Moments later.
A drafty thatched hut built amidst the trees came into view.
In Moses' perception, a faint yet unmistakable fluctuation of Breath frequency emerged.
Ushiwakamaru led Moses to the back of the hut, stopping before a large earthen mound that served as a grave.
He bowed silently.
Then, he brushed aside the snow piled against the corner of the hut, revealing a stone slab beneath.
Ushiwakamaru lifted the slab, about a meter in diameter, exposing the entrance to a cellar.
"This is where Onimaru and I store our food. Wait a moment—I'll go down and get it for you."
Despite his slender frame, he slipped inside effortlessly. Soon, he climbed back out, holding a purplish-red Devil Fruit covered in Arabesque patterns.
With a bright smile on his fair face, Ushiwakamaru handed the Devil Fruit to Moses.
"Moses, since you want it, I'll give it to you."
Without a hint of hesitation, he passed over the Devil Fruit—an object coveted by countless across the seas.
Moses took it.
[Zoan-Type, Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan: Great Monk Form (EX)]
Examining the top-tier Devil Fruit he had gone to such lengths to obtain, Moses studied Ushiwakamaru's satisfied expression.
"As I mentioned on the way here, Devil Fruits are miraculous. The rarest among them can change an ordinary person's destiny."
"This is a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit—the highest grade. And you're just giving it to me? If you ate it, you could become far stronger in the future."
Moses met Ushiwakamaru's striking eyes, flecked with violet amidst the black, and said:
"Don't you want to grow stronger? Eating this would unlock greater potential for you. Otherwise, in the future, you might not stand a chance against Kaido."
Ushiwakamaru's lips curled slightly, his gaze unwavering as he smiled.
"The future can wait. Without your help, I might've already fallen to Orochi's men. And without you, I wouldn't even have known this was a Devil Fruit. You saved me, Moses. I have no treasures to repay you with—so if this is what you desire, it's yours."
Moses chuckled.
Looking at this boy, whose beauty rivaled that of any girl, his understanding of him deepened.
Gratitude and loyalty.
And the desire to follow him.
So—
Moses casually tossed the Devil Fruit back to him.
Ushiwakamaru caught it reflexively, bewildered.
"What are you doing?"
"If it's yours, then you should be the one to eat it. I have high hopes for your future. Didn't you say you wanted to stay with me?"
"If you're too weak, you might end up feeling inadequate later. Eat it. Let's see what the Great Monk Fruit can do."
Ushiwakamaru's expression grew complicated. Even with only a brief understanding of Devil Fruits, his sharp mind recognized the value of a Mythical Zoan.
Someone as formidable as Kaido had consumed one as well.
"Alright. I'll eat it. I'll work hard—so hard—to become strong. I won't let you leave me behind."
Moses didn't find his words unreasonable. For someone his age, Ushiwakamaru already possessed D- tier strength.
This alone was enough to prove his extraordinary talent.
Ushiwakamaru held the Devil Fruit in both hands and took a big bite. The next moment, his beautiful face scrunched up, turning slightly green:
"So disgusting."
"Mhm, it's supposed to taste bad. The awful flavor proves it's genuine. Remember to finish it all—no wasting."
Moses was casually trolling as usual.
Grimacing, Ushiwakamaru swallowed the pulp in his mouth, then steeled himself and took another huge bite.
A dozen seconds later,
a trickle of purplish-red juice dripped from the corner of Ushiwakamaru's lips, his pretty face twisted in misery—a pitiful sight indeed.
He panted slightly, mouth slightly agape.
Moses wore an odd expression.
"Focus and feel it carefully. Once you've eaten a Devil Fruit, you'll instinctively know what your ability is."
Ushiwakamaru nodded, closing his eyes.
Just then, Moses felt a tug on his clothes. He turned to see Bear Cub staring at him curiously.
"What's up?"
"What's a Great Monk?"
"A legendary demon monk from folklore, said to possess strange and unusual powers."
"What will Ushiwakamaru's ability be?"
"Take a guess?"
"Bear can't guess."
Bear Cub's ears drooped.
Moses then glanced at the expectant white-furred fox, Onimaru. In the original timeline, it was this fox who had eaten the Great Monk Fruit.
In its semi-beast form,
it took on the appearance of a burly monk.
He wondered what Ushiwakamaru would turn into.
A muscular monk?
At that moment, Ushiwakamaru opened his eyes and said to Moses:
"I think I know what my ability is. Moses, let me show you."
Moses turned to look.
The next instant, Ushiwakamaru's body began to change.
His frame grew taller and more robust,
reaching a full three meters in height.
His sleek, black hime-cut hair vanished, replaced by a gleaming bald head.
