"It must be killing you, right," Reiju smiled with her gaze growing increasingly mischievous as she stood beside Brody while watching everyone train. Unlike Brody, after they recovered from their initial shock, the crew welcomed the expected six-month vacation period to increase their strength. While they lacked proper weights and tools for strength training, there were rocks of many sizes in Twin Capes that could be used to their advantage and this location wasn't cut off from the world. Crocus had subscribed to various delivery services so they could pay him and have anything delivered to their location.

Understanding what she meant, Brody pouted while watching others train, "Nope, I don't feel like anything. It's not like I want to enjoy my body being burdened over and over to feel the pump of my blood spread over to every part of my body and then the feeling of tiredness wash over me for eventual feeding for nutrition and sleeping for recovery..."

"That's quite detailed," Reiju smirked while leaning against him and discreetly letting her hand brush against his back, "You know... if you're free, we could have an early appointment to extract the build-up of toxins."

He blinked before an excited grin touched his lips, "I thought you were busy reading Crocus' books."

"I have six months for that," Reiju smiled back at him, "Besides... I also want to train in that Bio Feedback Technique called Seimei Kikan and for that, I need your help."

"Oh, that? Isn't it a simple technique," Brody tilted his head, "See?" Extending his hand, the muscles over his body visibly deflated, "This is me taking the nutrients and fluids that form my muscles alongside the actual tissue," and then it was inflated to its original size, "And this is returning all the mass while keeping the strength same. All it really does is reduce the mass of the body without temporarily losing strength and achieve a great deal of mobility. Of course, if you don't recover, you'll actually grow weaker."

Reiju blinked, "My enemy used this technique to redirect all the poison into his hair... why didn't you ever do it?"

Grinning cheekily, Brody muttered, "I like your way better. Something about your method is really... sweet."

Giving him an equally cheeky stare, Reiju smirked, "Oh? That's not what you said the first time."

"Remember, our duel ended in a draw during the rematch in your bedroom."

"Oh, that really was fun... but, we can't really disturb Crocus-san for it, Bro."

"Right... in our hut?"

"Hmm, when would you want your toxins extracted then?" Reiju questioned.

Looking over at the girls' training, Brody pondered, "Alvida wanted to try that Kami-e technique with me so maybe after that?"

Reiju nodded and she moved towards the entrance of the Lighthouse, "I'll be busying myself with the medical journals then. Maybe there is something in there that could help you."

As Brody began to teach others the 'basics' of martial arts which was the entirety of what Brody knew and used until now, Reiju was suddenly stopped by a voice as she entered the Lighthouse.

"So... he's ill?"

Her steps came to a stop as she found Crocus leaning against the wall. Revealing a smile that didn't quite reach her visible violet pupil, Reiju greeted the old man, "Crocus-san, I never knew you liked to eavesdrop."

However, wholly ignoring Reiju's sarcasm, Crocus replied, "My knowledge may stem from archaic medical practices but I know an Ill-individual when I see one. What he's going through... is no disease. It's worse."

Frowning, Reiju was about to question him when Crocus continued, "Any effect considered worse to the body for no matter the duration of it is largely considered a symptom to an illness. But in the careers of a medic, there are times when they must look beyond the curtains of provided knowledge and facts."

"That makes no sense, Crocus-san. Well, if I ignore the fact that the meaning of your words suggests I should let my captain suffer symptoms that will only build up before he succumbs to his illness because he will not succumb to those who gave him this 'gift.'"

Smiling with his eyes growing somewhat sharp, unlike yesterday, Crocus revealed he wasn't just screwing around, "Pay attention to what I said. It's not a disease. Whatever it is... it's worse. Well, since I only have an 'intuition' for all this, that's the limit of my assistance, young ones. I doubt that my shelves have any knowledge for all this but my bottles of herbs and medicines are always available for a price."

Smiling in return, Reiju replied, "I'll discuss that with our Financial Officer."

Crocus shrugged and walked out of the lighthouse while Reiju was left standing in her position with a thoughtful expression. Still, she sighed eventually and walked upstairs where Nami was reading the books about Grandline, too.

Meanwhile, outside of the Lighthouse, Brody looked at Alvida with a frown as his hands practically blurred, "I can still graze past your body! Relax yourself, even more, feel your mind connect to your body, and let your body sense the impact in a fraction of a second so that your body moves along the direction of the punch and not my punch slipping against your body!"

"You think I'd be training if it was that easy?" Alvida quickly got pissed at the 'prodigy' but she continued to try and do just what Brody said. Nobody... well, Nobody EXCEPT Brody said that this was going to be easy so she bit back and tried to learn one of the Rokushiki Techniques— Kami-e. In essence, Kami-e represents the flexibility and mobility of the entire body to the extreme. The body can mimic a sheet of fluttering paper that can evade attacks or strike back like a whip.

