Chapter 61

Early chapters here and unreleased novels here: pa.treon.com/FFAddict

Check out my other fanfiction:

One Piece: I Will Wipe Out The Tenryubito!

Based on its appearance alone, Abel was unable to determine the abilities of this Devil Fruit.

So, before returning, he decided to first procure a copy of the "Devil Fruit Manual" for comparison.

If the fruit's abilities had already been documented, it would be ideal, and he could be more prepared.

But even if the fruit's abilities were unknown, it didn't matter.

Even if he didn't eat it, he could sell it, or give it to a devoted follower in the future to enhance their abilities.

After all, this item was now in his possession. There couldn't really be someone expecting him to hand it over selflessly, right?

After all, no one knew what was hidden inside. In the end, it would be whatever he claimed it to be.

Most importantly, could this thing actually be sold to the system?!

The moment he touched the Devil Fruit, the Dog System immediately popped up a prompt.

[High-value trade item detected. Suggested to sell in the store for trade points.]

Highlighted key words: high-value, suggested sale, trade points.

Then he tried it out, and the system store directly offered a recycling price of 1500 trade points.

This was approximately the same as selling a common-quality purple item.

He was well aware that the recycling price was generally about 20% lower, or even more, than the selling price!

That meant the value of a Devil Fruit certainly exceeded 1500 trade points!

Remembering that just getting the [Intermediate Trading Qualification] would allow him to post [Wish Orders]

Abel decisively chose not to sell!

Obviously, selling to the system store was the most loss-making and desperate method.

In his understanding, in such situations, anything accompanied by the word 'suggested' could mostly be understood as 'not suggested'!

No matter how he thought about it, using it to post a [Wish Order] to get resources of equal value that he needed seemed like the most appropriate method.

Moreover, even if he did need trade points urgently someday, he could still sell it then. There was absolutely no need to cut off his escape route at this point.

Then, on Black Rat Seni. Oh no, he's now White Rat Seni.

Abel found the crumpled treasure map he had previously discovered on White Rat Seni's body, followed by swiftly beheading the man and disposing of the body in the cellar.

He planned to throw a few bombs inside to utterly erase any trace of the corpse.

That way, even if someone suspected him of taking something, without any evidence, they could only harbor suspicions.

Would anyone dare to approach the Donquixote Family to demand repayment?

.....

"Hawkins, where are we heading to? Don't tell me you're going to do another fortune-telling?"

"Goth's Theatre."

After the freckled girl's umpteenth inquiry, Hawkins finally gave a response.

"Eh? Goth's Theatre?! Why are we going there? To watch a musical? Isn't it said that the owner and the actress who played Princess Orlan there were brutally murdered?"

The freckled girl exclaimed in surprise, then quickly lowered her voice upon noticing the strange glances from the people around them.

"Just out of curiosity, I pre-emptively divined the culprit's hideout. According to my divination, there's a 95% chance that the culprit is still hiding in Goth's Theatre."

"Then you still dare to come here! No, let's return, it's too dangerous!"

Upon hearing this, the freckled girl grew anxious. Even though she herself didn't really believe in divination, her companion had made several 'predictions' in the past that all came true!

Normally she would insist she doesn't believe, but with the stakes this high, she could not afford to be stubborn.

"No, I came here specifically to verify the accuracy of my divination."

Hawkins shook his head, and there was another reason he didn't mention. Apart from confirming the accuracy, he had divined his own fate twice. His survival rate was 99%, meaning there was virtually no danger for him.

He also measured his luck level, which was about 50%.

He once tried to guess the outcome of a coin flip when his luck level was at 80%. He guessed a hundred times, and 81 times he was correct!

Moreover, on that day, he found money 13 times, and even won a big prize in a random beverage purchase.

Of course, such occurrences were extremely rare.

Under normal circumstances, a regular person having a 10% luck level would already be quite good.

And for him today, it was 50%!

This implies that his outing this time will bear considerable fruits.

"Go back first, I'll be fine."

Despite Hawkins' stubborn determination, the freckled girl stomped her feet in frustration, but ultimately her worry took over and she chased after him with quick steps.

