Soul Clan (2)

"Sigh, it's no use at all. What am I supposed to do?" Fanxin was deeply frustrated. He had thought he had gained a new ability and had been overjoyed. But now he couldn't use it!

"You have to keep devouring souls. Only then will your soul body grow sturdier and more powerful. Right now, your soul body is like a baby. What use is a baby?" As soon as Fanxin finished speaking, a voice reached his ears.

Fanxin heard a familiar voice and immediately recognized who it was.

"Grandpa Nick, you're here."

Fanxin turned to look at Grandpa Nick, who was nothing but a head at the moment. But Fanxin didn't find him frightening in the least, because Grandpa Nick had ended up like this entirely for the sake of his family! If not for Grandpa Nick, he and his parents might have died long ago.

"Mm, you know about soul bodies, so it seems you already know a few things about the Soul Clan, right?" Grandpa Nick nodded and said. It hadn't created a body because Fanxin was very brave and wouldn't be frightened.

"Mm, I saw the images in my mind. Grandpa Nick, thank you for saving me and my parents," Fanxin said with a grateful nod.

"Sigh, think nothing of it. When I was young, I went out to sea to travel and ran into a great storm. If not for your clan, I might have died long ago. I was only repaying a debt of gratitude," Grandpa Nick said with a smile.

When he was young, he had been proud and arrogant, believing he was capable and had nothing to fear. But when faced with a true natural disaster, he had realized just how insignificant he was.

Back then, he had been struck by a great storm, knocked unconscious on the spot, and thrown into the sea. He had thought he was certain to die, but a passing Soul Clan elder had rescued him and taken him to the Soul Clan.

He had recuperated and trained with the Soul Clan, and the reason he was so powerful now had everything to do with them.

So when he learned that disaster had befallen the Soul Clan, he had offered his help without hesitation. He was someone who repaid every grudge and every kindness.

The Soul Clan had shown him kindness, so naturally he wouldn't stand by and do nothing.

"Hehe, no matter what, I still have to thank you," Fanxin said with a smile.

"Suit yourself, child. Since you know a few things about the Soul Clan, I suppose you know who attacked them. Can you tell me?" Grandpa Nick asked. Back then, he had asked Fanxin's parents, but neither of them had been willing to tell him, because they hadn't wanted him to get involved in the Soul Clan's affairs. So he didn't know who had attacked the Soul Clan back then.

"I don't know either. The images showed that they were all masked," Fanxin said, shaking his head.

"I see. Were there any particularly powerful people among them? What kind of abilities did they have? Tell me, and I might know something," Grandpa Nick asked again.

"Mm, there was nothing special about the others. But one of them seemed to be able to use magma. His whole body turned into magma. I think he must have eaten a Devil Fruit," Fanxin said after recalling all the images.

Hearing this, Grandpa Nick's eyes narrowed sharply, and he didn't say a word for a long time.

Seeing Grandpa Nick standing there in a daze, Fanxin asked in confusion, "Grandpa Nick, what are you thinking about? Have you got a clue?"

"No." Grandpa Nick suddenly smiled and said, "Child, Grandpa hopes that from now on, no matter who you're with, you won't mention that you're a member of the Soul Clan. Can you do that?"

"Huh? Why?" Fanxin asked in confusion.

"Because your clan might have offended a major power. If that major power has people stationed everywhere, then once you reveal your identity, they'll know where you are. When that happens, they'll do everything they can to hunt you down."

Grandpa Nick said, "Your clan was very powerful back then, but they were still wiped out. Do you think you can defeat those people as you are now?"

Hearing this, Fanxin shook his head. Even Grandpa Nick had been defeated back then, losing most of his body and leaving only his head. Fanxin couldn't even beat Grandpa Nick now, let alone kill those people and avenge his clan.

"That's right. You have to be patient. Only when you've grown stronger will you be qualified to challenge those people. Understand?" Grandpa Nick nodded and continued.

"Mm, I understand. But what level do I have to reach before I can go looking for the bastards who killed my clansmen?" Fanxin asked. He wanted a goal so he could work toward it.

"Marine Admiral. Only when you have the strength of a Marine Admiral can you take revenge. Otherwise, you must not even think about it," Grandpa Nick said.

Hearing this, Fanxin's eyes widened. Marine Admirals were the Marines' strongest fighters. Who knew how many years it would take him to reach that level? Besides, there was no guarantee he could even reach it.

"No way, Grandpa Nick. That's too hard," Fanxin said with a mournful look.

"Hehe, you must reach an Admiral's level of strength. Otherwise, you'll surely die," Grandpa Nick shouted, staring intently at Fanxin with a grave expression.

"Mm, Grandpa Nick, do you know something? Is there someone you know among them?"

Seeing how stern Grandpa Nick was, Fanxin immediately sensed something was wrong. Grandpa Nick had never spoken to him like this before.

"Well... no, I don't. I'm just worried something might happen to you, so I want you to reach that level of strength, that's all." Grandpa Nick's expression changed at once when he heard this, and he immediately replied.

"That's not right, Grandpa Nick. You must know something, don't you? Tell me. Don't worry, I definitely won't go after that guy for revenge until I'm strong enough." Fanxin immediately shook his head. Grandpa Nick was stammering, which meant he had something to hide.

"No, I really don't," Grandpa Nick said, his expression returning to normal.

"Hmph, Grandpa Nick, you're lying to me. Do you think I'm that easy to fool? I'm very good at reading people's expressions. You must know. Is that guy a Marine Admiral?" Fanxin asked, looking at Grandpa Nick with a smile.

Being stared at like that by Fanxin made Grandpa Nick very uncomfortable. He shouted, "Stop making wild guesses, kid. You're not strong enough yet. Knowing too much won't do you any good. What you need to do now is put everything into training and increase your strength. Understand?"

"Yes, I understand. Don't worry. Once I'm strong enough, I'll go to the Marine Admirals and demand justice. I'll ask them why they targeted the Soul Clan, hehe." Fanxin giggled, then stood up and headed home. He was going home to make dinner.