I Am In One Piece Summit

Chapter 9: 009 Brain Development! · Chapter 9: 009. Brain Domain Development! · After breakfast, wearing nothing but a small pair of shorts, Messer lay on the operating table on the second floor of the treehouse. · Coordinating his Breathing with the pressure of Dr. Kureha’s fingers, he described the shifts in his respiratory patterns and the minute sensations of Qi circulating throughout his body. · He could feel a sense of perception scanning him—as if it were penetrating his skin, flesh, and bone—observing the physiological changes triggered by his breath. · Dr. Kureha’s gaze remained impassive as she questioned him continuously, occasionally pausing to jot down notes. This sensation of being scrutinized, as if stripped bare, made Messer feel deeply uncomfortable. · He finally understood how Garp and Dr. Kureha felt whenever he used Observation Haki to scan them. · It was incredibly unpleasant! · After a long while, Dr. Kureha spoke calmly. "Alright, that’s enough for today. However, this kind of monitoring requires long-term observation." · "You really are a treasure trove, brat. To think your Breathing would quietly evolve into a different form. Interesting... very interesting!" · She didn't pry into the underlying cause of the change; her only concern was whether this result could be replicated. · Messer sat up from the operating table and began dressing himself, taking in his surroundings. · The walls were pristine white, and every item was arranged with meticulous precision. Some of the experimental equipment appeared exceptionally sophisticated. · Several experiments were currently in progress. · "Doctor Auntie, have you had any breakthroughs in your Lineage Factor research?" Messer asked. · "Why do you ask?" Dr. Kureha countered. · "Do you have any drugs for brain development? You have things for physical strengthening, but what about the brain domain?" · A flash of light sparked in Dr. Kureha’s eyes. She recalled the books Messer had been reading lately—they were all filled with conclusions and conjectures regarding human physiology. · "The brain domain is a highly mysterious subject of study," Dr. Kureha questioned. "What brought this on?" · Messer thought for a moment. "After reading those books, I’ve been thinking. On average, the human brain is only developed to about 10%. Most ordinary people only reach 3% to 5%. · "The encyclopedia mentions that past users of the Brain-Brain Fruit generally developed their brains to around 20%. They possessed miraculous abilities, like a photographic memory or the capacity to master a new language in a single hour. · "The books speculate that when the brain is developed to a certain degree—or reaches a specific node—a biological being will gain extraordinary powers, perhaps no less impressive than those of a Devil Fruit user." · Messer continued, "And the physicist William Gallon once said—any whim of humanity has the potential to become reality." · The concept of brain development percentages had many viewpoints back in his original world. But now, having read those books, Messer had made a decision. · "I want to try and increase my brain utilization. I want to see if developing the brain is a unique path of biological evolution. I want to see what a creature becomes when its brain reaches 100% development." · Even Einstein, the man with the highest IQ in his old world, was said to have developed less than 15% of his brain. · That world was ordinary, devoid of supernatural power. But in this world, with its miraculous forces and resources, Messer felt his ambition was far from a mere fantasy. · Dr. Kureha narrowed her eyes. She had spent her life researching human biology and the elixir of longevity. Now nearly 141 years old, her physical state remained at its peak, and her lifespan was far from over. · Regarding the brain, she said coolly, "It's a good thought. Although the human brain only accounts for about 2% of body weight, it consumes approximately 25% of the body's oxygen and 17% of its energy. The brain is a mysterious and unknown frontier." · The human brain contains roughly 14 to 16 billion neurons, with connection points reaching into the hundreds of billions—more than the stars in the known sky. · Messer’s perspective was refreshing to Dr. Kureha. As a doctor, her understanding of the human body was among the best in this world. · She knew several paths to longevity and was constantly experimenting, but she had recently hit a bottleneck. Should she try a completely new path? · "Brat," she asked seriously, "developing the brain domain isn't a simple physical experiment. One wrong move and you could turn into an idiot. Current medical standards don't even