Turning the corner, they could see Goth's Theatre.

But just then, a thunderous explosion caused chaos in the surroundings.

Before Hawkins and the freckled girl, their destination erupted into a blazing fire, thick black smoke billowing high into the sky!

"That was close. If we'd arrived just a little earlier..."

The freckled girl patted her modestly sized chest, evidently quite frightened.

Yet Hawkins couldn't help but furrow his brows.

This was inconsistent with his divination!

Hence, he immediately took out his tarot cards again, regardless of the noisy environment and people running to and fro, and started to re-divine.

He was so intensely focused that when Abel walked by him, he didn't even notice.

"Why? How could it be different?"

Near Goth's Theatre, Hawkins murmured to himself, somewhat bewildered.

Just now, he had divined his luck for the day again.

The result was a mere 1%!

That was even lower than an ordinary person's luck level.

The rapid drop from 50% to 1% was an unprecedented occurrence, as if someone had stolen all his luck.

Confused, Hawkins stared at the still burning Goth's Theatre, feeling a sudden sense of emptiness in his heart.

"What's wrong, Hawkins? You suddenly look very pale."

The girl's concerned tone brought Hawkins back to reality. He sighed, put away his tarot cards, and shook off the weird feeling from earlier, "It's nothing, let's head back."

"Not going to investigate anymore? Well, with the fire, even if the culprit was really hiding there, they're probably dead now."

"Uh-huh."

"Do you think the fire could've been started by the murderer to cover up their crime?"

"Uh-huh."

"Geez, you only know how to 'uh-huh'. Don't ask me to cover for you next time you go out to do your fortune-telling. Hey, wait for me! Why are you walking so fast?"

As the sun shone down on them, their shadows stretched out, growing longer.

"Could it be this specific Devil Fruit?"

Abel continuously flipped through the "Devil Fruit Guide," finally finding an identical image.

"Straw-Straw Fruit, a Paramecia type Devil Fruit. It grants the ability to transform one's body into straw and manifest straw scarecrows to attack others."

"The description of this power is too succinct."

It felt as though it had been introduced, but not thoroughly.

However, it made sense, each Devil Fruit's basic abilities were clearly laid out, the potential was entirely dependent on the consumer's ability to exploit it.

It was unnecessary and impossible to document each user's individual techniques.

Even if someone were willing to do that, they probably wouldn't live to see the next day.

No Devil Fruit user would willingly expose their abilities in such detail for everyone to see.

Perhaps the Navy or the World Government internally possess a 'detailed version' of the "Devil Fruit Guide," but it's nearly impossible for outsiders to see it.

"So this Devil Fruit was originally that guy's opportunity, but I managed to snatch it up prematurely?"

Abel recalled the blonde fortune-teller who wanted to read his tarot cards, feeling no remorse whatsoever.

Obviously, the other party couldn't secure this Devil Fruit.

Rather than being a shameful Supernova, staking his life to prove his worth, he might as well change his lifestyle early on.

Abel thought that being a fortune teller would be quite profitable!

After learning about the power of this Devil Fruit, Abel had no intention of consuming it.

Even though the original 'Straw Straw Man' ability was quite interesting, capable of transferring damage and even substituting death,

To be honest, the strength of this Devil Fruit was limited.

Moreover, it did not align with his fighting style.

Therefore, it was better to keep it as a backup for now.

Abel, in good spirits, carefully stashed away the Straw-Straw Fruit. Unfortunately, this thing couldn't be stored in the "Universal Capsule No.1", which was somewhat risky.

Because "Universal Capsule No.1" could only compress and restore non-living items without special energy, and the Devil Fruit was obviously in that special category.

So he had to be extra cautious to avoid detection.

…

Port Town Spiders Miles.

Upon returning, Abel first visited Doflamingo and, following a premeditated narrative, briefly mentioned the process of his mission.

"Hmm? Concealing strength? So Black Rat Xini was just a bait identity used to deceive others?"

At this moment, Doflamingo's expression was slightly off.

This was already the second time in a while that his intelligence agents had made a major mistake!

They were not only led by the nose but were also made fools of!

This was a disgrace to the Donquixote family!

