Not long after flying away, Crow Dabao flew back again.
Gazing eagerly at Moses and the meat, Moses, seeing this, wasn't stingy either. He cut another strip of meat and tossed it over.
Just like before, Crow Dabao carried the meat strip in its beak to feed Crow Xiao Niu.
This went on several times until finally, Crow Dabao started eating for itself.
Moses laughed and teased, "So you're actually a big warm crow, huh? Spoiling your wife like this."
"Caw~"
Only after eating nearly half a kilogram of meat did Crow Dabao finally fly back to its nest, satisfied.
After grilling the prepared meat, Moses brought a portion for Kureha and ate his fill heartily, leaving the rest for Bear Cub to finish.
Days passed one after another.
Nine days later.
Early morning.
Awakened by the hoarse, immature caws of the crows, Moses carried a basin of prepared beef and minced meat up to the treetop.
Seeing Moses, Crow Xiao Niu stared eagerly at the basin in his hands, flying straight out of the nest to land on his arm.
With its slender neck gracefully dipping into the basin, it picked up a piece of beef and began eating.
Moses chuckled, "Take your time. Where's Crow Dabao?"
"Caw~" After swallowing the meat, Crow Xiao Niu flapped its wing toward the distance and croaked hoarsely, "Caw caw~"
Moses understood—that guy had gone hunting.
Which made sense.
He didn't dwell on it further.
Once Crow Xiao Niu had eaten its fill, it began using its beak to pick up the minced meat and feed each of the five chicks in turn.
This was specially processed food, mixed with medicine from the "Kasugai Crow" breeding manual to promote bone and brain development and aid digestion.
Not only did the chicks eat it, but the couple did too.
Moses still remembered the first time he fed them meat laced with the powdered medicine—both birds had looked utterly resistant.
In the end, Moses had to pry their beaks open and force it in.
But now?
Their bodies were honest.
As Crow Xiao Niu fed the chicks, Moses also pinched some minced meat and joined in.
His fingers occasionally poked one chick or flicked another, prompting Crow Xiao Niu to repeatedly bat his hand away with its wing or nip his fingers with its beak.
Amused, Moses kept teasing Crow Xiao Niu, rubbing its head with his fingertips and smoothing its feathers.
When Crow Dabao returned with a fat bamboo rat in its beak, it saw Moses in its nest, playing with its wife and children.
Thankfully, Moses wasn't a bird—otherwise, the scene would have devolved into a bloody, feather-scattering brawl.
Spotting the returning crow, Moses waved and grinned,
"Hey, you're back. Saved some meat for you—come eat."
Crow Dabao let out a displeased "Caw~" but didn't refuse the offered food. It placed the dead bamboo rat outside the nest and began eating the medicated beef strips Crow Xiao Niu had saved for it.
Moses laughed and stroked its back feathers, saying, "You're such a tsundere."
"Caw~" Crow Dabao protested but didn't resist Moses' petting. "You caw~ are."
Moses wasn't surprised by its retort. Two days earlier, the unusually intelligent Crow Dabao had already learned simple words under Moses' training and even used them to talk back.
Not bothering to engage, Moses turned his attention to Crow Xiao Niu's head, scratching its neck, smoothing its feathers, and then teasing the five chicks again.
Crow Dabao simply watched quietly. After all these days together, it had grown familiar with Moses.
With Moses around, there was food and drink, and no need to worry about survival.
But it still went out alone every day to hunt.
And nothing could stop it, not even snowstorms.
Moses reached out to rub its head, and it only let out a soft "caw" from its beak without resisting.
Looking at the family of seven before him, Moses felt a hint of pride. The beginning was always the hardest, but with time, his flock of crows would surely grow.
After playing for a while longer, Moses climbed down from the tree.
Entering the house, he saw Bear Cub tidying up the table.
After adapting over the past few days, Bear Cub had used self-cannibalism to revert to his original Panda form.
He said that once the novelty wore off, it was more comfortable to stay in his original form under normal circumstances.
However, the modifications to his throat bones remained.
Due to Bear Cub's rough self-adjustments, Kureha had given him a thorough physical examination.
She provided plenty of body data and helped optimize the skeletal modifications more deeply.
Now, seeing Moses, Bear Cub paused his work and asked curiously, "Bird, feed, done?"
Moses smiled. "Yeah, all fed. Those chicks are still bald and ugly—not as cute as you were when you were little."
