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Chapter 56: Life Return
Chapter 56: Life Return
No matter who they are, no one should bring pent-up emotions into battle. As pirates, one must maintain a clear mind, especially when sailing on this magical sea where the power of one's emotions can play a dominant role.
If one fails to untangle their emotional knots, their combat strength will be greatly compromised.
For those who have regained their freedom, holding a feast is the best way to let everyone vent their frustrations from being held captive by the Kingdom of Kyou.
"Sag, are you alright?"
Lily anxiously observed Sag as he kept eating nonstop. Although they were holding a feast, it was different from their usual gatherings. Previously, Sag ate a lot, but he knew when to stop. He would usually eat about two to three times more than the others, with most of the extra portions going to Marika.
However, this time, he was like a bottomless pit. Although he still maintained his table manners and even displayed a confident expression when drinking, the amount of food he consumed far exceeded his previous intake.
He crushed the bones of the meat and fish into tiny fragments before swallowing them, forcefully pried open seafood shells to gulp down the meat, and no matter what dish was served, his hands moved with a speed that resembled afterimages, swiftly devouring everything in sight.
Normally, when a person eats, they would stop when their stomach is full. For those with a heartier appetite, their abdomen might noticeably bulge, giving the impression that they have a slightly larger belly.
This was true for both Lily and the others.
Even Renetia, who was currently eating her fill in the hopes of growing taller faster, only had a slightly rounded belly from the meal.
But Sag was different.
His body was visibly gaining fat right before their eyes. Normally, gaining weight would take time. One would need to refrain from physical activities while indulging in excessive eating, choosing to lie down and do nothing but eat and sleep day after day. Only then would the weight gradually accumulate over time.
However, Sag didn't even need a full night. In just a short span of one or two hours of frenzied eating, his body rapidly expanded.
His stomach swelled up like a balloon, with the excess fat spreading to his entire body, including his arms and legs. Even his face rapidly transformed from its originally sharp features into one of chubby roundness.
It was completely illogical.
For a normal human, overeating might lead to death from overindulgence, but how could one possibly gain weight so swiftly? And Sag wasn't even a Devil Fruit ability user.
"Hey, are you aiming to be a sumo wrestler now, Sag?"
Renetia paused, then asked, "Are you giving up on being a pirate? Could it be that Captain Karp left you traumatized? But you already have a bounty on your head, so you can't just become a sumo wrestler."
Marika had just finished making a large grilled meat dish on a stone plate, and she had Paul and the other pirates carry it away. She now approached their gathering, maintaining her smile as she asked, "Oh dear, did you get injured? Are you planning to use Life Return?"
At that moment, the chubby face that had almost lost all definition of its features swiftly diminished. In just an instant, Sag's physique returned to its original state as if the layers of fat and flesh had been nothing but illusions.
He gave his hands a squeeze, feeling his body, then looked at Marika and asked, "You know about it?"
"I can do it too."
Marika smiled and said, "This technique is really useful. As a chef, one has to taste various dishes from different places, whether they are delicious or not. With this ability, I don't have to worry about gaining weight."
"Is this where your incredible strength comes from?" Sag asked in surprise.
Marika smiled but remained silent, her expression already implicitly confirming everything.
"Hey, stop being so cryptic! What is this Life Return?" Renetia demanded impatiently.
"Mhm."
Marika pointed her finger at her chin, lifted her head in thought, and then laughed as she explained, "Simply put, through consciousness, one can manipulate every part of their body, no matter how minuscule, with absolute freedom. This includes the ability to freely choose whether to digest and absorb the intake. No matter how much food one consumes, it can be swiftly broken down, which is why we saw the captain turn fat earlier."
"Precisely so."
Sag nodded, his head moving slightly as his white hair suddenly elongated and twisted into tendrils of white, resembling white tentacles that reached out toward their surroundings.
Renetia reached out and touched the squirming white 'tentacles,' only to quickly jerk her hand back in surprise. The slippery sensation of the hair strands in her hand sent a shiver down her spine, causing her to take two steps back.
Lily even took a step further back, her face breaking out in a cold sweat.
"What's there to be afraid of with my hair?"
Sag controlled the white hair, bringing it back to its original style, and glanced at Lily. "It's not like they're real tentacles. You, a princess knight, shouldn't be afraid of such things."
"I, I wasn't afraid!" Lily's cheeks flushed, and she stubbornly retorted, "I was just surprised, and that kind of thing isn't important. So, by learning Life Return, one can avoid gaining weight?"
