about I teach you some training?"
"Training?" Perona's eyes immediately lit up. "Yes, yes! I've always wanted to be like you."
"Then let's go."
Moses stood up, and Perona suddenly dove back into his body.
Arriving by the window, Moses spotted Crow Dabao flying in the sky and called out. The crow immediately descended.
"Take me to Perona's room," Moses said.
Crow Dabao nodded, and a ripple appeared across its body, sucking Moses inside.
In the blink of an eye, they entered Perona's room through her window.
Looking at Perona lying on the bed like a sleeping beauty, her spirit emerged from Moses' body and returned to her own.
She abruptly sat up.
"So, Moses, how do we train?" Perona asked excitedly.
"Effortless Breathing Technique."
Moses began explaining, and moments later, silver needles were inserted into her breathing nodes. He watched as Perona gradually entered the proper state.
Sitting on the bed, Moses reflected on what he had sensed earlier. The breath of living beings was complex and ever-changing. By perceiving the breathing frequency fluctuations of Perona's Spirit Body, he had now detected a unique, previously unnoticed breathing rhythm emanating from himself.
Dreamlike and ethereal—without any tangible sensation.
"Breath"
With slow, deliberate breaths, Qi circulated throughout his body. Observation Haki served as a bridge, and within the perception of "awareness," the fluctuations of his physical breathing gradually synchronized with those of his Spirit Body.
"True Qi Circulation Throughout the Body."
With each breath, he sensed his flesh and Spirit Body merging.
An unprecedented sense of control blossomed in his heart.
Every inch of his being—inside and out—was now fully perceived.
The rise and fall of his breath was no longer just his physical body breathing—his Spirit Body breathed as well.
As his breathing continued, positive changes began manifesting throughout his entire being.
He was growing stronger.
After a long while, Moses opened his eyes, a serene and translucent aura radiating from him.
Sensing every layer of his existence, a faint smile curled at the corners of his lips. His gaze softened with warmth and joy as he looked at Perona, who sat cross-legged on the bed, immersed in her own breathing.
When he first met her, he had merely thought her ability useful and her appearance cute—enough to want to whisk her away.
But as time passed, the more he understood her, the more he genuinely began to regard her as one of his own.
Perhaps this was what they meant by bonds deepening over time.
Today, her usual flightiness—her Spirit Body drifting in and out of his own—had unexpectedly granted him a profound new insight.
Moses projected his status screen onto his retinas.
Attributes:
[Physique]:
Strength: E+ → D-
Endurance: E+ → D-
Agility: E+ → D-
[Soul]:
Willpower: E+ → D-
Perception: E+ → D-
Spirit: E+ → D-
[Special · Mystery (Energy)]: E+ → D- (Observation Haki growth bonus in effect.)
His foundational attributes had undergone a qualitative transformation as certain aspects of the Effortless Breathing Technique evolved. With the first convergence of his Spirit Body and flesh, his mastery over himself had deepened, resulting in an all-encompassing metamorphosis.
He opened the Bestowed Ability tab.
[A+ Rank Blessing: Effortless Breathing Technique] (Can be improved through comprehension.)
[Blessing Effect]:
Qi Circulation Throughout the Body, Unity of Heaven and Man.
Dramatically enhances the application of one's Spirit Body and physical form.
Dramatically heightens comprehension of all natural phenomena.
Permanently and significantly accelerates the growth of [Physique] and [Soul] attributes up to A+ rank.
[Blessing Evaluation]:
Is this just a breathing technique? No—this is the foundation of a cultivation method. At this moment, you have taken the most crucial step forward.
The Blessing's effect had changed. Originally, it had only greatly enhanced the application of the "physical body," but now, it included the "Spirit Body" as well.
This was incredibly satisfying.
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