The next morning, Xia Qiu began studying the Six Powers. He separated Kalifa and Kaku, questioning them individually about the techniques.
The first skill was Geppo.
It involved stomping on the ground more than ten times in an instant, using the resulting explosive speed from the reaction force to move.
The speed of Geppo was similar to Captain Kuro's Silent Step, around four seconds per hundred meters, which translated to twenty-five meters per second.
However, unlike Silent Step, once Silent Step was activated, it was impossible to know who it was attacking; it could only maintain a predetermined route, attacking targets along the way.
But Geppo allowed for excellent control, enabling adjustments to direction and distance.
It could be used to attack distant targets or close-range ones, and allowed for rapid movement in all directions.
Xia Qiu urgently needed Geppo to improve his speed, so he prioritized learning this technique.
However, it was very difficult.
Firstly, both Geppo and Soru could be performed with one leg or two. The former was mostly done with two legs, while the latter was partly with one leg.
For example, Jabura used Soru with both one leg and two legs.
Vice Admiral Momonga also used Soru with one leg stepping into the air.
But whether it was one leg or two, they could support their bodies with a single leg.
Here, support not only meant providing power but also balance.
The strength of one of his legs couldn't support his massive body weight, let alone maintain balance.
To support his body, he would need at least two legs, specifically the middle two, to maintain balance, support his body, and not feel overly fatigued.
And to walk, he would need at least three legs alternating support.
Xia Qiu's walking method involved his first, third, and second legs on the left moving forward and backward together, while his second, first, and third legs on the right alternated forward movement.
With three legs alternating to move forward, Xia Qiu's speed was extremely fast.
In other words, Xia Qiu used three legs as a power support point to move forward.
Therefore, when he used Geppo, he would need at least three legs, and possibly four to six.
Humans used at most two legs, far fewer than him.
Besides that, the power, speed, and control provided by two legs were simpler.
And one leg required higher strength.
So, most users of Geppo and Soru moved with two legs first. In fact, except for Soru, Geppo was almost always performed with two legs.
Then, the first thing he should do should be with six legs; he wasn't sure if three legs could provide enough power.
But coordinating six legs was incredibly difficult. The frequency of stomps, the force of the stomps, and the control of direction – each additional leg doubled the difficulty.
"So I don't think you can succeed."
Kalifa stood in the distance, her hands cuffed, and said to Xia Qiu, "I suggest you give up."
"Enough nonsense."
Xia Qiu said coldly, "You just need to demonstrate it in front of me."
"Alright."
Kalifa looked somewhat helpless. She once again stomped the ground with both legs in an instant, and her body suddenly disappeared, reappearing far away.
It was very fast.
The distance moved was about ten meters, and the time taken was less than 0.5 seconds.
Almost instantly, she appeared in the distance.
His eyesight could only barely grasp the direction of movement; he couldn't analyze the details of her leg movements.
"Demonstrate the stomping motion," Xia Qiu asked Kalifa.
Kalifa nodded, then stretched her right leg and slowly lifted it before stomping down, saying, "It's about like this."
The leg didn't lift very high, just a slight lift, then stomped on the ground.
Xia Qiu immediately asked, "What's the direction of force when stomping?"
Kalifa lifted her foot, slowly raising it. Her heel lifted off the ground first, followed by the forefoot. When landing, the forefoot touched down first, followed by the heel.
"It's roughly like this, but you don't need to be too precise. When lifting the leg, the force is retracted from the toes, and when landing, it's more like a kicking motion."
Xia Qiu found this difficult to implement.
Xia Qiu's legs were structured with the front four inheriting traits from the Tyrannosaurus Rex, and the back two legs somewhat resembling the hind limbs of a Triceratops.
Of course, the Tyrannosaurus Rex's heel was raised, while Xia Qiu's heel, due to the mixed evolutionary directions of other dinosaurs, could touch the ground.
