A Simple Training Method!

Mercer nodded in agreement.

"You're right."

"But I didn't expect you to be such a literary girl. You actually spend your free time thinking about the differences between people. Not bad, not bad."

Makino blinked. For a moment, she couldn't tell whether Mercer was praising her or making fun of her.

After all, Mercer looked completely serious and seemed to agree with her. It didn't look like he was teasing her.

"Caw~ Gahahaha~"

Just then, Karasu opened his beak and cackled. Mercer shot him a "fierce" glare, and Makino's face immediately darkened. She laughed in exasperation.

"I knew I wasn't imagining it. You really are making fun of me?"

She pinched up a fish bone and tossed it at him.

Mercer dodged.

Effortlessly.

Makino puffed out her cheeks, looking unhappy, but soon cheered up again.

"I wasn't wrong, was I? People are just different. Some are born princes, while others are born bandits."

"Exactly. We can't decide how we're born, but we can decide what we do from here on."

"Powerful people aren't all born strong. Most of them get strong through training. Take that person you mentioned, the one who punched a hole through a wall. With enough training, you could do that too."

Makino asked, "Really? Can an ordinary person actually do that?"

"That just proves you haven't seen much of the world."

Mercer glanced around, then picked up an egg-sized piece of reef at his feet. He clenched it in his right hand, and it cracked with a sharp snap.

He opened his hand.

Makino saw that the reef had crumbled into pieces.

She covered her mouth with her right hand in surprise. "That's amazing, Mercer. You..."

Mercer tossed aside the reef and smiled. "See? This is the result of my training. I wasn't lying to you."

Mercer still couldn't crush steel in his grip, but he could manage a piece of ordinary, somewhat weathered reef.

Seeing Makino's astonished expression, Mercer smiled a little smugly.

"Training?" Makino said, sounding uncertain. "Then how do you train? You're so young. Can you really train? Did Mr. Garp teach you?"

Makino sighed wistfully. "Training, huh~ It sounds so impressive. It feels like there's a whole world between it and ordinary people like me."

Mercer glanced at her. He didn't say whether he agreed or disagreed; he only smiled faintly.

"It isn't as impressive as you think. Training is actually simple. As long as you learn the right method, eat plenty of meat, and exercise regularly, your body will respond. With enough time, you'll naturally grow stronger.

"There are plenty of Cultivation Resources in this world. The meat of all kinds of ferocious beasts and Sea Beasts is packed with nutrients.

"What you may not know is that training usually just means eating more and exercising more. Once your body gets stronger, you naturally become stronger too.

"Training isn't impressive or mysterious. It's ordinary, and it's common. As long as you stick with it, you'll see results. The only difference is how much you gain."

As he spoke, Mercer glanced at her again and tilted his head. "You look like you're yearning for it. So, do you want to get stronger? If you do, then beg me. If you beg, I might consider teaching you how to train."

Makino looked at Mercer, who seemed like a little adult, and covered her mouth as she laughed. "You'll consider it? All right, then. Please, Master Mercer, I want to get stronger~ Please help me. I want to punch through a wall too."

As she spoke, she finished her grilled fish in a few bites, clasped her hands together, and looked at Mercer with blinking eyes. Her voice was light and playful.

"Then I'm counting on you~ Li~ttle~ Mer~cer~ Teach your big sister, will you? I want to train too."

She cracked herself up and giggled.

Mercer saw how unconvinced she looked, but he wasn't annoyed. After all, she was just an ordinary young woman.

She didn't know the truth about the world.

She had only just learned from him that this world even had something as miraculous as Devil Fruits, which could let someone rise to greatness overnight.

Just then, Mercer noticed that the lobster and sea fish on the wire rack had started to burn while they were talking. He quickly flipped them over, forgetting about her for a moment.

Seeing Mercer like that, Makino laughed even harder, convinced she had won the argument.

After flipping the seafood and brushing it with oil, Mercer smiled. "I don't know any other training methods, but mine begins with breathing.

"Breathing is..."

Makino listened in a daze as Mercer spoke at length, starting with the structure of the human body and moving on to the internal organs, explaining how breathing worked from the inside out.