His once smooth, fair face and forehead now bore several purplish-red markings,
as if painted with an eerie mask.
Then, Ushiwakamaru exclaimed excitedly:
"My Devil Fruit ability grants me an exceptionally resilient body. It also converts damage taken into increased size and strength—the more I'm hurt, the greater my growth in size and power."
Moses studied the now strikingly alluring bald monk with a thoughtful gaze. Though his head was shaved, his charm had only intensified.
"So that's how it is? Let me help you test it out then."
Ushiwakamaru tilted his head, his bewitching face blank with confusion.
The next moment,
Moses appeared before him, leaping up with a push of his feet. His clenched fist whistled through the air, aiming straight for Ushiwakamaru's face.
Startled, Ushiwakamaru hastily crossed his arms to shield his head.
Thud!
With a dull impact,
Ushiwakamaru was sent flying.
Excruciating pain shot through his arms.
Midair, he adjusted his posture and landed heavily on the ground.
As his Devil Fruit ability continued to activate, his body grew slightly larger.
"Let's have a good old-fashioned brawl, fists to flesh."
With those words, Moses charged forward, curiosity gleaming in his eyes, and the two began trading blows.
Punches and kicks collided rapidly.
Shockwaves of force rippled between them.
It was a one-sided beating.
Ushiwakamaru's increased size had little effect on Moses.
His movements grew clumsier.
His hand-to-hand combat skills were sorely lacking.
The dull thuds of relentless, bone-crunching punches echoed continuously.
Twenty minutes later.
"Don't be disheartened. You're still young—it's just that you can't properly utilize your strength yet."
"I'll teach you how to fight in the future."
Moses looked at Ushiwakamaru, who was panting heavily with a frustrated expression. His current towering height of nearly seven meters gave Moses the feeling of staring at a giant.
"Really?"
Ushiwakamaru's eyes lit up with excitement at Moses' words. This one-sided battle had made him acutely aware that the gap between him and Moses couldn't be bridged just by the Mythical Zoan fruit he'd recently consumed.
"Yes, it's true."
Moses nodded, thinking back to the final minutes of the beating. Ushiwakamaru's size hadn't increased further—had he reached his current limit?
Grinning at Ushiwakamaru, Moses said:
"Alright, then let me test one last thing."
"Wha—"
In a flash, Moses appeared before Ushiwakamaru, his right fist wreathed in black-and-red lightning as he threw a punch.
Thud! A heavy impact sounded.
A large lump instantly formed on Ushiwakamaru's forehead as an indescribable terror assaulted his consciousness. His awareness blurred.
His eyes rolled back, his body swayed twice, and then he collapsed face-first onto the ground, unconscious.
"Seems the Daidōji's abilities don't offer much resistance against Conqueror's Haki."
Moses watched as Ushiwakamaru's body, sprawled on the ground, rapidly shrank. Within a few breaths, he had returned to his original form—a pretty boy with a traditional hime haircut.
Moses tilted his head toward Bear Cub, signaling him.
Bear Cub stepped forward, hoisting Ushiwakamaru onto his shoulder.
Moses turned to Onimaru:
"Let's go. Time for lunch."
...
Eastern coast of Ringo.
A campfire crackled.
Dripping fat sizzled against the burning wood, sending waves of mouthwatering aroma drifting with the wind.
Two massive fish, each five meters long, were skewered over the flames.
Their crisply crosshatched skin oozed tantalizing juices.
"Mmm..."
Ushiwakamaru let out an adorable moan as he woke up, his vision filled with the sight of a roaring fire.
The irresistible scent of grilled fish filled his nostrils.
Drool uncontrollably trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Glancing around, he spotted Moses, Bear Cub, and his own Onimaru.
"Moses, how long was I out? And that black-and-red lightning you used earlier—are you a Devil Fruit user too?"
Ushiwakamaru blinked drowsily at Moses, his expression still groggy.
Moses chuckled. "That was Haki."
Ushiwakamaru frowned. "That can't be right. My father told me about Armament Haki—Flowing Sakura—but it doesn't look anything like what you used."
Moses patiently explained the Three Colors Haki to him.
After listening, Ushiwakamaru mused, "So, Conqueror's Haki Infusion is like Armament Haki?"
"Moses, do you think I could awaken Conqueror's Haki?"
"Believe."
"Believe?" Ushiwakamaru looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"Sometimes, unwavering conviction is a form of strength. The power of Haki can often be tied to willpower and faith," Moses explained seriously.
"To awaken Conqueror's Haki, you must first believe—truly, unshakably believe—that you will attain it. After enduring rigorous training, Haki will answer you."