He planned to seriously reorganize his personnel afterward.

"I'm aware of the situation. You did well, you haven't disappointed me. Have you recovered the items?"

"They're all here."

Abel opened the box, revealing a rotten head and half of a treasure map inside.

"Why only half?"

Ignoring the grotesque head, Doflamingo picked up the half-treasure map, glanced at it and asked.

"That guy threatened me with this treasure map. He demanded that I let him go, or he'd burn it."

Abel's face showed a hint of helplessness as he didn't need to elaborate further. Now, with the opponent's head and the half-burnt treasure map in front of them, his choice was obvious.

As Abel anticipated, Doflamingo didn't probe further into the details, simply nodding, "Having these two items is enough. You should rest now."

The amount of work corresponds to the pay received.

With the amount they were paid, this was the result they could expect.

Unsatisfied?

They were always welcome to trouble the Donquixote family!

Having given his orders, Doflamingo quickly put the matter aside, as there were too many things that required his personal attention.

...

"G! G! G!"

"G! G! G!"

In the garbage dump, Law, Baby-5, and Buffalo were throwing punches with precision and force, loudly chanting with each strike.

This was a mandatory requirement from Lao G!

His rationale was that punches thrown in this state would be more powerful.

Whether it could increase the power of the punch, Law and the others weren't sure, but after shedding their sense of embarrassment, they did feel more spirited.

By the time Abel arrived, they were so spirited they were nearly singing, which was quite a spectacle.

"Abel?! When did you get back? Was the mission successful?"

Law asked first, causing Baby-5 to puff up her cheeks in annoyance.

"Silence! Continue training, 1! 2! G~!"

Lao G frowned and shouted loudly, immediately frightening Law and the others back into position, resuming their punches.

Observing the situation, Abel had no intention to challenge the authority in front of him. Instead, he earnestly joined Law and started to throw punches.

With Abel's participation, Lao G's expression softened slightly, rigorously supervising everyone's training.

To be honest, as their physical training instructor, aside from his somewhat rigid personality and occasional tendency to tattle, Lao G was extremely dedicated. This was something Abel recognized.

However, what frustrated Abel was that Lao G only taught basics, never his true skills.

He wasn't sure whether it was because he felt their basics weren't solid enough or he simply didn't have the intention.

If it were the former, Abel could be patient.

But if it were the latter, that would be utterly vexing!

It wasn't that Abel thought Lao G's martial art was exceptionally powerful; in fact, he was interested in Lao G's special qigong technique where he could store power within his body and then explode with it all at once at a critical moment.

What was it called? Battle Conservation Fist?

This technique seemed exceptionally cool!

He felt it was particularly suited for him.

But Lao G wouldn't teach it, and Abel couldn't bring himself to ask.

After all, this was Lao G's unique secret technique. He had never seen him use it; how was he supposed to know about it?

If he asked, his secret knowledge would be revealed!

So, he kept his frustrations to himself.

After an hour of punching, the self-proclaimed beauty, Jora, arrived, specifically to see Lao G.

"Ohohoho~ Dellinger has fallen asleep, what are you waiting for? Come to my room, let's get started."

"That's great~G! We'll end the training here for today. Dismissed."

Don't get it wrong!

Although their conversation might seem suggestive, there was no special intimacy between them. They were merely card-playing companions.

Indeed, the reason they rushed back to their room was simply to play cards.

Abel retracted his gaze thoughtfully; perhaps he could try to approach it from this angle?

...

"Call the King!"

"No."

"Grab the King!"

"I'll grab!"

"What kind of hand do you have to dare to grab the King from me?"

Abel looked at Lao G with disdain.

A vein popped on Lao G's forehead, even his cards crinkled in his grip.

"Hurry up and play your cards, I don't believe you can beat me with 20 cards!"

"Hehe, then just watch. Four twos, a bomb!"

"Starting with a bomb? Fine, let's see what cards you have left!"

"Four Aces, another bomb!"

Lao G fell silent.

"Royal flush!"

Lao G's face grew slightly pale.

"A full house!"

"Hehe, what did you say earlier? If you could be beaten with 20 cards, what would happen?"