She wasn't a child, and she could more or less understand what Mercer was telling her. But precisely because she understood, she realized this might really be some kind of special training method.

Makino's face immediately grew flustered and awkward. She didn't know what to do.

While she was at a loss, Karasu beside them wasn't. He had followed Mercer for so long for a reason. He knew the ins and outs of a crow's body very well.

Mercer had given him and Crow Xiaoniu a thorough examination from head to toe, and had worked with Kureha to tailor breathing methods for each of them. He understood the Breathing Technique.

Now, as he listened to Mercer's clear and thorough explanation, he seemed thoughtful too.

He felt that he understood breathing even better.

When he finished explaining,

Mercer looked at Makino and smiled. "Did you understand? Can you do it?"

Makino opened her mouth nervously, then said helplessly, "Can you really teach me this breathing method? Does Mr. Garp approve? If he doesn't, I can forget about it."

Mercer rolled his eyes at her, stood up, and walked over to pull her to her feet by the arm.

"Quit fussing. Start breathing so we can move on to the next step."

Makino looked as if she wanted to say something, but when she saw Mercer's determined gaze, she felt an indescribable excitement stir inside her.

She felt as though she had discovered a world she'd never seen before. If she learned from him now, she might become different from the person she used to be.

It had to be said: people were naturally chuunibyou at a certain age.

Even ordinary young women.

Makino, right in the middle of that phase, suppressed her excitement and began to slowly adjust her breathing according to what Mercer had just told her.

Mercer watched the rise and fall of her breathing and kept correcting her. Gradually, Makino's breathing began to take shape.

Mercer took several Silver Needles from the pouch at his waist and quickly and precisely inserted them into her body, placing them at the points where her breathing shifted.

At the same time, Makino felt a few spots on her body sting. But soon, the breathing method she had just learned began to flow more smoothly.

In a state of Unity of Heaven and Man,

Mercer used Observation Haki to clearly see how the air inside her was moving as her breathing changed.

Pinching the Silver Needle at her throat between the index, middle, and thumb of his right hand, he slowly twisted it. Then, one by one, he twisted the needles along the paths of her breath through her lungs, heart, and intestines.

Just then, Makino felt something novel: all of a sudden, she was breathing more smoothly and more deeply.

As her breathing continued, she grew dazed. Her mind went blank, and then she lost all awareness.

Watching her, Mercer used stimulation of her acupoints to guide her, gradually and artificially, into a deep, self-forgetful state of breathing.

"Looks like it works. The body's acupoints really do have some amazing effects."

The human body in this world had a concept of acupoints, and Kureha's research was helping to prove it.

Mercer had learned a little "trick" or two from Kureha. He could manage some simple applications.

Watching Makino breathe instinctively, Mercer smiled.

Mercer sat back down and continued eating the barbecue with Karasu. Every so often, he glanced at Makino or reached over to twist a Silver Needle, deepening the impression on her body.

Half an hour later,

all of a sudden, Mercer saw Makino's body start to twitch slightly as she breathed. He quickly set down the food in his hand and crossed to her in a single step, removing the Silver Needles with precision and speed.

With his grease-covered left hand, he supported the back of her head. He gripped her chin with his right hand and pressed his thumb hard against the philtrum acupoint.

The intense pain jolted her back to awareness. In an instant, discomfort coursed through her body, and she began coughing violently.

Her body went limp and started to fall. Mercer caught her by pressing his thumb against her lower teeth, steadied her, and slowly lowered her onto the reef.

Looking at Makino, whose eyes had filled with tears, Mercer said, "Breathe. Take slow, deep breaths the way you did just now."

Makino suddenly clutched Mercer's right arm tightly, as if it were a lifeline.

At the same time, she began taking deep breaths.

Five minutes later, her breathing had steadied. She looked at Mercer through tear-blurred eyes. "Cough... Why do I feel so awful? My heart feels terrible. It's beating really fast."

Mercer smiled gently. "Did you think training would be easy? Normally, learning my Breathing Technique would take quite a while.

"I helped you get started quickly, so you had to pay a price. Don't worry, it's just a minor side effect. You'll recover soon.

