Chapter 316: Chapter 316: Athena's Potential...
"Waaah…"
Before long, several enormous Sea Kings surfaced from the depths, each carrying massive bubble Homies filled with steaming, delicious dishes.
The Homies, assisted by attendants, quickly laid out the meals on the shore. The sheer quantity of dishes was overwhelming—a feast that dazzled the eyes.
"Wow!"
"It looks so good!"
"Is this made by Head Chef Streusen?"
"Mama Linlin loves his pastries the most!"
After training all morning, the hungry children's eyes sparkled, and their mouths watered at the sight of the food.
"El-sama, princes and princesses, lunch is ready. Please enjoy!"
The Homie attendants, emerging from the sea, bowed respectfully after setting up the feast.
"No need for too much formality during training," El said with a smile, looking at the eager children.
"If you want to eat, dig in!"
"Yes!"
"Hooray for Father!"
"Let's eat!"
"That giant piece of meat is mine!"
"Nobody take my share!"
With El's permission, Thor, Sif, Dal, and the others rushed forward, piling into the food with gusto. They scrambled, grabbing their favorites and devouring the feast with an energy as intense as their training.
"Grumble…"
Still stuck in her training punishment, poor Eden's stomach growled audibly as the scent of the feast wafted toward her.
Her face scrunched up in frustration as she waved her sword diligently, muttering, "I'm not jealous at all!"
El approached her with a grin, holding a massive, three-meter-long piece of juicy, fragrant meat. He waved it teasingly in front of her.
"Want some?"
Eden's eyes sparkled as she nodded quickly. "Yes!"
But to her dismay, El didn't hand it over. Instead, he bit into the meat himself and laughed lightly.
"Then stop slacking. This is your lesson. Next time, I'll tie you up and toss you into the ocean to soak."
El knew Eden's personality well. Clever as she was, she often found ways to cut corners. If this punishment didn't stick, she'd never take training seriously.
The other mothers—Linlin, Helen, Lillian, and Gerd—were too soft on the children to enforce discipline, letting them get away with mischief. El had to take on the role of the strict parent to ensure his little troublemakers stayed on track.
"Hmph… Dad is the worst!"
Eden pouted, her cheeks puffing up in defiance. But she didn't dare argue further.
With renewed focus, she threw herself into her training, trying her best to ignore the tantalizing aroma of food and the sound of her siblings happily feasting nearby.
Before long—under Eden's longing gaze—all the delicious food was devoured by Thor, Sif, Ares, and their siblings.
True to his word, El didn't save a single bite for Eden. Determined to teach her a lesson, he stuck firmly to her punishment, even doubling the training load for everyone else.
"Take a short break; we'll start Devil Fruit ability training after lunch," El announced, finishing his own meal with a satisfied smile.
"Daddy…"
Five-year-old Athena ran up to him, clutching his leg and pointing at her blindfold.
"When can I take this off?"
"Listen carefully," El said, his tone turning stern. "Until you grow up—unless there's a special situation—you are not allowed to take it off."
Since Athena turned three, El had imposed a strict rule: she had to wear a blindfold at all times except during specific activities like reading, writing, and meals. Even during playtime and training, the blindfold stayed on.
At first, Athena struggled, stumbling around and causing her fair share of mishaps. She had cried and protested, her pitiful pleas melting the hearts of Linlin, Gerd, and the others. They all thought El was being overly harsh.
But El held firm, insisting the rule remain. No one dared defy his orders, and so Athena was made to train blindfolded.
To everyone's astonishment, within three days, the three-year-old awakened Observation Haki, and her range was remarkable.
Now, two years later, her mastery over Observation Haki had grown significantly. While she still had occasional missteps in daily life, she was gradually replacing her reliance on sight with her heightened sensory abilities.
"Alright… but it's going to take so long!" Athena pouted, her eyes brimming with slight frustration.
Still, because she was allowed to remove the blindfold during meals and reading, the rule wasn't unbearable, and she didn't outright resist it.
"Good girl," El said, stroking her head gently. "This is all to train your Observation Haki."
He leaned down, his voice soft but encouraging:
"The Press-Press Fruit has incredible potential. If your Observation Haki is strong enough, you could lock onto meteors in space and pull them down with a gravity wave. You wouldn't have to rely on seeing the moon to do something like that."
"Imagine calling down a meteor shower anytime you wanted. Isn't that cool?"
El's expectations for Athena were high. If she failed to meet the required standard for Observation Haki, he'd have no choice but to abandon this particular training method. However, he wasn't willing to sacrifice her vision entirely for such a goal.
To inspire Athena, El had even teamed up with Lily's Pile-Pile Fruit ability to temporarily merge their powers. Using the Press-Press Fruit's capabilities, they demonstrated pulling massive boulders from the moon with powerful gravity waves.
The visual spectacle left Athena in awe, planting the seeds of ambition within her.
"Really? That sounds so cool!"
Athena's face lit up with a radiant smile, her earlier frustration forgotten. Her tiny hands clutched El's cloak as her admiration for him shone brightly.
She often saw meteors streak across the sky in the Totto Land seas. The memory of El and Aunt Lily joining forces to summon enormous boulders from the moon was etched vividly in her mind—a sight both awe-inspiring and unforgettable.
"Then keep working hard," El encouraged, pinching her soft, chubby cheeks with affection.
Judging by her progress so far, Athena's natural talent in Observation Haki was undeniable. Even if she didn't reach the level needed to lock onto celestial targets, her mastery would still be formidable.
"I will, Daddy!"
~~~
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