Chapter 152 — The Breath that Builds Strength
S.C. 1511 — Early March
Foosha Village — Hidden Training Patch
The morning sun filtered through the trees as Ren stood barefoot on the clearing's soft soil.
Kiro stood a few steps away, arms crossed, watching seriously.
Three subordinates stretched near a boulder.
Zemo lay in the grass, tail flicking lazily.
Luffy sat on a stump, already sweating despite doing nothing.
Today was about the next step:
a breathing method designed for growth, stability, and raw power.
Ren inhaled slowly.
The air flowed down his throat, into his lungs, then spread deeper—into muscles, bones, and bloodstream.
A calm, steady expansion.
Then—
Exhale.
Long. Firm. Controlled.
The core tightened like a coil drawing inward.
Kiro tilted his head.
"That… looked different."
Ren nodded.
"Because it is."
He motioned everyone closer.
The Explanation — Made for a Young Body
Ren knelt and drew a simple diagram in the dirt:
lungs → blood → muscles
He tapped each symbol.
"When we're young, our bodies grow quickly… but our digestion is slow.
We waste a lot of nutrients. Strength comes in small steps."
He inhaled again—slow, wide.
"This breathing pulls more oxygen into the blood.
When we exhale and tighten the core—"
He compressed his abdomen sharply.
"—it speeds up circulation.
Food turns into usable energy much faster."
Kiro's eyebrows lifted.
"So training… becomes more efficient?"
"Exactly."
Ren nodded, expression calm but determined.
"With this method, a bowl of food becomes strength within minutes, not hours."
Luffy's eyes widened like saucers.
"MEAT → POWER?! INSTANTLY?!"
Ren sighed.
"…If your breathing is correct."
Luffy immediately tried inhaling.
HOOO—HAA—HOOOO—HAAA—
He turned red, blue, then purple—
Then fell backward flat onto the grass.
Kiro burst into laughter.
Zemo barked proudly as if expecting this outcome.
Teaching the Form
Ren stood straight again.
"Watch my chest, ribs, and stomach carefully."
He demonstrated slowly:
Step 1 — Slow expansion
Air filled every part of his lungs, shoulders relaxing.
Step 2 — Silent hold
Blood warmed, pulse steady.
Step 3 — Core lock
Abdomen tightened sharply.
Lower back straightened.
Legs rooted.
Step 4 — Measured release
Air pushed out smoothly, body returning to a neutral state.
The three subordinates tried to mimic him.
One tightened too much and coughed.
Another forgot to hold the breath and wobbled.
The third held perfectly still, eyes closed, matching Ren's steps surprisingly well.
"Good," Ren said softly. "Again."
Kiro tried next.
He followed closely, breathing steady, posture strong.
Ren corrected a small tilt in his ribcage.
"You're lifting your shoulders too much. Keep them down."
Kiro nodded and fixed it.
His second attempt was near perfect.
Ren smiled faintly.
"You'll pick this up quickly."
The Hidden Effect — Ren Feels the Change First
After twenty minutes of teaching, Ren practiced the breathing again—this time letting the rhythm go deeper.
A warm rush travelled through his body.
Muscles felt tighter.
Balance sharper.
His stomach eased, almost glowing with steady heat.
Everything he had eaten earlier felt like fuel being drawn into his limbs.
This method would accelerate his training.
And for his young, rapidly developing body?
It was priceless.
Luffy's Attempt (Chaos Ensues)
Luffy tried again.
Hooooooooooo—
Ha—
HOOOOO—
HAAA—
He started shaking.
"Ren… Everything feels floaty…"
"That's because you're holding the breath wrong," Ren explained patiently.
"You're pushing it to your head, not your core."
"Oh."
Luffy's eyes rolled back.
He fainted again.
Kiro groaned.
"He's hopeless."
Ren shook his head gently.
"No… he's persistent. That's even harder to teach."
A Group Effort
For the next hour, they practiced together:
Kiro refining posture
Subordinates syncing breath
Zemo copying the inhale rhythm (in his own animal way)
Luffy fainting every ten minutes
Ren guiding them with calm precision
It wasn't flashy.
It wasn't dramatic.
But it laid the foundation for all strength they would gain later.
End of Session
As the sun climbed higher, Ren exhaled deeply and stretched his fingers.
"That's enough for today. Let your bodies adapt."
Kiro rolled his shoulders.
"It feels like my muscles are… warmer?"
Ren nodded.
"That's blood flow increasing. By tonight, your recovery will be faster than usual."
One subordinate blinked.
"So… we can train more?"
Ren smiled slightly.
"If your breathing is correct."
Luffy, waking up from yet another faint, yelled:
"THAT MEANS I CAN EAT MORE MEAT, RIGHT?!"
Ren sighed.
"…Sure, Luffy."
Zemo barked in agreement.
Night Thoughts
Later that evening, as Ren walked home with Zemo trotting beside him, his mind ran silent calculations:
oxygen flow
metabolic conversion
muscle recovery
growth acceleration
This method was more powerful than he expected.
And it was only the beginning.
End of Chapter 152