"Pfft! Little brother Moses, has no one ever told you that you're incredibly precocious?"
Upon hearing Moses' words, Robin suddenly covered her mouth and burst into laughter.
Her eyes narrowed into a beautiful curve, her long eyelashes fluttering.
Having arrived in this place, isolated from the sea below, she felt an inexplicable sense of release, as though a layer of shackles had been loosened from her.
Her entire mindset had shifted.
"Is being precocious a bad thing?" Moses chuckled, glancing at Robin's uniquely adorable, three-dimensional nose. "Aren't you the same? Always so mature."
"True, maturity is good. If you weren't mature, we wouldn't have met. Maturity is the best."
Robin looked at Moses, noticing he was staring at her face, and couldn't help but ask in confusion:
"Is there something on my face?"
"No."
"Then why are you looking at me?"
Moses grinned, propping himself up with his left hand while poking Robin's flat-looking nose bridge with his right finger, then giving it a playful pinch:
"Gotta say, your nose is pretty fun. I really don't know how you ended up with such an interesting one. Haha."
Robin's cheeks flushed slightly as she brushed Moses' finger away and lay down beside him, mimicking his posture.
Basking comfortably in the sunlight.
Half an hour later.
Perona and the others had finished playing. She skipped over and jumped forcefully onto the elastic Jelly Cloud beside Moses, bouncing him into the air.
"Hahahaha, Moses, stop lazing around. Let's go to the real Sky Island!"
Perona tugged at Moses' arm, pulling him up, then did the same for Robin.
She called out to the flock of crows soaring in the sky around them.
A few minutes later.
Moses, merged with Bear Cub, transformed into a white-headed eagle with a two-meter wingspan and followed Crow Dabao as they flew higher into the sky.
This eagle form, fused with Bear Cub, was one Moses was very familiar with.
After all, he had been the first to master flying in this state.
With each breath,
his rhythm synced with the undulating pulse of the wind around him.
The surrounding breeze became his ally.
Moses and Crow Dabao didn't fly straight upward. After ascending about four kilometers, an Island Cloud suddenly emerged from behind the distant layers of clouds.
On it stood an unbroken stretch of structures and vegetation.
To the left of the Island Cloud was another island, nearly ten times its size.
That was Angel Island and the other half of Jaya, which had been launched into the sky by the Knock Up Stream four hundred years ago.
Also known as the sacred land—Skypiea.
Moses flapped his wings,
streaking toward Angel Island at high speed.
Crow Dabao's bird eyes nearly popped out of his head as he struggled to keep up. As an actual bird, being outflown by a fake bird like Moses? Eating his dust was downright humiliating.
Instantly, he beat his wings with even greater force, stirring up a roaring gust as he clung tightly to Moses' tail feathers.
A few minutes later.
About twenty meters above the ground, Moses shifted midair into a Panda Person and dropped, landing firmly on a cloudy beach.
The seashore of Angel Island's cloud sea.
Simply put—Angel Beach.
Not far away, near the vegetation, stood a pavilion with three cloud-made lounge chairs.
Behind the pavilion lay a dense expanse of greenery.
Crow Dabao landed on Panda Person Moses' shoulder, beak open and tongue lolling, panting heavily.
"Dabao, your stamina is really lacking if you're already this winded. Pathetic, you need to train more."
"That's nonsense! The air here is just too thin, it's hard for crows to breathe."
"Then why don't I feel it?" Moses smirked. "You know Breath techniques, how could thin air make you breathless?"
"At least come up with a better excuse when lying."
As he spoke, Moses relaxed his control over the body, letting Bear Cub take over. With his mouth wide open, Bear Cub pulled Moses out.
Landing steadily on his feet.
Moses stretched lazily.
Soon after, Kureha and the others emerged from Crow Dabao's castle.
Now that they were closer, they could properly observe Angel Island.
Several enormous emerald-green twisted vines meandered through the Island Clouds in the sky, like thick green chains piercing through the clouds—an exceptionally magnificent sight.
Small floating Island Clouds dotted the sky, some with buildings perched atop them.
"It's like a fairy tale, so beautiful. I never knew such wondrous places existed in the world."
Perona gazed dreamily at the scenery, her hands gripping Moses' forearm tightly.
