After breakfast, Moses lay on the operating table in the treehouse's second floor, wearing nothing but a pair of briefs.
As he breathed in sync with Kureha's finger presses, he described the subtle sensations of his changing breath and the subsequent Qi Circulation Throughout the Body. He could perceive a scanning force penetrating his skin, flesh, and bones, observing the bodily changes brought about by his breathing.
Kureha's gaze remained indifferent as she continuously asked questions, occasionally jotting down notes. This invasive examination made Moses feel extremely uncomfortable.
Now he finally understood how Garp and Kureha must have felt when he scanned them with Observation Haki before.
How unpleasant!
After a long while, Kureha said plainly, "Alright, that's enough for today. But this kind of observation requires long-term monitoring."
"Still, you're quite the treasure, kid. Who knew your quiet breathing could transform into something entirely different? Fascinating!"
Rather than probing into the reasons behind this change, Kureha was more interested in whether the results could be replicated.
Moses got up from the operating table and dressed, surveying his surroundings.
The white walls enclosed a space where everything was neatly arranged, with some particularly delicate experimental equipment. Several experiments were still in progress.
"Doctorine, any breakthroughs in your Lineage Factor research?" Moses asked.
Kureha: "Why do you ask?"
"Do you have any brain-enhancing drugs here? You've got plenty for physical conditioning, but what about the Brain Domain?"
A glint flashed through Kureha's eyes as she recalled the books Moses had been reading lately—all concerning research conclusions and hypotheses about various aspects of the human body.
"The Brain Domain is an extremely mysterious research subject. Why this sudden interest?" Kureha questioned.
After some thought, Moses replied: "After reading those books, I've been contemplating—the average human brain typically only utilizes about 10% at maximum, with ordinary people hovering around 3% to 5%."
"That illustrated guide recorded that successive users of the Brain-Brain Fruit generally achieved about 20% brain development, granting them miraculous abilities like photographic memory and learning a new language within an hour."
"Some hypotheses in the books suggest that when brain development reaches a certain level or threshold, organisms may acquire extraordinary abilities comparable to those of Devil Fruit users."
"And as physicist William Galon once said—'Any human flight of fancy could become reality.'"
Theories about brain utilization percentages existed in his original world too. Now, after reading those books, Moses had reached a decision.
"I want to experiment with enhancing brain utilization. I want to see whether increasing brain development could be a unique biological evolutionary pathway. I want to discover what an organism would become at 100% brain development."
Even Einstein, reportedly the most intelligent person in his original world, supposedly utilized less than 15% of his brain capacity.
His original world was ordinary, devoid of supernatural powers. But in this world, with all its miraculous energies and resources, Moses felt his ambitions might not be so far-fetched after all.
Kureha narrowed her eyes. She had always been researching the human body and the Longevity Drug, and now, having lived for nearly 121 years, her physical condition remained at its peak, with a lifespan that promised many more years to come.
Regarding the brain, Kureha remarked coolly, "Not a bad idea. Although the human brain only accounts for 2% of body weight, it consumes about 25% of the body's oxygen and 17% of its energy. The brain is a mysterious and uncharted territory."
The human brain contains approximately 140 to 160 billion neurons, with connections between them numbering in the trillions—more than the known stars in the sky.
It was one thing not to think about it, but once considered, it was startling. Moses's perspective had given Kureha a fresh insight. As a doctor, her research on the human body wasn't necessarily the best in the world, but she could confidently rank within the top three or four.
On the subject of longevity, Kureha knew several approaches and was continuously experimenting. Yet, she had unknowingly hit a bottleneck. Should she attempt an entirely new path?
Thus, she asked seriously, "Kid, Brain Domain development isn't some simple physical experiment. A single misstep could turn you into an idiot. Current medical conditions don't cover that area. Have you thought this through?"
Kureha had never treated Moses as an ordinary child. After all, most kids his age were either playing in the mud or stuck in a cycle of eating and sleeping.
Moses grinned and said, "Isn't that why we have Doctorine? My skills aren't up to par yet, but that doesn't mean yours aren't. You're still young, and I'm still small. We have plenty of time to research."
Hearing this, Kureha's expression froze for a moment before she let out an exasperated laugh. "You little brat, thinking you can boss me around before we've even started. I haven't even agreed yet."
Moses's face turned serious, and he couldn't help but tense up. "Then, Doctorine, will you...?"
