One Piece Devouring Fruit - Chapter 19

Aburahamu Michion dislikes the unknown and prefers to be prepared for any situation.

Although this might seem like paranoia, it doesn’t prevent Michion from continuing his plans. Moreover, even if it wasn’t for this purpose, Michion needs companions to venture into the sea.

After finishing his navigation class, Michion had a quick lunch and returned to his designated dormitory. While wandering around the surrounding rooms, he discovered that most of the rooms were empty and unoccupied.

The number of residents in the training camp was far fewer than the number of rooms.

“Is it just that the current batch has fewer people?” Michion muttered to himself while touching his chin.

A female voice responded to Michion’s question from a short distance away.

“Of course not! This training camp has the highest elimination rate and strictest standards. You will be eliminated if you can’t keep up with the group.

People are constantly being eliminated, and new ones are continually joining, so the rooms are never fully occupied.”

Hearing this answer, Michion couldn’t help but turn his head toward the voice’s owner. The person who answered Michion was a girl with pink hair.

“Tashigi is very curious. You’re amazing! Physical training doesn’t seem to pose any difficulty for you. Where did you come from?” Tashigi asked with her big, curious eyes.

At this moment, Michion finally had a chance to examine Tashigi. This young Tashigi wasn’t yet the cigarette-smoking, domineering woman she would become but an adorable little girl.

With light pink hair and a delicate face like a doll, her features exuded a soft, gentle charm, making one instinctively want to pinch her cheeks. The training had given her an energetic look, with eyes that radiated a bit of spirit.

“Oh, I was brought back from the Stomach Baron. I was stranded on a deserted island before, so it’s normal that you haven’t seen me before.”

Michion smiled kindly as he began to chat with the curious little Tashigi.

Due to their environment, children mature mentally earlier in this world. Yet, despite this early maturity, they remain children.

Curiosity is a universal trait among children and is arguably the most formidable one. A single “why” can make you scratch your head and feel exasperated.

Yet, when a child is in a state of eager learning, you can’t just dismiss them with a brush-off.

Tashigi shared this typical childhood curiosity. As Michion narrated his stories, a magical island slowly unfolded before the wide-eyed Tashigi.

“Wow, an island full of delicious food! There must be lots of tasty things!” Tashigi exclaimed, filled with anticipation for the island’s wonders as Michion described it.

“Don’t forget, if you eat too much, you’ll turn into a fat ball and be eaten by the Stomach Baron.”

Michion instinctively patted her head, breaking her fantasy with a gentle yet firm reminder in the tone one might use to scare children.

“Tashigi is very angry.”

Little Tashigi, unsure whether Michion’s words brought her back to reality or his head pat that irked her, pouted to express her displeasure.

“Um… sorry.” Michion scratched his nose, feeling somewhat awkward.

Despite being an adult, he instinctively used the head-pat gesture while talking to a child, forgetting that he appeared as a young boy and quite endearing.

However, children’s moods change quickly. Soon, Michion had captivated Tashigi’s attention again with his organized storytelling about the island, strengthening their friendship.

Days passed quickly, and with Tashigi as a bridge, Michion soon integrated into the class.

With Michion’s mature mindset and impressive strength, he managed to attract several young admirers during their classes.

Children are often fascinated by mature things, and Michion’s maturity was not an act but a psychological trait. Over time, Michion gained labels in the class: “mature,” “strong,” and… “pretty boy.”

The last label naturally stemmed from Michion’s handsome looks. He had more female friends in the Navy than male friends, sparking envy and jealousy among the boys who then tagged him with this nickname.

Outside of everyday life, Michion’s strength showed considerable progress.

With continuous practice and instructor guidance, Michion had already mastered the Navy’s “Shave” from the Six Powers.

Thanks to his relentless training on the island, after the instructors corrected his movements and posture, Michion could now use “Shave.” However, using it effectively in battle was still a challenge.

“Paper Art” and “Iron Body” were only in the preliminary training stages and far from mastery, let alone combat usage.

Nonetheless, Michion had made notable advancements in dodging and defense.

As for the other three skills from the Six Powers, Michion had only grasped the concepts and had not yet mastered them.

“You’re amazing, Michion! You’re about to master another move from the Six Powers, right?”

Tashigi waved at Michion enviously as he exited the advanced training camp.

Standing beside Tashigi, X Drake nodded at Michion as a greeting.

Michion smiled at X Drake and then turned to Tashigi, saying, “You’re doing great too, Tashigi. Didn’t the instructor say you’re close to learning the Six Powers?”

“But you’re about the same age as me! And now, you’re already in the advanced training camp, where even Admiral Zephyr occasionally comes to personally instruct,” Tashigi said, her face full of admiration.

“Tashigi is not happy. Besides the regular cultural and navigation classes, you’re not with me during training sessions.”

Tashigi pouted her cheeks, looking very displeased but extremely adorable~

“That’s only because I practiced a lot on the Boin Archipelago, so I could advance sooner.”

Michion reassured Tashigi, “Don’t worry. Look, we’re still so young, and we have plenty of time.”

Thinking of age, Michion touched the tag around his neck and chuckled, “Speaking of which, I might even be a year younger than Tashigi.”

Tashigi was born in 1488, while the tag around Michion’s neck had “1489/3/1” engraved.

Based on this only piece of identification, Michion might be a year younger than Tashigi.

Perhaps because the island’s food was highly nutritious and easily absorbed by the body, along with Michion’s relentless training, he grew taller than his peers.

With Michion’s mature mindset, no one suspected he could be younger than Tashigi by a year.

Even if he said so, Tashigi probably wouldn’t believe he might be younger than her.

Many people don’t know their exact birth dates, often having only an approximate idea.

This small detail highlights the harsh reality of this world.

This pervasive and subtle harshness reminds Michion never to let his guard down.

Day by day, he persistently strives to grow stronger.

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