"Of course, I know. I just thought I should tell you the situation."
Shaking off Rhode's hand and setting aside their previous conversation, Nia's eyes sparkled as she stared at him.
"Can you teach me that trick you learned from the pink-haired navy woman?"
Nia, who naturally favored speed and agility, had noticed the fast-moving techniques used by Hina in their recent battle and had also observed Rhode mastering the same skills.
Initially, she had planned to figure it out on her own, but after two days of continuous thought, she hadn't made any progress. Instead, she had fallen into the sea while practicing. If Shachi hadn't been swimming below, who knew what might have happened?
"You mean [Shave], right? Even if you hadn't asked, I was going to tell you. Not only [Shave], but also Haki, which I also want to teach you."
"Haki?"
Nia blinked, thinking she seemed to have heard that term somewhere before.
"Let's go to the deck. I don't want to repeat myself over and over. Let's all gather there."
Rhode took the lead and walked out of the room, calling out to Penguin on the observation deck and then to Shachi, who was swimming behind the ship. Bepo and Law also emerged from their rooms after hearing the commotion, and even Gray was summoned by Neru.
"I learned some techniques from the navy during our fight with them a few days ago."
It was inconvenient to tell his companions about the ability of [Knights do not die with bare hands], so Rhode could only attribute his learning to being a super genius.
The thing is, I'm gifted and can learn it at a glance. Luffy can learn it at a glance, why can't I?
"First, it's [Shave]."
Rhode moved his feet, and his entire body instantly moved from the deck to the bow, reappearing in its original position the next second.
"This move involves stomping the ground dozens of times in a flash, specifically within 0.36 seconds, using the explosive reaction force to move at high speed, just like the effect you just witnessed."
"To use this move, you first need superhuman physical fitness."
Except for Gray's physical capabilities, the other companions before him should have no problem.
"Law, you must also master this move. Don't disregard it because of the convenience of your fruit ability. There's a force in the Grand Line that can nullify fruit abilities."
"I know."
Law frowned slightly. Time was becoming increasingly scarce!
His schedule was already packed. Not only did he have to continue studying medicine and developing his fruit ability further, but he also had to train his physical strength. Now, he had to practice physical techniques as well.
There was almost no time left to read comics.
"But when I tried it myself, I always lost control of my direction."
Nia asked.
The principle was similar to what she had thought. She had also used similar methods to improve her explosive power before, hoping to achieve the same effect, but in reality, she always shot forward uncontrollably.
"Try it, I'll take a look."
Under Rhode's gaze, Nia moved her feet, and the next moment she shot forward, heading straight for the kitchen behind them.
Neru instantly appeared behind Nia and supported her body, preventing Gray from having to repair the door again.
Then, he smiled gently at Nia when she looked over.
"You can also [Shave]?"
"Yeah, I just learned it."
"???"
"Your foot placement isn't right. When using [Shave], the most difficult aspect is controlling the position of each step. If you can't step on the same spot accurately, it will cause the force to disperse, and ultimately, you'll lose control of your direction, just like what happened to you."
"Why did you learn so fast?"
Nia truly couldn't accept it.
Although she had mentioned before that her brother was a genius, in reality, she, who had originally been trained as the family heir, was also a genius!
Why did she seem so foolish compared to Rhode and Neru?
"Because I have seen and heard much more than you."
Neru smiled slightly.
Hearing his answer, Nia's eyes brightened slightly, and she also recalled some of Neru's previous actions.
He could sense the navy's arrival in advance, and his incredibly accurate shooting skills could hit the target precisely without even looking, not to mention his seemingly magical predictive shooting.
"It's Haki!"
As if sensing Nia's doubts, after explaining the principle of [Shave] to everyone, Rhode spoke again about the power of Haki.
"Haki is the latent power that all humans possess. This power is an innate ability, just like instinct; however, most people cannot realize this power, or they will never be able to use it in their lifetime."
"And on this sea, especially on the Grand Line, if you want to become a true powerhouse, you must master this power!"
"Before I officially explain the power of Haki to you, I want to tell you one thing: unwavering will is power!"
"Unwavering will is power…"
Muttering Rhode's words, everyone's expressions varied.
"There are two main types of Haki. The ability to strongly sense the opponent's voice is called Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki). Once this power is improved, you can perceive the location and number of enemies outside your field of vision, as well as the actions the opponent will take in the next moment. If you train it to a high level, you can even predict the future."
Predict the future!
She was shocked by Rhode's words, and then a glimmer of understanding dawned in her mind.
This must be why Neru could sense the navy's approach from a great distance. And his predictive shooting – was that the so-called predicting the future?
"Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) can enhance personal defense, acting like invisible armor; it can also evolve into attack power, allowing you to compete with Devil Fruit users and even touch the physical form of 'Logia'-type Devil Fruit users."
"There is no shortcut to practicing Haki; you can only rely on your body to feel it and awaken the power hidden within you in battle."
Rhode stretched out his palm, and an invisible force enveloped his arm.
"Compared to Kenbunshoku Haki, the practice of Busoshoku Haki is relatively simple. According to my idea, as long as your physical fitness meets the standard, and after a considerable amount of collision with Busoshoku Haki, your body will naturally guide the latent power, signifying a successful awakening."
Rhode flashed a mischievous smile at Law.
"You go first, Law! With your understanding, you should be able to master it quickly."
Penguin and Shachi subconsciously took half a step back, shielding Bepo in front of them.
They were far too familiar with Rhode's smile. Their initial devilish training plan had begun with Rhode displaying that very smile.
Although they were now completely accustomed to that kind of training and even enjoyed it, the initial fear was still etched in their memories.
Nearly ten years had passed since then.
It's back, that feeling is back, the feeling of being dominated by the devilish training is back.