Alvida felt that mastering Kami-e would bring her closer to knowing more about her devil fruit just like Nojiko did. For Alvida, her goal for training was to think of ways to master her devil fruit and Kami-e was just a step on this path. Nothing more.

Brody stopped after fifteen minutes and Alvida let out an exhausted sigh before going back to the stretching routine, of course, the 'Basics' that Brody recommended which would put any ordinary individual to bed for days.

"So? Exercising going well?" Brody looked at Carmen and Nojiko who just needed to get physically stronger before even thinking of learning any of the Rokushiki Techniques. While Nojiko was making breakneck progress due to not having exercised that much and steady recovery from her devil fruit, Carmen was having a hard time. But she was simply the most stubborn of them all and refused to give up.

"It's—" gasping for air, Carmen grinned and looked while having changed from her dress to fiery red yoga pants and yellow top that was drenched from her sweat, "It's going awesome!" She said while squatting for the umpteenth time. Unlike her, and aggravatingly chipper, Nojiko chirped, "It's really great!"

"Shut up!" All of the girls scowled and hissed at her.

Finally, Tashigi chose to train her nimbleness and for that, she needed better mind-body coordination that came through Kami-e and Tekkai. One relaxed the body and made it flexible to the extreme while the other contracted and flexed the muscles to the point they felt like iron. The problem was, that a person cannot easily move while using Tekkai. One's muscles need to be refined to a very high degree to move with that level of coordination, something that only Jabra did from the agents sent to get them. So, it was clear that the 'limitations' of Rokushiki were entirely dependent on one's own body and not the technique itself.

Tekkai could be used with Soru, Geppo, and then Rankyaku. Or, Kami-e and Tekkai can be used together maybe at the very top alongside Seimei-Kikan. That's why Brody treasured the only advice he got from Yujiro.

Don't confine yourself to names of skills that restrict the mind's imagination— Let it flow.

While Brody's special situation revealed his body was already at the level where he could master these techniques, for others, results would only come with discipline and Brody couldn't envy them more! How he wanted a challenge that made him work for days!

Speaking of challenges for days, Brody blinked and remembered something as he called loudly, "Reiju! I'm feeling the build-up of toxins once again~!"

Brody could understand that the girls glared at him because they couldn't even participate in the challenge but what was with that deadpan look that Old Crocus gave him? Frowning and then shrugging as his mind only worked at its best when his body worked, too, Brody looked at the wryly smiling Reiju who should have considered that he may just call her out loud.

"Tch... toxins my ass! The only thing more venomous than whatever inside him is that woman herself!" Alvida scoffed.

"Hah! Hah! Oi... keep your tongue in check, pig," Carmen gasped for air, "Reiju-san saved my life! If you wanna talk trash, do it after some results! Prude!"

"Who the hell are you calling Prude, Freak! Don't tell me, you wanna get it on, too? Or you're just raring for a beating?" The thing about Alvida was that even her voice was 'smooth.' If it wasn't for her disposition, she would have easily become the musician of the ship, too!

"Beating? You?" Carmen smirked, "Just because you got that ox strength, pig, doesn't make you any better!"

"Nojiko-san, where are you going?" Tashigi's voice stopped the duo's verbal assault as they looked at Nojiko who yawned, "Going to... sleep. Brody said that rest is necessary for training and strength. And you know me, I will do anything for training."

They didn't need a bull to see all that shit as they rolled their eyes.

---

"Captain~" Leaning forward and letting a flirtatious whisper graze his cheek while making him sit and bending in front of him with her back to the door, Reiju couldn't help but remark hotly into his left ear, "Your pirate crew is terrible. The moment you leave, they stopped all their training."

But Brody had a fresh perspective for everything and was simply an optimistic freak rivaled by only another freak equipped with a Straw Hat.

"Reiju, one of the methods of training is collecting information! Even I had to do that to break that stupid kingdom! All they are doing is... learning by watching," His smile grew wider as he kept his gaze locked with her, not caring about whoever might see them. In fact, if he could tape it, Brody wanted to send bits and pieces to her father as the man still pissed him off! His hands, meanwhile, held her thin waist and picked her up before eventually letting her sit on his lap. Her knees stretched outwards and hugged around his waist without digging into his flesh as she leaned into his lips to truly suck the toxins first and then get down to the real business.

***

Alternative Title: Nojiko of Bullshittery— Dead or Alive.

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Enjoying this fiction? Then do give my other active works a shot~

1)Paradise of Infinity

2) Quest Maker in Soul Land

3) Filthy Gamer in Narutoverse

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