Chapter 153: Preparing for Secluded Cultivation; Mihawk's Coincidence

【Qi Circle Slash】

【Type: Cultivation Manual】

【Price: 6000 Points】

【Description: In the Dragon Ball World, Krillin's strongest technique; it compresses "Qi" into a disc shape through high-speed rotation and throws it, possessing terrifyingly powerful cutting force.】

【Seller's Note: I've been resurrected by the Dragon God again; I've died over ten times already. Can't you please stop resurrecting me next time? I'm so tired...】

Qi Circle Slash?

Xia Nuo was slightly stunned, then couldn't help but show surprise once more.

Another good item!

In his memory, this move's ability to break through defenses was astonishing; once released, even opponents far stronger than oneself had to avoid its sharp edge.

If he could master it proficiently...

Even if his other aspects saw no improvement, upon encountering ultimate stat monsters like Akainu or Kaido again, he wouldn't end up struggling for half a day only to inflict minor injuries on them.

Must buy!

I'll go study it right away!

【Veritaserum】

【Type: Consumable】

【Price: 500 Points】

【Description: A common wizarding tool from the Hogwarts World; after consumption, the user will possess an intense desire to speak for the following day, and everything they say will be the truth.】

【One bottle in total, divisible into five portions for five uses.】

【Seller's Note: I gave it to Old Man Dumbledore; he said he likes me. What do I do, what do I do!】

Xia Nuo pondered briefly.

A rather interesting little tool, and the price isn't expensive either.

For only five hundred points, one could buy three of these with just a single ivory from Jack; for him now, it was pocket change.

This kind of thing might come in handy someday.

Thus, without much hesitation, he added it to his shopping cart as well.

Next, he flipped all the way to the last page, but nothing else caught Xia Nuo's interest.

If there wasn't anything, so be it; this trip's harvest was already plentiful enough. Setting aside the Veritaserum, just acquiring the Qi Circle Slash and the Flesh Furnace Method was enough to leave Xia Nuo fully satisfied.

He closed the market page and entered the checkout process.

Originally, he had 44,500 points.

This time he purchased three items in total, spending 10,300, leaving him with 34,200 points remaining.

That was still quite ample, unlike last time when he became a pauper the moment he finished buying.

After concluding his second-favorite activity, shopping.

Xia Nuo did not delay; he immediately grabbed the katana placed nearby and headed for the training room, preparing to begin his favorite activity: training.

His katana, "Masamune," was found for him by Guyina.

This item had been discarded by Bruno at the very top layer of the giant fountain in Water Seven; for anyone else, turning all of Water Seven upside down wouldn't have led to finding it.

Guyina had also searched everywhere for a long time, but finally, when passing that large fountain, as if struck by sudden inspiration, she looked upward.

And indeed, she found it right there in the pool.

This, perhaps, was the resonance between a Sword Hero and a famous blade.

While sighing with emotion, Xia Nuo was also very grateful to Guyina; on the spot, he laughed heartily, picked up the young female Sword Hero, and spun her around several times.

To him, this sword was merely a decorative item, at best serving to deceive enemies on occasion.

But after all, it had accompanied him for so many years; there was certainly some affection attached to it.

Before heading to the training room, Xia Nuo first went to the girls' quarters and fetched Xiang Nuoqi.

The reason for calling his sister was twofold: first, he needed her Snow-Snow Fruit abilities to reinforce the venue; second, he needed to borrow her fist techniques to cultivate the final chapter of the "Flesh Furnace Method."

Such was the nature of the Flesh Furnace Method.

During cultivation, one must rely on external force, consuming what corresponds to what needs supplementing.

To cultivate the "Copper Head," one must strike the head; to cultivate the "Iron Bones," one must smash the bones...

And for cultivating this final "Core Chapter."

Xia Nuo would first have to slice open the skin of his chest, exposing the organs and blood vessels within, and then let Xiang Nuoqi go all out, specifically targeting his internal organs with fierce attacks...

Would it hurt?

Of course it would hurt; his internal organs were far from being as sturdy as his outer body.

But to fully master this manual chapter, he had no choice but to do so; it was merely a period of self-torture, something Xia Nuo had long grown accustomed to.

Arriving before his exclusive training room.

Just as he was about to push the door open, he heard continuous dull thuds of "boom, boom, boom" coming from the adjacent training room.

Releasing a bit of Observation Haki to sense the surroundings, he identified it as Jack.

"Eh, up earlier than me?"

Xia Nuo found it somewhat strange; just now at breakfast in the dining hall, he had been the first to arrive and hadn't seen this kid at all.

"You guessed wrong, big brother; Jack didn't get up early, he didn't sleep at all last night," Xiang Nuoqi said, shaking her head.

"Didn't sleep all night?" Xia Nuo turned his head in astonishment to look at her.

"Yes."

Xiang Nuoqi spread her hands. "Ever since he preliminarily mastered Life Return a few days ago and could compress his body size down to about five meters, he's been in this state pretty much constantly; sleeping only four or five hours a day, spending all the rest of his time immersed in the cultivation room."

