Soul Clan (3)

"Oh, me and my big mouth. Why did I have to mention a Marine Admiral? Now look what I've done. That boy's got his sights set on one."

Hearing this, Grandpa Nick was frantic. Fanxin was convinced a Marine Admiral had killed the Soul Clan, and no matter how he explained, Fanxin wouldn't believe him. He was at a loss.

I have to make him stronger as quickly as possible. That boy is stubborn. Once he sets his mind on something, he won't give up until he achieves it. Now that he's convinced a Marine Admiral killed the Soul Clan, he'll definitely look for a chance to attack one. But how could a Marine Admiral be so easy to defeat?

Grandpa Nick's thoughts raced as he considered how to make Fanxin stronger as quickly as possible. If Fanxin couldn't improve fast enough and ran into a Marine Admiral, he would die.

Ah, this won't be easy. Forget it, I'll take my time thinking. He can't leave here anytime soon. I'll wait until I come up with a good solution.

Grandpa Nick thought for a long time, but he couldn't come up with a way to quickly increase Fanxin's strength. Becoming strong required a gradual accumulation over time; that was how he had done it himself. So he could only let Xiao Fan progress step by step.

"Still, that guy who turned into magma really does seem to be Marine Admiral Akainu. Why was he hunting down the Soul Clan? Could the Soul Clan have something he needs?" Grandpa Nick frowned slightly.

If Fanxin had described his appearance, Grandpa Nick might not have known, since people with identical appearances did exist in the world, though they were rarely seen. But the ability to turn one's body into magma was hard to replicate. He knew only one person who could do it: Marine Admiral Akainu, an extremely fanatical fellow.

He was puzzled. Why would the Marines target the Soul Clan? Generally speaking, the Soul Clan lived in partial seclusion and rarely had dealings with the outside world. By all rights, the Soul Clan shouldn't have been in their way.

"Ah, I don't understand. But the Marines have changed somewhat these days. Whatever happens, it's no longer surprising."

Grandpa Nick thought for a while, then sighed helplessly. He still didn't understand why the Marines would attack a secluded clan. Then he shook his head, not bothering to concern himself with it.

He was old now, and he had lost the lower half of his body, so he couldn't go running around anymore. Even if he knew the reason, he couldn't help Fanxin resolve the matter. Fanxin could only rely on himself.

I'll devote myself to training Fanxin and leave everything else to him. He should be able to handle it. Grandpa Nick shook his head and immediately sank underground, paying no further attention to anything else.

"A Marine Admiral? Why would they go after the Soul Clan? Could the Soul Clan have something they need?" Fanxin walked slowly, pondering the matter.

Judging by Grandpa Nick's expression, he was fairly certain that a Marine Admiral had been among those who attacked his clan. Otherwise, Grandpa Nick would never have hesitated over his words.

He just didn't understand why a Marine Admiral would attack his clan.

"No matter what, I have to get to the bottom of this. The grudge for my clan's destruction cannot be reconciled. Whoever he is, whatever his status, he must be dealt with," Fanxin said coldly.

His clan members had died one by one, and his parents' whereabouts were still unknown. A Marine Admiral and that group of masked men had done all of it, and he bore a grudge against them. So he would find those people one by one and get to the bottom of things.

"Now I know everything. All I lack is the strength to match. Once I have that strength, things will be easier. So for now, I'll devote myself to cultivation and train myself into a powerful person. Then I can do what I want to do." Fanxin smiled calmly as he spoke.

"Let's go home and cook first. Tomorrow, I'll bring out all my passion and pour it into training!"

Fanxin shook his head and stopped thinking about it. Thinking too much now was useless. If you couldn't grow stronger, even if you saw your enemy, you could only watch him leave. If you made a move, you'd be in for it.

He raced toward home and soon reached the front door.

Fanxin pushed the door open and went inside.

Little Black Cat and Ren Fang had both returned, and they were cooking.

"You two know how to cook?" Fanxin walked over curiously and asked.

"Hmph, what's so hard about it? I have Devil Fruit powers now, so I can tell exactly whether the food is cooked and how it's turning out." Little Black Cat gave a little snort. "You took so long to come back that we had to do it ourselves."

"Go take a bath. Just come out and eat when you're done," Little Black Cat said proudly.

"Yes, go ahead. The rice is done, and the dishes will be ready soon," Ren Fang said as well.

"All right, I'll give your cooking a try. Oh, right, call Grandpa when it's time to eat. He's our elder, so we can't forget him," Fanxin said with a nod.

"Don't worry, I will," Ren Fang said, nodding. Grandpa Nick had helped her a great deal. If not for him, she wouldn't have gained her ability. She would never forget him.

"Good. I'm going to take a bath." Fanxin nodded and immediately returned to his bedroom.

Ten minutes later, he finished bathing and came out. By then, the food was already on the table, and Little Black Cat, Ren Fang, and Grandpa Nick were seated, waiting for him.

Fanxin didn't stand on ceremony and immediately sat down.

Then the four of them began to eat.

The next day, training continued.

From that day on, Grandpa Nick was no longer merciful with them. He struck hard, and when he injured them, he healed them. In short, he showed no mercy. He was making them understand that they had to grow stronger. Otherwise, if they met a powerful opponent, death would be their only fate. When that happened, their opponents wouldn't pity them, and they would surely die.

Fanxin, Little Black Cat, and Ren Fang felt no resentment whatsoever. They gritted their teeth and persevered.

As they trained hard, they lost track of time, completely absorbed in their training.

Just like that, two years passed without their noticing.

Fanxin was now eighteen, and Ren Fang was nineteen.

Not only had they grown up, but their strength had also improved by leaps and bounds.

Fanxin's attacking power had increased greatly, and he could even control his soul body in battle. Compared to two years ago, he had undergone a complete transformation.

Ren Fang's strength had also increased considerably. She could easily dodge attacks and was no longer the frail, helpless little girl she had been two years ago. She had become a formidable female warrior.

As for Little Black Cat, she had grown stronger too. With Grandpa Nick's help, she had developed sixty percent of her Devil Fruit ability, and all her abilities had improved greatly.