Pirates: How Many Divisions Do the Five Elders Have? A Beautiful Misunderstanding

Chakra and all that was obviously made up by Ma Qiao; how could Vivi possibly understand it?

Now that his beloved student has come knocking on his door, it's entirely Ma Qiao's own fault.

However, putting aside the facts, is Vivi completely without fault, even to the point of 1%?

After a moment of self-hypnosis, Ma Qiao looked regretful. "I'm sorry, Miss Vivi, I was the one who lied to you."

"Huh?"

Although Vivi is a bit naive and not particularly bright, it doesn't mean she's completely stupid. She's been washing clothes for that stinky old man for half a year; how could she not realize she's been tricked?

However, doing housework for the man I like... doesn't seem to be an unpleasant experience.

At the very least, if Nami or Reiju dared to touch Ma Qiao's dirty clothes, Vivi would fly into a rage.

Just like a puppy marking its territory when it goes out, fulfilling her duties as a wife is also a way for Vivi to declare her sovereignty.

This time, her visit to Ma Qiao was less about causing trouble and more about finding an excuse to vent her anger and act coquettishly towards the old man.

After all, with the successive appearances of Nami, Reiju, and even the mature and charming Miss All Sunday, Princess Vivi, who initially thought she had an advantage due to her proximity to the source, became increasingly aware of the potential crisis.

However, to Vivi's surprise, this time the stinky uncle didn't try to brush it off with an excuse as usual, but instead revealed a...

A complex, hesitant expression.

"You're right, I lied to you before."

Ma Qiao sighed, "The Ma Family Kung Fu isn't enough just through practice; it also needs to be passed down..."

"Inheritance?"

Vivi frowned. "Is it some kind of secret technique? Like the ones in your novels?"

Ma Qiao shook his head. "No, not a secret manual, but... but the very essence of my life..."

"Life... the origin of life?"

Vivi's face flushed red instantly, all the way to the roots of her neck. "Wouldn't that be a little too fast...? I'm afraid it will hurt..."

Ma Qiao:???

What exactly are you browsing online?!

Ma Qiao wanted to rummage through Vivi's Den Den Mushi, but Vivi quickly clutched Den Den Mushi tightly to her chest, her cheeks flushed red, and steam rising from her head.

It's just like someone who, even after a car accident, frantically deletes all their browsing history on their phone.

In short, things aren't what you think!

Ma Qiao explained speechlessly, "Practicing the Ma Family Kung Fu actually requires bloodline inheritance, what they call 'Bloodline Limit.' For example, a president's son will always be a president, a politician's son will always be a politician, and a banker's son will always be a banker..."

This is the norm in this world, a cycle that repeats itself endlessly.

However, long ago, in my hometown, there was a man named Chen who uttered the bold statement, "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?" And there was a great pirate named Huang who, "burned the imperial treasury to ashes and trampled the bones of officials on the streets," and found a way to break the Bloodline Limit...

Vivi listened blankly to Ma Qiao's words, feeling both confused and impressed.

After talking for a while, Ma Qiao noticed that Vivi's eyes were darting around and her little brain couldn't keep up at all, so he silently breathed a sigh of relief.

I was completely overwhelmed by their teasing.

The ability to complicate simple problems is a fundamental professional quality of a top-notch instructor.

Of course, if Robin were here, she would listen attentively and ask many difficult and insightful questions.

However, it would be difficult for Vivi, who grew up in an imperial family and was supposedly a princess close to commoners, to understand such profound questions.

However, this issue should not be explored too deeply.

After all, the two people in the room at this moment were a princess of a feudal dynasty and a newly emerging capitalist who had just completed his initial accumulation of wealth.

You have your cellar, I have my streetlights.

We both have bright futures...

Fortunately, this is an extraordinary world that is still in the era of slavery, where both feudal nobles and emerging capitalists still represent the direction of progress.

Shaking his head, trying not to think about things he hadn't considered, Ma Qiao pinched Vivi's small nose to bring her back to her senses.

Before she could even react, Ma Qiao commanded, "Open your mouth!"

Vivi instinctively opened her mouth, and a drop of warm, fresh blood fell onto the tip of her pink tongue.

"Uncle, what's wrong with you?!"

Vivi snapped out of her daze, looked at Ma Qiao's blood-stained fingertips, and, ignoring the faint taste of blood in her mouth, hurriedly went to find a band-aid.

Thump!

In her haste, Vivi suddenly vanished from her spot, and the next second, her forehead slammed heavily against the door.