touch that field. Are you sure about this?" · Dr. Kureha never treated Messer as an ordinary child. Most brats his age were busy playing in the mud or doing nothing but eating and sleeping. · Messer grinned. "Don't I have you, Doctor Auntie? My skills aren't there 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." · Dr. Kureha was stunned for a moment, then she let out a frustrated laugh and cursed at him. · "You little rascal, dreaming big, aren't you? Trying to put me to work before we've even started. I haven't even said I've agreed yet." · Messer’s face turned serious, showing a hint of nervousness. "Then... will you, Doctor Auntie?" · Seeing this, Dr. Kureha squinted with a half-smile. "If you want me to agree, fine. But you must realize that research doesn't start just because you open your mouth. Funding, equipment, materials—you need them all. · "Do you have a fortune? Do you have cutting-edge equipment? Do you have experimental subjects for brain research? To develop the brain, you need rare medicinal herbs and the brains of various creatures—massive beasts, Sea Kings. All of these require great strength to acquire. Do you have that?" · She laid the cold, hard reality out before him. · Without solving these issues, brain development was just empty talk. Even if they could study it, they would be moving at a snail's pace. She wasn't trying to crush his passion; these were simply hurdles they couldn't bypass. There was also one thing she didn't mention: even if he gathered everything, exploring the unknown could still end in failure. · Seeing the aura radiating from Dr. Kureha, Messer smiled. A trace of wild defiance appeared on his young face. · His voice carried a faint resonance. · "I'm not even three years old, yet I can already defeat thirteen grown men. In the future, I will be incredibly strong. Money? I'll earn it. Equipment? We have Winter—the Munch-Munch Fruit should be able to synthesize whatever we need. As for materials, once I grow up, none of that will be a problem." · For a moment, Dr. Kureha stared at him, dazed. The brat seemed to possess a unique, convincing charisma. · "I must be crazy. Letting myself be talked into this by a kid." · The corners of her mouth curled upward into her characteristic "Hee-hee-hee" laugh. · "Fine, I'll agree for now. But if you can't deliver later, I’ll strip your pants off and slap your backside raw." · Messer’s face stiffened. He swallowed hard, looking depressed. "I'll be grown up by then. You'd really have the heart to strip my pants?" · Dr. Kureha looked down on him with disdain. "I raised you, changed your diapers, and cleaned your filth. I've seen everything there is to see. I don't care, so why the hell should you?" · "Vulgar," Messer muttered. · Dr. Kureha glanced at him. "What was that?" · "Nothing! Nothing at all." · With his business finished, Messer headed downstairs. He grabbed Winter, who was already starving, and headed out toward his "vegetable garden." · The Purple Bamboo Forest. · Two days passed. · At nine o'clock that morning, Dr. Kureha packed her things to leave. She called out to Messer, who was reading at the desk. · "I'm going to the royal castle on Drum Mountain to collect the medical fees from a few days ago. Stay home." · Messer turned around. "Is it okay for you to go alone? Your fees are always daylight robbery. What if the King has bad intentions?" · Dr. Kureha raised an eyebrow and smiled. "In this country, I go where I please. The old King won't do anything to me." · Seeing her confidence, Messer added, "Then be careful. Take a weapon. It’s millions of Berries; don't get robbed." · "Do I look like a weakling to you?" she joked. "Believe it or not, I could make you cry for your mother with one hand." · Messer looked at her and said with sudden sincerity, "Dolly... Mama, have a safe trip!" · Her face twitched violently. "You little brat, don't call me that! I'm not your mother. Call me Doctor Auntie!" · She laughed as she walked out with a light step. Sensing she was far enough away via Observation Haki, Messer stood up, put on his Lapin coat, and grabbed his weapon. · He left a note for her. · Winter, who had been waiting at the door, gave a small chirp and pushed it open with his paw, slipping out first. Carrying a bamboo basket on his back, Messer closed the door and left the key in the usual spot. · The sound of crunching snow followed the pair as they disappeared into the deep forest amidst a light flurry. · Though pandas are incredibly nearsighted, their senses of smell and hearing are exceptionally developed. Having been exposed to herbs since he was a few weeks old, Winter had developed a knack for sniffing out rare medicinal plants. · Winter was