Chapter 40

In a world where firearms do not surpass the human body, this technique was particularly effective against swordsmen and fruit users.

The main idea of this art was that the fight should end with the first strike. In a combination, the first strike might not knock out the opponent, but it made it impossible to defend against subsequent blows.

Combinations of kicks and thrusts would disrupt the other fighter's stance from a distance. When the fight moved into close combat, it almost always concluded with an elbow strike to the side of the head or a headbutt to the jaw.

Since combinations were so crucial for the Art of 9 Limbs, the primary training method focused on time allocation: roughly thirty percent on practicing strikes and stances, and seventy percent on sparring.

As Master Sagatto said, "Everyone always has a plan until they get hit in the face."

Sagatto was also not overly impressed with Bill's skill in the Return of Life. Or perhaps he was, but to compensate for the fact that Bill could supernaturally control his body, including his ability to naturally heal, he made the sparring much tougher.

It took Bill only a week to master the basic form and stances of the art; the rest came mostly through sparring.

As for his parents and nanny, they never said anything. Bill was sure that when his nose was first broken by a brutal headbutt, it would cause an uproar, but no one said a thing; and he didn't complain either.

Today was one of his rest days since, even with the ability to direct nutrients precisely throughout his body, his mind was not a machine. Therefore, his current routine was to exert himself to the maximum for three days, then rest for one day.

As for his friends, in the past six months, they were doing roughly the same as before. Ricky and Sasha both practiced fencing, while Rance and Fia undertook various tasks as errand runners.

Of course, this didn't mean that Rance and Fia worked all the time. In fact, their schedule seemed less intense than the other three. According to Rance, this was supposed to change when they turned thirteen because all errand runners needed to learn a skill, regardless of whether they wanted to join the Special Forces or not.

This was because not everyone could become part of the main combat unit of the Marines, but there was always work for everyone.

Even if the only thing a Marine recruit could do was scrub the deck, there was work for that too.

Meanwhile, Rance had once again taken on the role of junior lawman and patrolled the city, often with Fie tagging along.

After finishing a mountain of food, Bill cleared his plate, then looked at his mom and nanny and said, "Well, I'm going outside!"

Turning to him, Miss Angie asked, "Where are you going?"

With a casual response, he said before leaving, "I'm just going to the lagoon."

Leaving the house, Bill decided to take the long route down through the base. By this time, he knew the fortress, which was the size of a mountain, like the back of his hand. But he still enjoyed the views, and today he just wanted to enjoy a leisurely walk.

Slowly walking along the path, he was often hailed by Marines on duty.

This was especially true of the carpenters, sailmakers, mechanics, and bosuns who permanently resided on the base.

Seeing these people one by one, Bill couldn't help but remember the young Marine he had met a few years ago. Oliver Barba was the first person in this world to explain the concept of pirates and the World Government to him.

The last he heard, Oliver had been assigned to the SB-G base, near the resort city of Gran Tesoro.

Thinking about this as he descended to the next level, Bill spontaneously decided to stop by the MCT building.

Today was his free day, and while he wasn't allowed to learn the Six Powers, saying hello to Captain Trapan was always nice.

Rounding a corner, Bill saw a familiar figure. A dark-haired boy with freckles and a tanned girl with sandy-colored hair were walking a little behind.

Rance: "BILL!"

Bill barely saw the two of them before they spotted him. Running with a serious expression, Rance spoke first: "We were just coming to get you, we have a new case."

Surprised, Bill didn't expect new cases. In fact, he thought the "Fruit Ninja" case was the only real one Rance had worked on and that it might end up accidentally tearing him to pieces.

But still, knowing Rance for so long, Bill didn't dismiss him immediately and replied: "A criminal case? Well, what happened?"

Seeing that Bill was interested, Rance beckoned Fia closer, as if seeking support.

Rance: "Okay, so, although I live on the base, I often go home, you know?"

Nodding, Bill indicated that he was following his story.

Rance: "So, since Fia is learning to cook, she often goes home with me and helps my mom with dinner."

"Got it," Bill responded, indicating he was listening.

Rance: "So, as we were heading home yesterday, a cart full of lumber ran into Fia!"