Between Two Worlds: Nen and Haki

Looking at the Jewel Lotus Root in her hand, Menchi's eyes sparkled with joy.

With Zane's help this time, it had been incredibly easy to snatch the Jewel Lotus Root.

In the past, she would have been lucky to return just disheveled and empty-handed; more often than not, she would suffer serious injuries without even getting close to the prize.

ROAR!!!

Menchi's movements to harvest the Jewel Lotus Root had been extremely swift.

But even that brief delay had given the other competitors a chance to close in.

A roar filled with rage descended from the sky.

Menchi looked up quickly and immediately saw the leader of the Eight-Armed King Kongs leaping through the air toward the center of the lake.

Looking at the Jewel Lotus Root harvested by Menchi, the leader of the Eight-Armed King Kongs was clearly beyond furious.

With a whistling sound, it used the momentum of its fall to throw a punch while letting out a thunderous roar.

Oh no!

Menchi's expression changed instantly.

But before she could react, Zane had already pulled her close.

"Get back!"

Standing atop a Space Door, Zane also looked up at the falling Eight-Armed King Kong leader.

He gave a cold snort and met the attack with a punch from his free right hand.

BOOM!!!

The two fists collided.

The powerful pressure squeezed the surrounding air, forming a visible shockwave.

Despite the massive disparity in their sizes, the outcome was the complete opposite of what their builds suggested.

Zane didn't budge an inch, while the leader of the Eight-Armed King Kongs was another story.

The thick arm that had clashed with Zane's fist twisted and bent at an unnatural angle, and the beast was sent flying back with a scream of agony.

The strength of an Eight-Armed King Kong was certainly not weak.

But for Zane, it was far from enough.

If he really wanted to, he wouldn't have just injured its arm; he would have obliterated it entirely.

He leaped into the air.

After blasting the Eight-Armed King Kong leader away, Zane didn't linger. He leaped high into the sky and immediately manifested Steel Wings from his back using [Body of Steel].

The wind howled.

Cradling Menchi, Zane flew leisurely toward the coast, leaving behind the two groups who, after their initial shock, scrambled to fight for the remaining Jewel Lotus Roots.

As it turned out...

When it came to capturing Jewel Lotus Roots, the difficulty for Zane never lay with the competition, but rather the time spent waiting.

"A reward for you!"

At the coastline, when Zane landed on the ship's deck with Menchi in his arms, she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a passionate kiss.

"Is that all? Tonight, I want to enjoy the 'automatic' mode." After pulling away, Zane patted his mentor's firm backside, indicating that a mere kiss wasn't enough to satisfy him.

"I'll do whatever you say."

Menchi gave him a playful, coquettish wink before joyfully running into the cabin with the Jewel Lotus Root, placing it into a specially prepared preservation box to prevent its flavor and nutrients from being lost.

They set sail.

After handling the Jewel Lotus Root, Zane and Menchi left Jewel Island.

That night, the passionate Menchi provided Zane with the promised 'automatic' service as agreed, allowing him to enjoy himself thoroughly.

*

*

*

"Captain, Chopper and the medical team have performed a thorough check. Aside from a few who were seriously injured, most of the wounded have almost fully recovered."

In the dining room, a table full of delicacies was rapidly disappearing under Zane's voracious eating, with a mountain of empty plates already piled up beside him.

"Is that so? Then give the order to set sail tomorrow!" Having finished the last of the food on the table, Zane finally felt full and wiped his mouth.

Although the soul-cleansing flavor of the Jewel Lotus Root left one wanting more, the satisfaction of a full stomach was equally great.

After giving his orders, Zane looked at Robin beside him and couldn't help but smile as he asked, "What's this? What made you decide to change into this outfit?"

At this moment, Nico Robin was wearing a form-fitting white shirt, a black pencil skirt, and high heels.

This outfit was essentially a textbook secretary's look.

Whether it looked good was beyond question; it was top-tier.

With Nico Robin's beauty and figure, she could easily be called the pinnacle of the 'pure-sensual' aesthetic in this secretary attire.

"No special reason. I just thought it would better suit the identity of the assistant you assigned me, Captain."

In addition to the clothes, Nico Robin also wore a pair of non-prescription metal-framed glasses.

Regarding Zane's curiosity, she answered with a perfectly natural expression while gracefully raising her hand to push her glasses up with one finger.

Wow!

This woman definitely knows what she's doing.

Zane immediately gave his assistant a serious, scrutinizing look.

"Very good. I appreciate this rigorous attitude of yours. Make sure to maintain it in the future. Oh, right—next time we get supplies, I'll recommend a few more outfits for you. Money is no object; what matters is that you aren't treated unfairly."

Zane's righteous-sounding speech earned him a roll of the eyes from Nico Robin.

As expected.

Her Captain was nothing more than a lecher.

She had only used a little bit of effort, and his true colors were exposed.

But being a lecher was fine.

At least his reaction proved that she hadn't lost her charm.

As it turned out, even though Nico Robin was incredibly knowledgeable, there were some things she couldn't stay above.

Under Baby 5's repeated provocations, she had unknowingly been dragged down to the same level.

Especially over the last half-month.

Seeing Zane frequently seek out Baby 5 for 'that kind of thing' while almost completely ignoring her had given her an indescribable sense of loss.

Because of this, she had specifically dressed up during this report to test Zane's attitude toward her.

Nico Robin's unexpected change was just a small interlude for Zane.

Coming back from the Hunter world this time wasn't for relaxation anymore; they were preparing to set sail again.

Just as Nico Robin reported.

After half a month of rest and recovery, the wounded were mostly healed.

Under these circumstances, there was no reason to linger any longer.

The next day.

The members of the Hunting Team, ready and waiting, withdrew from the glacier coast and returned to the New Riding the Wind and Waves.

When the warship set sail.

Zane came to the bow of the ship.

"Is everyone ready?"

Zane turned back to look at Manlong, Baby 5, Nico Robin, and the others on the deck.

"Everyone has been notified. You can start anytime, Captain," Nico Robin nodded, confirming everything was in order.

"Alright, here we go!"

Seeing that Nico Robin had arranged everything, Zane immediately went into action.

He stomped his foot.

A massive hole suddenly appeared beneath the sailing New Riding the Wind and Waves.

No.

It wasn't a hole, but rather a giant, circular Space Door that had been opened.

This circular Space Door was even larger than the New Riding the Wind and Waves.

The moment it appeared, the New Riding the Wind and Waves plummeted into it.

The fall brought a sensation of weightlessness.

The warship also began to rock.

But thanks to the advance warning, whether it was Manlong and the others on the deck or the members of the Hunting Team stationed throughout the ship, no one panicked.

The world shifted.

When the New Riding the Wind and Waves passed through the circular Space Door, the azure sea vanished, replaced by a vast expanse of white sea.

BOOM!!!

The New Riding the Wind and Waves crashed into the sea once again, kicking up massive waves.