Abel casually tossed the remaining cards in his hand forward: three threes, three fours, along with pairs of fives and sixes, exactly twenty cards.

Lao G was dumbfounded, his hand went limp, and the cards dropped.

Abel curiously glanced over—oh, four kings, four queens, four jacks, and then a straight from six to ten. No wonder Lao G was so confident in winning.

However, card games were unpredictable. When you ran into a bad hand, you could lose everything in a single round.

Cheating?

Not in this case; it was just good luck.

Who doesn't enjoy good fortune?

"Another round! I don't believe it!"

"Forget it, we'll play another day. It's already late. I have to go on a mission tomorrow. I've been getting wrinkles from all this stress. Isn't that right, little Abel~"

Jora yawned and began shooing them away.

Though card-playing was enjoyable, time passed quickly.

During this period, she was taking care of kids and completing various missions; it was undoubtedly exhausting.

Hearing Jora's words, although Lao G still wanted to continue playing, he reluctantly put down his cards.

"We'll play together again when we have time. This 'Battle of the Kings' game is quite interesting. Why haven't I heard of it before?"

"This game only had a brief popularity in Dressrosa. It's normal if you haven't heard of it."

Abel's answer was tactfully vague, ensuring there were no loose ends.

Lao G seemed to understand upon hearing this explanation.

The world was vast, each place had its unique games and customs. Even with his extensive travel experience, it was impossible to know everything.

Moreover, there was no need to bring up painful past experiences over such a trivial matter.

"We'll go first then. Have a good rest, Jora."

"Oh please, call me Miss Jora, ohohoho~"

After parting ways, they walked side by side back to their respective rooms.

Lao G suddenly spoke up, "Say it. What do you really want? Given that I had a great time today, as long as your request is not too much, feel free to ask."

In other words, don't bother asking for something unreasonable.

Abel didn't naively believe he could conceal his thoughts from Lao G. Hence, he directly said, "In our physical training classes, I want to learn more."

"What's the meaning of this? You haven't even mastered the basics, and you're already aiming to run? Your ability to learn is strong, your talent isn't bad either, but without a solid foundation in physical training, everything else is like a house built on sand, easily destroyed!"

Lao G's tone was somewhat severe.

If it were someone else, he wouldn't have even bothered with this conversation. However, given Abel's exceptional talent, dedication to training, and the new card game he taught today, Lao G decided to spare some time to give advice.

In our youth, everyone aims high, hoping for shortcuts.

However, there's no shortcut to physical training, or at least, he'd never seen one.

The basis of physical training is the body itself. The stronger you make your body, the greater your power, the faster your speed, the more resilient your defenses, and the stronger your recovery.

If you possess a power that can blow up a planet with one punch, do you still need any special moves?

If someone displeases you, you just need to hold back a little and land a punch.

Of course, because absolute power and speed don't exist, many so-called techniques have emerged.

Abel understood what Lao G was getting at. He also knew that without a good foundation, he wouldn't be able to master physical training.

However, the issue was his current physical condition was certainly ready for the next phase of training!

Whether it was the initial evolution of his gourmet cells and their continuous enhancement over time, or the immense boost from the improved Ando α reagent, his seemingly young body was brimming with power!

Thus, he persisted, "I understand what you're saying, but I think we should let the facts speak for themselves. If you think my foundation isn't sufficient, then I'll continue training and never bring this up again."

Lao G frowned, keeping silent as he watched him. Abel stood his ground, maintaining eye contact.

After about ten seconds, Lao G finally spoke, "Since you're insistent, I'll give you a chance. Be ready by 6 o'clock tomorrow morning."

"Don't celebrate just yet! My evaluation is extremely rigorous! If you don't meet my standards, not only will your future physical training double, but I will also report this to young master Doflamingo, do you understand?"

Quite the tattletale...

Abel grumbled in his mind, nodding his head in acknowledgment, "Okay, I don't mind. What if I meet the requirements?"

"Hmph! Arrogant kid, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"Understood."

Abel smacked his lips, quite satisfied actually.

From the start, he wasn't naive enough to believe that a night of poker would earn him complete trust and an eager mentor. That was a pipe dream!

