One Piece: My code name is Green Bull

After sitting for a long time, Jon stood up and walked to the seashore. Gazing at the water, he suddenly unleashed his Observation Haki.

"Hm?"

Jon had intended to sense the plants in the sea, but unexpectedly, he picked up on a few breathing presences not far away. Judging by the "sounds," they seemed to belong to ordinary people.

Having been completely absorbed in studying his powers, he hadn't paid attention to his surroundings. As a result, he hadn't noticed when people entered within a kilometer of him.

Such is the nature of Observation Haki: it's neither infallible nor a passive skill. It can't remain active indefinitely, and intense emotions or deep concentration on a task can significantly weaken one's ability to perceive surroundings.

Realizing they were just ordinary people, Jon didn't give them another thought and resumed sensing the plants in the sea.

In a world where most of the surface is ocean, Jon had, of course, tried communicating with marine plants. However, these differed from terrestrial plants, with algae being the most common type.

Jon could control algae, but their growth potential was limited. While they might be useful in underwater battles, their application against enemies on land was almost negligible. Even if Jon exerted his full control, they couldn't grow very large.

However, the deeper the ocean, the greater the abundance of plants, including some as formidable as large terrestrial flora.

Even so, despite Jon's ability to connect with these deep-sea plants via Observation Haki, controlling them from such a distance was nearly impossible—unless he were to dive underwater himself.

This limitation was why Jon rarely used marine plants. His ability to control plants grew stronger with proximity. The farther the distance, the weaker their effectiveness.

Under Jon's command, the marine plants near the shore began to grow rapidly. Soon, patches of green algae floated to the surface of the water.

"The vitality of these algae is actually stronger than many land plants, and they grow faster too. Why is that?"

Marine plants differ significantly from terrestrial ones. Though Jon had studied some biology, his knowledge was rudimentary at best, leaving him unable to fully understand these differences. All he could do was summarize his findings based on experience.

He noted that controlling the growth of marine plants was noticeably easier than controlling land plants, and their growth was also faster and taller.

Of course, this wasn't universally true; some land plants grew faster than aquatic ones.

"If I were to fall into the sea, I wonder if I could survive and move like aquatic plants do?"

Suddenly, a wild idea flashed through Jon's mind, and his eyes lit up.

It's well known that Devil Fruit users lose their ability to swim. Once submerged in water, unless they possess special abilities, they're doomed to drown.

Jack, one of Kaido's future top commanders (known as the Drought), was able to survive underwater thanks to his Fishman heritage, which allowed him to breathe in water.

Since Jack could do it, Jon believed he might also have a chance. As a plant-based ability user, falling into water only meant losing strength and being unable to swim; it didn't necessarily mean losing his powers entirely.

After all, plants can survive in water. As long as there's enough oxygen, Jon figured he might be able to last for a while.

"I should find a safe opportunity to test this ability. It might prove useful in the future."

However, such an experiment couldn't be attempted recklessly. Jon would need someone to assist him, or he might drown before succeeding.

"It seems that to make my abilities stronger, I need to think outside the box."

Jon mused to himself. The nature of Devil Fruit powers is indeed fascinating. While creativity can't unlock infinite potential, it certainly provides more opportunities for growth than a rigid mindset.

Looking at the floating algae on the sea's surface, Jon remarked, "To others, plants are just plants. But to me, they're alive—they're much easier to connect with than humans."

As he spoke, Jon suddenly froze. A spark of inspiration flashed through his mind.

"Vitality… life… life itself! How could I be so foolish? The principle is so simple, yet I hadn't thought of it!"

This sudden epiphany made Jon realize why his wooden puppets had failed to meet his expectations. They lacked life.

The wooden constructs created by Hashirama Senju's Wood Release in Naruto clearly contained vitality, almost as if they were alive. That's why they could attack under Hashirama's control.

In contrast, Jon's wooden puppets were merely lifeless models. Though he could control them, the difference between them and Hashirama's creations was like night and day.

"If I could imbue my wooden constructs with consciousness and make them come alive, wouldn't that make them easier to control and create?"

Achieving this would be extremely difficult, but Jon knew it was possible within the One Piece universe.

Life Return!

Jon recalled the skill "Life Return" from One Piece, which allowed users to channel their consciousness into various body parts—such as hair, internal organs, or limbs—and control them freely.

If Life Return could do that, it should theoretically allow one to inject consciousness into plants, especially plants created by one's own abilities.

"When Vice Admiral Garp returns, I'll ask him for the training method for Life Return."

Having spent so much time with Garp, Jon had developed a good relationship with him. He was confident that Garp wouldn't refuse such a request.

"It's decided."

With this resolution, Jon's mood greatly improved, and his earlier frustration vanished.

"Huh? They're still here—are they spying on my training?"

Using Haki, Jon sensed that the presences he had detected earlier hadn't left. He was slightly surprised but not concerned about anyone stealing his techniques.

"Uh-oh! The Navy guy is coming this way!"

The boys, who had been watching Jon all along, panicked as they saw him approaching.

"We're doomed. We're done for!"

Their faces turned pale, but Shanks remained calm. "What are you afraid of? We haven't even gone to sea yet. Even if he's Navy, he can't do anything to us."

"Oh, right! We're not pirates yet. Why should we be scared of the Navy?"

The other boys froze, realizing Shanks had a point. They weren't pirates yet, so there was nothing to fear.

With this in mind, their terror subsided significantly, though they still didn't dare flee.

"Stay calm. Don't be scared. We can't let this Navy guy figure out what we're planning," Shanks said firmly.

"Yeah, stay calm, you idiots. Calm down."

"I am calm!"

"Then why are your legs shaking?"

"…"

The scene was oddly comical. Despite being the youngest, Shanks had somehow become the backbone of the group. His words seemed to carry a reassuring influence, easing the nerves of the other boys.

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