Chapter 42 Hundred Grants Zephyr·Return Of Life (4)

"What incredible vitality!"

On the Gobi Desert, as Gnar and Zephyr each displayed new powers, a new round of battle began.

With a roar that shook the entire Gobi Desert, Zephyr finally saw the changes in Gnar's state, known as the 'Blood Feast.'

"Overlord Chong!"

The powerful shockwave still enveloped Gnar's entire body, but it was different from the beginning.

This time, from the outside, Gnar, who didn't appear much changed, actually withstood the impact of Zephyr's iron fist and launched a counterattack.

As the chief instructor of the Marine School, Zephyr, who had taught countless disciples, could now roughly gauge Gnar's abilities.

He had to admit, this kid wasn't lying.

If circumstances had been different and Gnar had become a Marine instead of a pirate, with the qualifications he showed now, becoming an Admiral wouldn't have been difficult.

Although Zephyr wasn't using Haki to avoid bullying the small, his iron fist alone wasn't something ordinary pirates could withstand. And now, he was using the strongest attack outside of Haki: the secret of the Six Styles.

Yet, the kid before him was incredibly strong physically.

Not only could he match Zephyr's Iron Fist with sheer physical strength, but he also showed no signs of injury even under the Six Styles like Overlord Chong.

This reminded Zephyr of Charlotte Linlin from the Rocks Pirate.

As a Marine Admiral, Zephyr had fought against that woman. Gnar now reminded him of Charlotte Linlin in her youth—without using Haki, her body seemed made of steel, invulnerable. That memory was still fresh in Zephyr's mind.

The kid before him didn't seem like a natural monster like Charlotte Linlin, nor a member of a mysterious race with inherent power. Otherwise, Marine and World Government intelligence would have identified him long ago.

From the intelligence, it seemed this kid had gained such physical fitness after acquiring the Devil Fruit of the phantom beast species in recent years.

This meant the kid was incredibly smart.

As a Marine Admiral, Zephyr had seen many Devil Fruit powers, even those of the Phantom Beast species.

Therefore, he understood that the power of the fruit depended more on the user than the fruit itself.

This kid had developed his fruit abilities and gained such strong physical qualities in just five years, showcasing his talent.

Particularly, Gnar's current state felt similar to the Six Styles by Zephyr's perception.

By rapidly circulating blood throughout his body, he could strengthen it.

This talent spoke volumes.

"What an incredible kid!"

More importantly, Zephyr saw that this kid was still an unpolished gem.

Gnar's current attacks showed he hadn't faced many strong enemies nor been taught by a master. His moves were traceable and crude.

Such fruit ability, coupled with such talent.

If trained well, Zephyr might have had a headache dealing with him now.

Marine could have gained another Admiral-level combat capability in the future.

"Pity!"

Zephyr hated pirates, but he hated the conditions that created them—injustice, hatred, and hunger in this world.

This was why he adhered to the principle of not killing. The era was at fault, not the people.

Gnar was even more special. He had wanted to become a Marine but turned pirate due to internal Marine corruption. This was why Zephyr hadn't been ruthless so far, not even using Haki and merely playing with the brat.

Unfortunately, Zephyr was a Marine. As a Marine, his duty was to catch pirates!

But...

"Kid, let's see how many surprises you can give me!"

With that, Zephyr easily pushed Gnar back with a punch, then retreated. The steam from his body dissipated, and he halted his attack, confusing Gnar.

"Kid, did you develop this technique yourself?"

"Um!"

Gnar nodded. Although revealing his abilities to an enemy was foolish, it applied to enemies of the same level. Gnar was clearly not on the same level as Zephyr, who could already see through his move.

"The Devil Fruit I ate was Zoan, Phantom Beast Species, Bat Fruit, and Vampire Form. After eating this fruit, I gained the basic ability to manipulate and control blood."

Gnar didn't elaborate, having already told Ain this.

Zephyr nodded.

"I didn't expect you could understand some secrets of the Six Styles through your fruit's ability."

"The secret of the Six Styles!"

Though it was odd for Zephyr to act as a teacher now, wasn't this why Gnar chose to fight him? So, he asked.

"What is that?"

Zephyr explained.

"Except for races born with powerful abilities, most life forms have limits.

Even with hard training, surpassing the body's limits isn't easy.

Therefore, Marine developed the Six Styles internally.

By gathering strength from every muscle into one place, you gain strength beyond the body's limit. Techniques like Shave, Iron Body, Paper Arts, Moonwalk, Tempest Kick, and Finger Pistol were developed from this concept. To achieve this, the ultimate secret to master is called: return of life."

As Zephyr spoke, memories of the plot resurfaced in Gnar's mind, including the return of life.

If he remembered correctly, it was mentioned in the Water 7 arc.

Later, with Haki's proliferation, it was slowly forgotten.

So...

"Return of life, what is that?"

Zephyr smiled and answered slowly.

"If I had to explain it in detail, it would take a long time, but the key is this: Use your mind to control your body, not your body to control your mind..."

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