Knock knock, knock!
A voice called from outside the room—Hancock's.
"Chiri-neesan, may I come in? Dinner's ready! Come out and eat!"
Creak—
Uchiha Chiri walked over and opened the door, smiling warmly.
"Dinner already? Thank you. Please lead the way."
She turned and waved to Genkei, signaling him to follow. Genkei capped his pen and stood, trailing after them.
Soon, the group arrived at a massive banquet hall.
"Lady Chiri, welcome!"
"Welcome!"
"Thank you so much for saving us!"
The warrior women of Amazon Lily stood and greeted her with respectful gratitude. Their eyes sparkled with admiration—and even a hint of fanaticism.
Among Kuja warriors, a powerful woman was the highest object of reverence.
Of course, a few mischievous women couldn't help but start teasing Genkei as well, causing his face to darken.
Seriously? What even is this situation…
"Alright, now that Lady Chiri and her son have arrived—let's begin!"
The captain clapped her hands and personally invited them to the seats of honor.
Only after they started eating did the rest of the crew begin their meal.
"Hmm? This meat…"
Chiri's eyes lit up the moment she swallowed her first bite.
A warm current bloomed in her stomach and spread throughout her limbs.
Incredible vitality—it's like eating a rare medicinal herb from the shinobi world.
And yet here, it was just a slab of roasted meat.
She kept her composure and glanced at the captain beside her.
"This meat… it's from a Sea King, isn't it?"
"Yes," the captain confirmed with a nod.
"But it's just from a basic one—a hundred-meter class. Does it suit your taste?"
Truthfully, she'd already noticed something odd about Chiri and Genkei.
Their bodies didn't radiate vitality like most strong warriors did.
If she hadn't seen Chiri decimate an entire pirate crew with her own eyes, she might never have believed someone with such a weak life force could wield that kind of power.
In the One Piece world, strong fighters almost always had monstrous physical energy—even those who relied on Devil Fruits.
And yet, Chiri's aura seemed… weaker than her own.
Genkei, meanwhile, didn't even match the physicality of an ordinary civilian child.
Still, she didn't question it further—assuming they must be suffering from some illness. After all, they had mentioned seeking medical help.
"It's excellent. Thank you," Chiri replied politely, but inside, she was stunned.
If even basic Sea King meat produces this effect… then what about the higher-class ones? Hundreds of meters long? Thousands?
She didn't dare imagine it.
Even this simple meal, combined with her Life-Nurturing Arts, could probably double her strength and vitality within a month.
As the warmth spread, Chiri could feel every cell in her body greedily absorbing the energy—like a parched desert drinking in the rain.
Her complexion visibly brightened.
Her health, ravaged by years of chakra depletion and life force loss, was visibly improving by the second.
Meanwhile, Genkei wasn't faring as well.
He had barely swallowed a single bite when he felt a heavy pressure settle in his stomach.
His digestion was painfully slow. The meat sat like a brick inside him.
And yet, even that tiny trickle of life force and nutrition began to warm him from the inside out. The soreness from his earlier training faded slightly. The chronic fatigue lessened.
Even the deep-seated weakness in his body seemed to ease just a little.
So, is my digestive system even compromised?
Genkei frowned and quietly put down his utensils.
He turned to his mother and the captain.
"Mom, Captain—I'm not feeling hungry right now. I'll take some food back to my room."
He wanted to test whether combining Life-Nurturing Arts with digestion would help.
If not, he'd need to craft a formula specifically to aid his digestive tract.
Chiri blinked and glanced at him. One look at Genkei's expression told her everything.
She nodded without hesitation.
"Alright. Go ahead."
Then she turned to the captain and offered an apologetic smile.
"Forgive him. His condition is quite severe."
"No problem at all."
The captain immediately waved her hands.
"I just hope he recovers soon. Don't worry—we'll get you to Drum Island as fast as we can."
Then she turned to Hancock, who was still chewing a mouthful of food.
"Hancock, escort young Genkei back to his quarters."
"Alright…"
Reluctantly putting down her plate, Hancock stood and waved to Genkei.
"Come on. I'll walk you back."
Genkei picked up his plate and followed her out.
On the way...
"Your illness must be really serious," Hancock said, glancing at him with sympathy. "I hope you get better soon."
"I will."
Genkei gave her a calm smile.
With my cheat system in place, I'm sure of that much.
He discreetly checked her Favorability score—52.
Not bad at all.
If only I had the strength to rescue them myself…
If I'd been the one to save Hancock and her sisters, I bet their Favorability would already be high enough for a contract.
It wasn't just wishful thinking.
The warriors of Amazon Lily were sincere and straightforward—especially toward those who saved their lives.
Soon, they arrived back at his room.
Genkei thanked her and sent her back to the dining hall.
After she left, he set the plate down and stretched his body.
The soreness and fatigue were mostly gone, and the rest of his recovery had been helped along by the meat's energy.
Time to test this properly.
He took a deep breath and began practicing the Life-Nurturing Arts again.
As he moved through the familiar sequence, he could feel the digestion process accelerating.
The Sea King meat in his stomach began breaking down rapidly, and waves of warmth radiated outward, flowing through his limbs.
His whole body felt pleasantly heated, like soaking in a hot spring.
—
—You practiced Life-Nurturing Arts using Sea King meat.
Proficiency +3. Lifespan +3. Life Force +0.01
—
"Whoa…"
"Not only did the lifespan increase double, but even life force recovery?!"
"That must be tied to my congenital defects—the root of my weakness."
"This changes everything!"
"If I keep pairing Sea King meat with Life-Nurturing Arts… I might be able to fully recover without even needing outside medical treatment."
Genkei's heart pounded with excitement.
He'd underestimated just how beneficial Sea King meat could be for a shinobi's body.
This world's resources were truly something else.