His only goal was to build a closer relationship and create an opportunity for himself.

After returning home, he had a good sleep, recharging for the challenge to come.

The following day, long before 5 a.m., Abel was already up.

First thing, he rushed to the kitchen, coerced a half-asleep chef into preparing him a high-calorie feast.

Once he'd devoured everything, his physical condition instantly bounced back to its peak, ready to activate the "Fully Fed" mode for efficient learning.

With all preparations done, it was almost 6 o'clock.

So, Abel hastily headed to the outside trash yard, leaving behind a tear-streaked, collapsing chef wallowing in sorrow.

"What did I do to deserve this? I finally get a day off, only to be dragged out of my cozy bed early in the morning. Forced to cook non-stop for an hour, it's just too much! I quit, I'm going home..."

"Huh? Someone's in the kitchen this early? Perfect, quickly prepare a lavish breakfast for the sleepless young master."

"Yes, it's my honor to prepare breakfast for the young master!"

"Less brown-nosing, more cooking!"

Abel arrived at the training ground. "You're dragging your feet, I thought you might have chickened out."

"Had to grab some breakfast. Don't worry, I've timed it perfectly. Look, there's still a minute to six."

"You're aware there's a minute left? If you were a minute late, do you think I would still be here?!"

Lao G roared, somewhat annoyed. He wasn't upset about Abel arriving just on time. It was because he himself had overslept and skipped breakfast.

In order to not be late and uphold his image, he'd come 'early', while this kid nonchalantly went off to eat. It was maddening!

"So, what do I have to do now?" Abel asked.

Observing Abel's eagerness, Lao G, left with no outlet for his annoyance, sternly commanded, "We'll test your speed and explosive power first. See that pole standing over there? Run to it, loop around, and sprint back as fast as you can."

After a moment of hesitation, Abel decided not to reveal his "Heart of the Wight" ability yet, choosing to participate in the test in his normal state.

After all, the "Heart of the Wight" had side effects, reserved only for crucial moments.

Plus, entering the Wight state could be quite intimidating. Anyone witnessing it might mistake him for having consumed a Devil Fruit.

Whoosh!

With all his might, Abel sprinted towards the pole, circled around it, and ran back at an even greater speed. The whole process was remarkably smooth.

Lao G estimated the time taken for the round trip, ending up somewhat surprised!

"Is the kid already this fast?"

He was helpless in his lack of knowledge about certain matters.

For instance, Abel's body would get stronger every time he enjoyed a culinary delight. Not too long ago, he had indulged himself for days at the North Sea Food Festival.

Then there was Abel's habit of training with the weight-adjustable turtle shell on his back, equating to prolonged weight training. This had most notably improved his speed.

Finally, the "Ando α Agent Improved Version" could not be ignored. Its exponential enhancement effects were nearly instantaneous!

"How did I do?"

"So-so," Lao G casually dismissed, though not sincerely. He immediately reined in his surprise, instructing further, "Next, I need you to run at full speed around the garbage yard ten times. No stopping."

Since Abel was currently at his most energetic, he didn't waste any words and sprinted off.

One lap, two laps, three laps...

Under Lao G's complicated gaze, he completed ten laps at a remarkable speed.

Although slightly winded upon return, he was clearly far from his limit. It looked like he could easily run another ten laps.

"500 pull-ups, 500 push-ups, 1000 sit-ups. Start now and finish as quickly as you can."

"2000 punches, 2000 kicks. Hurry, put some power into it. Why does it look so feeble!"

One task after another...

Lao G behaved like a stubborn old man. Despite clearly noticing Abel's immense potential, he kept pushing him to the brink.

But each time, Abel completed the task perfectly and efficiently.

Through this entire set, not to mention children of his age, even many adults who have trained for ten or twenty years might not be able to keep up.

So, the question was, how long had Abel been training?

From the time he joined the family to now, it was only a few months, not even half a year!

Was this what a real genius looked like?

Lao G seemed somewhat convinced.

Initially, he didn't put much stock in so-called geniuses because he himself had gained his strength from decades of hard work.

