This Can't Be Taught

This trip to the Sabaody Archipelago to capture pirates was, frankly, just an excuse to let Mo Xingchen rack up military merits, so that when he got promoted, no one could talk behind his back. It was also a chance to see if he had the ability to stand on his own. So Garp wasn't going to accompany him.

Since he was going after pirates, there was no way he could do it without a warship and soldiers. With Mo Xingchen's current rank, he obviously couldn't have his own personal warship.

While they were discussing borrowing a ship and crew, Garp also told him about the usual distribution of spoils after capturing pirates on his own warship.

Because the specific distribution on each warship was different, it was basically up to the ship's highest commander to decide. An officer who loved money would take more for himself, while an officer who cared about his soldiers would take less.

He also didn't forget to remind him to go to Vice Admiral Tsuru's place before setting off to get more intelligence—which noteworthy pirates were currently on Sabaody, and which ones might arrive there in the next month based on route analysis. These tips would make his mission go more smoothly.

Dragon came home right at mealtime and heard Mo Xingchen and his old man discussing going to Sabaody to catch pirates, so he volunteered:

"Brother Mo! Take me along! These two years in the Training Camp have been driving me crazy!"

"If I'm unlucky on this trip to Sabaody, I might not be back until just before your investiture ceremony. Besides, aren't you about to finish training? Isn't Admiral Zephyr taking you out for some graduation exam? Where would you find the time to come play with me?"

Mo Xingchen asked, looking puzzled.

"Graduation exam? Pfft, Brother Mo, you're thinking of the New Recruit camp. Our elite class is all at least Headquarters Lieutenant Commander rank. We're here for advanced training, mainly learning Haki techniques from Teacher Zephyr. To put it bluntly, basically all of the Navy's mid-to-high-ranking officers for the next few decades are in this class.

So from now on, we're pretty much on our own. Teacher Zephyr said he's taught us everything he can, and the rest is up to us. If it weren't for the investiture ceremony being only a month away, I'd have gone out to catch pirates long ago."

"Alright then. Once I'm ready in a couple of days, I'll call you when we set off."

Mo Xingchen agreed after hearing Dragon say that. It'd be nice to have company on the road. After the guards brought their meals and they finished dinner together, the two strolled to the training ground for Dragon's extra practice session.

Along the way, Dragon turned into a curious kid:

"Brother Mo, what was that move you used today where your whole body glowed and blocked Vice Admiral Sakazuki's Meteor Volcano? It was super cool. Can I learn it?"

"Six Ding Six Jia Body Protection Divine Spell. Don't even think about it. It's something passed down from our ancestors. You can't learn it."

"Oh~~ Then I saw you hammering away at Vice Admiral Sakazuki's joints for so long. How come he wasn't affected at all? If it were me, I'd probably be crawling by now."

"He took that much beating, so he's definitely injured. It's just that his physique is much stronger than yours, plus he was furious during the fight, so he temporarily suppressed the pain. I bet now that he's calmed down, he's rolling around in bed screaming in pain."

"Hahaha, Brother Mo, so if I run into an opponent with a strong physique and high endurance in the future, how do I win?"

"First, you need to train your footwork. It'll help you avoid getting hit, and even if you can't win, at least you can run away. Take Borsalino, for example. He's also called a Monster, and he does have real strength, but his main asset is his Devil Fruit ability. If you can't keep up with his speed, he can attack whenever he wants, and you can't hold him down if he doesn't want to fight. It's a troublesome ability.

Second, you need to strengthen your own physique. That's my weak point too. In a situation like today's, with no interference, it comes down to who runs out of stamina first. Of course, a stronger physique also means better endurance.

Take yourself, for instance. Think about how long you could last when we first started sparring, and how long you can last now.

Third, you need to train your Armament Haki. Don't just use it to coat your body's surface as a protective layer or to grab Logia Type Devil Fruit users.

You need to be able to project it outward, so that through your attacks, it penetrates the enemy's Armament Haki and skin protection, directly striking their bones or even internal organs. No matter how tough a Monster's physique is, they can't take that kind of punishment.

That's the advanced technique of Armament Haki. I only know the direction for now; I can't use it myself yet."

"I understand. Oh, by the way, Brother Mo, I notice you don't train much usually, but you still seem to be getting stronger. Is there some trick to it?"

"Trick my ass. It's just that my training method is different from most people's. I meditate and sit in contemplation every day. It's a kind of cultivation of one's essence, energy, and spirit."

"Then..."

Mo Xingchen patiently answered Dragon's questions, but during their sparring, he was a bit more forceful than usual. Definitely not because Dragon was annoying him with questions. Yeah... definitely not.

Over the next two days, Mo Xingchen was busy with all sorts of preparations. When it came to recruiting soldiers, he was surprised. He'd thought he'd have to smile and beg, but as soon as he mentioned it to Lieutenant William in the control room, the man enthusiastically took over the whole thing.

Seeing how fired up he was, Mo Xingchen felt that if he hadn't said they only needed a few people, just enough to get by, the lieutenant would have brought the entire ship's crew. He couldn't help feeling a little smug about his own prestige.

As for getting intelligence from Vice Admiral Tsuru, she already had a thick stack of documents ready. The moment he walked in, she tossed them over, told him to make his own tea if he wanted any, and to get lost if he had nothing important, because she was busy.

As he was leaving, she also told him she'd already called the Sabaody branch's officer, and the branch's situation was in the documents. Mo Xingchen could only sigh. Tsk, what a charming big sister.

When the lieutenant from the control room came to tell him the soldiers were all recruited and ready to go, Mo Xingchen told him to inform everyone to assemble at the dock at eight o'clock sharp the next morning for departure.

He also handed over the pirate intelligence to the lieutenant, telling him to familiarize himself with it. As for himself, he planned to go back and read up on the Sabaody branch's situation, and also notify Dragon.

The next morning, a warship with a dog-head figurehead slowly pulled out of the harbor, heading for the Sabaody Archipelago.

Everything was pretty uneventful. After all, it wasn't a major operation. The voyage was short, and there were only about twenty soldiers in total—one combat squad and one engineering squad. They didn't even bring a mess squad, since they'd be stationed at the branch anyway. The combat squad was just there to help guard any pirates they captured.

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