"Hey... Naruto, is this really okay?"
Jinbei stood side-by-side with Naruto on the deck, watching as Bullet toyed Konohamaru in a manner that seemed almost playful.
"It's fine~ Konohamaru is much more resilient than you think."
Patting Jinbei's shoulder, Naruto turned back to continue his research on the Kama.
Below, on the beach.
This was a temporary stop at a remote island, still within the Calm Belt.
Apart from some wild beasts, there were no signs of human habitation, but it could provide Naruto and the others with some freshwater and food resources.
It was only after landing on the island that Bullet could truly let loose with his 'teaching'.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
"Rasengan Barrage!"
Surrounding Bullet were a large amount of Konohamaru's shadow clones, each holding a glowing blue Rasengan, attacking Bullet simultaneously from all directions.
Facing such an assault, Bullet neither used his Conqueror's Haki to intimidate them nor his Devil Fruit's Abilities.
He didn't even plan to use Armament Haki to tank the hits.
The Rasengans rushed towards Bullet's face, abdomen, back, and other areas, but he precisely dodged them at the very last moment.
Immediately after, Bullet's large hand grabbed two clones, smashing them together into a large puff of smoke.
"Brat, that tickling attack of yours is interesting, but your intent is way too obvious!"
Saying this, Bullet casually sidestepped, avoiding a silent Rasengan sneak attack from behind.
In truth, even if he didn't dodge, the Rasengan most likely couldn't hurt him.
But since the main purpose today was teaching, Bullet chose a method that would better stimulate Konohamaru's potential.
Thud!
An elbow strike heavily dispersed a clone. Then, Bullet grabbed the hand of another clone, guiding its Rasengan to strike other clones.
"Your clones certainly have presence, but your attack patterns are disorganized, brat! Combat isn't as simple as you think!"
Over a hundred clones were quickly reduced by more than half by Bullet.
Throughout the entire process, he didn't use Haki beyond Konohamaru's current level, relying solely on his superior combat awareness and experience to beat Konohamaru.
While Bullet often preferred to overwhelm with force, advocating brute strength, he wasn't always this powerful.
When he was still a child soldier, he had been seriously wounded numerous times due to war.
These injuries came not only from enemies but even from other child soldiers.
They defeated Bullet, seizing the 'medals' that should have been his. It was precisely for this reason that Bullet began to regard individual strength as the number one priority.
During those days surrounded by enemies, Bullet didn't survive solely by relying on an indomitable spirit.
Crack!
The ground suddenly broke apart, and a figure emerged from the earth, a Rasengan aimed straight for Bullet's vitals.
"Hah... Using your brain now."
Facing the attack aimed at his vital spot from behind, Bullet wasn't angered. Instead, he felt pleased by Konohamaru's adaptability.
"But it's still not enough!"
Bang!
As if foreseeing the future, Bullet simply swung his leg backward in a follow-through motion, kicking Konohamaru away heavily.
Feeling the sensation from the kick, Bullet rubbed his chin.
"Interesting. Used Armament Haki at the critical moment to block my attack, huh?"
"Brat, you do have some talent."
Opposite him, the Haki on his abdomen slowly dissipated. Konohamaru suppressed the urge to vomit and stood up, a determined smile on his face.
"Of course!"
A similar battle was taking place between Redfield and Sasuke.
Since the training focused on Haki mastery, Sasuke was forbidden from using Chakra or his Devil Fruit's Abilities.
Under these constraints, even with the Sharingan's precise perception of the enemy's movements, Sasuke still couldn't perfectly counter Redfield's attacks.
"Use Observation Haki to sense. Don't rely solely on your eyes."
Redfield moved with the ease of a leisurely stroll, holding the umbrella Naruto had remade for him in one hand. His form was fast and ghostly, frequently breaking through Sasuke's defenses to tap him with the umbrella's shaft.
He didn't use Armament Haki either, causing almost no real damage to Sasuke, but the humiliation was significant.
Each time the umbrella's tip touched a vital point, it signified that Redfield could have killed him.
For the first time, Sasuke experienced the frustration of having every move completely read by his opponent.
Without Chakra Enhancement, even with the passive physical boost from his Mythical Zoan Fruit, Sasuke was, after all, still a youth under fifteen.
-Even if he had, in a way, already saved the Ninja World once.
Truly, traveling half a lifetime, returning still a youth.
Due to Naruto's influence, Sasuke had obtained a nearly 'cheat'-like power boost in the form of a Devil Fruit too early, which prevented him from fully developing his inherent potential.
In fact, even without a Devil Fruit, Sasuke's physical talent in other timelines was quite formidable.
"Your eyes seem to possess strong dynamic vision..."
Redfield also noticed the peculiarity of Sasuke's eyes. His steps were light, easily dodging Sasuke's attacks.
"But merely 'seeing' is not enough."
"Human reaction takes time. The time consumed from you 'seeing', to your brain reacting, to your body moving… it's simply too long."
Sasuke's Sharingan followed Redfield's movements rapidly. At the same time, he didn't forget to use Observation Haki to sense the other's intentions.
However, it was like a nested game of 'you predict me, and I predict that you predict me'. Redfield could change his movement the moment Sasuke predicted it, or even before he predicted it.
"Combat isn't just a contest of strength… it's also a confrontation of 'intelligence' or 'information.'"
Swoosh-
The umbrella tip precisely stopped at Sasuke's throat. He had already subconsciously transformed into his hybrid form.
"Perceive it with your heart, your will, your body's instincts."
Withdrawing the umbrella, Redfield maintained his elegant, noble demeanor.
Sasuke slowly reverted from his hybrid form, looking at his own hands thoughtfully.
It had to be said, whether it was Bullet's nurturing of combat awareness or Redfield's instruction on Observation Haki, both were far more deep than Naruto's pure 'learn by fighting' teaching method.
At least in the aspect of imparting knowledge and resolving doubts, Naruto admitted he wasn't as experienced as these two seniors.
His power might be greater, but it was limited to himself. He couldn't articulate it in as vivid and concrete a manner as these two.
'Hmm... I wonder if these two are better teachers, or if Uncle Rayleigh's progress is faster over there.'
Naruto thought to himself, stroking his chin.
…
Meanwhile, on another island teeming with giant beasts, the Straw Hat crew was collectively facing a large gorilla that had mastered Haki, being sent scattering in all directions.
"Aaaahhh! We're gonna die!!"
Usopp, who was originally positioned at a high point trying to learn the so-called Observation Haki under Rayleigh's guidance for sniping, found the small hill he'd chosen smashed to pieces by a single casual punch from the gorilla.
If he hadn't run fast, he would have been buried.
Elsewhere, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji surrounded the gorilla, each unleashing their signature moves.
"Gear Third... Bone Balloon! Gomu Gomu no… Gigant Pistol!"
"Three-Sword Style Secret Technique: Sanzen Sekai!"
"Diable Jambe: Diable Mouton Shot!"
The three attacked the gorilla from the front, above, and the side respectively.
But their assaults were steadily blocked by the gorilla using Haki.
Neither Luffy's giant punch, Zoro's slashes, nor Sanji's descending kick could disrupt the gorilla's movements.
"Hey hey hey! You've got to be kidding me!"
Nami, holding her Clima-Tact, was about to follow up with an electric shock, but her actions halted upon seeing the gorilla tank the attacks from their three strongest fighters.
"If you can't master Armament Haki, you won't be able to break through its defense."
In the distance, Rayleigh sat calmly on a cliff edge, reminding everyone.