"I'd love to live here forever."
Moses chuckled. "Really, Peipei? You mean that?"
"Sure, you can stay as long as you want. We'll just leave you here when we go."
Perona's face darkened. She grabbed Moses' arm and bit down hard.
Qi Circulation Throughout the Body—blood flow accelerated, muscles in his arm tensing instantly:
"Iron Body."
Crack! A crisp sound rang out.
Perona crouched down, tears welling in her eyes as she clutched her mouth.
"Waaah, you jerk! Using Iron Body is cheating! You're such a sore loser!"
Moses smirked, bending down to lightly knock her head with his fist. "Did you think biting me wouldn't hurt?"
Perona "hmph"-ed and turned her face away, the very picture of a tsundere—I'm ignoring you unless you apologize.
Seeing this, Moses laughed. "Have fun, you guys," he said before turning and heading toward a pavilion near the woods.
Approaching it, he plopped down onto a cloud-made lounge chair.
His body sank into it like jelly, wobbling slightly.
Kicking off his shoes, he adjusted his posture and leaned back.
Just then, Kureha walked over and settled into another lounge chair in the same manner.
"How long are you planning to stay here, kid? Any thoughts on where to live after this?"
Kureha asked.
Moses rested his bare feet on the chair, savoring its unique softness, then glanced at Kureha.
"About a year for now. After that, we'll head to Dawn Island in the East Blue."
"Your brother's place?"
"Yeah, there."
"Fine by me. I'm just tagging along with you anyway—where we go doesn't matter."
Moses grinned at her. "By the way, Doctorine, you're physically the same age as me now, right? How does it feel? Getting used to this form?"
Kureha turned her eyes to him, mirroring his smile.
"Kyahahaha! Not bad at all. My whole body feels brimming with vitality—like I've been reborn."
Kureha didn't say thank you or anything like that. Given their relationship, such formalities would only create distance between them.
"I just took a quick look around, and this island's ecosystem seems to hold some secrets. See that twisted vine over there? Isn't it unusually large?"
Moses followed her pointing finger and nodded in agreement:
"It's definitely abnormal. We should collect some samples later for analysis to see if we can figure it out."
"Sounds good. Interesting plants. Hehehe."
Moses watched the childlike Kureha with amusement—she truly hadn't changed, especially when it came to bizarre flora.
The rejuvenation drug had succeeded.
"By the way, Doctorine, how's the research on the Brain Domain coming along?"
"Well, let's see... Based on some experimental results from 'APTX 4869Ⅱ,' the Brain Domain Development Drug we developed doesn't actually increase 'Brain Domain Development.' It only has a slight effect on promoting neural cell regeneration and repairing brain function."
Moses looked surprised. "Promoting neural cell regeneration and repairing brain function? That alone makes it a super drug worthy of being called a 'Brain Domain Development Drug.'"
"How are the clinical trials?" Moses asked curiously. "Can we take it? Is it a one-time dose, or does it have permanent effects?"
Kureha shook her head. "It's permanent, but for now, the mortality risk is too high. Less than one in ten lab mice survive, and test subjects risk complete genetic collapse in their bodies."
"Latest updates on the novel at 69shuba.com!"
"It's not ready yet. We need a lot more test subjects for live experiments."
"Human or animal?"
Moses asked calmly.
Kureha wasn't surprised by the question. Research was like this—sometimes human experimentation was unavoidable.
"For now, animals will do, but we'll need a variety. Eventually, though, we'll have to test on humans."
"Got it. Well, the sea's full of scum—pirates, traffickers, you name it. We'll round them up for testing later."
"Earlier, I saw another island from the castle. It didn't look too far, and the ecosystem seemed rich. Should we head there and build a cabin among all those plants?"
"Or should we just buy a house on this island?"
Moses stroked his chin in thought. "Let's check it out first. See if the locals are welcoming or if we can negotiate with whoever's in charge."
"Fine by me." Kureha chuckled, then got up from the lounge chair. "I'm going to play with them. You stay here and relax."
Moses watched her run off, shaking his head with a smile.
Then, with a thought, he opened the holographic panel.
He navigated to the attributes section.
The newly acquired C- grade Soul Crystal would come in handy now.
