Inside the dojo, countless disciples were immersed in their morning training—
the usual energetic atmosphere filling the halls.
In one corner—
Ryukawa brought his sword swing to an abrupt halt.
He had just raised the wooden blade, yet it never descended—
frozen mid-air.
"Armament Haki…"
His eyes shone with a sharp glimmer.
Of all times for this to happen, he truly hadn't expected his Armament Haki to awaken right before setting sail.
This was more than a pleasant surprise—it was a massive leap forward.
After all—
Armament Haki is the natural enemy of Logia users!
Before this, Ryukawa had been considering countermeasures in case he encountered a Logia-type on the seas.
Now?
No need.
Against a natural-type Devil Fruit user, Armament Haki is the most direct and effective answer.
"With this strength… and now that I've awakened Armament Haki…
I really can walk sideways across the entire East Blue."
A grin tugged at Ryukawa's lips.
In the East Blue, how many people could use Armament Haki?
Barely any.
Even in the Grand Line, aside from true elites, the number of Haki users was limited.
Armament Haki was a threshold technique—
one of the minimum requirements to step into the New World.
And yet…
Before even leaving the East Blue—
Ryukawa had already crossed that threshold.
It was proof enough: in this sea, very few could stand at the same height as him.
Safety on his upcoming voyage became all the more certain.
"As long as I don't provoke the hidden monsters of this sea…
I can go wherever I want without a worry."
Then, as the system's vast flood of information washed into his mind, Ryukawa absorbed it all effortlessly.
He now possessed a perfect understanding of how to wield this power.
"Armament Haki…"
Ryukawa raised his wooden sword again.
Following the memory imprinted into him—
He activated it.
Before his eyes—
A black metallic sheen rapidly spread from his palm, crawling up the blade until the entire wooden sword became engulfed in a pitch-black layer of hardened Haki.
Tough.
Dense.
Immovable.
That was the impression it gave.
A wooden sword—
transformed into a blade far sturdier than steel, radiating a chilling aura.
"Who still says a wooden sword can't kill?"
Ryukawa smirked.
With Armament Haki, anything could become a lethal weapon.
Even a stick.
He thrust the Haki-coated wooden sword toward the training post.
PCHH!
The wooden stake split like tofu, the blade punching straight through without resistance.
Not a crack—
not a splinter—
nothing slowed it down.
Slowly, the black coating receded, and the sword returned to its ordinary appearance.
Ryukawa exhaled, wiping sweat from his brow.
His right arm felt heavy—
as though several stones were strapped to it.
"So my current body can't maintain Armament Haki for long…"
Of course it couldn't.
Armament Haki was notoriously taxing.
That was why the Marines trained the Six Powers first—
they strengthened the body so it could withstand the strain of Haki.
Ryukawa's "cheat" had let him skip straight to Armament Haki…
but skipping steps meant his body wasn't yet optimized.
Still, this was only temporary.
He pulled up his status panel:
[Host: Ryukawa]
[Strength: 111 (+5)]
[Speed: 108 (+4)]
[Stamina: 115 (+4)]
[Skills: Swordsmanship Lv20 (+1), Iai – One-Strike Draw Lv18 (+2), Armament Haki Lv1]
[Total Sword Swings: 8501]
"Only swinging the sword can make me stronger."
And so—
He resumed.
Swing.
Swing.
Swing.
Endlessly.
The next morning—
It was finally time.
Ryukawa walked into the dojo, for once not practicing at dawn.
Kuina and Zoro immediately sensed something was different.
"Senior Brother… you…"
Kuina spoke first, hesitant yet tense.
"I'm leaving the dojo for a while," Ryukawa said calmly. "While I'm gone, I'm entrusting things to the two of you."
He placed a firm hand on Zoro's shoulder.
"Make sure no one slacks off. No excuses."
"You're… going to sea?!"
Zoro's eyes widened in disbelief.
Ryukawa nodded.
"Yes."
"Can I come with you?" Zoro blurted, eyes shining.
"You're too weak," Ryukawa said bluntly, though with a smile. "You'd only drag me down. Grow stronger first—then I'll consider it."
Around them, countless disciples gathered—
Faces full of shock…
yet also pride and deep reluctance.
"Senior Brother is leaving…"
"He deserves a bigger stage…"
"He's far beyond what the East Blue can hold…"
Kuina clenched her sword.
"Senior Brother… next time you return, I'll definitely beat you."
"Oh, right—Kuina."
Ryukawa suddenly turned and placed both hands on her head.
His expression sharpened like a blade.
"While I'm gone, you must not—absolutely must not—go near the staircase."
Kuina blinked, confused.
"Senior Brother…?"
"Promise me."
His tone was the most serious she had ever heard.
Kuina froze for a moment—
then nodded firmly.
"…Okay."
But Ryukawa's heart was heavy.
He couldn't stay by her side 24/7.
He couldn't know when the fatal accident might occur—
tomorrow?
Next week?
Next month?
All he could do was warn her, again and again,
and hope fate could be altered.
Zoro clenched his fists.
"Senior Brother! When you come back, I'll shock you with my strength!"
Ryukawa laughed. "I'm looking forward to it."
He then spent nearly ten minutes saying his goodbyes—
not knowing how long he would be gone this time.
And finally—
Under the eyes of the entire dojo—
Ryukawa left.
At the harbor, Hack, Sabo, and a ten-man Revolutionary Army squad stood waiting.
The ship was stocked.
The preparations complete.
Only Ryukawa had been missing.
And now—
He had arrived.
From afar, Kuina and Zoro watched his figure grow smaller and smaller.
Their hearts were restless, full of longing and worry.
Koushirou appeared behind them, quietly watching the same fading silhouette.
Beside him stood Kosaburō.
"The young eagle spreads its wings…"
Kosaburō murmured.
"This boy's future lies on a far greater stage."
"With talent like his… who knows what terrifying height he'll reach someday."
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