Chapter 167: Gift of Talent Implantation
"You guys, come over here. I've got something to say," Luo Han said, opening his eyes and motioning for Tack and the others to step closer.
"Ah… Okay, boss!" Tack and the others were momentarily caught off guard by the sudden call but quickly responded. The six of them walked over and stood in front of Luo Han .
Plop—Luo Han sat down on the ground. Seeing them still standing, he waved his hand and said, "Sit down too."
Um… Tack and the rest sat down together, exchanging glances, feeling a bit awkward. It was their first time seeing Luo Han like this—he seemed unfamiliar, more grounded.
Noticing their discomfort, Luo Han chuckled, then said with a serious tone, "The Rocks era is over. This sea is about to fall into chaos. Tack, what do you guys want to do? Will you keep following me, or go carve your own path?"
Before he could finish, Tack blurted out, "Of course we'll keep following you, boss!"
"Yeah, yeah! That's right!" the other five nodded in agreement.
"Let me finish," Luo Han smiled, clearly moved, but still serious. "I'm about to go search for something. It might take years—I don't know how long. But I have to find it."
He pointed to the ground and continued with a gleam in his eye, "This place—Ark Island—I want to turn it into a modern metropolis unlike anything this world has ever seen. It will be our home base, like Hachinosu was for the Rocks Pirates."
Then, looking at the six with firm eyes, he said, "So I need people to protect this place while I'm away. I don't want any pirates damaging it. If possible, I don't want anyone even getting close."
"That's all I have to say. The choice is yours. Tell me now—I don't have time to wait."
Hearing this, the six fell silent… but each of them wore a slight smile, as if already picturing a beautiful future.
Wait a minute, Luo Han thought. Are they about to reject me? Have I become so ordinary that even my former subordinates are ready to go solo? If they really decided to leave, he certainly wouldn't give them the implanted aura of Big Mom—he wasn't that generous.
"Boss, are you serious?" Tack asked, eyes full of burning passion. The others had the same look on their faces.
"Serious about what?" Luo Han blinked, not quite following.
"I mean, you really want to make this place our home? That big city you talked about—is that for real?"
"Yeah. Why? Problem with that?" Luo Han nodded.
"Boss! We've always said you'd be our leader no matter what! This place is our home now—we'll defend it with everything we've got," Tack declared, surveying the island with a protective gaze—as if it were his beloved wife.
"That's right, Boss Luo Han ! You can count on us!" the rest echoed, their resolve clear: anyone who dared lay a finger on Ark Island would have to get through them first.
Luo Han smirked. Looks like the idea of "home" hit a nerve. They must all have some painful pasts.
"Alright then," he said. "Since you've decided, after lunch, you'll stay here. While I'm gone, focus on training your bodies."
As he spoke, six rainbow-colored flames appeared in his palm. One of them was slightly larger than the others. With a casual wave, he sent them flying—each flame entering one person. The largest merged with Tack.
"This is a gift," Luo Han said. "You're all still too weak. These flames will help you get stronger—but they cost me a lot to make. So don't waste them."
"Thanks, Boss! We'll train hard and protect our home!" the six shouted together, visibly thrilled.
The moment the flames merged into them, they could feel the change—like their bodies had unlocked a hidden power. It felt like they had endless strength and a desperate urge to go train immediately.
"Don't tell anyone about the flames I gave you. Now go train on your own—I need some time to meditate," Luo Han said, satisfied that the aura had fully taken root.
"Yes, Boss!" Tack shouted as he led the other five charging down the mountain like wild beasts—clearly itching to let off steam.
Hope they make something of themselves, Luo Han thought. Otherwise, there's no way they'll survive the New World.
He was also eager to see how the talent infusion turned out. In a year or two, he'd check back. Depending on the results, he'd decide whether to expand this method further.
Why hadn't he implanted the aura into the entire pirate crew? Simple—he didn't want a bunch of tough but mindless brutes. He wanted independent warriors.
This world had something called "the breath of all things." Once someone mastered it, not even the hardest material could stop their blade. That meant a body alone wasn't enough. If someone had a strong body but a weak will, they'd still be cut down by a swordmaster who had reached that level.
Only those with both hardened bodies and unshakable will could reach the same level of physical resilience as Big Mom.
Anything less was just fancy steel. And that wasn't useful to Luo Han . He could already handle hordes of enemies easily. With his current psychic power, even an admiral was little more than a puppet—unless they had a Logia-type fruit.
Now I just hope Tack can grow up quickly. The guy's seriously underwhelming, Luo Han thought.
In hindsight, he'd overestimated Tack. Sure, the guy had willpower, but his physical talent was garbage. He had a Mythical Zoan-type fruit but still wasn't even at rear admiral strength—wasting such a powerful Devil Fruit.
So, Luo Han had "upped the dosage" for him. In addition to Big Mom's aura, he had also implanted the aura of the massive Sea King that once resided in Luo Han 's own body. Now, Tack had the same level of potential as Luo Han himself.
The only question was whether he could realize that potential.
If not—then when Luo Han finally found Pure Gold, Tack wouldn't get a share. After all, even as a "normal person," Luo Han believed only the strong were worthy to walk beside him.
With that thought, Luo Han began meditating—not just spiritually, but to recover his physical strength as well. He sank into his consciousness and activated his mind's guidance, accelerating the healing of his body.
As soon as he began, waves of stinging pain surged through him like ants tearing at his flesh. He clenched his teeth, sweat pouring from his brow.
I didn't expect rebuilding muscle to hurt this much. Shouldn't have gone all in at once. But since I already did… I might as well grit my teeth and see it through.
Luo Han 's body trembled uncontrollably. This was possibly the most painful training he had ever endured. In the past, a simple mental breakthrough had been enough to raise his strength.
(END CHAPTER)
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