Not only Hitsugisukan, but all the nearby Minks were left in awe. Not all Minks possess the ability to use Sulong, as this berserk transformation skill requires training.
Minks who can’t maintain control of themselves while using Sulong will transform into genuine, crazy beasts. Those proficient in Sulong were primarily members of the Guardians and Musketeer Squad.
In other words, by mastering Sulong, they earned the qualification to join either the Musketeer Squad or the Guardians.
While Minks tend to have a lenient attitude towards children, when they reach a certain age, they are organized and put through training.
With their scarce population, every youngster is a vital asset. Those with talents are exempt from labor but are responsible for safeguarding the security of Zou Island.
“She’s only sixteen, right? Learning Sulong at such a young age… hasn’t this broken record?”
“That’s not the point; it’s currently daytime! Daytime!”
Although the time taken for Setsuna to master Sulong’s power was unexpected, it pales in comparison to using Sulong during the daytime.
“You..how did you manage to do that?”
“It’s because of this stone. It is formed using the power of the moon. After going back, I told Lord Arceus about this and he specially created these stones for the Minks. So even if we’re not around, you can protect yourselves.”
Zeraora explained the origin of the Moon Stone, making Arceus’ name famous on Zou Island.
“Arceus… is that the lord you and Setsuna mentioned? He’s done an incredible favor for the Minks. Setsuna, do you feel any different?”
“No, it’s exactly like the Sulong state. In fact, using Moon Stone to trigger Sulong is even more stable. The only inconvenience is having to find a way to hold the Moon Stone in hand.”
She then tossed the Moon Stone aside and reverted from her Moon Lion state.
“As long as there’s no direct contact, there won’t be any issues. This is much more convenient than relying on moonlight.”
“Umm, let’s put away these stones for now. We shouldn’t let people who haven’t trained touch them.”
For ordinary people, Moon Stones have no value; they don’t possess the ability to use them. However, for Minks, they were a vital strategic resource.
They can carry them in a portable container and break it when needed. As for fixing the containers, even though Minks live quite far from civilization, they are not technologically backward, and have enough tailors and people of other professions.
Only the uniforms of the Musketeer Squad and the Guardians needed some adjustments, with a designated spot for the Moon Stone.
Then, Zeraora and Setsuna spent another half a month on Zou Island before they planned to return to Wano Country.
Before leaving, they left behind a Den Den Mushi, stating that if they encountered a problem that they couldn’t solve using Sulong, they could immediately call for help. Then, they sat down on the back of the Millennial Dragon.
The supplies they brought with them had all been left on Zou Island. However, the back of the Millennial Dragon was still full. Rin, Hachi, and other Minks had packed it tight with specialties from Zou Island. Although not very useful, they were a gesture of goodwill.
“Goodbye, Mom and Dad. I’ll be back soon. If anything comes up, feel free to call using the Den Den Mushi.”
“Don’t worry, there is no need to worry about us. Live well out there.”
Thus, they concluded their journey on Zou Island. Before leaving, they grabbed Wanda who was attempting to stow away and handed her back to Hachi. Since Setsuna’s return, there has been a slight negative impact. There has been a slight rise in Mink youngsters attempting to sneak away.
But to counter external threats, Hitsugisukan had increased patrols, preventing any recurrence of such incidents.
As time flowed on, almost six months slipped away unnoticed. During this period, Zeraora and Setsuna occasionally returned to Zou Island, staying for a day or two, with a frequency of about once every two months.
They often brought scarce resources to Zou Island, and even the number of accompanying Millennial Dragons increased.
April, 1501, Yamato was already six and a half years old, and her training had entered a new phase – Haki.
Not only her, but even Maria and Jack were drawn into this field. While Robin has not yet reached this standard due to her different upbringing. She, who has temporarily lost her playmates, resumed her academic studies.
Haki training was Kaido’s decision. According to him, they were amply nourished, and their bodies had grown to a level where they could undergo the baptism of Haki.
The basics had already been taught; what remained was the process of becoming more familiar with it. There were only a few fixed techniques, and to be able to use them proficiently, they require actual combat. So, the teaching for the next phase began.
However, the one training them was not Kaido; it was Shayna.
“Sister Shayna, why did you bring us here?”
“For training.”
Haki training is a process of taking beatings. Currently, most people in the Beasts Pirates who have mastered Haki have gone through this process. Taking punches on the training grounds is considered mild; some fighters only awakened their Haki while getting cut on the battlefield.
Allowing Kaido to handle it would easily result in a near-death situation for the individual; he truly does not hold back in this regard. Therefore, Arceus and he reached a compromise and found someone who could both be ruthless and exercise control.
For Shayna, Arceus’ orders are absolute, so this task fell to her.
As for the others, King tends to go overboard, while Olga tends to be indecisive. On the other hand, Queen’s schedule is completely packed with various tasks such as experiments, planting, theory classes and more, leaving him with almost no free time.
“Now, you are going to learn about Haki.”
Saying this, Shayna flexed her wrists, and in the next moment, her both hands were enveloped in Armament Haki.
“Queen should have covered this in his theory class, but you can only truly grasp the power of Haki by experiencing it firsthand. Get ready; it might hurt a little.”
Saying that, she sent Jack flying with a single punch. As for why it was Jack, well, someone had to be the first. Jack ended up being the first of the three to experience a punch enveloped in Haki.
But Yamato and Maria did not escape this ordeal either, as the punches landed on them right afterward.
“Ouch, that hurts, Sister Shayna. Isn’t there another way to train? Something a bit gentler?”
Yamato held her stomach as she got up. This was the first time she had taken a punch during training; before, it had been various kinds of balls or finger-snaps.
“There are other methods, but this is the fastest and most effective one. Plus, are you really not willing to accept my method? Mr. Kaido has set a time limit for you all, and if it’s exceeded, then he’ll take over.”
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