Focusing on the D+ grade "Endurance" attribute under Physique, Moses willed the crystal into use.
The C- grade Soul Crystal dissolved into a misty vapor, surging through his body like a rushing current.
A cooling sensation spread through him, as if soaking in a hot spring.
But soon, the coolness turned scorching—like thousands of ants gnawing at his flesh. Excruciating pain engulfed his entire being.
Qi Circulation Throughout the Body activated.
Moses took deep breaths, sensing every inch of his body undergoing a transformation. As time passed, his endurance attribute finally evolved from D+ rank to C- rank.
Exhaling a hot, turbid breath, Moses found himself drenched in sweat, his entire body sticky and uncomfortable.
Time to go back and take a shower.
He stood up and called out, "Crow Dabao!" Within seconds, the crow descended from the sky and landed before him.
"Take me back to my room," Moses said.
Space rippled across Crow Dabao's body, and Moses shrank until he vanished completely.
Just then, Perona came running over and grabbed Crow Dabao, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
"Where did Moses go?"
"Guess?" Crow Dabao shot her a glance, flapped his wings to break free from her grip, and soared back into the sky.
Perona's face darkened. She gritted her teeth and muttered angrily, "Stupid crow, asking for trouble."
After his shower, Moses dried himself off, draped the towel over his shoulders, and sat on the sofa in his room, sipping a glass of water.
Clenching his fist, he felt the surging power coursing through his body.
Much stronger than before. If I run into that dog-headed Quinta again, I could take him down in less than five moves—no more relying solely on Observation Haki and dodging until I find an opening.
The improvement in endurance was palpable. His physical strength had skyrocketed compared to before—the difference between D+ and C- was like night and day.
Frankly, with his current physique, he could easily take on several of his former selves without breaking a sweat.
The higher the rank, the greater the leap in power.
It was like how even renowned commanders, feared across the seas, were nothing more than easy prey in the face of an Emperor-level fighter.
Setting the glass down, Moses noticed his body had dried completely.
He walked to the wardrobe, pulled out some fresh clothes—a cream-colored shirt and black cropped pants—and slipped them on.
A pair of black leather boots completed the outfit.
"Da Bao," Moses called.
Crow Dabao emerged from the ceiling and perched on his shoulder.
"What's up, Mo?"
"Send your underlings to scout this island. Gather intel. But tell them to be careful with the forested area to the left—I sensed a lot of strong presences there. Also, there's a sky island northeast of here. Have them check that out too."
"Got it," Crow Dabao replied.
"Good. Now send me outside."
Space rippled around Crow Dabao once more, and Moses shrank before disappearing, leaving the Castle Space.
Outside, Moses landed softly on the Island Cloud. The moment his feet touched down, a flock of crows burst from Crow Dabao's body and scattered into the distance.
Only Crow Dabao remained, circling overhead.
Moses marveled at his efficiency.
Then his gaze shifted to the group lounging in the pavilion—three recliners in total. Kureha occupied one by herself, Robin and Chopper shared another, while Perona and Bear Cub sprawled across the last.
Spotting Moses, Bear Cub abruptly sat up, launching Perona off his soft belly.
Waving excitedly, the bear grinned. "Moses! Come over here! It's comfy!"
Her petite bottom hit the ground as she sat with her toes turned inward. Though the island cloud-made surface was soft and cushiony, it didn't hurt at all.
Yet Perona couldn't help but pout, her face twisting with indignation as she glared at Moses approaching her. Flames flickered in her eyes.
Leaning her upper body against Robin's recliner beside her, she let her spirit body separate from her physical form. With a sideways glance at Bear Cub, she pushed her right palm forward.
"Negative Spirit."
Biu~
The translucent white Hollow Doll passed through Bear Cub's body with a creepy grin.
The next second, Bear Cub knelt on the recliner, muttering in utter despair:
"Ying~ Bears are so worthless... just eating and sleeping all day. If there's a next life, I wanna be a bamboo worm..."
"Hahahahaha! Stupid Bear Cub, serves you right for bullying me! Let's see if you dare do it again!"
Then, scowling darkly at Moses, she demanded, "Where were you just now? I haven't seen you for ages!"
"..."