Moses nodded in agreement:
"You're absolutely right."
"But I didn't expect you to be such a literary girl, actually pondering the differences between people in your free time. Impressive, impressive."
Makino blinked, momentarily unsure whether Moses was complimenting or mocking her.
After all, Moses' earnest and approving expression didn't seem like he was making fun of her.
"Yaa~ Gahahaha~"
At that moment, Crow Dabao let out a strange cackle with its beak open. Moses shot it a 'ferocious' glare, causing Makino's face to darken as she laughed angrily:
"So I wasn't wrong—you were mocking me after all?"
She picked up a fish bone and threw it at him.
Moses dodged.
Easily avoiding it.
Makino puffed her cheeks in displeasure, but soon brightened up again.
"I didn't say anything wrong. People are inherently different. Some are born princes, others are born bandits."
"Exactly, exactly. We can't decide how we're born, but we can decide what comes next."
"Strong people aren't born strong either—most become that way through training. Take that example you mentioned, someone who can punch through a wall—that's achievable through proper training."
Makino: "Really? Can ordinary people actually do that?"
"See, this just shows how little you've seen."
Moses glanced around, picked up an egg-sized piece of weathered reef rock at his feet, and clenched his right hand. With a crisp crack,
he opened his palm.
Makino saw that the rock had shattered into pieces.
Covering her mouth with her right hand in astonishment, she gasped, "That's amazing, Moses, you—"
Tossing the broken rock aside, Moses grinned. "See? This is the result of my training. I wasn't lying to you."
For Moses, steel was still beyond his grip strength, but an ordinary, weathered reef rock was no problem.
Seeing Makino's awestruck expression, Moses smirked proudly.
"Training?" Makino said thoughtfully. "How do you train, though? Can someone as young as you even do that? Did Mr. Garp teach you?"
She sighed wistfully. "Training~ It sounds so lofty. Feels like there's a whole world between people like you and ordinary folks like me."
Moses glanced at her, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and simply chuckled lightly:
"It's not as grand as you think. Training is actually very simple. If you master the right methods, eat plenty of meat, and train diligently, your body will reward you. Over time, you'll naturally grow stronger."
"The resources for training in this world are incredibly abundant—the meat of wild beasts and sea kings is packed with nutrients."
"What you might not know is that training usually just comes down to eating more and practicing more. Once your physical condition improves, you'll naturally become stronger."
"Training isn't some lofty, exclusive thing. It's ordinary, common. As long as you persist, you'll see results—the only difference is how much you gain."
At this point, Moses tilted his head and studied her. "You seem eager. So, do you want to get stronger? If you do, then beg me. If you beg, I might consider teaching you."
Makino watched Moses, who seemed like a little adult, and covered her mouth with a chuckle. "Considering it? Well then~, I beg you, Master Moses, I want to get stronger~. Please help me. I also want to punch through a wall with one strike."
As she spoke, she quickly devoured the grilled fish in her hands, then clasped her palms together, blinking at Moses with a lighthearted tone:
"Then I'll leave it to you~, little~Mo~ses~, teach your big sister, won't you? I want to train too!"
She burst into giggles at her own words, amused by herself.
Moses wasn't annoyed by her disbelief. After all, she was just an ordinary girl who didn't know the truth of the world. She had only just learned from him that something as miraculous as Devil Fruits—capable of elevating a person to greatness in a single step—even existed in this world.
At that moment, noticing the lobsters and sea fish on the grill starting to char during their conversation, Moses hurriedly flipped them over, momentarily forgetting to respond to her.
Seeing Moses like this, Makino laughed even harder, feeling as though she had won the argument.
After flipping the seafood and brushing on another layer of oil, Moses grinned and said, "I don't know about other training methods, but mine is based on Breath.
Breath, you see..."
Makino listened in a daze as Moses eloquently explained, starting with human anatomy, moving to internal organs, and detailing how Breath worked from the inside out.
