Lust is a bone-scraping blade!
But there are only fields ruined by overuse, never Zoan Devil Fruit users who died from exhaustion.
Especially after Silas regained his youth.
Even in a battle of attrition, no one could defeat him!
Rocks and Newgate were different, though. Young people with exceptional talent, but playing every day meant even exceptional talent could not withstand it.
"Roya, Ed, you bastards deserve to die!"
After just over a month, Rocks and Newgate had lost considerable weight. Rocks's legs were so weak he could barely walk, and Newgate had transformed from a chubby kid to someone surprisingly resembling his future Whitebeard appearance.
"Haha, we were thinking of them too! You are about to go to a place like Fish-Man Island. Of course you need to adapt in advance."
"Fish-Man Island's mermaids are very... smooth!"
Silas kicked these two troublemakers away. He had told them to teach Rocks and Newgate how to relax, not to relax this much.
Reality was not some shounen manga. How could anyone truly be unmoved by beauty?
Pirates' pastimes after plundering were mostly gambling houses and pleasure districts. Even the White Wolf Pirates' veteran crew members chose their own ways to relax after returning to land.
"I will never go to that kind of place again!"
Rocks knelt on the ground, gritting his teeth. In the pleasure district, he had completely lost track of time. Under lights that stayed on day and night, he could not distinguish day from night.
After staying there a month, he felt his Haki had weakened.
Women, truly terrifying creatures!
"Newgate, we must supervise each other and absolutely never casually go to such places again. Strength is the most important thing... Hey, Newgate, are you listening?"
"Oh, oh."
Newgate hurriedly nodded, but his mind flashed with images of the big sisters' leopard-print shorts and tight thighs from the pleasure district.
Clang!
Silas's sword sheath knocked his head.
"Young men, there are many more temptations waiting for you on these seas. If you are bewitched by temptations of this level, then get off the ship quickly and stop thinking about continuing adventures at sea!"
"N-no, I will not!"
Seeing Silas's serious expression, Newgate immediately sobered up.
"I do not want to get off the ship!"
Newgate truly felt a family-like atmosphere on this ship. Here there was no deception or oppression. Everyone was equal, and Silas was like the patriarch, always caring about their development.
This was his home. He absolutely loved it here!
And Rocks increasingly felt Silas was unfathomable.
In the pleasure district, he had initially resisted temptation but gradually sunk into it. If not for Roya and Ed awakening him at the end, he would have completely lost track of time.
Yet around Silas, temptations like the pleasure district were everywhere, but Silas could maintain his true heart amidst such temptations.
Was this what true strength meant?
In just three years, he had transformed from a complete newcomer to a strong fighter approaching great pirate level.
Rocks was proud.
Though he could not beat Silas now, with his talent, surpassing Silas was just a matter of time. He had heard that when Silas was young, he was not as strong as Rocks currently was.
But the pleasure district had taught him a lesson!
Physical strength alone was not enough to be called strong. The spirit also had to be sufficiently strong!
He understood now!
Seeing Rocks's quietly changing temperament, Silas's mouth twitched slightly. This was what talented individuals were like. Even visiting a pleasure district could lead to enlightenment?
The White Wolf Pirates began final preparations before departure.
This final preparation was Charlotte Linlin's shrinking experiment.
Returning to Sphinx had two purposes for Silas: first, showing his face to announce his return, keeping the World Government's attention and Marine wariness.
The second purpose was treating Charlotte Linlin.
Was Linlin's constitution related to Haki?
Was the cause of her eating disorder excessive Haki release, leading to her body's self-preservation instinct demanding energy replenishment?
The world's top doctor, Kureha, plus Silas, one of the world's top Haki users, finally, everything had a conclusion.
Their hypothesis was correct!
Like genetics' dominant and recessive inheritance, most people's Haki was recessive, only appearing after physical training reached limits, requiring extensive training to master.
But Linlin's Haki was dominant from the start.
Ordinary people needed training to make Haki harden their bodies for defense, but this was as natural as breathing for Linlin.
Linlin's body constantly produced Haki, which was used to strengthen her defensive power. This meant her stamina was constantly being consumed, requiring massive food intake to replenish.
Once there was not enough food, it triggered her body's self-protection mechanism.
This was the eating disorder's cause.
Strictly speaking, eating disorders are not illnesses but biological instincts. As long as Linlin's stomach was full, eating disorders would not occur.
But frequent eating disorder episodes would damage bodily functions, affecting Linlin's psyche and thus her thinking ability.
To avoid eating disorder outbreaks, teaching Linlin to control her body was crucial.
Release Haki when needed; store it when not.
This was not easy to accomplish.
Because breathing's opposite was holding breath, and holding breath was painful.
Changing Linlin's habits was as painful as making her hold her breath, but only this way could she learn to control her body and release her potential.
So Silas had to tell her the benefits of controlling her power.
"Ready?"
"Mm!"
Charlotte Linlin did not understand talk about Haki habits, but she heard Silas say that if she did as he said, he could make her the same size as others!
Linlin had always been troubled by her height.
Because of her size, other people looked like small people to her.
It was fine at Elbaf.
After leaving Elbaf, Linlin deeply felt her difference from others.
Whether making her smaller or making others bigger, she wanted to eat at the same table as everyone!
Because of Linlin's talent, even Ripley's ability did not work on her. Her steel-like body also gave her immunity to Devil Fruit abilities.
This was Haki's effect.
What Silas was doing now was using his Haki to exhaust Linlin's Haki.
Then, when Linlin's constitution weakened to a certain degree...
"Shrink: Five Times!"
Ripley's fruit ability finally penetrated Linlin's body defense, working on her to shrink her size.
At this moment, Linlin discovered the brothers and sisters around her began "growing bigger," everything around her changing.
"Everyone became so tall and big!"
"Haha, we did not get bigger. You got smaller!"
Looking at the shrunken Linlin, Silas laughed heartily, rubbing her head.
Previously, because Linlin was too tall, he could not reach it.
"After consuming so much Haki, Linlin, you must be hungry now, right?"
"Let us all eat together!"
For the first time, Linlin sat at the same table as everyone.
No size distinctions.
She could see everyone equally, all showing kind smiles beside her.
Like a dream!
Linlin felt this was her happiest day!
At the same time, a system task issued long ago quietly completed.
Charlotte Linlin's favorability +20.
Current favorability: 100 (Intimate)
Charlotte Linlin: I love Uncle Silas the most!
Charlotte Linlin's favorability reached 100, mission complete. Reward: Advanced Armament Haki Application - Internal Destruction.
Confirmed you have mastered Advanced Armament Haki Application. Rewards stacked. You have mastered Advanced Armament Haki Application - Emission.
"Haki has life force!"