Bear Cub grinned, letting out an "awoo" of laughter, then pointed to the kitchen and then to himself.
"Dishes, wash, me."
Moses nodded. "Go ahead. Later, we'll continue our fusion training. I think it's good for both of us."
Bear Cub's eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly.
Effortless Breathing Technique
Through "fusion" with Bear Cub—though the Devil Fruit ability belonged to Bear Cub and the body was primarily his—Moses found it a faster path to achieving the Unity of Heaven and Man.
Since it involved harmony with all things in nature, living beings were naturally part of that.
By experiencing the state of fusion with Bear Cub, Moses' understanding of the Unity of Heaven and Man had deepened.
It wasn't just Moses who benefited. When he used the Effortless Breathing Technique during fusion, Bear Cub also gained significant advantages, steadily improving his own grasp of the breathing method.
And it didn't stop there. In their fused state, Bear Cub also gained unique insights into Moses' application of Observation Haki.
Who knew? Maybe one day, while fused in the Unity of Heaven and Man, Bear Cub might awaken Observation Haki on his own.
Moses was certain of this.
All living beings inherently possessed Hegemony—any creature had the potential to awaken it.
Hadn't they seen the Kung Fu Dugongs of Alabasta wielding Hegemony with astonishing skill?
Even Armament Haki.
After chatting with Bear Cub a bit longer, Moses went upstairs to assist Kureha with her research and learn from her.
When the time was right,
Moses came back downstairs.
He glanced at Bear Cub, who immediately understood. The two went outside, where Bear Cub wrapped his arms around Moses' waist and swallowed him whole in one gulp.
From the treetop, Crow Dabao and Crow Xiao Niu watched the scene. The two birds exchanged glances, both seeing curiosity in each other's eyes.
They weren't frightened—this wasn't the first time they'd witnessed it.
Though the first time had scared them half to death.
As Bear Cub activated his ability, Moses and Bear Cub merged once more.
A Panda-man appeared.
Clad in black-and-white fur, his facial features were a blend of Moses and Bear Cub, with no visible clothing.
Bear Cub was accustomed to observing his own changes and quickly relinquished control of his body, while Moses seamlessly took over the reins with practiced ease.
In the state of Unity of Heaven and Man, Moses pondered inwardly.
He perceived that all things in existence possessed their own unique Breath frequency fluctuations.
By visualizing these Breath fluctuations, he adjusted his own Breath—aligning, merging, and becoming one with them.
Simultaneously, he could imprint and preserve these unique Breath frequencies of nature within himself.
Thus, through his own being, he could manifest the phenomena of these natural elements.
Was this a form of thought materialization?
How could it be materialized?
Could Hegemony power be used for this?
These were some of Moses' reflections and conclusions.
At present, only he and Bear Cub could achieve something akin to this, relying on Bear Cub's Munch-Munch Fruit ability.
All things followed their own laws.
Each had its most fundamental mode of operation.
Even Devil Fruits were no exception.
Through merging with Bear Cub, Moses could comprehend the specific applications and operational patterns of the fruit's abilities.
Devouring all things, the stomach's spatial capacity, digestion and absorption merging, refining biological material structures.
(Newest novel updates first on 69shuba!)
Holding these thoughts in mind, he strove to perceive similar phenomena.
Unconsciously, Moses' Breath deepened further.
As Moses trained, so did Bear Cub, savoring the clarity that suffused his body with each Breath.
It was as if he could perceive everything within and without his form.
His thoughts flowed in tandem with Moses' Breath.
Training sessions often passed swiftly, and their merged state consumed a great deal of stamina. Once Bear Cub grew weary, this session came to an end.
Bear Cub released the fusion, spitting Moses out from his mouth.
Stretching lazily, Moses smiled at the visibly exhausted Bear Cub.
"Let's go hunting. Let's find something delicious."
At his words, Bear Cub's eyes lit up. Then, Moses glanced up at Crow Dabao perched atop the treehouse and beckoned.
Crow Dabao fluttered down, landing on Bear Cub's shoulder, and peered curiously at Moses. "Caw—what's up?"
Moses replied, "We're going hunting. To feed your wife and kids."
Crow Dabao nodded approvingly and chirped, "Go. Hunt. Meat."
Moses pondered what to eat today, then looked at Crow Dabao.
"How about bamboo worms? Thumb-thick, palm-long, tender and white—high in protein and fat."
He watched as Crow Dabao gulped, his beady eyes glazing over, drool dripping.