She wasn't young—she could mostly understand what Moses was saying. But precisely because she understood, she realized this might actually be a unique training method.
Suddenly, Makino's expression turned flustered and awkward, unsure of what to do.
While she hesitated, Crow Dabao, who had been following Moses for so long, had no such doubts. It wasn't just tagging along for nothing—it had a clear understanding of crow physiology. Moses had even given it and Crow Xiao Niu thorough full-body checkups, and Kureha had tailored breathing methods for them. So, it grasped the concept of Breath techniques well.
Now, listening to Moses' simple yet profound explanation, the crow's eyes gleamed with contemplation, feeling it understood breathing even better.
Once Moses finished, he looked at Makino and asked with a smile, "Got it? Can you do it?"
Makino nervously parted her lips and sighed helplessly. "Can you really teach me this Breath training method? Would Mr. Garp allow it? If not, I can forget about it."
Moses rolled his eyes, stood up, and pulled her to her feet by the arm.
"Stop dithering. Start breathing properly so we can move to the next step."
Makino seemed about to say something but stopped. Seeing the determination in Moses' eyes, she felt an inexplicable excitement bubbling inside her.
It was as if she had glimpsed a world she'd never seen before—as if learning this now would change her forever.
Admittedly, humans naturally go through a chuunibyou phase.
Even an ordinary girl like her.
Suppressing her excitement, Makino, right in the middle of that phase, began adjusting her breathing slowly, following Moses' instructions.
Moses observed the rise and fall of her breath, correcting her continuously until, gradually, Makino's breathing began to take shape.
Then, he swiftly and precisely inserted several silver needles from his waist pouch into her body, positioning them at key points along her breathing pathways.
At the same time, Makino only felt a sharp pain in certain parts of her body, but soon the newly learned breathing technique became much smoother.
In the state of Unity of Heaven and Man.
Moses, through Observation Haki, clearly perceived how the flow of energy within her body shifted with her changing Breath. His right hand—thumb, index, and middle fingers—pinched the silver needle at her throat, slowly rotating it. Following the path of her Breath, he then manipulated the needles positioned along her lungs, heart, and intestines in sequence.
Makino suddenly felt something novel—her breathing became smoother, deeper, as if unlocked.
As she continued breathing, her mind grew hazy, her thoughts blanking out until she lost all awareness.
Watching this, Moses knew the stimulation of her acupoints had guided her into an artificially induced, deeply meditative state of Breath.
"It seems feasible. Indeed, the human body's acupoints possess remarkable effects."
This world acknowledged the concept of acupoints, and Kureha's teachings further proved their validity.
Moses had also learned some "basics" from Kureha, enough to apply simple techniques.
Seeing Makino breathing instinctively now, Moses smiled.
He sat back down with Crow Dabao, resuming their barbecue, occasionally glancing at Makino or adjusting the needles to deepen her bodily imprint.
Half an hour later—
Suddenly, Moses noticed Makino's body twitching slightly with each breath. He immediately set down his skewer and rushed to her side, swiftly and precisely removing the needles.
His greasy left hand supported the back of her head while his right gripped her chin, thumb pressing hard on her philtrum acupoint.
The sharp pain jolted her awake, and the overwhelming discomfort sent her into a violent coughing fit.
Her body went limp, threatening to collapse, but Moses' thumb hooked under her jaw, steadying her as he gently lowered her onto the reef.
Tears welled in Makino's eyes as she looked up at him. "Breathe," Moses instructed. "Slow, deep breaths—just like before."
Makino's right hand suddenly clutched Moses' arm like a lifeline.
At the same time, she began taking deep, measured breaths.
Five minutes later, her breathing steadied. Still teary-eyed, she coughed and gasped, "Why—why do I feel so awful? My heart… it's pounding so fast."
Moses chuckled lightly. "Did you think cultivation was easy? Normally, mastering my breathing technique would take considerable time.
"I accelerated your entry—naturally, there's a price. Don't worry, it's just a minor side effect. You'll recover soon.
