"S–Sir Ryukawa, what was that just now…?"
Sabo approached, full of confusion.
He truly couldn't understand.
Ryukawa's behavior had reached the level of a supernatural monster.
He could predict Sabo's attack paths ahead of time, avoiding every strike before it even happened!
What kind of ability was that?
Sabo's young heart had already been crushed ten thousand times over in their earlier exchange. Fighting a blindfolded Ryukawa had nearly broken him.
Before Ryukawa could even answer, Fishman martial arts instructor Hack—the leader of this expedition—walked over, staring at Ryukawa with open awe.
Then—
Hack began explaining to Sabo:
"This sea is vast. Terrifying techniques and unfathomable powers appear everywhere."
"For example—Devil Fruits."
"Those who eat a Devil Fruit undergo all kinds of transformations, gaining thousands of bizarre abilities…"
Before he could finish—
Sabo hurriedly cut in:
"Mr. Hack, wait—was that a Devil Fruit power?! That's way too frightening! I felt like he could see my attacks before I even moved!"
Hack chuckled and shook his head.
"The fact you noticed that shows you have potential… but no, that is not a Devil Fruit."
"It's a type of power that can be trained by the human body itself—though extremely difficult to learn, with harsh entry requirements."
"And even then…"
"I never imagined a teenager could use it so skillfully."
Hack's admiration was plain to see.
He still couldn't wrap his head around it:
Ryukawa had learned Observation Haki easily—
Yet Hack himself, despite years of effort, had never even entered the doorway.
Standing before Ryukawa, he suddenly felt like all his years of training had been lived by a dog.
"Mr. Hack recognized it at a glance."
Ryukawa smiled at him.
A veteran Revolutionary soldier like Hack naturally knew about Haki—
And anyone watching that exchange with Sabo would immediately think of Observation Haki.
Eyes closed.
Perfect dodges.
Untouchable.
That could only be Haki.
"What an unbelievable genius…"
Hack still hadn't fully calmed down.
Just thinking about Ryukawa's age and what he'd already learned made Hack's heart tremble.
"Mr. Hack… what is that ability?"
Sabo finally asked, unable to hold it in.
"Haki."
Hack answered plainly.
"Haki?"
Sabo froze.
A completely unfamiliar word.
Was "Haki" the power that let Ryukawa foresee his attacks?
"There are three types of Haki."
"Observation Haki, Armament Haki… and Conqueror's Haki."
Hack began patiently explaining.
"The one Ryukawa used is the first—Observation Haki."
"Observation Haki…"
Sabo muttered, still lost.
"Observation Haki allows you to sense and track movements beyond your line of sight."
"It lets you perceive the intent behind an enemy's attack—so you can dodge before it even happens."
"That's the basic use of Observation Haki."
Hearing this, Sabo finally understood.
It sounded mysterious…
But also frighteningly powerful.
Being able to sense attacks ahead of time? No wonder Ryukawa could avoid everything.
"And that's just the beginning."
"At higher levels, Observation Haki can even let you glimpse brief moments of the future."
"And some people—according to legend—can hear the voice of all things."
Hack continued.
Sabo stared at Ryukawa in disbelief.
So Ryukawa possessed this monstrous ability?
Now everything made sense.
Even blindfolded, he was still unbeatable.
"Mr. Hack… do you think I can learn Observation Haki?"
Sabo asked hopefully.
"You?"
Hack blinked, then laughed helplessly.
"Forget you—even I haven't mastered it yet."
"Observation Haki is extremely difficult. At your age, the chance of learning it is very low. But keep training—maybe someday, you'll manage it."
Sabo frowned.
"Then how come Sir Ryukawa—?"
Hack fell silent.
Good question.
Yes, in general, kids Sabo's age have barely any chance.
But Ryukawa wasn't "in general."
He was a walking exception.
A monster.
Humans shouldn't compare themselves to monsters.
Sabo didn't seem satisfied and asked again:
"Then what about the second type of Haki? You said there were three."
Hack nodded with interest.
"The second is Armament Haki."
"When activated, the body becomes coated in a black armor-like substance, massively increasing offense and defense."
"And most importantly—Armament Haki is the best way to strike Logia Devil Fruit users!"
"That's why measuring someone's real strength often comes down to how strong their Armament Haki is."
"But Armament is far harder to learn than Observation. Normally, you must master Observation first before even trying Armament."
"For someone like you, it's still too early. Even someone like Ryukawa won't be able to learn Armament Haki in the short term—"
He didn't finish.
Because Ryukawa casually lifted his wooden sword—
And a layer of jet-black Armament Haki spread over it.
Hard and unbreakable.
The blade radiated killing intent.
"You mean this?"
Ryukawa asked with a smile.
"That's right, Sabo—watch closely. This is—"
Hack froze mid-sentence.
His expression became utterly stiff.
Wait.
Something's wrong.
Very wrong.
Just now—
He had seen…
Armament Haki.
He had seen Armament Haki on Ryukawa's sword.
"…?????????"
Hack's mouth fell open.
His whole body trembled.
This was—
Armament Haki.
One hundred percent Armament Haki.
He knew enough to be certain—this was no illusion.
Which meant—
This kid…
Not only had mastered Observation Haki.
He had also mastered…
Armament Haki?!
He was using it casually—
Like it was nothing—
Hack nearly fainted.
God above—
Kid, please, I beg you—STOP SHOWING OFF!
Our hearts really can't take this anymore!!
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