Seeing this, Moses turned to both of them. "We're heading to the Purple Bamboo Forest—to catch rabbits, dig up bamboo shoots, and pick out bamboo worms."
After grabbing a large plastic container from home, the trio—man, bird, and bear—set off.
...
At the foot of Drum Mountain in the east, within the sprawling Purple Bamboo Forest—
Crunch!
Bear Cub bit through a bamboo stalk as thick as an arm, chewing it into segments before munching happily.
They searched for worm-infested bamboo, chopped it open, and plucked out the larvae, storing them in the container.
Occasionally, Crow Dabao would snack on a few worms to satisfy his cravings.
The bamboo forest was vast, teeming with edible creatures—none were spared if encountered.
For several hours, they scavenged through the forest.
With fifteen snow hares, a plastic box plump with bamboo worms, and a hefty bundle of tender green bamboo shoots in tow, the three bandits emerged from the forest, arms and shoulders laden with loot.
...
Moses asked Kureha if she wanted to eat fried bamboo worms as a snack with her drink, only to be scolded and nearly kicked out.
There was nothing he could do.
A whole box of delicacies was given to Crow Dabao's family—braised rabbit heads, roasted whole rabbit, stewed rabbit, all kinds of dishes served one after another.
After a full rabbit feast, Kureha was no longer angry.
Days passed, and the five young birds grew bigger and bigger.
Under Moses' careful nurturing, each of them had glossy feathers, strong and agile bodies, boundless energy, and an especially strong curiosity.
In the blink of an eye, it was October of that year.
One morning,
Moses sat on the steps in front of the treehouse,
in the State of Oneness.
With a serene expression, he watched the five "ground-running chickens" frolicking in the snow in front of the house, letting out loud, hoarse crowing cries.
Looking at them now, each about thirty centimeters long,
the five white-necked crows tussled in the snow, darting back and forth, occasionally scurrying to the bend of Moses' legs, treating his body like the branches of a tree for cover.
His eyes quietly observed their play, while they, in turn, seemed completely unaware that the "thing" they were circling around was actually a living person.
They could see Moses, touch Moses, yet they unconsciously overlooked him—as if Moses were just part of the treehouse, part of the snowy ground.
They would instinctively ignore him.
For nearly five months, Moses had been practicing fusion training daily with Bear Cub.
He sighed helplessly, "It seems the Blessing ability I envisioned still lacks some core conditions.
But unintentionally, I've manifested another interesting Blessing ability instead."
A Blessing ability that hadn't fully materialized yet.
[Disguise]
An intriguing ability realized through prolonged immersion in the State of Oneness.
By sensing the fluctuations in the Breath of the natural environment and synchronizing his own Breath with it,
he could blend his presence seamlessly into the surroundings.
This achieved a form of concealment in presence, not visually, but in a way that made others subconsciously overlook him.
After all, passersby on the road generally don't pay deliberate attention to stones on the ground or wild grass by the roadside.
Of course, for creatures with strong awareness, keen observation, or those who knew Moses, this current Disguise wouldn't be very effective.
After all, [Disguise] hadn't fully manifested yet, nor was it enhanced by Blessing effects.
At that moment, the sound of flapping wings broke the silence as Crow Dabao landed on Moses.
His claws gripped Moses' pant leg as he tilted his head curiously and croaked hoarsely, "Mei's pretending to be a wooden man again."
Instantly, Moses broke his focus, chuckled, and exited the State of Oneness.
"What's wrong? You're back so early today—did you find something?"
As Moses' "eyes and ears," Crow Dabao saw himself that way.
Once the five fledglings learned to fly, they began patrolling within a ten-kilometer radius of the treehouse daily,
while also hunting for food.
"River ship… dog head," Crow Dabao spat out these three words.
Moses' eyes flickered with curiosity. "A warship? A dog head? Is that Gramps coming?"
That made sense. Logically, after nearly half a year, Garp should be arriving—he visited Drum Island about twice a year.
"Should we go take a look at the East Sea this time?" Moses asked himself, then answered, "Let's go. It's been quite a while since we last visited."
"Good work." Moses reached out to smooth Crow Dabao's feathers, smiling as he said, "I understand now."
"If you're hungry, there's meat at home. Just help yourself."
"Caw~"
With a flap of its wings, Crow Dabao took flight, heading toward the treetop.
Seeing Crow Dabao return, all five little ones fluttered their wings and chased after it.