"But remember, for the next few days, you must practice this breathing for at least an hour daily to reinforce the imprint. Gradually increase the duration until it becomes second nature—something you do unconsciously, around the clock.
"Of course, if you're just dabbling, that's fine too. Without consistency, you'll forget most of it in a couple of days."
Makino glared up at him stubbornly. "I will stick with it. Otherwise—cough—what was the point of suffering like this?"
Hearing this, Moses smiled. "I hope you mean what you say, otherwise, I won't teach you a second time."
Makino shot Moses a fierce glare and snorted. "Just watch me. I'll definitely master this training."
Another ten minutes passed before Makino finally relaxed, exhaling deeply. Then, with a puzzled expression, she asked:
"Why do I feel so hungry? Didn't I just eat a lot of meat earlier?"
"Deep Breath training affects your entire body the first time. Of course, it consumes energy. This breathing technique influences your stomach and intestines, so feeling hungry is normal."
"Don't worry. As long as you train properly, your appetite will grow. But you'll also need to maintain enough physical exercise—otherwise, you might gain weight."
At this point, Moses gave her a teasing look and grinned.
"You can still back out now. Otherwise, once Breath becomes instinctive, if you get lazy and don't exercise while eating more, you might end up a chubby girl."
Makino's face darkened as she glared at Moses. Spotting the half-lobster on the grill near her, she grabbed it, tore out the meat, and took a fierce bite while staring at him.
Her cheeks puffed as she mumbled:
"I won't get fat. Even without your Breath training, I exercise every day—swimming, long-distance running, squats, sit-ups."
"I take body management very seriously."
Makino declared proudly.
Moses burst into laughter. "That vain, huh?"
"It's not vanity. It's a healthy lifestyle."
"Then keep at it. Good luck!"
Annoyed by his teasing, Makino grew even angrier, snatching a piece of grilled fish and taking a big bite.
Moses watched with amusement before glancing at the sky—dusk was settling in.
Both Moses and Crow Dabao had eaten their fill. Soon, Makino was done as well.
She pulled out a tissue to wipe her mouth but realized her face and chin were greasy. Then it hit her—Moses had grabbed her earlier.
Looking down at her collar and seeing oil stains, she clenched her fists in irritation.
Noticing her reaction, Moses quickly understood and chuckled.
"Not my fault. You were about to fall, and I kindly caught you. That was unavoidable."
Makino sighed. "Let's go. It's getting late—I need to go home and wash up. What about you? Coming with me?"
"Hmm... Sure."
Moses thought for a moment and agreed, seeing as he had nothing else to do.
He packed up the grill and neatly bagged the condiments before turning to Crow Dabao.
"Your job—just stash these in the ship."
Crow Dabao nodded with a "Caw!" before grabbing the items with his talons and soaring into the sky.
Makino watched in awe. "Crow Dabao is really amazing."
Moses grinned. "The bird's gone. No point praising him now."
Makino shot him another glare and huffed. "Let's go."
With that, she stomped off in a huff toward home.
Moses followed, amused.
...
Second floor.
Living room.
Click!
The lights turned on as they entered.
In the spacious room, Makino glanced at Moses, who had followed her inside, and after a moment's thought, said:
"I'll go take a shower first. I can't stand it anymore. Hmm, I'll be quick. You can wait in the living room. There's herbal tea on the coffee table, and cups—everything's there. Help yourself."
With that, she quickly returned to her room, only to emerge less than a minute later with a change of clothes and head into the bathroom near the entrance of the living room.
Moses surveyed the layout of the living room—a standard setup with a sofa, coffee table, balcony, and bookshelf. He walked over to the bookshelf.
Looking at the neatly arranged books, he randomly pulled one out and saw the cover.
Safe Haven
Moses had never read this kind of book before, but the cover featured a line drawing of a handsome man and a beautiful woman.
It didn't look very thick, and his curiosity piqued, so he immediately sat down on the wooden floor in front of the bookshelf and began flipping through it.