"This... this is the Flying Thunder God Technique?"

Vivi covered her head, incredulous.

Half an hour later.

Vivi had a band-aid on her forehead.

The small cut on Ma Qiao's fingertip had long since healed.

With the help of 21 heroes training and improving his physical fitness, Ma Qiao's body has long surpassed human limits.

While he can't compare to the Strongest Creature Kaido, in terms of physical strength alone, unless he uses some kind of cheat code like sit-ups, most Supernovas and Shichibukai are no match for Ma Qiao.

Of course, considering that there are countless overpowered characters in the world of One Piece, Ma Qiao believes it's best to keep a low profile.

After all, even Supernovas who was easily defeated by Doflamingo a month ago could potentially defeat Big Mom, the Four Emperors known as the Iron Balloon, by teaming up with a group of equally weak and incompetent players a month later.

This world is absolutely terrifying.

"Sorry."

Glistening tears clung to Vivi's long eyelashes.

It wasn't because it hurt from hitting the door.

"So you need to give me such precious life essence to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique... If I had known... I shouldn't have been so willful... Waaah... Uncle, you won't shorten your lifespan, will you?"

While there aren't any techniques in the world of One Piece that involve burning away lifespan to transfer power, there are still many ways to increase strength at the cost of shortening one's lifespan.

For example, Big Mom's Soul-Soul Fruit, or the forbidden Fish-Man Race drug that Hody Jones and his crew on Fish-Man Island consumed.

Similar phenomena exist widely across various races and nations.

As a princess of Alabasta, Vivi had heard similar rumors to some extent.

The fact that Ma Qiao used his own blood to enhance Vivi's strength immediately made her think of these rumors.

No wonder the uncle was so hesitant before...

It's not simply deception, nor is it simply forgetting; it's... it's making a firm decision!

Vivi deeply regretted her aggressive approach.

Ma Qiao opened his mouth, unsure how to answer.

If we're talking about shortening lifespan, it seems there's some truth to that.

Because [Penguin Style Secret Technique: Investment] requires the use of one's own bodily fluids as a medium to transfer skills, lifespan, and other such things to those around them.

Getting your finger pricked is definitely a painful experience.

In theory, Ma Qiao does have other, better, non-invasive (one-time trauma?) ways to help Vivi get funding...

But...

The conditions are not yet ripe.

The drop of blood that Ma Qiao squeezed out after pricking his finger not only contained the [Flash] skill, but also came with a bonus of 10 years of lifespan.

Ma Qiao didn't dare send too many gifts because Vivi was still "young".

An increase in lifespan is not just about extending the time one lives; it also represents the life cycle.

Giant Tribe live three times longer than humans, and their growth and development period is also three times longer than that of humans.

In other words, if Ma Qiao were to grant Vivi a hundred years of lifespan, it would take her at least four or five years to develop the same physique as in the original story.

This is just too tragic.

So, Ma Qiao decided to wait until Vivi came of age before investing more in her lifespan; maybe then they could perform non-invasive procedures?

But regardless, it is true, as Vivi believes, that Ma Qiao shortened his own "lifespan" and gave some of it to her.

Although Ma Qiao's total lifespan is now over a thousand years...

But she's right, even ten years less in life is still less...

Seeing the changes in Ma Qiao's expression, Vivi was even more certain of her guess.

"What a foolish old man..."

Vivi sighed and disappeared from the spot.

She gently hugged Ma Qiao from behind, pressing her face against his broad back. "Thank you, I felt it, your warmth, forever and ever, I will never forget..."

Because of a small misunderstanding, Vivi and the older man's relationship, which had faced a major crisis in the past month, quickly heated up again.

Moreover, learning Flash was indeed very useful for Vivi.

As the editor-in-chief of "Big Bird News" and Baron Ma Qiao's personal photographer, Vivi has gained the speed of a reporter after mastering Flash.

She could quickly find the best angle to take the most heartwarming photos of Baron Ma Qiao, capturing his deepest affection for his people.

If...

If only he weren't a criminal trying to overthrow the Alabasta royal family...

Countless times, when Vivi looked at Ma Qiao's radiant figure, she would experience this internal struggle.

But she quickly threw herself back into her work.

Even if this kind of work enhances Ma Qiao's authority and diminishes his father's prestige...

Only work allows Vivi to temporarily forget her predicament and enjoy a moment of inner peace.

I guess so...

"Dance Powder?"