And so, Moses taught him.
Sometimes, the power of Haki can be quite metaphysical.
As Moses, who had awakened Conqueror's Haki, grew stronger in his Spirit Body over time, he realized that Conqueror's Haki, like the other two types, was inherently present within all living beings in this world.
However, awakening it required a powerful Spirit Body.
Just as Armament Haki was easier to awaken when the physical body was strong.
Of course, unwavering willpower was also indispensable.
"Alright, the fish is done. Let's eat."
Moses stood up and used Cold Dew to slice the fish into pieces.
He distributed them one by one.
No one minded the heat.
They devoured the exceptionally delicious fish, its texture springy and flavorful.
With each Breath, the nutrients from the fish spread through their stomachs and intestines, filling their entire bodies with a sense of satisfaction.
Moses and Bear Cub ate heartily.
Beside them, Onimaru also dug in, though the fox stuck out its tongue, seemingly scalded by the heat.
Ushiwakamaru's eyes turned red as he ate, a nostalgic expression on his face.
"The last time I ate fish this big was a few days before my father went to fight Kaido. Back then, he took me and Onimaru to the shore to catch and grill fish.
Hehehe, though it wasn't as tasty as what you made, Moses."
Tears welled up in Ushiwakamaru's eyes as he wolfed down ten large pieces of fish before finally exhaling in contentment.
"It's been so long since I've eaten this much. I'm so full. Thank you, Moses."
Ushiwakamaru looked at Moses with sparkling eyes, brimming with satisfaction. After a moment, he suddenly said:
"Oh, Moses, I noticed you're skilled with a sword. Do you know any meditation techniques?
"My family has a unique ancestral meditation method called 'One-Mind Flow.' Would you like me to teach you?"
Moses asked curiously:
"If it's your family's secret, is it really appropriate to teach me so casually?"
Ushiwakamaru smiled bitterly:
"I'm the only one left in my family. If something happens to me, our legacy will be lost. Anyway, enough talk—let me teach you now."
The boy was impulsive.
Wiping his greasy hands on his kimono, he moved close to Moses and began pointing to key Breath points on Moses's body.
He then verbally explained the "One-Mind Flow" meditation technique—a unique Breathing Technique.
A short while later,
Ushiwakamaru stared at Moses in shock. After hearing it just once, Moses had mastered the technique and was already using it better than him.
With slow, measured breaths, Moses refined his Breathing, using the "One-Mind Flow" technique to achieve a faint sense of tranquility.
Moses nodded in appraisal. Compared to his own "Freedom" Breathing Technique, there was no need to say more.
It was just average.
Moses smiled at Ushiwakamaru and said:
"Your Breathing Technique is quite good. Let me teach you one of mine as well."
Silver needles were inserted into Ushiwakamaru's Breath nodes.
Under the Unity of Heaven and Man, Moses synchronized his Breath frequency with Ushiwakamaru's Disguise, guiding and pulling, using his own Breathing to lead Ushiwakamaru's and accelerate his learning.
Before long,
Emerging from his meditative state, Ushiwakamaru looked at Moses awkwardly, his head unconsciously lowering.
"I have embarrassed myself."
Moses burst out laughing.
"If you wish to walk far on the path of a 'swordsman,' the Breathing Technique is indispensable—whether inherited from your family or created through your own innate talent.
Comprehend the Breath of All Things.
Learn from all things in nature."
"Ushiwakamaru, I'm glad you're willing to teach me, so you don't need to feel awkward. Hold your head high."
Ushiwakamaru looked up, her eyes shining as she gazed at Moses. "What's the name of your incredible Breathing Technique? Moses, you've comprehended the Breath of All Things, haven't you? You're a swordmaster, right?"
"Mhm. The 'Effortless Breathing Technique.'"
Ushiwakamaru murmured thoughtfully:
"Effortless and natural, body and mind in harmony?"
"Something like that."
Moses glanced at the sky—he had been away for nearly a full day and night. It was time to show his face again.
They finished their meal while chatting.
Moses looked at Ushiwakamaru and said:
"I'll be returning to Oni Island today. Will you come with me, or would
you rather stay here and wait for me to pick you up when I leave this place?"
Ushiwakamaru stiffened, then quickly replied:
"I'll go with you. Even if it's Kaido's territory, he shouldn't recognize a nobody like me. My presence won't cause you any trouble."
Moses nodded. "Alright, then let's go now."
"See if there's anything else you need to take. If not, we'll leave immediately."
Ushiwakamaru shook her head. "I have nothing else. Anything valuable in my home was long ago looted by Orochi's men.
But I'd like to pay my respects to my father one more time."