Although the scrawny old man's Observation Haki was exceptionally powerful, he could not directly read Stussy's specific thoughts (Note 1), and her current expression matched the normal reaction after being startled and then overjoyed.
Therefore, even someone as cunning as the scrawny old man failed to notice that Stussy had been thinking about something else as well.
But the scrawny old man's attention was not on that to begin with. He was satisfied with Stussy's intelligence and character, but her strength was still somewhat lacking.
Furthermore, Stussy was actually already a woman past forty. There was almost no potential left to tap into.
Even with the scrawny old man's vast experience, it would not be easy to significantly improve Stussy's strength any further.
However, Stussy already looked unusually young, and when the scrawny old man had secretly made his move earlier, he had directly sensed the vitality within this body—a vitality that was nothing like that of a woman in her forties.
Thus, a bold thought involuntarily surfaced in the scrawny old man's mind. "Little girl, do you have Witch Bloodline?"
"Witch?" Stussy had spent many years in the Pleasure District and could be considered well-traveled, yet this was the first time she had heard of "witch" as a bloodline. Her face immediately filled with confusion.
The scrawny old man did not conceal anything and promptly explained to Stussy:
"'Witches' are a variant among humans. They can live up to two hundred years, and they age much more slowly. As a race, 'witches' no longer exist, but from time to time, a very few women still display witch-like traits. For example, that Vice Admiral Gion in the Navy. At your age, your body is still so full of vitality, and you haven't eaten any special Devil Fruit. You should belong