"So desperate?"

Xia Nuo frowned slightly, thought for a moment, then lowered his hand from the door handle and turned to walk toward the neighboring training room.

Pushing the door open, what came into view was Jack's burly figure, wildly throwing punches at a specially made, oversized steel sandbag.

Sweat rained down; his fists were already completely red, even faintly seeping with threads of blood.

Yet Jack seemed unable to feel any pain, continuing to strike the sandbag punch after punch, his eyes filled with stubbornness and a fierce refusal to yield.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Dull impact sounds echoed within the training room; under the tremendous force, the sandbag swayed continuously, its surface already showing many cracks and dents.

Hoo!

After finishing a set of punches, Jack propped his hands on his knees, gasping heavily for breath, still immersed in his own world, not even noticing Xia Nuo's arrival.

It was only when Xia Nuo spoke softly: "Hey, Jack."

"Boss?!"

Jack was startled, whipping his head around; upon seeing Xia Nuo and Xiang Nuoqi, he immediately stopped his movements and awkwardly wiped the sweat from his face.

"You... how did you come here?"

"Just passing by, heard the noise, and came in to take a look."

Xia Nuo walked into the training room and casually tossed over a large jug of orange soda that Xiang Nuoqi had just fetched from the dining hall for him.

"Take a break and drink some; don't let yourself get dehydrated and go into shock."

"Thanks, Boss!"

Only then did Jack realize he indeed hadn't drunk any water for a long time.

He hurriedly took the jug; originally intending only to gulp down one mouthful, but the moment the sweet, cool orange soda entered his throat, the dry thirst was instantly soothed, and his whole being seemed to come back to life.

"Gulp, gulp—"

Only when the jug was empty did Jack stop with lingering desire, wiped the water stains from the corner of his mouth, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"So thirsty you didn't even know to drink water; were you that immersed?"

Xia Nuo said with a chuckle, "What's wrong, got stimulated?"

As expected of Boss Xia Nuo; he saw through it immediately?

Jack lowered his head somewhat shamefully and mumbled, "Yes, Boss, I... I'm truly too weak, unable to help with anything at all."

"That night in Water Seven, the punch Kaido casually threw out, I couldn't even block it; if you hadn't intervened in time, I would have been lying in bed for many days before recovering..."

"And also, back in our hometown, that Aokiji knocked me out with a single move as well..."

The more he spoke, the more depressed he became; his whole person seemed as if Perona's ghosts had passed through him, wilting completely. "I, I really am utterly useless, Boss."

You this...

Aren't your standards for yourself a bit too high?

Xia Nuo found himself somewhat amused and helpless.

Thinking yourself weak, but have you looked at who your opponents were? Kaido, Aokiji... which one of them isn't a powerhouse standing at the peak of the world?

For a young lad who had only set sail not long ago, daring to charge at these two, only you, this simpleton, would do such a thing.

Of course.

Reckless as it was.

This sheer loyalty was still worthy of praise.

"I can understand your desire to become stronger, but cultivation is never something achieved overnight. From now on, mind your rest and your body; do not be so impetuous."

"And stop dwelling on the past. Those two old fellows are exceptions. How old are you? Why keep comparing yourself to them? Mental exhaustion is the most terrifying thing of all."

After Xia Nuo spent some time encouraging and comforting him, seeing Jack wear a thoughtful expression, he smiled and patted his arm:

"Trust in your talent. Look at yourself—you've already made small achievements with Life Return so quickly; if word got out, outsiders would be green with envy. And Haki? How is your cultivation progressing?"

"There's still no sign of Observation Haki."

Jack scratched his head, reporting his progress honestly, "But I'm starting to get a feel for Armament Haki. Boss, give me a little more time... probably within half a month, and I should be able to grasp it preliminarily."

"You see? Having a plan in your heart, taking it step by step—isn't that much better?"

Xia Nuo gave a thumbs-up, saying seriously, "In the future, if you encounter any bottlenecks in your cultivation, don't hide them. If there's something you don't understand, come ask me. From now on, I'll also try my best to set aside two hours every day to train with you personally, helping you master both colors of Haki as soon as possible."

"Y-you will guide me personally? And two hours a day?!"

Jack suddenly lifted his head, his eyes filled with delight.

"What, unwilling?" Xia Nuo chuckled lightly.

"No! Of course I'm willing!"

Jack waved his hands hurriedly, his voice trembling with excitement, "Thank you, Boss!"

"Save the thanks. I'm genuinely afraid you might drop dead from exhaustion here. Go eat breakfast now, fill your stomach, get a good night's sleep, and then continue!"

"Yes, Boss!"

After this little combination of moves, Jack was as if injected with chicken blood; all his depressed emotions vanished. Excitedly, he pushed open the door and headed thump-thump-thump toward the kitchen.

"Brother..."

Nojiko watched Jack's massive figure receding into the distance, then quietly leaned closer. "Why do I feel like this scene is very familiar?"

"Of course it feels familiar to you."

