Want to read ahead? Join my Patreon for only $7 to get early access to upcoming chapters!
> > Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations <<
----------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 77: Observation Haki
Hearing this, Zoro and Sanji's eyes both lit up.
"This is it! I'll definitely catch bigger and better prey than this directionless mosshead!" Sanji's fighting spirit ignited instantly.
"Hmph. Talk is cheap. Don't just wander around the island a few times and get so lost you can't come back, pervy cook," Zoro mocked.
"What?! You're the one talking about 'getting lost'?! Do you, of all people, have the right to say that to me, you bastard?!"
In the end, Ganyu still went onto the island with Zoro.
Sanji had tried to protest, but Ganyu persuaded him with, "We already explored Loguetown together. Let's wait until next time."
Although it sounded a little strange, knowing he'd have another chance to spend time alone with Miss Ganyu filled Sanji with motivation. He charged headfirst into the forest alone, vowing to take down the biggest prey.
"Nami, I have a question."
On the empty deck, Usopp looked at Nami, the only one left, with a slightly odd expression.
"What is it?" Nami looked up and asked, confused.
"Logically, not landing is the safest bet. But all the strong people on the ship are on the island, so... doesn't that leave the two of us... all alone?" Usopp analyzed, propping up his chin.
"That... actually seems to make some sense..."
Nami nodded in agreement. Then, her expression visibly shifted from calm, to uneasy, to panicked, and finally to terror. She shouted:
"Ganyu, come back!"
...
In the forest.
A man and a woman walked slowly through a slightly muddy clearing. The man walked in front, holding a sword to clear the path.
Any dinosaur or beast that tried to approach was split in two by his seemingly casual swing, not even having time to cry out. Along the way, they had already left more than ten cooling beast corpses behind them, the faint smell of blood drifting in the air.
"What's wrong?" Zoro, covered in blood, stopped, sensing something was different about the woman behind him.
Ganyu had paused for a moment. Her expression was calm. "I think I heard Nami's voice."
"Is she in danger?" Zoro frowned. He still remembered what that black-haired woman had said on their ship: Baroque Works had sent people to hunt them down.
"No." Ganyu shook her head. Her hearing was excellent. She could tell Nami's voice was just scared, not particularly urgent or frantic.
Besides, this island wasn't actually that dangerous. Ganyu had intentionally left her scent on the Merry. The dinosaurs and beasts on the island wouldn't dare approach after smelling it. The only ones who could threaten Usopp and Nami's lives were the two giants on the island. But in the original story, the two giants were relatively gentle and held no animosity toward outsiders.
After thinking for a moment, Ganyu's gaze fell on the green-haired swordsman's back. She stared for a long time before asking in annoyance: "So, after walking all this way, what is it you brought me here for?"
Her tone was resentful. This guy, after bringing her out, just kept walking forward without saying a single word. She was getting more and more curious about his true purpose.
Could it be that he wanted to find a spacious place to pick a fight with her? With his brain, it was entirely possible he'd do something like that.
Zoro didn't speak. He just stood there, holding his blood-stained sword.
After a long silence, he suddenly turned to face Ganyu.
Only then did Ganyu notice: he had kept his eyes closed the entire time!
His chest rose and fell slightly, his breathing deliberately even and steady, as if he were imitating some rhythm.
Could it be...
Ganyu's heart stirred. A strange light flashed in her beautiful eyes, and she began to watch his every move intently. She had a faint guess what this was.
Swish!
Suddenly, the bushes to the side exploded.
A giant dinosaur, over ten meters tall, covered in thick scales, and with a massive, bloody mouth, rushed out at a speed that belied its size! It was clearly attracted by the scent of blood on Zoro. Its target was clear, and it lunged straight for him.
Zoro's eyes remained closed. He didn't move, holding his sword like a statue.
Ganyu watched quietly, offering no warning and having no intention of helping. Her eyes held more anticipation than worry.
And then.
The instant the dinosaur's giant mouth was about to swallow the upper half of Zoro's body, Zoro's sword-wielding wrist suddenly snapped up, his movement as fast as lightning.
A crescent-shaped slash cut out, tearing the air and heading straight for the dinosaur's lower jaw.
Crack!
The timing of this strike was perfect, its power swift and precise. The slash passed through the jaw, sending the dinosaur's entire head flying clean off its neck.
The dinosaur's massive, headless body continued forward for a few more steps due to inertia before it collapsed, crashing to the ground behind Zoro. Zoro's free hand shot out, easily catching the dinosaur head he had just sliced off.
He casually held the dripping head in his hand and turned to Ganyu.
Looking at the blue-haired young woman, whose mouth was slightly agape and whose eyes couldn't hide their surprise, his lips unconsciously curled upward into a smug and confident smile:
"Is this that trick you taught Luffy?"
A day ago, while fighting Luffy on Whiskey Peak, he had discovered that his opponent could sometimes predict his moves in advance. This was almost identical to how Luffy had faced Kuro, Arlong, and the others.
Then, Zoro recalled his battle with Mihawk. The world's greatest swordsman also seemed to be able to predict his techniques, preparing a counter-measure before he even attacked.
From all this, it wasn't hard to analyze that this ability to predict an opponent's moves was most likely a combat skill that anyone could master.
He desperately wanted to learn this ability and to understand what it was. So, he had sought out this horned woman who had been mysterious and special ever since they met.
But with the pride in his bones, he could never bring himself to ask her to teach him.
Therefore, ever since landing on this island, he had been walking in front, clearing the path with his eyes closed. And he had actually managed to find that strange feeling.
"He actually figured it out... not bad... not bad at all..."
Ganyu's eyes shone with a mix of surprise and relief as she sighed inwardly. His talent, and Luffy's... these two were terrifyingly gifted.
They had relied almost entirely on their own intuition and life-or-death battles to grasp one of the three types of Haki in the first half of the Grand Line: Observation Haki.
Observation Haki is a power latent in all humans in this world. It can enhance the five senses, sense living auras, detect enemies outside one's field of vision, predict attack trajectories, and gauge an opponent's strength.
Few people master this power in the first half of the Grand Line, but in the second half, the "New World," it's a basic skill almost everyone possesses. Having Haki doesn't necessarily make you strong, but not having it means you can't survive in the New World.
In the original story, Luffy, Zoro, and the others didn't begin to grasp Haki until their two years of training after Sabaody.
"From your expression, this ability isn't that rare after all. What's it called?" Zoro pressed, his certainty growing as he watched her face. It was a necessary skill for the strong.
Ganyu thought for a moment. "Observation Haki. It's one of three types of Haki."
Zoro's eyes lit up, and his voice became more urgent. "You said three types? What are the other two? How do you master them?"
"Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki. Among them..." Ganyu began to briefly explain the abilities and differences between the three types, drawing on the anime knowledge from her past life.