Seeing this, Kureha narrowed her eyes with a sly smile. "If you want me to agree, you should know research isn't something you can start just by talking. Funding, equipment, materials—none of these can be overlooked.
Do you have vast sums of money? Cutting-edge equipment? A variety of experimental materials related to the Brain Domain? For brain development alone, we'd need rare and expensive medicinal herbs, brains from various creatures—like large beasts or Sea Kings. These require immense strength to obtain. Do you have that?"
Kureha laid the brutal realities bare before Moses.
Without solving these issues, researching brain development would remain an empty dream. Even if they proceeded, progress would be at a snail's pace.
Her words weren't meant to crush Moses's enthusiasm—they were unavoidable hurdles. And there was one more thing Kureha didn't mention: even if Moses could gather all these conditions, exploring the unknown still carried the risk of failure.
As Kureha's imposing aura emerged, Moses smiled. A hint of defiance flickered across his young face as a faint echo escaped his lips.
"I'm not even three years old yet, and I can already defeat thirteen grown men. I'll definitely become incredibly strong in the future. Money? I'll earn it. Equipment? We have Bear Cub—the Tontatta Fruit should be able to synthesize whatever we need. As for experimental materials, once I grow up, those won't be a problem either."
For a moment, Kureha found herself staring blankly at Moses. There was something uniquely convincing about this little brat.
"I must be insane. I'm actually being persuaded by a kid."
The corners of Kureha's lips curled uncontrollably as she let out a gleeful chuckle:
"Fine, I'll agree for now. But if you fail to deliver in the future, I'll strip your pants off and spank your ass raw."
Moses' face stiffened suddenly. He gulped, looking utterly miserable. "By then, I'll be grown up. Wouldn't it be embarrassing for you to pull my pants down?"
Kureha glanced down at him with disdain and said flatly, "I raised you, changing your diapers and wiping your ass. There's nothing left I haven't seen already. If I don't care, why the hell should you?"
"Vulgar," Moses muttered under his breath.
Kureha shot him a sidelong glance. "Say that again?"
"N-Nothing. I said nothing."
With nothing left for Moses to do here, he headed downstairs and took the starving Bear Cub outside, straight to his vegetable garden.
Purple Bamboo Forest.
...
Two more days passed.
At nine in the morning, Kureha finished packing up and was about to leave. She turned to Moses, who was reading at the desk, and said:
"I'm going to Drum Mountain's royal castle to collect the medical fees from the other day. Stay home."
Moses looked up. "Are you sure going alone is okay? Your rates are always ridiculously high. What if the king has ill intentions?"
Kureha raised an eyebrow and smirked. "In this country, I go wherever I please. The old king won't dare lay a finger on me."
Seeing her brimming with confidence, Moses said, "Then be careful. But take your weapon—several million Belly is a lot. Someone might try to rob you."
"Do I look like some weakling to you?" Kureha laughed. "I bet I could make you cry for your mommy with just one hand."
Moses met her gaze and suddenly said with utmost seriousness, "Dory~ Mommy, have a safe trip!"
Her lips twitched violently as Kureha fumed with amusement. "You little brat, don't call me that! I'm not your mom. Call me Doctorine."
Still chuckling, she stepped out with light footsteps. Once his Observation Haki confirmed Kureha was far enough away, Moses stood up, put on his "Lapahn" coat, and grabbed his weapon.
He left a note for Kureha.
Bear Cub, who had been waiting by the door, let out a soft "Yip!" and pawed the door open, slipping out first.
With a bamboo basket strapped to his back, Moses locked the door behind him and placed the key in its usual spot.
Crunching through the snow, accompanied by sparse snowflakes, the boy and the bear vanished into the depths of the forest.
Though Pandas are severely nearsighted, their sense of smell and hearing is exceptionally sharp.
Having been exposed to medicinal herbs since he was just a few weeks old, Bear Cub had developed an instinct for sniffing out rare ingredients.
Bear Cub was clever—using his keen senses, he avoided any dangerous territories along the way.
Their strategy was simple: sneak into the mountains quietly and strike it rich without a sound.
Moses simply let Bear Cub lead the way.
Walking through the snowy mountain forest, Moses discovered various medicinal herbs one after another. Whenever he found suitable ones, he harvested them with practiced skill.
If any were edible on the spot, he gave them to Bear Cub as a snack. Drum Island wasn't large, but its resources were far from scarce. Along the way, they encountered all kinds of creatures.
Today's goal was herb gathering—nothing more.