"But remember, you have to practice for an hour every day over the next few days to reinforce it. After that, keep increasing the time until this breathing becomes instinctive and you use it all day.

"Of course, if you only wanted to try it for fun, that's up to you. But if you don't stick with it, you'll forget most of this breathing method in a couple of days."

Makino looked up and rolled her eyes at Mercer, stubbornly saying, "Then I'll definitely keep at it. Otherwise, cough, cough, wouldn't all this suffering have been for nothing?"

Mercer smiled at that. "I hope you'll stick to your word. Otherwise, I won't teach you a second time."

Makino glared fiercely at Mercer and huffed. "Just you watch. I'll definitely succeed at training."

More than ten minutes passed before Makino finally relaxed. She let out a deep breath, then asked in confusion,

"Why do I feel hungry? Didn't I already eat a lot of meat?"

"The first time you do deep-breathing training, it affects your whole body. After training, of course you'll use up energy. This breathing method affects your stomach and intestines, so it's normal to feel hungry.

"Don't worry. If you train properly, your appetite will grow. Of course, you'll also need to get enough exercise, or you'll gain weight."

As he spoke, Mercer glanced at her mischievously and smiled.

"You can still change your mind now. Once breathing becomes instinctive, if you get too lazy to exercise, you'll get hungry faster. Careful, or you'll turn into a fat woman."

Makino's face darkened. She glared at Mercer, then grabbed the half lobster on the wire rack nearest her, tore off the meat, and shot him another fierce look before biting into it.

Her cheeks puffed out as she mumbled,

"I'm not going to get fat. Even if I don't learn your breathing method, I exercise every day. I swim, run long distances, do squats and sit-ups."

"I take really good care of my figure."

Makino said this proudly.

Mercer burst out laughing. "You care about your looks that much?"

"It's not about looks. It's a healthy lifestyle."

"Then keep it up. Good luck!"

Mercer's teasing only made Makino angrier. She grabbed another piece of grilled fish and took a big bite.

Mercer watched her with a chuckle, then glanced up at the sky.

It was getting dark.

Mercer and Karasu had almost finished eating too.

Before long, Makino finished eating as well.

She took out a tissue to wipe her mouth, but realized her face and chin were covered in grease. Then she remembered that Mercer had grabbed her there earlier.

She looked down at her collar and saw grease stains there too. Her fists clenched instantly.

Watching Makino, Mercer figured out what she was thinking and smiled.

"Don't blame me. You were about to fall, and I kindly caught you. It couldn't be helped."

Makino sighed. "Come on, it's getting late. I need to go home and wash up. What about you? Want to come with me?"

"Hmm. Sure."

Mercer thought about it and agreed. He didn't have anything else to do right now anyway.

Mercer packed up the grill rack, put the bottles and jars of seasoning into a bag, and looked at Karasu.

"I'm leaving it to you. Just put it on the warship."

Karasu nodded and let out a "Caw~"

He grabbed the things with both claws and took off into the sky with a flap of his wings.

Makino looked up and couldn't help exclaiming, "Karasu really is amazing."

Mercer smiled. "The bird's already gone. He can't hear you praise him, so stop."

Makino glared at Mercer and grumbled, "Let's go."

With a little irritation, she strode heavily toward home.

Mercer followed with a smile.

Second floor.

Living room.

Click!

The light in the house came on as they entered through the hallway.

In the spacious living room, Makino glanced at Mercer, who had come in with her, and said, "I'm going to shower first. I can't stand it anymore. Um, I'll be quick. You can wait in the living room. There's iced tea on the coffee table, and cups and everything. Help yourself."

As she spoke, she hurried back to her room. Less than a minute later, she came out again with a change of clothes and went into the washroom near the living-room entrance.

Mercer took in the layout of the living room. It was a standard living room, with a sofa, coffee table, balcony, and bookshelf. He walked over to the bookshelf.

Looking at the neatly arranged books, he randomly pulled one out and saw its cover.

Harbor of Refuge

Mercer had never read a book like this before, but the cover showed a line drawing of a handsome man and a beautiful woman.

It wasn't very thick. Curious, he sat on the wooden floor in front of the bookshelf and began flipping through it.

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