Gazing at the substantial Merit Points now displayed on his panel, Moses allowed a satisfied smile to grace his lips.
Merit Points were incredibly useful—they could materialize various Blessings he hadn't yet manifested in reality.
A full 50,000 Merit Points—this was nothing short of a windfall. At this moment, Moses found his opinion of the Wapol Brothers improving slightly.
"I hope good fortune like this comes more often. I'd never complain about being this lucky."
Glancing at the [Luck: C-] stat on his panel, Moses had reason to believe this incident wasn't just ordinary luck.
Moreover, he had used the "Appraisal" feature on the "light sphere's" attributes with Kureha before, and her Luck stat was only D—just one tier above Luck E.
Even Garp's Luck stat was merely D+. As for ordinary people, they typically hovered around F-.
Regarding luck, Moses didn't have many insights yet. He only knew that from birth until now, his fortune had always been decent.
Now, observing the grayed-out Blessings on his panel, Moses focused his attention on [Breathing] and [Precision].
Breathing needed no explanation—he'd been using diaphragmatic breathing since birth.
Until now,
though he hadn't comprehended any miraculous techniques, judging by the breathing methods Kureha had summarized, this approach offered significant benefits for both physical and mental growth.
As for Precision, even just from its name, it was clear this was an extraordinary Bestowed Ability.
Thus,
Moses spent all 50,000 Merit Points. In the next instant, his consciousness became ethereal as fragmented insights flooded his mind.
Simultaneously, unexpected changes began occurring in his body.
His breathing pattern seemed to change yet remain the same—each breath became more refined, his bodily sensations slowing remarkably.
At this moment, Moses felt as though he'd returned to the womb, as if a new "umbilical cord" had formed, immersing him back in amniotic fluid.
Every pore on his body seemed to open as Moses sat quietly in his chair, his inhalations and exhalations adopting a wholly new rhythm and frequency.
With each breath, oxygen traveled through his trachea into his lungs, where it transformed before being distributed to every corner of his body.
Time passed unnoticed as that peculiar frequency became instinctual, all transformations occurring beyond conscious awareness.
When Moses opened his eyes, he had fully digested these novel insights about breathing. Using both his breath and Observation Haki to perceive his changes, cycle after cycle of breathing led him to conclude:
"My body hasn't grown stronger—just my perception and control over it have become more refined. Not bad at all."
He then opened the Blessings section of his panel to examine his newly acquired ability:
[A-rank Blessing: Breathing] (Capable of natural progression)
[Effect: Qi Circulation Throughout the Body, significantly enhancing bodily mastery while permanently accelerating growth of [Physique] and [Soul] attributes up to A-rank quality.]
[Evaluation: Is this just a breathing technique? No—this might be the foundation of an entire cultivation method.]
"No wonder I feel like oxygen is being delivered throughout my body—it must be the effect of Qi Circulation Throughout the Body. And that massive boost to attribute growth and physical application? It's like turning on an experience cheat."
Though Moses didn't fully understand the subtle changes happening to his body, he could guess that his already extraordinary innate talent, now enhanced by the Blessing of Breath, must be ridiculously overpowered.
Next, he focused his mind and opened his attribute panel, revealing his current stats:
[Physique]: Strength: F→F+ | Endurance: F→F+ | Agility: F→F+
[Soul]: Willpower: F→F+ | Perception: F+→E- | Spirit: F→F+
[Special·Mystic (Energy)]: F→F+ (Observation Haki growth bonus active.)
Through natural growth over the past year and a half, Moses' base attributes had reached the peak of F-rank, with his Perception even breaking into E-rank.
By ordinary standards, even without using Observation Haki, he could now confidently shout in the streets, "I can take on ten guys at once."
Just then, a crunch-crunch sound reached his ears. Moses turned his head and saw a black-and-white fluffball sitting in the corner, its round face puffed up like a stuffed bun.
Moses stood up and walked over quietly, peeking behind Bear Cub.
What met his eyes made them widen in shock—the weapons, firearms, and treasures he had confiscated from Wapol and his men were now mostly devoured by Bear Cub.
The little rascal grabbed a gold bar and stuffed it into its mouth, munching away as if it were a wafer biscuit, one bite after another, clearly enjoying itself.