Furthermore, the front four feet had three claws each, located directly in front and diagonally to the sides, causing the force to be somewhat dispersed.
The leg support structure was different, the foot structure was different, and all six legs were different.
It was difficult for him to perform the exact same action.
Xia Qiu looked at Kalifa and said again, "The force, use the same force you used for Geppo when you demonstrated it again."
"Okay."
Kalifa said, tapping the ground once more. This time, she moved so fast that only a blur remained, almost imperceptible.
Using immense power, she rapidly struck the ground over a very short distance and time.
The recoil generated from repeatedly striking the ground was Geppo.
Xia Qiu mimicked the rapid stomping motion on the ground, finding the force difficult to control. Maintaining such speed while performing the previous actions was incredibly challenging.
This method might not be suitable for him. His next step would be to train and develop a more appropriate technique.
Cecilia and Zala were also present. Cecilia, already skilled in leg techniques, followed along and could grasp the movements in slow motion.
However, Zala found even the rapid stomping difficult.
Cecilia curiously asked, "How do your legs coordinate during the use of Geppo?"
"They alternate," Kalifa replied. "It seems like the stomping starts instantaneously, but that's a result of the extreme speed. Ten stomps in an instant are almost indistinguishable to the naked eye."
This method was roughly like lifting the right foot while the left lands, then lifting the left foot while the right lands.
Because the frequency of lifting the legs was so high, it was impossible to discern the order, but they switched back and forth based on this frequency.
"I see."
Cecilia stroked her chin thoughtfully.
Xia Qiu curiously asked, "Why alternate? Wouldn't using both legs simultaneously generate more power?"
"Are you faster running or jumping forward with both legs?" Kalifa asked Xia Qiu.
Xia Qiu replied, "Running, of course."
"Exactly. Stomping is like running in place, but with smaller strides, continuously accumulating power, and finally storing and compressing it for an explosive burst. If you were to use both feet together, it would become like jumping in place. While jumping provides great power, the body's movement is larger, and you leave the ground each time, making it impossible to suppress the power. That's why we alternate," Kalifa explained slowly.
"What about using just one leg?" Xia Qiu asked.
Kalifa said, "Single-leg use is the result of accumulating power through continuous stomping with one leg for an explosive burst. If your strength is sufficient to propel your body forward, then it's enough, but your speed will definitely decrease. On Moon Walk, you'll notice he jumps with his left foot, and the next time he steps on air, it will inevitably be with his right. It's possible to continuously use one leg, but the pressure on that leg would be immense, and the speed would decrease."
"That's true."
Thinking of Moon Walk, Xia Qiu recalled how it involved alternating feet stepping on air to move forward.
"I think I understand."
Xia Qiu grasped the method but found the difficulty had increased. His first step was to achieve the human two-legged Geppo, meaning six legs working together.
In other words, he needed to alternate with three legs at a time, with each leg performing incredibly precise movements, stomping more than ten times per instant.
Most importantly, his leg structure was different.
Xia Qiu found all four of these challenges difficult to overcome, which explained why Lucci had made that request.
"It looks like I need to keep training," Xia Qiu said, looking at Zala in the distance. "Zala, take her back."
"Okay."
Zala walked over to Kalifa, put handcuffs on her, and escorted her to the basement.
"Since Kalifa taught you Six Powers, are you going to give us the newspapers now? It's almost noon," Lucci asked lazily from inside the Seastone cage in the distance.
"I'll have someone send them to you later," Xia Qiu replied, glancing at him.
Yesterday, Lucci had agreed to teach Xia Qiu Life Return, but he had two conditions. First, he would only teach one of the Six Powers at a time, and only after Xia Qiu had mastered it would he teach the next, until Life Return.
Xia Qiu knew what they were thinking – they believed he wouldn't be able to learn, thus allowing them to stall for time, and they feared their subordinates learning and then killing them.
But Xia Qiu didn't care about that. If his subordinates learned Six Powers before he did, it would be more troublesome for him.