smart; he used his senses to steer clear of dangerous predator territories. Their strategy was simple: enter the mountain quietly and make a fortune in silence. · Messer let Winter lead the way. · As they wandered through the snowy mountain woods, they discovered herb after herb. When they found something useful, Messer harvested it with practiced skill. If they found something edible, he let Winter have a snack. Drum Island was small, but it wasn't barren; they encountered various creatures along the way. · Today’s goal was herb gathering. No distractions. · If something actually picked a fight with them, it would just end up in Winter’s stomach. With the Munch-Munch Fruit, Winter wasn't the same bear he used to be; he could eat anything. · They gathered a wide variety of herbs—some from trees, some from the ground. Parts of the medicinal trees that weren't needed were given to Winter to fill his belly, along with the scraps of the herbs. · Messer was now a qualified apprentice, and Winter was the perfect "trash can." The greatest strength of a Munch-Munch Fruit user was that their stomach never got upset. · Occasionally, they encountered other hunters or gatherers on the mountain, but both sides gave each other a wide berth, minding their own business. · Around five in the afternoon, as they began their trek home, a rustling sound came from a nearby thicket. · Messer set his basket down. · Gripping his axe handle, he projected his Observation Haki. A Lapin with snow-white fur lunged out. It had the face of a rabbit but the build of a bear, charging rapidly on all fours. It was about 1.5 meters long. · Messer narrowed his eyes. · "No other presence nearby. It's a loner. And a juvenile." · A second before the Lapin reached him, Messer stepped aside and shifted his weight. He could see its wide-open maw and sharp fangs. Simultaneously, he swung his axe in a diagonal arc. · Slash! · Using the creature's own momentum against it, the blade sliced through its neck, severing the windpipe. A spray of crimson blood erupted. · Messer moved past the Lapin and flicked his axe downward, shaking off the blood. It was a stylish finish. · He turned around with a satisfied look to see the Lapin twitching in the snow; it clearly wasn't going to survive. · Seconds later, an irregular crystal the size of a grain of rice, glowing with a mysterious luster, flickered into existence. · [Obtained F-Rank Soul Crystal x1] · So far, Messer had obtained two of these rice-sized Soul Crystals. Small animals like regular rabbits or creatures below F-Rank didn't produce them upon death. The same applied to things like fish or shrimp, or even an ordinary human child who hadn't reached the minimum F-Rank strength. · The appearance of the crystal meant the Lapin was dead. · Messer approached and inspected it. The fur was lustrous and pure white—excellent material for clothing. · He pulled a scalpel from an inner pocket of his coat and began an incision along the Lapin’s midline. · Medical science is vast, and surgery is one of its most demanding fields. Dr. Kureha was a top-tier physician, not just in her own practice, but as a teacher. · Thanks to his A-Rank Gift [Breathing], Messer’s control over his body was masterful, his mind calm, and his fingers nimble. · With professional technique, he peeled the pelt away without damaging the texture, keeping the Lapin skin perfectly intact. · He gutted the remaining carcass, cleaned the meat with snow, and tossed the clean organs to Winter for a snack. · He cut several branches to fashion a makeshift sled and stacked the prepared meat. · Winter had consumed many household items lately, including ropes and harnesses. Now, he manifested the ropes to hitch himself to the simple sled. · A bear-drawn sled. · Half an hour later, in the town of Kestler—a popular spot on Drum Island—Messer reached an agreement with a reputable tailor. Using half of the valuable Lapin meat as payment, the tailor would turn the pelt into a fur coat. · Messer would return in a month to collect it. · Taking his receipt, he hopped back on the sled. Winter trotted out of town on all fours, and they reached home just as the sky darkened. · The lights were on in the treehouse, meaning Dr. Kureha was back. · He opened the door and brought in the herbs and the remaining meat to be stored. · The sound of frying came from the kitchen; Dr. Kureha was cooking. Hearing the commotion, she called out, "Brat, didn't I tell you to stay home today?" · "I went to pick herbs and took Winter for a treat," Messer replied with a grin. "Doctor Auntie, I got lucky today and hunted a Lapin." · The next second, Dr. Kureha walked out, spatula in hand, her face dark. · "A Lapin?" · [END]