Vivi covered her mouth in surprise. "You're really planning to use the Dance Powder? That's... I mean, finally we'll use it! This was Mr. 0's plan a long time ago..."

"Yes, it would be a real waste not to use something so convenient."

Born in a country that firmly believes in the power of human will to conquer nature, Ma Qiao naturally stated. "Humans should revere and respect nature, but not succumb to it. When faced with a great flood, my ancestors chose to gather their companions and overcome it together, while some chose to build huge ships to save themselves and escape from the face of the flood..."

Listening to Uncle Ma Qiao's string of strange arguments, Vivi tilted her head, sensing something was amiss. "But... Mr. 0's plan is to transport the Dance Powder to the capital and then frame the Nefertari royal family, right? And Uncle, what you're implying seems to be..."

"That's right, I'm planning to use the Dance Powder in Shurima."

Ma Qiao nodded. "As for framing someone... there's always a way. Maybe the Nefertari Family has people in Shurima too, don't you think, Vivi- chan?"

"Eh? Hehe~"

Vivi covered her mouth and chuckled awkwardly, "Don't joke around, Nefertari may be royalty, but they have very few members. How could something like this happen..."

Ma Qiao used a significant portion of the funds obtained from the Sky Island to invest in the development of Shurima.

Furthermore, Ma Qiao specifically recruited a twenty-fourth hero for Shurima.

Ma Qiao's twenty-second hero is Gragas Gudagas, the manager of the Big Bird Brewery.

The twenty-third hero is Leona, the Dawn Goddess, General Manager of Shandora High-Tech Industrial Park.

The twenty-four heroes are none other than Jinx, the Loose Cannon, who is known as Riot Games' darling.

Furthermore, Ma Qiao leveled Jinx up to level 6 in one go.

However, Ma Qiao had no intention of making her part of his bodyguard team.

After all, ADCs aren't really suitable as bodyguards.

Jinx's personality is also incomparable to the composed Jhin.

The latter, as an assassin and sniper, can achieve surprise by lurking in the crowd.

As for Jinx...

Ma Qiao simply couldn't imagine who would hire such a madman as a bodyguard.

Currently, Jinx's official status is that of Shurima Old Western Medicine General Hospital.

The reason for this arrangement is that Ma Qiao has long held the title of a male mentor who is well-versed in human nature.

This self-proclaimed title, given on a whim in its early years, has become deeply ingrained in people's minds after a series of events, especially gaining the trust of key figures in the Navy such as Garp, Smoker, and Momonga.

In other words, Ma Qiao has more or less been burdened by the image of an idol, and must constantly strengthen his persona to avoid his image collapsing.

Therefore, at Shurima Old Western Medicine Hospital, in addition to being the hospital director, Ma Qiao also held the titles of head of the Department of Mental Health and psychology expert.

To put it simply, it involves studying patients with mental disorders and mental illnesses.

And when it comes to mental illness, who is more suitable as a research subject Jinx?

She has a mental illness certificate issued by Dr. Zaun!

I'm just not sure if that doctor from Zaun who issued the certificate was just Dr. Mundo of.

Of course, Ma Qiao recruited Jinx not primarily to study her mental illness, nor to help Vivi regain her confidence in front of her, but mainly to rely on her rocket technology.

Despite Jinx's seemingly eccentric and somewhat dim-witted demeanor, she designed and built her own "Fishbones" rocket launcher, which she is very proud of.

Of course, like other heroes, Jinx was recruited naked, wearing only her underwear.

Therefore, she had to start from scratch and re-investigate and manufacture a new rocket launcher.

This time, however, Ma Qiao's requirements for her were no longer about pursuing explosiveness and destructive power, but about pursuing greater precision and carrying capacity.

My first small goal: to be able to accurately deliver at least 100 kilograms of Dance Powder into the clouds.

This is actually not a difficult task for Jinx, a genius girl.

Of course, the process might have been smoother if she had sought help from weapons expert Jayce.

Unfortunately, she could never do that to Senator Jayce.

As Ma Qiao's Retainer grew, factionalism began to dissipate within his ranks, leading to a diverse and unpredictable landscape.

Fortunately, obeying Ma Qiao's will is always the hero's highest mission, so even with various disagreements, they can still fight side by side when necessary.

After all, in the game, even if the same team picks opposing heroes, at most they'll just bicker and have some easter eggs of mutual taunting.

Ultimately, however, they must obey the summoner's will and fight together.

Well, summoners themselves feed kills, except for those who intentionally throw the game.