Chapter 75: Two Months Later
The mountain peak at dusk presented a breathtaking view. On the temporary open plaza carved out by the crew, everyone sat together, laughing and chatting. The fear they had once felt at being terrorized by giant chickens in the forest had now completely vanished.
Returning with Whitebeard, Luo Han saw the scene unfold and couldn't help but smile. Such joyful people. It seemed like everyone in the world of One Piece wore their emotions on their sleeves. When they were scared, they made it known. When they were happy, they let loose with everything they had.
He sat with Whitebeard in their designated seats at the edge of the plaza. Next to them were Cole and Sister Shao, who had returned earlier and were already seated. Sister Shao had a platter full of fruits in front of her.
"Brother Han! I want to train with you tomorrow!" Cole blurted the moment Luo Han sat down, full of excitement.
Luo Han didn't hesitate. "Sure. I need someone to help me sharpen this new ability anyway."
Cole grinned with satisfaction. He had grown up following Luo Han, and there was nothing he enjoyed more than training with him.
"Food's ready!" the head chef shouted, signaling the start of the banquet. For pirates, every hearty meal was a celebration. It was only through frequent banquets that they could dull the sorrow of losing comrades.
After all, death was an ever-present shadow on the sea.
Soon, the crew was fully immersed in the party, forgetting everything else as they embraced the night's joy.
…
The morning sun always brought hope. Watching it rise slowly over the horizon, Luo Han's heart swelled with optimism.
He stood where he and Whitebeard had torn up the terrain with their training, his eyes filled with a hint of reluctance. "Tomorrow, we leave."
Two months had passed. In the morning, they would set sail again—this time to pursue the Roger Pirates.
Luo Han smiled confidently. These past two months had been transformative. His mastery of Psychokinesis Armor Mode had grown significantly—he could now activate it with a single thought.
In terms of speed, even Whitebeard had said that only Rocks might be faster—and that was based on never having seen Rocks fight at full power.
But it was the defense aspect that had truly surprised Whitebeard. Luo Han's telekinetic armor, once easily broken, had become so solid that not even Whitebeard's regular attacks could shatter it now.
Of course, things were different when Whitebeard went all out.
Luo Han had taken one of his full-power strikes—enhanced with Haki and Tremor powers—and nearly died. The shockwave alone shattered his armor and cracked his body.
That experience had pushed Luo Han to focus even more on speed. He couldn't withstand that kind of power yet—but at least now he could survive regular hits.
Just as Luo Han was lost in thought, Whitebeard descended from the summit and made his way toward him.
Today was their final day on Ark Island. He and Whitebeard had agreed to settle things with a real fight—no more practice bouts, no more sparring.
Thud!
Whitebeard landed a few steps away.
"Let's have a proper battle today, Luo Han!" he said, eyes sharp with excitement.
"Let's do it," Luo Han replied, activating his Psychokinesis Armor Mode.
Then bring it!
Whitebeard surged forward, using his Tremor powers to enhance his speed. It wasn't slow—far from it.
He appeared in front of Luo Han in a flash, swinging his blade down.
Luo Han ducked just in time. Clang! The blade whooshed over his head, sending a tree crashing down in the distance.
He countered immediately, slamming a massive psychokinetic fist into Whitebeard's stomach. The speed of the strike only gave Whitebeard enough time to coat himself in Haki.
But that's what Whitebeard had been waiting for. He raised his left fist to strike—but missed.
Despite creating an opening, Luo Han's spiritual perception allowed him to dodge in time. He slipped behind Whitebeard and threw another punch.
This time, he compressed his psychokinesis to its limit, unleashing a focused, high-density blow.
Clang!
But Whitebeard's Haki held strong. He blocked it.
Now the fight became a contest of extremes—speed vs. strength and defense. Neither could gain the upper hand.
The battle dragged into the evening. Luo Han buzzed around like lightning, trying to find an opening. Whitebeard tried every trick he could to pin him down.
Several times, he forced Luo Han into the sky. And that's when Whitebeard's genius showed—he used his Tremor power to create subtle vibrations in the air. The shockwaves resonated with the atmosphere, momentarily freezing Luo Han midair.
In that brief instant, he landed a devastating punch that reminded Luo Han he was still the junior.
After that, Luo Han started tracking the shifts in air pressure. The moment he sensed any buildup of resonance, he would fly higher, not giving Whitebeard another chance.
Eventually, the fight lost its momentum. Luo Han stayed at high altitude, out of reach. Whitebeard couldn't touch him, and Luo Han couldn't get close without risking getting trapped.
As the sun dipped low, both fighters called it off.
"Haha! How was that, kid?" Whitebeard called up to him, laughing.
Whoosh!
Luo Han floated back down, frowning.
"Brother Newgate… when did you figure out how to trap me with resonance?"
"Oh? You figured it out?" Whitebeard laughed again.
Sigh… Luo Han exhaled. So that's how it is. I thought I could rely on speed to have some fun… and then he hits me with that spatial trap.
"Luo Han, you need to understand something," Whitebeard said, his voice turning serious. "This world isn't ruled by speed, power, or defense. It's ruled by people."
"No one stays the same. And there are far too many weird Devil Fruits out there—tons of them counter speed directly."
"Just because you're fast now doesn't mean someone won't find a way to beat you. People adapt."
Luo Han froze. He's right.
This was a world of Devil Fruits. Some powers could become broken in the hands of the right person.
If you don't know your enemy's ability, never get too close. That would have to be his new rule.
He looked at Whitebeard, this absolute monster of a man—someone who had turned the Tremor Fruit into a weapon that could freeze the air itself.
No wonder he was called the world's strongest man after Roger.
"Haha! I've got it now. As long as I stay cautious and keep my distance, no one will ever beat me!" Luo Han laughed.
Whitebeard gave him a pained look. That's not what I meant… You were supposed to learn something deeper here…
"How did we go from self-reflection to 'just stay cautious and run away'?!"
(END CHAPTER)
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