A single gold bar wasn't large—about 100 grams by estimation. With gold priced at around 10,000 Belly per gram, this little bear had just swallowed at least a million Belly in one bite.
And the gold bars Moses had brought back were measured in kilograms. At this moment, an indescribable feeling welled up in Moses' chest, prompting him to slowly clamp his right hand around Bear Cub's head.
"What are you doing? Hogging all the good stuff isn't something a good kid should do. Got any explanations for me?"
Moses spoke calmly, his fingers kneading Bear Cub's head. Clearly, he could feel the little bear stiffen under his grip.
Curious about how Bear Cub would react, Moses then watched as it offered him the other gold bar it had been about to eat, its beady black eyes seeming to say: Here, Moses, try this—it's delicious!
Moses smacked Bear Cub's head in exasperation and sighed. "You really shouldn't eat these gold bars. They're worth a fortune. Other stuff? Fine, whatever. But not these."
Bear Cub blinked in confusion and let out a soft, "Ying?"
"A single gold bar like the one you just ate could buy a whole room full of ribs, or a huge bamboo forest—enough to keep you fed for ages. Got it?"
As Moses explained and painted the picture, Bear Cub's eyes grew wider and wider, its mouth hanging open in shock.
"Ying ying ying!!!"
Panicked, Bear Cub suddenly opened its mouth wide and shoved its right paw inside, digging around. A few seconds later, it pulled out a lump of irregularly shaped gold.
Judging by its purity, it was clearly refined.
Moses helplessly patted his forehead, rendered speechless by Bear Cub's silly antics.
Bear Cub extended the piece of gold in his paw. Moses observed that it wasn't covered in saliva or other residues as he'd expected.
The power of the Devil Fruit was truly miraculous.
However, Moses didn't take it immediately. Instead, he pondered for a moment: "You should be able to transform things you've eaten into part of your body, right? Show me how you do it."
Bear Cub tilted his head in confusion, letting out a puzzled "Ying?"
"You just ate a knife and a gun, didn't you? Try turning your claws into a blade for me. Like this one here."
Moses continued explaining while drawing a remaining standard-issue military knife from its sheath to demonstrate.
Bear Cub scratched his head with one paw, then examined it closely. His left paw repeatedly clenched and unclenched. After about ten seconds, Moses saw Bear Cub's left arm begin to change, transforming gradually from the forearm downward.
Though the process was slow, the transformation was steady. Bear Cub stared dumbfounded at his left forearm, which had turned into a blade from the elbow down. He raised it to his mouth and tested it with his snow-white teeth.
Click. Click.
With a look of horror, Bear Cub began vigorously shaking his arm.
Simultaneously, Moses jerked backward to avoid the swinging blade, watching as its tip sliced through the air before his eyes.
Pushing off the floor with his right arm, he flipped away from Bear Cub while sighing, "Whew, that was close. Almost got sliced by you."
Bear Cub let out a distressed whimper, his eyes anxiously fixed on Moses as he kept shaking his left arm as if trying to fling the blade away.
Moses sighed and called out to the silly bear, "Calm down first."
Seeing Bear Cub stabilize at his command, Moses stepped forward and pinched his chubby cheeks, speaking softly:
"Try to remember what your original arm looked like. Focus hard on making it change back."
Gently rubbing Bear Cub's head, Moses soothed him with his words. Within seconds, Bear Cub's arm reverted to normal.
Immediately, Bear Cub rolled about happily on the ground, making cheerful "gah gah" sounds. After he settled down, Moses said:
"Now try changing your arm into a blade again, then back to normal. Go ahead."
Following the instruction, Bear Cub plopped down and began practicing the transformation. His proficiency visibly improved with each attempt.
As expected.
After obtaining a Devil Fruit power, it becomes like a new limb or organ. With enough practice, one can wield it as naturally as their own hands and feet.
This was what Moses had read in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia's introduction—a profound statement. "That's why Bear Cub can adapt to his ability so quickly."
"If man-made weapons can be transformed from his body, what about natural creatures? Like an eagle's eyes, a dinosaur's tail, or a tiger's skeleton? A chimera without side effects?"
This was highly possible, but it would require Bear Cub's understanding and development, as well as Moses' continuous guidance.
This would make an excellent research subject.