"Is there more?" Abel asked, panting heavily. If it wasn't for the food he ate in the morning converting into energy and continuously supplying him, he wouldn't be able to keep up. What kind of insane test was this?

"Yes, here it is. This is the final task."

Upon hearing there was more, Abel was almost speechless. Even if Lao G didn't want to teach him, this was no reason for such harsh trials.

However, hearing that this was the final task, he had to grit his teeth and persevere!

Otherwise, wouldn't all his previous efforts be wasted?

He then saw Lao G dragging a large flat stone from somewhere and throwing it on the open ground with a thud.

"The final task: arm wrestling."

"Let's have a true contest of strength!"

"Abel, don't think I'll go easy. Give it your all."

Abel was stunned. How the hell was he supposed to win?

Those who thought they could take advantage of the old man in front of him were delusional. Sure, his arms and legs seemed thin, but once he took off his clothes, it was all muscle!

Did he dare to challenge the old man?

Apparently, he had been cocky when he first joined the family and got heavily beaten for it.

Since then, he had been more cautious.

Thankfully, it was just arm wrestling.

It wasn't like he couldn't give it a shot.

Even if he lost, he couldn't lose face!

So, gritting his teeth, he stood opposite Lao G and extended his right hand.

His do-or-die attitude pleased Lao G immensely. No nonsense, the courage to face an opponent stronger than himself, that alone made him stronger than countless others.

Only those with a weak heart would constantly cry foul.

Fairness?

That was just a joke made up by the heavens.

From the day everyone was born, there was never any such thing as fairness!

If you didn't believe it, look at those Celestial Dragons. They were born possessing everything, completely disregarding struggle and effort. They were the rulers of the world.

Therefore, nothing was more hypocritical than the notion of fairness.

With a slam, their hands were tightly clasped together.

"Begin!"

Without any further ado, Lao G exerted his force instantly.

Abel's arm was immediately pressed down hard.

He used all his strength to hold on, avoiding an instant defeat.

Despite referring to himself as 'old' already, Lao G, who was only in his fifties, had not actually aged significantly.

At this moment, he felt like an insurmountable mountain to Abel, making it hard for Abel to breathe.

A feeling of powerlessness, where no matter how much strength he used, he couldn't win, started to rise within him.

"Is this all you've got?"

Lao G, noticing Abel's changing expression, thought to himself. Even though he had already acknowledged Abel, he still felt it was not enough. He wanted to see more, stronger, and more shocking miracles!

Reluctance.

Even though losing wouldn't mean much, or rather, winning would be the strange thing.

But why was it so infuriating!

Infuriating!

Truly infuriating!

Losing, losing, losing, to hell with it, he didn't want to lose!!!

Suddenly, Abel drew his short sword and stabbed it into his own belly without hesitation.

"What are you doing?!"

Lao G was stunned. While he indeed wanted to bring out more of Abel's potential, he had never intended to drive the boy to suicide!

"The game has only just begun. I'm about to exert my full strength."

As Abel said these words, he even smiled at Lao G, his teeth stained entirely red.

That was the color of blood.

Lao G was confused. Was this an attempt to stimulate greater strength through pain?

It might work in theory, but the gap between them was not something that could be bridged with such a method.

This was utter madness!

Then he saw Abel pull out the short sword from his belly and stab himself again.

It was as if one stab wasn't enough for him.

So, was this a suicide attempt?!

Lao G could not think of any other possibility. The force in his hand immediately loosened as he was about to rush to Abel's aid.

But suddenly, a force far surpassing the previous one was transmitted from his hand!

Lao G's face changed instantly, staring in disbelief at the young man in front of him, who was drenched in blood and continuously coughing it up.

With a bang, Lao G's right hand slammed into a stone, shattering it instantly!

Caught off guard, Lao G lost.

It was abrupt and a bit bewildered, but above all, it was shocking and incredulous!

"Where on earth did this kid borrow this strength from?"

"Is it really just because of the pain?"

"No, maybe it's wrested from the brink of 'death'."

Looking at Abel, who was severely injured, appearing on the verge of death, but whose eyes were filled with excitement, Lao G suddenly didn't know how to assess this young man.

