Chapter 234: Training Combat
After drinking the [Adopted Son's Wine], it didn't take long before Hawkins led his crew off the Fearless and departed.
When Eric offered to provide funds to help them buy or build a new pirate ship, Hawkins politely declined.
"A pirate who can't even manage his own ship—how can he set sail?"
"I'll take a ship from another pirate crew. There's no need for Admiral Eric to worry."
After saying this, Hawkins left with his crew.
He also took away the Haki training method and Eric 's phone number.
It was like getting a small account for free, allowing it to run on autopilot all day.
Forget about farming for equipment or trading gold for real money... those were nothing in comparison...
Sorry, got off track.
Who wouldn't like such a thoughtful subordinate? Let him develop in the North Sea, and when the time is right, we'll call him back to work.
I don't think I'm a heartless capitalist, right?
Bepo, however, felt sad. He met an old acquaintance from Zou—Faust, who, like Bepo, had ended up in the North Sea, unable to find his way home.
"Eric -sama," Law also found Eric and prepared to take his leave, "Under your protection, I haven't experienced life-or-death battles, and I can't quickly enhance my strength. Please allow me and my companions to go out on our own and venture."
"Alright." Eric unexpectedly agreed immediately.
"Heh, you're so trusting to let me go?" Law's hooded face lowered. "When you're ready to deal with Doflamingo, make sure to call me."
"Of course, that's our agreement, but this isn't a condition for you to join my crew..." Eric 's gaze was incredibly serious, "I want you to break free from the chains of revenge sooner, that's why I did this. Also, Doflamingo himself is a scumbag."
"..." Law opened his mouth as if to say something but closed it again. He turned around, his cold voice drifting back, "Do as you wish."
Watching the Polar Diving Submarine sink into the sea, Esdeath sighed with a hint of melancholy, "The talking white bear toy has left."
"They're a proper Fur Tribe, not a toy," Eric comforted, "I'll take you to Zou, that's where the Fur Tribe is from."
Esdeath's eyes brightened, "Let's go now..."
"Denied."
"Hehe, I love how you always contradict me, Eric , you really make me love you more."
...
[Spending a month with Genos , gained 1 Bond point]
On a deserted island in the North Sea, Genos and Eric stood on opposite sides of an open field.
"Thank you very much for agreeing to my unreasonable request, Teacher Eric ."
"Are you sure you want me to go all out?"
"Hi, Teacher Eric ."
"Can you stop calling me teacher? You're making me feel old."
"Then Master Eric ?"
"Doesn't that make me sound even older?! Fine, just call me teacher."
"Yes, teacher."
Genos ' shoulder turbines began to spin, and the orange markings on his alloy armor gradually appeared as white steam rose from it. His metal fingers curled into fists, and the sound of metal moving filled the air.
"Click~" Genos ' shoes scraped against the ground, his legs spread apart as he got into an attacking stance.
"Please guide me."
Genos ' shoulder thrusters fired long streams of flames, and with a loud explosion, Genos shot toward Eric .
His black-textured fists were raised, aiming to strike Eric .
'Without Armament Haki, you can't hit me…' Eric remained calm, standing still and even smiling as the attack closed in.
Genos thought: 'How strong is Teacher Eric , to not even defend...' and so, he fired the thrusters again to accelerate.
Until his giant fist slammed into Eric 's left cheek.
The massive impact hit Eric 's face, so hard that his handsome features seemed to distort, and some might have thought his neck had snapped from the force of the punch.
Due to the uneven force, Eric 's body spun rapidly in the air for dozens of rotations, slamming into the rock wall behind him, which collapsed from the impact.
The onlookers were all stunned...
Even Genos himself was shocked, looking at his fist and then at the collapsing rocks.
Eric , clutching his swollen left cheek with one hand, climbed out from the rubble and shouted with a winded voice, "Who put Sea-Prism Stones on your fists?! Was it Da Vinci?!"
"Oh, sorry about that..." Da Vinci covered her mouth and snickered, explaining from the side, "Sea-Prism Stones are naturally very hard and can suppress Devil Fruit abilities. I thought it'd be good to decorate the attack area, so I just put them on Genos ' fists."
"Didn't expect... Eric , you'd take a punch to the face... Sorry, I'll laugh for a bit... Hahaha..."
"Ugh..." Eric spat out a tooth, shaking his head to try to lessen the dizziness caused by the punch.
"Impressive, Teacher Eric ! You took my full-force punch without a scratch!" Genos exclaimed loudly, "Next, I'll attack with even more power than the rated capacity!"
[Genos ' affection increases, Bond level rises from 2 (Close Friend) to 3 (Trusted Friend), gained 2 Bond points.]
'I really want to dismantle you into pieces... I lost a tooth! And you call this no injury?!' Eric gritted his teeth, secretly annoyed, and pulled out his Fire-tip Spear, "Come on, Genos !"
Genos continued to increase his output power, and lightning began to coil around him, making it look like he was leaking electricity.
An orange energy circle formed from his arm to his hand, and electricity surged out of his palm, causing Genos to float off the ground.
With even faster movement, Genos ' figure seemed to disappear in the eyes of the others, as if erased by an eraser.
Eric 's entire body was soon covered in armor formed from the lightning, and he vanished just as quickly.
Boom, boom, boom—!
The collision of their attacks in midair and on the ground caused the earth to crack, rocks shattered, and shockwaves blew toward the onlookers, leaving white trails of smoke in the air.
"Machine Gun Fists!" Genos ' fists created countless afterimages, striking the rock wall.
"Boom, boom, boom!" The rock wall was pelted with large craters.
"Where are you attacking?!" A voice from behind startled Genos .
The Fire-tip Spear's tip, wrapped in purple flames, swept toward Genos , and the overwhelming power sent Genos flying, breaking through his defensive arms.
Genos reversed direction in midair, both hands coming together in a fist. His mechanical arms instantly transformed, firing dozens of flame-jetting devices, "Burn!"
Thousands of degrees of intense flame formed massive fire columns, crashing toward Eric , who stood on the ground.
"Thunder Light!" Blue lightning turned into heat, forming a high-temperature wall in front of Eric to block Genos ' burning cannon attack.
The two opposing high-heat energies collided and twisted, with the vast temperature difference causing the air to distort in the eyes of the onlookers.
Even from a distance, the spectators felt the temperature rise several degrees.
'Wait… his Burning Cannon doesn't have Sea-Prism Stones in it. Why am I even defending?' Eric shook his head again, "Forget it, if Da Vinci added some keratin particles, 'pyrobroin' into Genos ' fuel, I might just become roast duck!"
Bang The Burning Cannon attack ended, and Genos landed back on the ground, his expression serious, "Teacher, only I've been attacking, this isn't a real fight!"
"I know." Eric raised his right arm, retracting the spear, his aura rising. The Armament Haki gathered at the tip of the spear, "This move, I rarely use it in front of others, but I'll let you see it—"
"—Emperor's Spear!"
Eric , holding the spear with both hands, thrust it fiercely toward Genos . A cylindrical spear shockwave, over ten meters wide, erupted from the Fire-tip Spear!
(END CHAPTER)
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