The second condition was the newspapers. They would be given the previous day's newspapers to receive information from the outside world.
Xia Qiu had agreed, and he wouldn't go back on his word.
Zala brought Kalifa back to the cage, then brought them newspapers and lunch before returning upstairs.
Xia Qiu continued his training. His leg structure was a problem, but what Kalifa had described was the simplest way to use Geppo.
Geppo was an explosive burst of recoil power generated by ten stomps.
Therefore, high-speed, high-frequency, short-distance stomping, with alternating legs providing power, should be the simplest method.
He would first train using his six legs, treating three legs as one. Then, based on this foundation and his leg structure, he would continuously adjust and thus master Geppo.
It was predictable that he would have to undergo long periods of arduous training.
...
"How was the training?"
After Zala left, Kaku looked at Kalifa.
Kalifa replied, "I don't think he can learn it. He has too many problems: excessive weight, six legs, his leg structure, and leg strength. It will be very difficult for him to master it."
"That's for the best."
Kaku said with a smile, "If he never learned it, wouldn't we be able to live forever?"
"That's not necessarily true."
Kalifa disagreed.
Kaku asked, "Kalifa, are you saying that if he never learns it, he'll kill us instead?"
Kalifa shook her head and said, "I'm saying he might not necessarily fail to learn it."
"Kalifa, you have that much faith in him?" Kaku asked, confused.
Kalifa said softly, "He can learn Armament Haki, so why can't he learn Six Powers? In comparison, the former is more difficult."
Hearing this, Kaku said, "I really can't imagine how a giant beast learned Armament Haki, especially since the boss hasn't learned Haki yet."
"Boss Lucci doesn't not know Haki, he just hasn't bothered to learn it."
Kalifa said that Lucci hadn't focused on Haki. He had concentrated on his physical techniques and training his body in the early stages, which took up a lot of his time.
His physical condition was no less than that of an ordinary Vice Admiral, and both his Six Powers and Life Return had taken a lot of time to reach their peak.
After that, he had to accept missions and was forced to infiltrate Water 7 for five years, unable to train specifically.
For Lucci, if he were to start learning Haki, it wouldn't be too difficult.
In fact, two years later, he learned Armament Haki and could fight Sabo at that time. His aptitude was truly outstanding.
...
"The Life Card points to this location."
On a deserted island, over a dozen Marine warships appeared, slowly surrounding the island.
"It's still here?" a Vice Admiral on a ship asked.
The CP0 agent looked at the fragment of the Life Card in his hand and said, "Yes, he hasn't left."
"Then let's search."
The CP0 agent and several Vice Admirals, along with several hundred sailors, landed on the deserted island and began searching.
However, they found the island to be deserted, with no sign of Lucci or anyone else.
"They're not here," Vice Admiral Momonga said.
The CP0 agent said, "But the Life Card is definitely here."
"Then let's look around," another Vice Admiral said.
"Here!"
After searching for more than two hours, a sailor finally found the Life Card on a tree, with traces of it being torn off nearby.
"Lucci's Life Card? It was left here."
A CP0 agent expressed some regret.
"It seems we can't find Lucci using this method,"
Vice Admiral Momonga said, then looked at the CP0 agent and said, "We were sent to cooperate with you because the Life Card was found, but now that it's proven they aren't here, our mission is complete."
The CP0 agent looked somewhat regretful and said, "Let's go back."
The Marine soldiers and CP9 agents returned to the warships, which then slowly departed and disappeared into the distance.
(I didn't consider the issue with the Life Cards and forgot about it. However, after checking the settings and descriptions at the time, during Lola's arc, it was mentioned that Life Cards attract each other, and targets could be found through them. Later, when Rayleigh went to find Luffy, he also left a Life Card with Shakky. So, when many people discuss this issue, they believe that the torn-off part of the Life Card points to the mother card. If the Life Card points to the person themselves, there would be no need for the main body to leave one behind. Therefore, for now, I'll assume that Life Cards attract each other based on the card itself, otherwise, this bug is too significant.)
