Bloodlines

Chapter 32

"U-Um... Liza-san? I... I thought it was only going to be us..." Aston spoke as he walked behind Liza and Mihawk who gave off a very intimidating aura. He was under the impression it was only going to be Liza joining him and when he came downstairs, he saw Mihawk. Initially, he thought nothing of it, until the male started to follow them.

"Well, Hawk-Eyes decided to join us since he had nothing better to do, neh?" Liza looked back at Mihawk and he briefly glanced at her, grunting. Liza looked back at Aston and gave him a grin that made him sweat drop.

It wasn't really reassuring. He didn't quite know what was going on between them. According to Richard, Liza was in a pinch. She had to make a big decision and it involved both Mihawk and Shanks. About what exactly, Aston didn't know.

"Alright, this should be the right spot," Liza said as they came to stop at an open field and crossed her arms over her chest with a nod. She looked back at Aston and gestured for him where to stand, facing her as he came to a stop.

"O-Okay, what do you want me to do first, Liza-san? Should I train my muscles or my Devil's Fruit...?" Aston asked and watched nervously as Liza smirked at him. Mihawk stood next to her, saying nothing and his face stoic.

"Since I'm here training you, we're going to train your Devil's Fruit. It's a very interesting fruit you ate. I would like to see what you're capable of now. It'll be a great aid to your strength," Liza stated and Aston raised an eyebrow.

"Y-You know how to train someone with a Devil's Fruit ability? D-Does that mean that you ate one too, Liza-san?" Aston hesitantly asked and blinked a few times. It was something that he honestly didn't know.

"That's an interesting question and it has been occupying my thoughts for some time now. Could it be that you're a Devil's Fruit user, Red Menace?" Mihawk asked and Liza glanced back at him, chuckling in amusement.

"No, I've never ate one in my life and I can still swim. That power is something that I've inherited from my bloodline, nothing achieved." Liza returned her gaze towards Aston. "I've seen a lot of Devil's Fruit users in my days, Kid, I know the basics but you have to do the rest," she explained and Aston nodded.

"First things first. You're a paramecia." She pointed at Aston. "That means you're classified as 'superhuman'. That means your iron power can affect your body. Also, you should be able to manipulate your environment or produce substances," Liza elaborated but Aston looked confused.

She wanted to explain in deeper detail but already saw that the male was perplexed. He didn't seem to know anything about a Devil's Fruit or even the type he had. That meant she had to teach him almost everything.

She sighed and shook her head. It was going to take a lot more effort than she thought it would. However, she did make a promise and she wasn't going back on it. She was going to make him stronger and his Devil's Fruit ability was currently the core to his power.

"Let me give an example. You were able to control my cuffs and you manipulated iron to make a cage. You were even able to manipulate Hades' sword to pierce him. That means you can control your environment. You have one of the abilities." Liza held up one finger.

"Nevertheless, that is not enough. There isn't always iron wherever you go. That is why we're going to go back to step one. You have to use your ability to suit your body and make it stronger. In other words, you have to turn into an iron human." Aston's eyes widened.

"I-Iron h-human? I-Is that even possible? I-I mean, I knew that I could manipulate iron but actually become it? Isn't that stretching my ability a bit too far, Liza-san?" Aston asked and Liza gave him a reassuring smile.