At this moment, Abel's orange talent, "Warrior's Soul," was in full effect.

"When entering a 'critically wounded' state, the host will explode with three hundred percent of fighting power and become immune to a single fatal effect, until they exit the 'critically wounded' state or enter a 'near-death' state. Cooldown time is 24 hours."

At the time, Abel, who was determined to win, realized that this was the only way. Therefore, he drew out his short sword and stabbed himself, hoping to enter the 'critical wound' state and then explode with three hundred percent strength, catching his opponent off guard.

But the stab didn't meet the requirement to enter the 'critical wound' state.

With no other choice, he stabbed himself again.

This time, he successfully entered the 'critical wound' state.

The rest is self-explanatory. While Lao G was distracted, and also not expecting Abel to burst out with triple power, he seized victory in one fell swoop!

He even thought that if he couldn't win this way, he would morph into a different being based on this situation.

As for the consequences...

He had already risked everything, why care about the consequences?

He could just deny knowing anything, and let Doflamingo and others figure it out.

Fortunately, he won, and won decisively!

Won, albeit fiercely!

"It seems I've won."

"You did win."

Lao G admitted with a complex tone.

Losing meant losing, he wasn't that shameless.

"Did I pass the test?"

Lao G sighed, "I'll get you medical treatment first. We'll talk about the rest after your wounds are healed."

"Let's do it now, I want to know if this life risk was worth it."

"Given the circumstances, I'll be honest with you. It's not that I refuse to teach you, but the Earth Weng Fist I use now isn't suitable for you. It's a style that becomes more potent with age."

"At your current age, comprehending the essence of the Earth Weng Fist would be immensely challenging. I genuinely do not recommend you wasting time on this style."

"Of course, you've passed my test. If you still insist on learning, I can teach you."

Seeing the sincere expression on Lao G's face, Abel couldn't help but snicker inwardly, who the hell wants to learn your old man's fist?

Bring out something genuinely worthwhile!

"So, isn't there anything suitable for me to learn? Cough... cough... so much blood, am I dying?"

Lao G just hesitated for a moment, only to see Abel continuously coughing up blood, which made him apprehensive.

Any further delay could mean Abel's condition becoming irrevocable.

At that point, the young master would undoubtedly take it out on his old bones!

Ah well, considering the kid's determination and the fact that he's always around for a game of poker...

"Alright, I get it, you should go get treated immediately. Once your wounds are healed, I'll teach you whatever you want to learn."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Then you must promise me, a North Sea man doesn't lie to another North Sea man."

Seeing the silence, Abel smirks, "See, I knew you were deceiving me."

"A North Sea man doesn't lie to another North Sea man, okay? Is that good enough?"

Lao G sighed helplessly, feeling like he's sighed more today than he has in the past decade combined.

"Fine, I'll trust you this time. What are you standing around for, hurry up and get me to treatment! Can't you see I'm running out of blood? Are you hoping for me to die?"

Lao G, bewildered, instinctively picked up Abel and started running.

The key was that all the way, Abel kept jabbering and didn't stop.

Normally, if he uttered one more word, Lao G would have slammed him into the wall.

But at this moment, one more nudge might cause Abel to bite the dust, so Lao G could only tolerate it.

None of them noticed the figure leisurely sipping red wine on the second floor of a nearby building, watching their departing silhouettes, with remnants of a hearty breakfast on the table.

Even Doflamingo himself didn't expect that he would witness such an interesting spectacle while simply having breakfast after a sleepless night.

If Abel's previous performances only gave him a pleasantly surprising feeling, then the climax of the arm-wrestling made him uncontrollably excited.

Although he didn't understand what exactly happened to Abel in the end, or whether Lao G intentionally went easy,

Abel's 'indifferent to life and death, willing to fight' attitude was indeed admirable to him!

Despite suffering such severe injuries, the lad showed no signs of fear. It was as if he didn't regard himself as the one on the brink of death or perhaps was convinced he wouldn't die.

This was really fascinating!

"I'm already looking forward to seeing you fully mature, Abel. By then, Crane and the marines will probably have headaches to deal with, hehe~"

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