...
"Hey, Zala, what are you doing?"
Xia Qiu looked at Zala, who was sitting and drinking tea not far away, and said displeasedly, "Why aren't you training?"
"President, I already trained all morning."
Zala said lazily, "Let me rest for a bit, I'm too tired."
"You spent most of the morning talking about techniques, how long did you actually train?"
Xia Qiu said irritably, "If you're slacking off like this, when will you ever master Six Powers?"
Xia Qiu had high hopes for Zala. Although she wasn't the brightest, she could become a qualified assistant.
With Zala's Devil Fruit ability, few people in the entire organization, except for the gunmen, could defeat her.
However, if these people wanted to escape, she would be powerless to stop them.
But with Six Powers, combined with her Devil Fruit ability, her strength would change dramatically.
Especially the Finger Gun technique, which was highly compatible with her abilities.
But she was too lazy, especially recently. Apart from the tasks assigned by him, she rarely improved herself.
"President, don't worry. Anyway, we can't learn the next technique until you learn it, so there's still plenty of time," Zala said nonchalantly.
Hearing this, Xia Qiu shouted angrily, "Zala, are you mocking me, saying I won't be able to learn it?"
"President..."
Zala's expression froze, and she quickly said ingratiatingly, "I didn't mean it like that, President. You're so smart, how could you not learn? I'll start training right away."
Zala quickly stood up, but suddenly, a Brubru sound rang out.
"The Den Den Mushi is ringing, I'll get it."
Zala's eyes lit up, and she ran off into the distance.
"This guy."
Xia Qiu watched her retreating figure with a hint of helplessness. She'd probably never come back once she ran off.
The two had been together for nearly a year and a half, and their relationship had become quite good. She was now a qualified subordinate.
At least she wouldn't betray him, and even if her strength was a bit lacking, he wouldn't punish her too harshly.
"I won't worry about her."
Xia Qiu shook his head and continued training, but after a while, Zala came jogging back.
"What is it?"
Xia Qiu stopped and looked at Zala.
Zala said, "It's a call from Vivi. She said something big happened in the Drum Kingdom."
"What happened?" Xia Qiu frowned.
Zala replied, "The Drum Kingdom was attacked by a group of pirates, and King Walpol fled the country. The Drum Kingdom is now empty."
"What pirates?"
Xia Qiu had a guess in his heart and his expression became a little excited.
Zala said, "The Blackbeard Pirates."
"The Blackbeard Pirates?"
Xia Qiu's eyes slowly lit up. 'They really did leave the Whitebeard Pirates after all. I just don't know if it was a betrayal, and if Ace will come looking for him.'
So Xia Qiu said, "Tell Vivi to mobilize the intelligence department's resources to investigate the Blackbeard Pirates and find their whereabouts. Also, help me investigate one more person."
"I'll pass the message to Vivi."
Zala nodded, then added, "Vivi also asked about something."
Xia Qiu looked at Zala and said, "What is it?"
Zala said softly, "Vivi said that with the King of the Drum Kingdom gone, the entire country is in some chaos."
"Is that so?"
Xia Qiu understood Vivi's meaning immediately upon hearing this. "The Drum Kingdom? It does have some value worth pursuing."
The Drum Kingdom was relatively small, in a remote location, with an extremely cold environment and very little economic output.
But it was still a country, and still one of the member states of the World Government.
Zala asked with a smile, "So are we going to the Drum Kingdom next?"
"Yes."
Xia Qiu nodded, then added, "But this is no small matter. We need to plan carefully before taking action. Ask Vivi if she can come here to meet. I have a few things I want to ask her."
Compared to the Drum Kingdom and the Blackbeard Pirates, Xia Qiu was more curious about what Vivi was thinking.
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Translation by: randomtranslator.com
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