"Theoretically, yes."
Sag nodded and glanced at Marika. "The nutrients absorbed would normally be converted into something else since the human body can't take in that many nutrients. But if one knows this technique, they can redirect those nutrients for other uses.
"Healing wounds, replenishing stamina, and even storing this power to burst out during battle, or like Marika, increasing one's own strength. Take me, for instance; I'm injured, so I need a large amount of nutrients from food to make up for my injuries, and then I can use Life Return to heal quickly."
"Huh? Are you injured?" Renetia was taken aback.
Sag shot her a glare, "That was Captain Karp; I'm not related to him, so how could I not be injured after a fight like that?"
Having taken a direct hit from Karp's Galaxy Impact without resorting to 'Internal Destruction,' the sheer power of the move was still enough to inflict serious injuries.
Sag had simply hidden the extent of his wounds, and now that they were safe, he intended to use food to accelerate his recovery.
He took a sip of wine and said, "If you want to learn Life Return, the easiest way is to first master the Six Styles. That will give you a higher probability of enlightenment."
Life Return was not an advancement of the Six Styles; the two had little correlation. To be precise, it was a meditation technique, as it involved using one's consciousness to control the body. However, learning all six styles would give one a better chance of comprehending Life Return.
After all, they both involved intricate control of the body, and the Six Styles, as the pinnacle of physical techniques among the sea warriors, naturally provided the foundation to comprehend Life Return.
Even with his unparalleled mastery of body arts, Sag had only managed to grasp Life Return after mastering the Six Styles.
"Marika, prepare me another hundred portions of food." Sag instructed.
"Alright, but can it be meat? It's the fastest and most convenient option," Marika suggested.
"Mhm."
A crimson gleam flashed in Sag's eyes as he said, "There should be plenty of fierce beasts on the island. Go take care of them."
"It's a chef's job to source ingredients."
Marika smiled and said, "Leave it to me."
There was no way a freshwater island wouldn't have any life forms.
However, Sag wasn't concerned; he even felt a bit relieved, as it meant they had a source of ingredients to replenish themselves.
The strength of these creatures was no match for the three women present.
Soon after heading toward the island, they heard strange roars and explosions.
Marika dragged a long-necked giant bird to the bonfire, Renetia used her Dynamight to bring over a charred giant wild boar, and Lily returned with a clawed deer-like behemoth, requiring the help of others to carry it.
The sheer size of these three beasts would provide enough meat for hundreds of people for a long time.
And as it was meat, simple cooking methods would suffice. Sag's current priority was to eat, so there was no need to focus on taste, making the preparation straightforward.
This time, as Sag ate, he didn't let his body bloat like before. Having gained some familiarity with the technique, he could now precisely control the nutrients from the food, using them to heal his wounds. By the time he finished eating, his injuries had completely healed, leaving no traces behind.
This rapid recovery, without any lingering damage, mended even his fractured bones and damaged internal organs, thanks to the support of the abundant nutrients.
Marika observed Sag closely and, seeing no signs of injury, asked in surprise, "Can you really recover to this extent? Are you sure you don't need to rest anymore?"
"What, can't you do the same?" Sag glanced at her.
"Well, I can only recover up to fifty percent, even with eating a lot. The rest of the time, I still need to rest and recuperate. After all, while Life Return can heal wounds, it's not as effective for restoring bodily fatigue," Marika explained with a smile.
A probing look appeared on Sag's face as he looked at his hands, deep in thought.
It was normal for it to be tiring; however, he could fully recover, but Marika couldn't. This woman had developed Life Return to the extent that she could increase her strength, and while her innate power wasn't negligible, achieving this level of proficiency suggested a high level of mastery.
The fact that she couldn't do what he did meant there was a difference in their understanding or a limitation unique to her.
"Lily, lend me your sword."
Without waiting for a response, he swiftly drew the thin blade at Lily's waist and cut his finger, creating a small wound. Using Life Return, he directed the nutrients he had just consumed with exceptional precision to heal the cut, causing it to vanish instantly.
Neither Lily nor Renetia noticed this sudden action, but Marika, well-versed in Life Return, seemed to realize something. Her smile froze, her pupils contracted, and a bead of sweat formed on her temple.
"Hehe, hahaha, ho ho ho ho!"
Sag clenched his fists, a sinister smile spreading across his face, "How intriguing!"
Whether it was a matter of understanding or a unique limitation, he had found a new way to strengthen himself!
(End of Chapter)
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