Chapter 338 - 177

Chapter 177: Sanji: Seriously... there's... not a drop left!"Tsk tsk, Sanji, you really hit hard!!"Luffy grimaced in pain; that kick from the kid was solid.He didn't treat his Captain like porcelain at all; he kicked with the force needed to forge steel.He grumbled, just about to complain.—Suddenly, all sound got stuck in his throat.A familiar, long-lost warm current surged out from deep within his body without warning!The sensation was a deep, solid warmth, seeping into every muscle fiber,and even his bones emitted a subtle, tingling hum.'This feeling?!'Luffy's eyes widened suddenly.Since that earth-shaking battle in Wano Country,the 'tutelage' Kaido-sensei provided with his spiked club, which was practically hell, had tempered his physique to an astonishing critical point.Since then, his strength continued to grow, and his techniques became increasingly proficient,but the fundamental cornerstone of his 'physique' seemed like a frozen sea, utterly still.But now... almost simultaneously, several lines of tiny golden text, so minute they were almost negligible yet incredibly clear in his perception,quietly appeared in his mind, then slowly faded away:[Physique +0.01][Physique +0.01][Physique +0.01]...The numbers were tiny, increasing as slowly as a crawling snail, but it was definitely "increasing."That impregnable barrier had actually developed a nearly imperceptible... loosening, thanks to Sanji's solid kick?"Heh heh..."He suddenly grinned, pulling out a huge, brilliant smile.The grimace of pain from moments ago was long forgotten, replaced only by the feverish excitement of discovering a new continent.He twisted his neck, and intense fighting spirit burned in his eyes."Sanji—!! Kick me a few more times! Harder!!!""Huh?!"Meeting Luffy's eyes, which were blazing with fierce fighting intent,Sanji's cigarette-holding fingers abruptly paused.What kind of person was this?Did he get addicted to being beaten?!No—something was wrong!Instincts honed by years of fighting at sea made his nerves instantly tense up.His golden brows furrowed slightly, and Observation Haki spread silently like an invisible tide, completely enveloping Luffy.The moment his perception infiltrated, Sanji's pupils suddenly contracted.Something incredible was happening to Luffy.Like a hammered iron blank spitting sparks,subtle yet determined vitality was surging anew from every fatigued cell.Broken fibers were restructuring, and slack tension was tightening.This wasn't simple recovery, but... evolution!He's using my attacks to temper his physique?!This absurd and insane thought struck Sanji's mind like thunder, stirring up monstrous waves."What an absolute... monster!!"Sanji slowly exhaled a long smoke ring, his gaze toward Luffy extremely complex.Within it was shock, and helplessness,but ultimately, a fiery glow of near-admiration ignited, one that he hadn't even noticed himself.He extinguished the cigarette butt, turning his leather shoe lightly on the ground."Since the Captain has such a perverse hobby..."Sanji's voice dropped, but the corner of his mouth curved into an arc as sharp as a knife."Then I, as the cook, must 'prepare' a few more powerful 'tough dishes'.""Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—!!"Piercing electrical crackling tore through the air, and blue electric light burst forth from Sanji's calf muscles!He held nothing back, twisting his body on the spot, delivering a fierce kick that slashed down like a battle-axe.In an instant, the air let out a miserable shriek, unable to bear the pressure.The blazing electric light twisted and expanded, transforming into a ferocious Thunder Dragon, baring its fangs and claws, charging straight at Luffy with a roar of destruction!Facing this strike capable of melting steel, Luffygrinned, displaying an almost ecstatic smile.He even leaned his body slightly forward, actively welcoming the destructive lightning—He couldn't dodge, nor did he want to.The Sea Stone shackles on his body made him heavy as lead, but the deeper reason was... he craved this "tempering.""Bring it on!!"The Thunder Dragon swallowed him whole.A billion volts of torrent instantly passed through his body; every muscle fiber convulsed wildly and carbonized under the high pressure,only to be forcibly regenerated by his incredible vitality.Blue electric snakes darted across his body, his hair stood on end, his skin cracked with fine burn marks, and the pungent smell of burnt protein filled the air.Yet, in the center of that dazzling thunder storm, a low, trembling laugh escaped Luffy's clenched teeth.The warm current... an even more surging warm current, was rushing out from the depths of his burning bone marrow![Physique +0.03][Physique +0.02]...The golden data frantically jumped amidst the sharp pain and roar, like fireworks celebrating a rebirth.———————Half an hour later.The small island was filled with the pungent scent of burnt material mixed with ozone.Luffy looked as if he had just been pulled out of a charcoal kiln; his upper body clothing had long turned to ash, revealing a lean, refined physique covered in fine burn marks.Wisps of smoke curled up from his hair, but he seemed completely oblivious, instead excitedly flexing his wrists and ankles.Crackle, crackle.A raw yet powerful crunching sound came from his joints.After half an hour of high-intensity "electric tempering," the warm current resisting the sluggishness of the Sea Stone grew even more turbulent—the suppression was loosening!His eyes shining, he lightly nudged the motionless Sanji, who was sprawled on the ground, with his toe.His voice was full of impatience:"Keep going, keep going! Sanji, hurry, hurry! I feel like I'm almost there!"The person being kicked showed no reaction.Sanji's face was paper-white, his lips cracked, and dark circles surrounded his deep-set eyes.His entire face looked like a flower bed ravaged by a storm—bruised and battered, utterly wretched.He was sprawled out like a capital 'A', his chest heaving violently, each breath a hoarse sound like a broken bellows."I... can't..."His breath was faint, and it took him a long time just to gather the strength to roll his eyes."Seriously... there's... not a drop left..."His voice was filled with deep despair and grievance.This script is wrong!He had clearly intended to take the opportunity to 'educate' his reckless Captain, but how did he end up feeling like a hollowed-out orange peel after fighting for a while?He had pushed his kicking techniques, Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Armament Haki, and Observation Haki... to the absolute limit,But why did this idiot Captain, aside from having a slightly blackened skin surface, get brighter eyes and stronger momentum the more he was hit?!"Sanji—"Luffy squatted down, poking his stiff shoulder, trying to use provocation."How can a man say he can't do it? Stand up!"Sanji finally gathered all his remaining willpower and managed to crack his eyelids open.His gaze toward Luffy was a mix of horror at seeing a monster, indignation at being completely drained,and a hint of resignation that "this idiot Captain is beyond saving."Immediately, that faint light completely extinguished.He tilted his head, letting out an unintelligible gurgle in his throat, and completely entered "standby" mode.No matter how Luffy jumped around beside him, exhausting every provocative phrase he had ever learned,Sanji was like an iron plate completely welded to the deck; he didn't even twitch an eyelash.Truly, not a single drop was left.