Now, the Bestowed Ability related to taming has become necessary, but I'm broke.
The ways to earn Merit Points are limited, and Moses scratched his head, "Isn't this forcing me to stir up trouble? The quickest and most stable method is to increase my Legend Score, isn't it?"
After some thought, he shook his head again. Might as well leave it to fate—at his current age, stirring up trouble could easily backfire.
Putting it aside, he continued watching Bear Cub play with his abilities. Before long, the little one tired himself out and started munching on the remaining food.
Though he didn't eat much of the gold.
The sight of the little glutton smacking his lips made Moses feel hungry too.
Sniffing the aroma of the large ribs simmering in the kitchen pot, Moses served himself a bowl. Seeing Bear Cub drooling like a bear, he poured some into a basin for him.
Man and bear happily feasted together.
After the meal, they cleaned up.
Assigning Bear Cub the task of recasting gold ingots into gold pellets, Moses sat at the desk and resumed reading. The room fell quiet.
Only the soft rustling of Moses turning pages and Bear Cub's munching and grinding filled the air.
Inhale. Exhale.
The Secret Language of Cells
The book Moses was reading delved into cytology—no longer a basic text but an advanced one.
It explored the communication between human cells, brain cells, microbial cells, and the various compartments within cells.
Topics ranged from the immune system, blood vessels, intestines, brain tissue, and microorganisms—packed with fascinating knowledge.
Some theories were proven, others speculative.
Through reading, Moses deepened his understanding of the human body and refined his intellect.
With Observation Haki and his current breathing techniques working in tandem, he perceived and analyzed from multiple angles.
His knowledge steadily expanded.
Diverse and vast.
Though most books on the shelf were medical, some branched into other fields.
...
At some point, Kureha descended from the second floor, a faint smile on her lips—clearly having gained something.
As soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs, she spotted Moses slumped over the desk, fast asleep again, with a black-and-white fluffball snoozing at his feet.
Occasionally smacking its lips.
Sighing helplessly, Kureha approached. But the moment she drew near, her expression froze in astonishment as she stared at Moses.
"Hmm?" She released her Observation Haki, pressing her fingers against his body, examining inch by inch. "This kid's breathing… has changed."
"How interesting. Truly fascinating. Hehehe."
Applying her specialized Observation Haki like a precision instrument, she meticulously analyzed Moses' physical state and breathing rhythm.
Flipping to a fresh page in her breathing notes, she began organizing her findings. Drawing from her own mastery, Kureha adjusted her own breathing patterns, fine-tuning the rhythm.
Half an hour later, she stretched, stripped Moses of his clothes, and tossed him onto the bed. After a quick wash, she retired as well.
There would be plenty of time to study and adapt to Moses' breathing changes—no need to rush.
The next day.
Moses woke naturally, washed up, and headed outside for his daily breathing and morning jog.
A round, rolling figure chased closely behind.
Inhale. Exhale. Oxygen cycled through his body, expelling waste with each breath.
Sensing the flow of air currents within his body, Moses delved deeper into self-awareness.
Jogging rhythmically, his strides syncing with his breathing, for the first time, Moses felt a sense of freedom—fully immersed, brimming with boundless energy.
Inhaling the breath of nature, surrounded by the vast expanse of the world, he picked up speed, running freely, feeling the pounding of his heart as oxygen surged through his bloodstream.
Hearing the frantic "woof woof" behind him, Moses couldn't help but slow his pace and turn to see the adorably clumsy Panda—Bear Cub—panting heavily, tongue lolling, exhaling white mist in the cold air.
Moses slowed to a walk, swinging his arms, kicking his legs, twisting his waist, taking deep, powerful breaths.
The crisp air entered his nostrils, warmed by his body, then exited as two faint white streams—like a smoker blowing smoke rings through his nose, only far more amusing.
"Except mine is all-natural."
As the old saying goes, dear readers, please keep following—don't let this new book languish unread!
Seeking recommendations! Seeking collections! Seeking continuous reads! Seeking investments!
PS: The value comparison between Belly and gold. (Assuming Belly is equivalent to the Japanese yen, with an exchange rate of 20 yen to 1 RMB. Gold price is set at 620 RMB per gram.)
One gram of gold ≈ 12,400 Belly. Rounding down, one gram of gold equals 10,000 Belly.