Xia Nuo glanced at her sideways. "Back in Cocoyasi Village, whenever you couldn't persist in your fist training and came crying to complain, didn't I comfort you in exactly this way? Coaxing little brats is something I'm best at."

"So that's it."

Nojiko suddenly realized, but then quickly reacted, her face flushing red as she shyly and angrily started pounding on Xia Nuo. "What little brat? I was already very sensible back then! Making fun of me again, you stinky old brother~!"

"I was talking about Jack."

"That's more like it!"

Nojiko snorted.

Although Jack was an adult, his personality was honest and simple; in the eyes of the crew, he was indeed much like a child whose mind had not yet opened.

"Speaking of which, Brother."

Nojiko suddenly sighed, saying seriously, "Jack's anxiety and worry aren't just his alone; a few of us feel a bit of it too."

"Oh?"

Xia Nuo looked at her.

Nojiko wasted no words, pouring out her thoughts just like emptying beans from a bamboo tube.

Since setting sail, they had already been navigating the Grand Line for three months.

In at most another two or three islands, the first half of the Grand Line would nearly reach its end.

After going to Sabaody Archipelago to get coated, the Curtain Fall Adventure Troupe would face a brand new challenge—

Entering the New World.

The crew of the Curtain Fall ship had almost everyone mastering Haki, and they lacked no Logia-type users; even without Xia Nuo holding the fort, they could walk sideways through this first half.

But the New World was completely different.

The level of danger there was not in the same league as Paradise. Not to mention anything else, pirates active there almost universally mastered both colors of Haki, let alone the fact that all four Emperors were there, along with various monster-level powerholders entrenched within...

"You're too strong, Brother; you probably can't comprehend our feelings."

Nojiko said softly:

"In a place like that, if we face a major pirate crew, even you, Brother, wouldn't be able to overturn the entire field alone, right? We also want to contribute in such moments, at least ensuring we aren't crushed by the opposing officers and become your burden."

Xia Nuo did not interrupt, listening quietly until the end.

Only then did he reach out to ruffle Nojiko's hair, saying with a smile:

"Just after hearing me comfort Jack, you go spouting such foolish words again. When did you ever become my burden? Without my two cutest little sisters, I alone would have had no motivation to reach where I am today."

Looking at the sea outside the porthole, he thought for a moment and added:

"However, this worry is not without reason. The New World is indeed far more dangerous than the first half; we must make more adequate preparations."

So-called preparations...

Improving one's strength is the best preparation.

He needed some time to fully master the "Flesh Furnace Method" and to cultivate the "Kienzan."

The crew members, who regarded themselves as the main combat forces, also wanted to become stronger.

Given this, the limited space on the ship ultimately made things somewhat inconvenient.

The adventure journey had to be temporarily halted; it was time to find a remote island and settle down for a period of secluded cultivation.

"It seems I really ought to thank my second uncle..."

Recalling the battle at Enies Lobby, Xia Nuo couldn't help but grin.

Under previous circumstances, with the Curtain Fall Adventure Troupe being heavily focused on and fully hunted down, it would have been difficult to stay long-term on any island in this first half of the Grand Line, where the World Government's control was relatively high.

But as it happened, the World Government currently mistaken believed him dead, and even his bounty had been revoked, so he no longer needed to worry about that point.

————

In the blink of an eye, nearly a week had passed since leaving Water Seven.

Under Xia Nuo's orders, the Curtain Fall ship did not continue sailing along the established route.

Instead, it moved as close to the Calm Belt as possible, staying away from popular shipping lanes.

They hoped to encounter an island that was large and spacious enough, yet relatively remote, where few ships would come.

It had to be said:

Xia Nuo's luck was truly always quite good.

About three days later, an island that perfectly met the conditions indeed appeared within their field of vision.

Xia Nuo stood at the bow, squinting his eyes as he gazed at the distant island shrouded in thick fog.

The island's area was not small, yet it was uninhabited; even from far away, one could sense that desolate and dilapidated atmosphere.

A rough sweep with Observation Haki also failed to detect any noteworthy presence.

The Curtain Fall ship slowly docked at the edge of this eerie island.

Mist permeated the surroundings; having stepped ashore and walked only a short distance, suddenly, a Gothic-style ancient castle wrapped in mist came into view.

"We haven't seen a single soul the whole way; what a strange place..." Nami rubbed her arms, muttering softly. "That castle looks like it hasn't been inhabited for ages; it feels like a haunted house."

Whoosh!

A sharp slash suddenly flew in from the side, instantly splitting the ground before everyone open with a deep trench!

Who is it?

Everyone was startled, subconsciously drawing their weapons.

Unexpectedly, what appeared before their eyes was not human, but several large baboons wielding swords. They brandished their claws and teeth, constantly shouting, seemingly harboring heavy hostility toward outsiders.

Eh?

Seeing these somewhat familiar baboons, Xia Nuo paused for a moment before realizing something.

Could it be... is it really this coincidental?

Had he actually run straight into Hawk Eyes' lair?!

(End of Chapter)