But if anything foolish enough crossed their path, it would simply end up in Bear Cub's stomach. With the power of the Munch-Munch Fruit, Bear Cub wasn't the same bear as before—he could digest anything, no matter how tough.
The herbs they collected varied—some were from trees, others from grass. The inedible parts of tree-based herbs went to Bear Cub to fill his belly, and the same went for grass-based ones.
By now, Moses was undoubtedly a qualified herbalist's apprentice, and Bear Cub was the perfect "garbage disposal." The most impressive thing about a Munch-Munch Fruit user was their indestructible stomach.
Occasionally, they ran into fellow hunters or herb gatherers in the mountains, but both sides kept their distance, adhering to the principle of mutual non-interference.
Around five in the afternoon, Moses and Bear Cub began their journey home. At one point, rustling came from a nearby bush.
Moses set down his backpack and gripped his axe tightly, sweeping the area with Observation Haki. A snow-white Lapahn burst out—rabbit-like in appearance but bear-like in build, charging forward on all fours.
About five feet in length.
Moses narrowed his eyes.
"No other presences nearby. It's alone—and still a juvenile."
A second before the Lapahn reached him, Moses sidestepped, pulling his right foot back. He saw its gaping maw, its sharp fangs—and in the same motion, his axe slashed diagonally.
Thwack!
Following the creature's momentum, the blade cleaved through its neck, severing its windpipe. A spray of crimson blood splattered out.
Moses and the Lapahn passed each other. He flicked his axe downward, shaking off the blood.
A cool pose.
Pleased, Moses turned to look at the Lapahn convulsing in the snow—clearly beyond saving.
A few seconds later.
A mysterious, shimmering, grain-sized irregular crystal emerged.
[Obtained F-Grade Soul Crystal ×1]
So far, Moses had collected two Soul Crystals, both the size of grains.
Small animals like rabbits, or creatures below F-grade, didn't yield Soul Crystals when killed. The same went for tiny fish or shrimp.
Even ordinary human children didn't reach the minimum F-grade in strength.
The extraction of the Soul Crystal meant the Lapahn was truly dead.
Moses leaned in for a closer look. Its fur was glossy, pure white, flawless—perfect material for clothing.
From a hidden pocket in his Lapahn-fur coat, he retrieved a scalpel and began dissecting the creature along its chest midline.
Medical science was vast, with numerous specialties—among them, surgical anatomy.
Kureha was an absolute master in medicine, not just in practice but also in teaching.
Thanks to his A-grade Blessing [Breath], Moses had gained greater control over his body—calm mind, nimble fingers.
With professional precision, he skinned the Lapahn without damaging the pelt's texture, removing it cleanly in one piece.
The remaining carcass was gutted, the entrails cleaned with nearby snow, and the edible offal tossed to Bear Cub for a snack.
Several branches were chopped to make skis, and the prepared meat was neatly stacked.
Bear Cub had consumed quite a few household items over the past few days, including ropes and harnesses. Now, the ropes materialized, connecting the makeshift skis to Bear Cub's harness.
Bear-pulled skis.
Half an hour later, in the ski resort town of Kuresta on Drum Island, Moses reached an agreement with the owner of a well-regarded tailor shop.
Half of the precious Lapahn meat would serve as payment to have the Lapahn hide he brought turned into a fur coat.
He would return to collect it in a month.
Receipt in hand.
Seated on the skis, Bear Cub trotted out of town, and as dusk approached, Moses finally arrived home.
The treehouse was brightly lit, indicating Kureha had already returned.
Opening the door, he brought in the herbs and the remaining half of the Lapahn meat, storing them properly.
The sound of stir-frying came from the kitchen, where Kureha was cooking. Hearing the commotion, she snapped, "You little brat, didn't I tell you to stay home today?"
"I went herb gathering and took Bear Cub out for a snack," Moses replied cheerfully. "Doctorine, I got lucky today—I bagged a Lapahn!"
The next second,
Kureha stormed out, wielding a spatula, her face dark.
"A Lapahn?"
New book launch—kindly support this sprouting seedling with a follow and read!
Seeking recommendations! Seeking investments! Seeking follows!
PS: Soul Crystal sizes by rank:
F: Grain-sized.
E: Pea-sized.
D: Broad bean-sized.
C: Pigeon egg-sized.
B: Chicken egg-sized.
A: Goose egg-sized.
EX Demigod: Human head-sized.